So today, this post was published at The127Project: We Are Barabbas. It's all about how Barabbas knew what it was like to literally be held captive, to be sentenced to death, and then to have someone, Jesus, take his place. He knew firsthand that it should've been him.
And the first song I heard on the radio this morning was Should've Been Me, by Citizen Way
I've read the story
I've seen the movie
I give to charity
And tithe my ten percent
These I remember
But I so easily forget
All these years never heard it like this
It should've been me
It should've been us
Should've been there hanging on a cross
All of this shame
All of these scars
Should've been stains that were never washed
Why do I hide
Why do you try
Over and over and over again
I guess it just leaves saying thank God
It leaves me saying thank God, thank God
For the should've beens
I live a good life
I love a great wife
Our kids are beautiful
We got friends down the street
If I'm so thankful
Why do I easily forget
That you died for all of this
For this heart you changed
This soul you raised
My God for taking my place
When…
It's should've been me.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
True Love
A couple points from the last day or so...
I love my sister more than she knows. I worry like crazy about her, and often wish she were making different choices, but ultimately I know it's not my opinion that counts. We took a bunch of pictures together, and these are two of my favorites:
I love my sister more than she knows. I worry like crazy about her, and often wish she were making different choices, but ultimately I know it's not my opinion that counts. We took a bunch of pictures together, and these are two of my favorites:
"Half hearts", as we like to say, have been one of our "things" for a long time now. It's a symbol of our trust for and reliance on one another. I've got your back, you've got mine. We bring out the best in each other. And I just really love this girl.
One of the few people from my high school that I still talk to paid me a surprise visit today. He's one of those overall great guys. He works hard, plays hard, and will do anything for the people he cares about. Compassion in action. He's like the older brother I never had, even if he is only 9 months older. Jason has those protective instincts. He said that any guy interested in me will have to be screened by him, and they of course have to be smaller than he is because otherwise he won't be able to beat them up. He told Jessica the same thing. Great friend.
And on a slightly different note, I substituted for an open gym this morning. I just had to supervise and make sure there wasn't anything too dangerous going on. A mother brought her two children, a boy around 3 years old and a 7 year old girl (and a sleeping 6 week old!) Near the end, the boy, Luke, got fussy and crabby and hit and kicked his older sister, Olivia. Mom called him over to her to talk to him about why hitting is not ok. Even as she sat there, lovingly disciplining him, he punched her feet. She settled him down, and pulled him into her arms. He was still whiny and fussy, but she said, "Luke, I love you, and I want what's best for you. I want you to be kind and gentle towards your sister"
There was something so touching about that for me. He clearly wanted to reject whatever his mom was going to say. He wanted to go on hitting his sister. But when she took the initiative to call him over and show that she had his best interest in mind, he had a complete change of heart. After she spoke to him, he crawled into her lap and sat as though he were a precious 3 year old angel mama's boy.
That's not a perfect illustration of us and God, but it's not the worst one either.
And that is true love.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Conversations
My sister is here visiting, and we had our one obligatory religion conversation. This time, instead of testing out Islam, she told me, "I'm just chilling", followed by "Religion is a joke"
So it was mildly amusing when, while I was at dinner with her, my friend Beth texted me a theological question, completely out of the blue. She asked "When Jesus comes back, will those who were alive before Jesus was born (and thus had no opportunity for salvation through Him) be raised from the dead along with those who were/are saved? Would it depend on their righteousness during their lifetime?"
That's a big awesome question. There are many who say that Jesus did reveal Himself in OT times, that He was the cloud/pillar in Exodus and He rescued Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego (yeah, I just spelled those without looking them up. Boom) from the furnace, etc. But the more I thought through this, I don't see how this would make them righteous in God's sight, which is what Jesus accomplishes on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). And it's hard to imagine heaven without Abraham, David, Moses and the likes; actually it's Biblically impossible, for Matthew 8:11 says that Abraham, Jacob and Isaac will be at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. So, is it possible that God Himself declared His followers righteous somehow? Abraham was declared righteous by God in Genesis 15:6, years before he passed the test of whether or not Isaac was his idol before God (Genesis 22). With Abraham, God established a covenant, and the Old Testament law was given only after the context of this covenant. This further demonstrates that salvation is not and cannot be through works, but only through faith. And for how this works for those before Christ, we turn to Romans 3, verses 21-26
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
This says that God had "divine forbearance", in that He passed over sins in order to allow for the justification of those in Christ. It's all complicated, and it was great to have to think through these things.
