Humility and what Some Call “Calvinism”

Recently, a friend asked me to sit next to him during class.  Prior to the introductory statements from the professor, he said something to the effect of, “I want to know about Calvinism and I hear you’re the guy to see.”  I laugh now even thinking about that.   Why do I laugh?  Because I appreciate anyone’s desire to learn; it gives me joy.  But I tell you what I did.  I got so joyful that I began to mention some books that helped me, the titles waning as the professor began to speak.  I said I would make him a list of books to which he can refer.

Then, mildly attentive to the professor, I was convicted.  “Does this friend really care for truth?”  Well, I have no idea about that because I don’t know his heart, but I do know this: Why would I care to share this truth with him?  Do I really care for orthodoxy transforming someone’s walk with God and transforming their ministry or do I care more about showing how much I know?

Well, frankly, I’m a fallen man.  I am prideful and horribly arrogant, so I won’t say that I wasn’t exulting in myself at times during that short conversation.  But within momemts, the Holy Spirit was correcting me.  That’s good.

For the moment, I have not made the list of books like he asked me to do for him.  In fact, I won’t until he asks me about them again.  But right now, I think that encounter served as a reminder to my often wandering heart that God, himself, is above all things.  Not Vince, not his doctrinal understanding, and certainly not John Calvin.

I will boldly exclaim first that in my minor page-flipping through his institutes, I see a man not concerned for his name but for God and his truth.  HE DID NOT INVENT THE DOCTRINES!!!  He was a fallen man just like all of us.  The doctrines come from Scripture; not his mind.

In fact, on many points, I don’t agree with him.  I am not a Calvinist, if you define it the way it is rightly defined.  I don’t avow to infant baptism; I don’ t avow to some points of Amillenial eschatology.  I am not a follower of Calvin, I’m a follower of Christ.  The Bible doesn’t say that I am not to humble myself under the hand of Calvin; it says that I am to humble myself under the mighty hand of God.

Who, seeking to understand what they call “Calvinism” is remotely interested in that?  I hope all, but if not, I won’t waste my time.

Before I teach the doctrines SYSTEMATICALLY (because it will pepper my teachings anytime I teach because it’s only natural that it does), I must know in my heart that this person knows the Lord.  Does he have fruit suggesting that he walks closely with the most high God?  If not, he must as Spurgeon once said, “graduate from the prep school of the gospel before he can attend the university of the Doctrines of grace.”

Next, I must ask myself does this person care about God and his truth or does he care about knowledge and its degrees?

I declare boldly that I would take one John Wesley, passionately sharing the gospel and preaching God’s word, over five dead calvinists who would rather drive across the state to defend those doctrines than walk across the street to share the gospel.

The gospel of God is the main thing.  Keep it there!!!

But now you must understand that before any man can go to the unversity of the doctrines of grace he must be prepared to come to the end of himself and cherish God’s power far above his own.  He must bow his knees down lowly before God’s revealed word before he would ever bow his head mildly to his own reasoning.

That’s the fruit of a passionate man who holds to these doctrines.  He must be humble.

“If you carry your orthodoxy in pride and arrogance, you haven’t truly understood it because an accurate understanding of God and his grace humbles the soul.”  -Joshua Harris

And so as a prerequisite to any further teaching on the Doctrines of Grace, a phrase to which I prefer to refer to them,  (In fact, I don’t like the Dortian terms coined in TULIP), I want to propose that humility is required before God’s revealed word.

In this study, o seeker of deeper truth, “know thyself,” as Shakespeare once wrote.

Why do you need to take the time to know?  Do you want to grow closer to the heart of the most High or do you just want more knowledge which will further puff you up?

First, is the gospel even precious to you? If not, go back and learn it anew.  I certainly wish I had.  It would saved me a lot humiliating experiences when I forgot to keep the main thing the main thing.

And so I post a five part video of Pastor John Piper in which he exposits the humility required to believe the Doctrine of Election.  Don’t waste your time if you don’t even care about God, period.

Proceed further ONLY if you want to understand something that will transform your walk to a whole new level of humility, holiness, and godliness.  I, myself, have so much to learn, and I’ve held to these doctrines for the past three years.  Every new glimpse into God’s grace humbles me to the dust as it rightly should.

Working with you to cherish orthodoxy with humility and conviction,

Vince R.

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That’s the Amazement of Grace, AMEN.