Category: Calvinism

Discussions and defense of Calvinism and Covenant Theology

Was Sin a Mistake??

~ fundyreformed ~ 20 Comments

Any thoughtful Christian has stumbled over the question, “Why did an all powerful God permit sin? Why does sin exist?”

Before I go on to “answer” that question, let me affirm that we humans have limited minds and limited abilities to grasp such “why” questions. Ultimately, God is the potter and can do what He wants. But there are some Biblically faithful answers to these questions.

The Standard Answer

The standard, or typical evangelical answer goes like this. God wanted to have people who truly loved Him. He wanted to share fellowship with created beings. He wanted this so much, he was willing to risk the presence of sin to make us. He did not want to make mere robots, but creatures with a free will. So although God knew sin was going to happen, and He knew sin would have devastating effects on His creation, He was willing to allow it in order to have some people love him freely. He died to save as many as would come. God wants all to come and desires all to be saved, but knows that only some will. And he is happy with all who come and share fellowship with Him. He works all things for the good of His people, because He loves them above all things.

I think this is a pretty good answer, really. Yet there are problems. First, it presents God as limited. Sure the limitations are self-imposed, but the picture we get is that God is frustrated that not all are saved, and that many reject His offer of salvation. Second, it presents God as needy. God wanted fellowship so much, he permitted sin to get it. That makes it seem like God was not totally self sufficient. Given God’s infinitely glorious attributes, why would He really need a creation? Third, it prsents God as loving man above all. God does everything he can to save man. God wants to do everything for man. These views sound right to me, a man. But does God really operate in such a man-serving manner? Is God all about us? Is God man-centered?

A Better Answer

I propose a different answer, but one that is Scripturally sound, I trust. God was totally self-sufficient in the Trinity. He experienced total joy due to an absolute knowledge of all of His infinite perfections. This knowledge produced a great approval of and love for Himself. God loved His own image as represented in His Son’s face. The Holy Spirit participated in this love and joy. (I refer you to Jonathan Edward’s view of the Trinity, here.) In short, God was completely happy to be God, all by Himself: no creation needed.

But since God was experiencing great joy, He wanted to experience even more. And joy increases in the spreading. So God hatched a glorious plan. God would create in order to display His glory, and reveal knowledge about His infinite perfections. This knowledge would lead his chosen people to share in His joy in Himself and cause them to love God.

But intimately connected to his plan was the importance of knowledge. God had to spread a true and correct knowledge of Himself in order for others to really love and find joy in Him. This desire to spread knowledge was definitely proud and self-serving. God wants His own praise to be trumpeted! (Just scan through Isaiah 40-49, for proof.) And who else should God be proud about? To be proud in anything that is not the ultimate best there is, is sin. But God is the ultimate best. So God is selfish and that is okay. But this knowledge also necessitated the existence of sin. Without sin God could not reveal his attributes of love and mercy and longsuffering, and holiness and wrath against sin. There had to be a black backdrop against which the brightness of God’s glory could shine.

So God permitted sin. But He created a world where God is not held responsible for sin. Man is. Satan is. Not God. God is good. But God is the creator and everyone else isn’t. In God’s world, no one is punished unjustly. People all sin (after Adam’s fall, which God knew and foreordained would happen), and they do so willingly. But in this world, God steps in and reveals Himself and saves a people for Himself. God chose these people before He created the world, so God is not frustrated that others besides them are not saved. God finds joy in them, and God’s praise and glory is increased through their sharing in His joy. God gets gloy by being the provider and sustainer of their life, their redemption, and their eternal joy and satisfaction in Him. And this is truly loving to them. He does not serve their selfish interests, but provides what will truly satisfy them–Himself as the Eternal Good they need. And he works things for thier good to show that He is truly good, and to prove His own glorious faithfulness.