Beth then said Beth, "Thanks! I knew you would have something to say. It just popped into my head while I was reading. So another connected question: do you think that God predestines people first, or that he knows who will choose Him so then He predestines those people?"
This is a classic question. Perhaps THE question: does God choose us or do we choose Him? I have to say that from what I've read and learned of God and of man, it is impossible for us to choose God. We are too full of sin; we are completely and totally depraved. We do not know what's best for us. As John Newton said, "I am not what I ought to be". I know that without the Holy Spirit, I would not have chosen God. Why would I? Without being awakened to the need for a Savior, why would I seek one? Writes Charles Spurgeon, "'But,' says someone, 'He foresaw that you would have faith; and, therefore, He loved you.' What did He forsee about my faith? Did He foresee that I should get faith myself, and that I should believe on Him of myself? No; Christ could not forsee that, because no Christian man will ever say that faith came of itself with the gift and without the working of the Holy Spirit" Further, "but if God enters into covenant with sinful man, he is then so offensive a creature that it must be, on God's part, and act of pure, free, rich, sovereign grace"
So then Beth said, "But how is that fair to people who He doesn't choose? And why didn't He choose them? Btw if I'm bothering you, we can talk about this some other time. And thank you! This is so cool to learn about. I am reading about Calvinism now :) "
This is funny, because this deals exactly with the last point of Killing Calvinism, scoffing at non-Calvinists. Greg Dutcher writes of his Arminian friend asking him to just acknowledge that some of this stuff is messy and emotionally uncomfortable. Because it is. To believe that there are people who were created but who will not be called into salvation is something I do not claim to understand. I don't think that's fun. I don't like that I believe I have friends who will go to hell. That's devastating. And we should be devastated by that. But ultimately, I don't think we can know the answer to these questions. As Isaiah writes,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. 55:8-9
I think the best answers to the hard questions are not necessarily looking for God to answer our every tough issue, but instead to immerse ourself in His character. Even if you do nothing but look through the Psalms, you will learn a great deal about who God is, according to the praise that was written to Him. We learn in the Gospels about Jesus, and who He is.
The more that we concern ourselves with the truth that Jesus, sinless and holy before God, took our place on the cross, and now ushers us forth into the courts of heavens by His grace alone, the easier it becomes to accept everything about the Lord, and to trust that His ways really are higher.
Dear Beth, I hope this is a bit better than the lame scrambled texts I sent you while I was more concerned with eating sweet potato fries and eavesdropping on the hilarious old ladies sitting next to Jess and I than talking theology. I'm for real about checking out Spurgeon's book, In Defense of Calvinism. He dedicated a lot more time to study than I have, and explains things far better than I could.
So it was mildly amusing when, while I was at dinner with her, my friend Beth texted me a theological question, completely out of the blue. She asked "When Jesus comes back, will those who were alive before Jesus was born (and thus had no opportunity for salvation through Him) be raised from the dead along with those who were/are saved? Would it depend on their righteousness during their lifetime?"
That's a big awesome question. There are many who say that Jesus did reveal Himself in OT times, that He was the cloud/pillar in Exodus and He rescued Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego (yeah, I just spelled those without looking them up. Boom) from the furnace, etc. But the more I thought through this, I don't see how this would make them righteous in God's sight, which is what Jesus accomplishes on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). And it's hard to imagine heaven without Abraham, David, Moses and the likes; actually it's Biblically impossible, for Matthew 8:11 says that Abraham, Jacob and Isaac will be at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. So, is it possible that God Himself declared His followers righteous somehow? Abraham was declared righteous by God in Genesis 15:6, years before he passed the test of whether or not Isaac was his idol before God (Genesis 22). With Abraham, God established a covenant, and the Old Testament law was given only after the context of this covenant. This further demonstrates that salvation is not and cannot be through works, but only through faith. And for how this works for those before Christ, we turn to Romans 3, verses 21-26
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
This says that God had "divine forbearance", in that He passed over sins in order to allow for the justification of those in Christ. It's all complicated, and it was great to have to think through these things.
