Bible Question: I have been a Christian for 36 years and never ever worried whether or not I am a 'Calvinist' or an 'Arminian' in my theology. Our pastor has begun teaching on the sovereignty of God and has presented Calvinism or reformed view as the only 'God' centered interpretation of scripture. Should I find this as an awfully bold and scary claim? |
Bible Answer: Confuzzled: You have been a Christian for 36 years and never ever worried whether you are a Calvinist or an Armenian? I've been a Christian 56 years and have never worried about it either! Worrying about what kind of label you're going to wear or in what "camp" -- whether Calvinist or Arminian -- you're going to pitch your tent will get anybody 'confuzzled,' brother! You know, when the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they never told him to decide what kind of Christian he wanted to be. They never said, "Well, that depends on whether you want to be a Calvinist Christian or an Arminian Christian. You already know what Paul and Silas told the jailer to do to be saved, but for the record, Acts 16:31 lays it down plainly what to do to be saved. ...... Now, as for your pastor teaching on the sovereignty of God, pray tell me what he taught about God before he began teaching the truth about God! Friend, the doctrine of the sovereignty of God is Bible doctrine from Genesis to Maps. John Calvin didn't invent it! Men of God believed and taught the sovereignty of God centuries before Calvin was a gleam in his father's eye. If your pastor has begun teaching on the sovereignty of God, he deserves a hug, not a reprimand. But I don't know about presenting Calvinism as the "only" God-centered interpretation...some of my Arminian-prone brothers might take issue with that! ...... Your question has fetched some thoughtful answers. Kalos gave a particularly good one, well-balanced and sensible, and of practical value in its caveat to shy away from extreme views, such as the "hypers" of Calvinism and Arminianism. These extreme views generally lead to some deep end, off of which one can fall without even being aware of it. We've had some "hypers" on this Forum who seemed fairly sure they understood more than God ever revealed about election and predestination. These self-styled "oracles of God" did harm to the Forum and ran some good people away. That's why you see the permanent notice posted at the top of the home page warning against posting hyper-stuff that edifies no one and leads only to bitterness, divisiveness and debate. ..... I mentioned before, I've been a Christian for 56 years. I'm now 70. In all those years, I've never been able to understand very much. I can't tell you how or when God spoke the universe into existence, or how He set the stars in their orbits, or exactly how a microscopic sperm and egg can unite to produce a child. I do not presume to know the mysteries of God's election and predestination, but the Bible teaches those doctrines. And it also teaches man's responsibility to believe. John 3:16 teaches us that. If these doctrines seem to bump into each other, the conflict is in man's mind, not in God's. We are like Paul in that we see through our mirror with dim vision. Our minds are finite and are no match at all for the infinite mind of God. ..... Oh, yes, I've wrestled with matters of faith, with concepts and doctrines that I have grappled with, only to come away both sad and glad: sad in the sense that I could not understand all I wanted to about them, but glad in the sense that I serve the transcendent and mighty God whose ways are not my ways, nor His thoughts my thoughts. And glad too in that the more fully I realize how quickly and surely I can come to the end of my tether, the more I realize how dependent I am on the grace of God and the saving power of the Lord Jesus. It seems, paradoxically, that the more I recognize the limits of my own understanding, the stronger my faith grows. But I'm not the first guy to come down the pike with that idea in his head. A wise man of old was inspired by the Spirit of God to declare, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding" [Proverbs 3:5]. ..... So, since you've lived 36 years without worrying about being Calvinist or Arminian, why not shoot for 36 more years without worrying about it? The only thing worthy of concern -- concern, not worry -- is whether you and I along with all others who are followers of Christ are diligent to present ourselves approved to God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15). It sounds simple enough and easy to do, but it is neither. It demands all we've got all the time -- dedication, hard work, sweat, tears and constant prayer. Blessing and peace to you, brother. --Hank |