Now, some might object to this answer. It makes God unloving to some, they might say. And I am aware there are questions and difficutlites presented here. However, I think the objections raised to the previous answer are just as big and actually bigger. And, most importantly, I think the Bible supports this second answer. It may not be exactly what I as a man (dedicated to my own interests naturally, as the case is with us all) might desire, but it is what God’s Word teaches. Consider Acts 4:27-28 as proof that God holds creatures responsible for their sin, even when God was the One who foreordained that sin to happen, and used it for His ends. And then consider these verses from Romans which capture the heart of this second answer:

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory– even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:19-24)

Before I close, I should encourage you to go check out William Dudding’s thoughts on this problem, as his post sparked mine. Also see Jonathan Edwards’ “On the End for which God Created the World”.

So, what do you think? Or have you thought about this issue? Please join the discussion.

Update: this post by Justin Taylor provides quotes by John Newton dealing with why God allows sin in the lives of believers. It is an edifying read, and I thought I’d add it here, since it relates to this topic.

The Storybook for Preachers

~ fundyreformed ~ 9 Comments

check out The Jesus Storybook BibleThe more I learn about Pastor Tim Keller (of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City), the more I respect his opinion. So when he says of a new kid’s Bible storybook: “I’d urge ministers to buy it and read it for themselves. It will improve their preaching.” I listen up.

From what I have heard and seen about the book so far, I’d have to agree. But perhaps you’re wondering, “How can any Bible storybook help a preacher? Storybooks are just dumbed down Sunday School lessons for kids, aren’t they?”

Very often, and with many a book, sadly, I’d have to agree with your point. In fact, Kathy Keller, Tim’s wife, who has edited children’s Sunday School curriculum  and also  worked as a theological consultant for Zondervan, says the following:

It is very hard to find (or even produce) material for children that doesn’t essentially contain the message “Be good, so that God, your heavenly Father will  love you, and your earthly parents will be happy with you, too.”

In stark contrast to such kid’s material, stands Sally Lloyd-Jones’ new book: The Jesus Storybook Bible. Of this, Kathy Keller writes:

…Sally goes out of her way in the first pages of the book to reclaim the true story of the Bible: not a book of rules, nor a book of heroes, but:

The Bible is most of all a Story…It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! You see, the best thing about this Story is —it’s true! There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

Tim Keller describes the book:

Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God’s revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning–a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned.

This storybook in a nutshell,

capture[s] the plot line of redemption in a children’s story Bible that sings the praise of Jesus and his saving grace on every page, in every story. (—Kathy Keller)

Now, Tim Keller is Sally Lloyd-Jones’ pastor. But still  by now you should be convinced this book is different. But why should it be required reading for pastors?

Here’s why. When we step back and see the Bible as a whole, and look at all the characters and events in light of their place in redemptive history, the power of the Story shines through. Stories, especially well crafted ones, capture our imagination. They thrill even as they teach. This is why fairy tales and good fantasy literature are so enduringly popular. So looking at the Bible as a story, has practical benefits. It can thrill us anew at the wonder of God’s redemption work.

But today, pastor’s are busy preaching other things than the Gospel Story of Redemption. Often the Bible is seen as a “how-to-have-a-successful-life-manual”. Other times it is simply  a rule-book for how to please God. For others it is a theological manual or a social-remedy-guide. It is everyone’s panacea, and everyone has a prooftext for teaching anything.

So why not let the Bible speak for itself? Why not let the Biblical story shine as intended? Sometimes, I think, we would if we could just see it. There are so many other things about the Bible that are important, yet they steal our attention from Its Big Story.

So perhaps a kid’s storybook, pictures and all, might just do the trick. And let me tell you, just the two stories I read in the online sample, were enough to convince me that the book might just have that effect on me.

So check this book out. Read Kathy Keller’s full review,  and see Justin Taylor’s  brief post on it (that’s where I found out about it, and it is in the comments there  that Pastor Keller made the statement that started this post). Then buy it, and purpose to use it for yourself first, and your kids second. [Also check out the book’s  flyer.]

For more info on the  redemptive historical approach to Scripture, check out my hermeneutics topic, my friend Nathan Pitchford’s blog, or this category at Monergism.