Beth then said Beth, "Thanks! I knew you would have something to say. It just popped into my head while I was reading. So another connected question: do you think that God predestines people first, or that he knows who will choose Him so then He predestines those people?"
This is a classic question. Perhaps THE question: does God choose us or do we choose Him? I have to say that from what I've read and learned of God and of man, it is impossible for us to choose God. We are too full of sin; we are completely and totally depraved. We do not know what's best for us. As John Newton said, "I am not what I ought to be". I know that without the Holy Spirit, I would not have chosen God. Why would I? Without being awakened to the need for a Savior, why would I seek one? Writes Charles Spurgeon, "'But,' says someone, 'He foresaw that you would have faith; and, therefore, He loved you.' What did He forsee about my faith? Did He foresee that I should get faith myself, and that I should believe on Him of myself? No; Christ could not forsee that, because no Christian man will ever say that faith came of itself with the gift and without the working of the Holy Spirit" Further, "but if God enters into covenant with sinful man, he is then so offensive a creature that it must be, on God's part, and act of pure, free, rich, sovereign grace"
So then Beth said, "But how is that fair to people who He doesn't choose? And why didn't He choose them? Btw if I'm bothering you, we can talk about this some other time. And thank you! This is so cool to learn about. I am reading about Calvinism now :) "
This is funny, because this deals exactly with the last point of Killing Calvinism, scoffing at non-Calvinists. Greg Dutcher writes of his Arminian friend asking him to just acknowledge that some of this stuff is messy and emotionally uncomfortable. Because it is. To believe that there are people who were created but who will not be called into salvation is something I do not claim to understand. I don't think that's fun. I don't like that I believe I have friends who will go to hell. That's devastating. And we should be devastated by that. But ultimately, I don't think we can know the answer to these questions. As Isaiah writes,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. 55:8-9
Tozer says it like this, "The believing man does not claim to understand. He simply falls to his knees and whispers, 'God'"
I think the best answers to the hard questions are not necessarily looking for God to answer our every tough issue, but instead to immerse ourself in His character. Even if you do nothing but look through the Psalms, you will learn a great deal about who God is, according to the praise that was written to Him. We learn in the Gospels about Jesus, and who He is.
The more that we concern ourselves with the truth that Jesus, sinless and holy before God, took our place on the cross, and now ushers us forth into the courts of heavens by His grace alone, the easier it becomes to accept everything about the Lord, and to trust that His ways really are higher.
Dear Beth, I hope this is a bit better than the lame scrambled texts I sent you while I was more concerned with eating sweet potato fries and eavesdropping on the hilarious old ladies sitting next to Jess and I than talking theology. I'm for real about checking out Spurgeon's book, In Defense of Calvinism. He dedicated a lot more time to study than I have, and explains things far better than I could.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Cooking
If I followed God the way that I cooked, I would be a poor excuse for a Christ-follower.
I collect recipes, but I never regard them as authoritative. I can't remember the last time that I actually used the right amount of the right ingredients. I don't see not having something as an issue - no red curry paste? No problem, let me just throw together some garlic, curry, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. No cocoa powder in these brownies? Outrage! Let's add some. I also have no trust for cooking times. I set the timer for less than suggested, and check on it myself. In all cases, I am sure that I know better.
If I treated the Bible the way I treated cook books, I would lose so much awe for God's word. If the Bible isn't authoritative, what do we have left for our faith? If I refused to trust God the way I do chefs, if I thought I knew better than Him, I would be struggling through a sad life of mediocrity.
I am very thankful that although I am a stubborn know it all chef, the Lord softened my heart and called me to Him. This illustration confirms for me that instinctively, I would not love God. It could only have been Him who initiated my salvation.
PS. I made some delicious spicy curried scallops today, and it's one of my favorite meals I've eaten in awhile. I could attempt to put the recipe together for you if you'd like, but remember cooking is better when you're creative.
I collect recipes, but I never regard them as authoritative. I can't remember the last time that I actually used the right amount of the right ingredients. I don't see not having something as an issue - no red curry paste? No problem, let me just throw together some garlic, curry, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. No cocoa powder in these brownies? Outrage! Let's add some. I also have no trust for cooking times. I set the timer for less than suggested, and check on it myself. In all cases, I am sure that I know better.
If I treated the Bible the way I treated cook books, I would lose so much awe for God's word. If the Bible isn't authoritative, what do we have left for our faith? If I refused to trust God the way I do chefs, if I thought I knew better than Him, I would be struggling through a sad life of mediocrity.
I am very thankful that although I am a stubborn know it all chef, the Lord softened my heart and called me to Him. This illustration confirms for me that instinctively, I would not love God. It could only have been Him who initiated my salvation.
PS. I made some delicious spicy curried scallops today, and it's one of my favorite meals I've eaten in awhile. I could attempt to put the recipe together for you if you'd like, but remember cooking is better when you're creative.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Cry Baby
I wasn't always like this. But God has softened my heart in so many ways, not only to the truth and majesty of the grace extended at the cross, but to even basic pieces of life.
Tonight, I sit and watch the US Women's Gymnastics Olympic Trials. In an hour and half, the team will be named - 5 girls out of the million little girls who do gymnastics in this country each year. There are amazingly talented gymnasts, and at least two could be strong contenders to put up a US 3-peat in the individual all-around, not to mention the fact that this team will be expected to fight for a team gold.
Rebecca Bross was once sold as WOGA's 3rd straight golden girl, and looked to go after all-around Olympic gold until blowing out her knee at the 2011 national championships. A world and national champion, she had to become a bars and beam specialist, and after 3 falls tonight on bars at these trials, it's safe to say she's out. And that's sad.
Alicia Sacramone has proven herself as a fierce competitor and inspiring leader. She has battled injuries and age, and came to 2012 seeking redemption for a nasty fall on her beam mount in the team finals in Beijing. She has won multiple national and world championships, and is going out with a bang. Because, you see, I don't see any scenario in which she makes this team. But I'm crying for her and all she's accomplished for this sport.
Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic all-around champion, holder of national and world titles, and is and likely always will be the only female American gymnast to have scored a 17 on any event. I have been a fan of her forever, and as she battled injuries and nay-sayers leading up to 2008, I remained faithful. When everyone said Shawn would beat her, I said, "Just watch. Shawn's hot, but Nastia's got something special. She'll captivate those judges and she'll hit when it counts" And she did. A beautiful moment, she won the hearts of America. And now, it's been hard to see her struggle. She did a phenomenal beam routine at the 2012 Classic, rallying support and making her case. But to punch her ticket, she'd need bars. She failed at Nationals, twice, and sat her dismount down on night one of trials. She'd need to be flawless tonight to have a shot. But she fell, on one of her basic moves. She had the look of defeat on her face, like she was about to walk out of the gym without finishing. She looked near tears, but she finished, amidst a wave of support from a sold-out crowd. But tonight is likely her last night to don that Team USA leo in competition. Nastia will always be an Olympic champion, but she will not be a 2012 Olympian, and it's sad. UPDATE: She pulled out a beautiful beam routine, and got what seemed like a standing ovation from the crowd as she waved what she knows is goodbye.
So this morning I cried at the awesomeness of being called out of darkness and into grace by a holy God, sovereign and loving to His core. And this evening I cry for these girls and all they've accomplished. Later tonight we'll know the names of the team. I've gone on record with my guess of Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, and Gabby Douglas, though I could see Maroney being swapped out for Elizabeth Price at this point. I will be crying for Maroney if she doesn't make it. She's coming back from a concussion at Nationals 3 weeks ago, and is the reigning world vault champ. And she's so sweet. In any event, we'll also be finding out our men's team. John Orozco and Danell Leyva have already locked in their spots, and I'm adding Jake Dalton, John Horton (2008 Olympian and medalist), and Sam Mikaulk, about whom I will very likely be wrong.
Look for an update later. I get a little bit excited about this.
Tonight, I sit and watch the US Women's Gymnastics Olympic Trials. In an hour and half, the team will be named - 5 girls out of the million little girls who do gymnastics in this country each year. There are amazingly talented gymnasts, and at least two could be strong contenders to put up a US 3-peat in the individual all-around, not to mention the fact that this team will be expected to fight for a team gold.
Rebecca Bross was once sold as WOGA's 3rd straight golden girl, and looked to go after all-around Olympic gold until blowing out her knee at the 2011 national championships. A world and national champion, she had to become a bars and beam specialist, and after 3 falls tonight on bars at these trials, it's safe to say she's out. And that's sad.