The Advance of God's Kingdom, Updated

~ fundyreformed

The Advance of God's Kingdom

About a year ago, I posted the pictures of a power point presentation my brother (Dave) had put together for a series of Sunday morning messages at his church. The series traces the covenants of Scripture and how they relate to the advance of God’s Kingdom. It is an excellent presentation and also serves as an excellent (albeit  simple)  introduction to covenantal theology (as opposed to dispensationalism).

Well lately I’ve received a few requests for the actual presentations themselves, rather than pictures of them, and so I updated the original post to include the power point files (which WordPress allows me to upload). The files actually take up much less memory than the pictures of each slide, and you are welcome to download them if you’d like.

Since I was updating the post, I thought I’d bring it back to the front page again as it really is one of my favorite posts of all time. If you’ve got the time, take a look at some of the presentations, just click on the picture above to go to that post.

Calvinism, Pain, and Scrutiny

~ fundyreformed ~ 9 Comments

This is just a brief post to let you know Time magazine recently interviewed Al Mohler regarding his Calvinism, and his recent near-death hospital stay. He did recover fully, by the way. But Time’s interview gives a fascinating insight into how secularism looks at both Christianity and Calvinism. This is definitely worth a quick read.

Here it is. (HT: Ryan DeBarr)

"Regeneration Precedes Faith", a Baptist Belief

~ fundyreformed ~ 25 Comments

Some say “ignorance is bliss”, but in discussions of theology, this is definitely not the case. Especially in fundamentalist Baptist circles, to bring up the topic of Calvinism is always to start a fiery discussion. And one of the chief factors in making this topic so heated and controversial (you could call it emotional) is ignorance.

As a former non-Calvinistic (some would say Arminian) fundamental Baptist, at one time I was quite ignorant concerning Calvinism. And one of the points Calvinists believe which was most repugnant to me was their belief that regeneration precedes faith. Such a doctrine seemed to make faith not essential. It made the human response less important. As a fundamentalist, I prized the “sinner’s prayer” and “altar call” methodology, and everything about this strange teaching about regeneration seemed wrong.

If you had told me then, while I was a non-Calvinist, that Baptists historically have believed in this doctrine, if you had told me my Baptist forbears were almost all Calvinists, I would have been astounded. And I am sure many other fundamental Baptists still would share my amazement. I have even seen some people on one particular fundamentalist forum site claim that the belief that regeneration precedes faith is a 20th Century innovation of “neo-Calvinists” like Piper and Mohler. And surely there are many fundamentalists all too eager to believe that such is the case. (Case in point, the widespread fundamental belief that Charles Spurgeon wasn’t really a Calvinist, and that he didn’t really believe in all 5 points of Calvinism—even though he wrote a booklet defending all 5 points!)

With the above background, let me provide a quote from the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession, one of the earliest Baptist Confessions of Faith in America. I recently stumbled upon this quote, and was delighted with what I found. In no uncertain terms, it declares that the Baptists who developed this Confession, believed that regeneration precedes faith. Let me quote from section 7, “Of Grace in Regeneration”.

We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again (Jn. 3:3, 6-7; 1 Cor. 1:14, Rev. 8:7-9; 21:27); that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind (2 Cor. 5:17; Ez. 36:26; Deut. 30:6; Rom. 2:28-29; 5:5; 1 Jn. 4:7); that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth (Jn. 3:8; 1:13; Jam. 1:16-18; 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 2:13), so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel (1 Pet. 1:22-25; 1 Jn. 5:1; Eph. 4:20-24; Col. 3:9-11); and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and newness of life (Eph. 5:9; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 3:14-21; Matt. 3:8-10; 7:20; 1 Jn. 5:4, 18).

If you are wondering what I am seeing here, let me make it simple. The above says that the “fruits” of regeneration are “repentance, and faith, and newness of life”. In other words, regeneration comes first and the result is repentance, faith, and newness of life. Regeneration precedes faith.

Just to prove that this doctrine was historically held by most Baptists does very little in proving that it is a correct and Biblical doctrine, I know. If you would like an explanation and defense of this doctrine, see my attempt in this post.