Alicia Sacramone has proven herself as a fierce competitor and inspiring leader. She has battled injuries and age, and came to 2012 seeking redemption for a nasty fall on her beam mount in the team finals in Beijing. She has won multiple national and world championships, and is going out with a bang. Because, you see, I don't see any scenario in which she makes this team. But I'm crying for her and all she's accomplished for this sport.
Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic all-around champion, holder of national and world titles, and is and likely always will be the only female American gymnast to have scored a 17 on any event. I have been a fan of her forever, and as she battled injuries and nay-sayers leading up to 2008, I remained faithful. When everyone said Shawn would beat her, I said, "Just watch. Shawn's hot, but Nastia's got something special. She'll captivate those judges and she'll hit when it counts" And she did. A beautiful moment, she won the hearts of America. And now, it's been hard to see her struggle. She did a phenomenal beam routine at the 2012 Classic, rallying support and making her case. But to punch her ticket, she'd need bars. She failed at Nationals, twice, and sat her dismount down on night one of trials. She'd need to be flawless tonight to have a shot. But she fell, on one of her basic moves. She had the look of defeat on her face, like she was about to walk out of the gym without finishing. She looked near tears, but she finished, amidst a wave of support from a sold-out crowd. But tonight is likely her last night to don that Team USA leo in competition. Nastia will always be an Olympic champion, but she will not be a 2012 Olympian, and it's sad. UPDATE: She pulled out a beautiful beam routine, and got what seemed like a standing ovation from the crowd as she waved what she knows is goodbye.
So this morning I cried at the awesomeness of being called out of darkness and into grace by a holy God, sovereign and loving to His core. And this evening I cry for these girls and all they've accomplished. Later tonight we'll know the names of the team. I've gone on record with my guess of Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, and Gabby Douglas, though I could see Maroney being swapped out for Elizabeth Price at this point. I will be crying for Maroney if she doesn't make it. She's coming back from a concussion at Nationals 3 weeks ago, and is the reigning world vault champ. And she's so sweet. In any event, we'll also be finding out our men's team. John Orozco and Danell Leyva have already locked in their spots, and I'm adding Jake Dalton, John Horton (2008 Olympian and medalist), and Sam Mikaulk, about whom I will very likely be wrong.
Look for an update later. I get a little bit excited about this.
The Joy Of The Lord
I've talked before about why I love children's ministry and why it's important and how kids understand so much more than we give them credit for. But it's worth mentioning again.
For the summer, we're doing a one-room Sunday school (ages 3-11), because of how often people go on vacations, etc. Today, for example, we only had 4! But the hour I spent with them prepared my heart in such an astonishingly beautiful way for the next hour and a half spent in worship with the congregation.
We sang this song: I've Got The Joy, and of course did all the dance moves/actions along with it. Watching these kids sing about having the joy of the Lord in their hearts with such excitement and passion reminded me of what it means to be joyful in salvation. Then each child prayed for the class, thanking God for the day, for Jesus' death, for the ability to praise the Lord. We're studying some of the Psalms this morning, and Psalm 1 was for today. After reading it, we started talking about it, and they truly had learned so much from it. They kept talking about being righteous in Christ, and outside of Christ we are just like the wicked from the verses they read. And then I got the chance to start to teach them a song in Wolof. They were thrilled to hear more about the global church and the bigger world around them, that there were kids in Africa singing just as they were.
This all prepared my heart in such a profound way that when, in church, we sang things like "How Deep The Father's Love For Us", "Jesus Messiah", and "And Can It Be That I Should Gain", I found myself staring at the cross with tears flowing freely. Between songs of praise, we read as a congregation from Romans 4,
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Verses 7-8)
The only reason we have the joy of the Lord in our hearts is because God so loved the world that He chose to sacrifice Himself for us in the person of Jesus Christ. Maybe I read too much theology yesterday, but the fact that I, solely because of the grace of God, was chosen to experience this joy, was so overwhelming. I think this must be exactly what it is to use our theology as a windshield to see the greater glory of our Lord.
What a great, great God we serve.
For the summer, we're doing a one-room Sunday school (ages 3-11), because of how often people go on vacations, etc. Today, for example, we only had 4! But the hour I spent with them prepared my heart in such an astonishingly beautiful way for the next hour and a half spent in worship with the congregation.
We sang this song: I've Got The Joy, and of course did all the dance moves/actions along with it. Watching these kids sing about having the joy of the Lord in their hearts with such excitement and passion reminded me of what it means to be joyful in salvation. Then each child prayed for the class, thanking God for the day, for Jesus' death, for the ability to praise the Lord. We're studying some of the Psalms this morning, and Psalm 1 was for today. After reading it, we started talking about it, and they truly had learned so much from it. They kept talking about being righteous in Christ, and outside of Christ we are just like the wicked from the verses they read. And then I got the chance to start to teach them a song in Wolof. They were thrilled to hear more about the global church and the bigger world around them, that there were kids in Africa singing just as they were.
This all prepared my heart in such a profound way that when, in church, we sang things like "How Deep The Father's Love For Us", "Jesus Messiah", and "And Can It Be That I Should Gain", I found myself staring at the cross with tears flowing freely. Between songs of praise, we read as a congregation from Romans 4,
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Verses 7-8)
The only reason we have the joy of the Lord in our hearts is because God so loved the world that He chose to sacrifice Himself for us in the person of Jesus Christ. Maybe I read too much theology yesterday, but the fact that I, solely because of the grace of God, was chosen to experience this joy, was so overwhelming. I think this must be exactly what it is to use our theology as a windshield to see the greater glory of our Lord.
What a great, great God we serve.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Killing Calvinism
Killing Calvinism, by Greg Dutcher is not, as many might assume, a refutation of Calvinism, evidenced by its subtitle: how to destroy a perfectly good theology from the inside. I'm on point 6 of 8, but I'm having such a blast reading this that I had to share.
I think the main reason I'm enjoying it so much because of my relationship with theology, and specifically Calvinism. Theology was a terrifying word for me for a long time, something better left to pastors and seminary students; it was definitely not for me. During the second semester of my freshman year of college, I started regularly meeting with our area director for IVCF, and upon discovering my love of reading, he got me on theology. The first thing I read was Knowing God by J.I. Packer. I have to say, I was hooked. He soon learned of my reading speed, and began bringing me 5 books each week, because I was going through them all. Sometime in the middle of all this, a friend asked if I was Calvinist or Armenian. I hadn't quite gotten that far yet, and he asked me some questions about what I believed. He was somewhat amused by my answers, and said, "Oh, you're definitely a Calvinist alright". Being theologically unread, I had developed those views from, quite simply, the Bible, and didn't think there was another way of seeing it (read: me asking, "Wait, do some people actually believe we would choose God on our own? Why would people born into sin and rebellion choose the One we've rebelled against? What?! Some people don't think we were born in sin?")
I told you this whole story because it has absolutely effected my interactions with this book, in much the same way Dutcher's story has effected his writing about the Reformed movement. Dutcher had a different experience than I did; he was graciously saved and discipled, and was then introduced to Calvinist theology, which after some study, made sense with what he had learned. My experience was different in that as a result in salvation, I was holding to a theology, and was then told what it was called.
I had some problems with some of the things that he said. Maybe I'm looking too far into things, and some of his statements are coming out with different implications than he realized, but I took note. One such issue comes from this quote "Had Jesus been an absolute master of sound biblical theology but unkind and unloving as a man, he would today be a small footnote in history". Dutcher is trying to compel us to be disciples of Christ in striving to be more like Him, instead of making theology our idol, but I gasped a little bit reading it. Even if, as a man, Jesus had been unkind and unloving (which, I would say, because He was also God, is impossible, but for hypothetical's sake, we'll go with it) He still would've been God. He still would have hung on the cross to atone for our sins. He still rose from the dead. Which means, that His place in history would have to have been more than just a small footnote. I mean, you only see life after crucifixion once, after all. Disbelief in something doesn't make it untrue. I could also do without his stereotypical descriptions of a neo-Calvinist, who preaches in ripped jeans and flip flops and drinks Guiness.
But, there were also some really fun, smart, and interesting things. He tells a story about wanting to see a beautiful view and cleaning his windshield. Because the windshield was clear, he and his family could see the glory of God's creation in all its fullness. But they weren't praising the windshield; they were praising God. Says Dutcher, "I am concerned that many Cavinists today do little more than celebrate how wonderfully clear their theological windshield is...Reformed theology is not an end in itself. It is simply a window to the awe-inspiring universe of God's truth, filed with glory, beauty, and grace. Do we need something like a metaphorical windshield of clear, biblical truth to look through as we hope to marvel at God's glory? Absolutely. But we must make sure that we know the difference between staring at a windshield and staring through one". On Calvinist tendencies to dismiss evangelism, because God is ultimately in control, he says, " as people see how we relate to the unsaved- with such love and generosity - they should be surprised to learn that we believe in unconditional election and limited atonement" And nuggets like this one make the book just plain enjoyable to read, "While it may be an inside joke among Reformed folks that the apostle Paul was a Calvinist, who can argue it's not true?" I dare you to be a Calvinist and not smile at that little jest.
In any event, I'm not finished yet, but it's safe to say that it's clearly a book written by a Calvinist for other Calvinists. And sometimes a funny one at that.
I think the main reason I'm enjoying it so much because of my relationship with theology, and specifically Calvinism. Theology was a terrifying word for me for a long time, something better left to pastors and seminary students; it was definitely not for me. During the second semester of my freshman year of college, I started regularly meeting with our area director for IVCF, and upon discovering my love of reading, he got me on theology. The first thing I read was Knowing God by J.I. Packer. I have to say, I was hooked. He soon learned of my reading speed, and began bringing me 5 books each week, because I was going through them all. Sometime in the middle of all this, a friend asked if I was Calvinist or Armenian. I hadn't quite gotten that far yet, and he asked me some questions about what I believed. He was somewhat amused by my answers, and said, "Oh, you're definitely a Calvinist alright". Being theologically unread, I had developed those views from, quite simply, the Bible, and didn't think there was another way of seeing it (read: me asking, "Wait, do some people actually believe we would choose God on our own? Why would people born into sin and rebellion choose the One we've rebelled against? What?! Some people don't think we were born in sin?")
I told you this whole story because it has absolutely effected my interactions with this book, in much the same way Dutcher's story has effected his writing about the Reformed movement. Dutcher had a different experience than I did; he was graciously saved and discipled, and was then introduced to Calvinist theology, which after some study, made sense with what he had learned. My experience was different in that as a result in salvation, I was holding to a theology, and was then told what it was called.
I had some problems with some of the things that he said. Maybe I'm looking too far into things, and some of his statements are coming out with different implications than he realized, but I took note. One such issue comes from this quote "Had Jesus been an absolute master of sound biblical theology but unkind and unloving as a man, he would today be a small footnote in history". Dutcher is trying to compel us to be disciples of Christ in striving to be more like Him, instead of making theology our idol, but I gasped a little bit reading it. Even if, as a man, Jesus had been unkind and unloving (which, I would say, because He was also God, is impossible, but for hypothetical's sake, we'll go with it) He still would've been God. He still would have hung on the cross to atone for our sins. He still rose from the dead. Which means, that His place in history would have to have been more than just a small footnote. I mean, you only see life after crucifixion once, after all. Disbelief in something doesn't make it untrue. I could also do without his stereotypical descriptions of a neo-Calvinist, who preaches in ripped jeans and flip flops and drinks Guiness.
But, there were also some really fun, smart, and interesting things. He tells a story about wanting to see a beautiful view and cleaning his windshield. Because the windshield was clear, he and his family could see the glory of God's creation in all its fullness. But they weren't praising the windshield; they were praising God. Says Dutcher, "I am concerned that many Cavinists today do little more than celebrate how wonderfully clear their theological windshield is...Reformed theology is not an end in itself. It is simply a window to the awe-inspiring universe of God's truth, filed with glory, beauty, and grace. Do we need something like a metaphorical windshield of clear, biblical truth to look through as we hope to marvel at God's glory? Absolutely. But we must make sure that we know the difference between staring at a windshield and staring through one". On Calvinist tendencies to dismiss evangelism, because God is ultimately in control, he says, " as people see how we relate to the unsaved- with such love and generosity - they should be surprised to learn that we believe in unconditional election and limited atonement" And nuggets like this one make the book just plain enjoyable to read, "While it may be an inside joke among Reformed folks that the apostle Paul was a Calvinist, who can argue it's not true?" I dare you to be a Calvinist and not smile at that little jest.
In any event, I'm not finished yet, but it's safe to say that it's clearly a book written by a Calvinist for other Calvinists. And sometimes a funny one at that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)