“Calvin is just a man.” or “Why are you worshiping Calvin?”

And I respond,

“You do not understand. Calvinists do not worship Calvin, for if we did we would not be Calvinists, for Calvinism levels all glory and worship to God and God alone, for Calvin was dead, living a life of total depravity, unable to love God, to love holiness, until Calvin was called by the grace and power of God alone. So to say that Calvinists are worshiping a man is to completely miss the point of Calvinism.”

So in honor of Calvin’s birthday it is only fitting to glorify God, because all that Calvin was able to accomplish theologically could not have been done without Christ’s death and resurrection, without the drawing of the Spirit, without the will of the Father. Left to his own, Calvin would have never been able to see the beauty of the Creator.

Rather than simply honoring Calvin’s legacy, honor Calvin by glorifying God, for I believe Calvin would want nothing less. It is not Calvin we praise, it is not Calvinism we cling to, but the glorious, magnificent, beautiful, lovely, holy, righteous, all-knowing and all-powerful creator of all things.

To Him be the Glory.

Here is one specific quote that Piper used, this time unedited.

Similarly in the rise of your university education, springing for the larger part from individual initiative; in the decentralized and autonomous character of your local governments; in your strict and yet not nomistic Sabbath-observance; in the esteem in which woman is held among you, without falling into the Parisian deification of her sex; in your sense for domesticity; in the closeness of your family ties; in your championship of free speech, and in your unlimited regard for freedom of conscience; in all this your Christian democracy is in direct opposition to the democracy of the French Revolution; and historically also it is demonstrable that you owe this to Calvinism and to Calvinism alone.

You can read the section it was taken from here.

Let each of us, therefore, in contemplating his own nature, remember that there is one God who governs all natures, and, in governing, wishes us to have respect to himself, to make him the object of our faith, worship, and adoration.

In regard to his power, how glorious the manifestations by which he urges us to the contemplation of himself; unless, indeed, we pretend not to know whose energy it is that by a word sustains the boundless fabric of the universe—at one time making heaven reverberate with thunder, sending forth the scorching lightning, and setting the whole atmosphere in a blaze; at another, causing the raging tempests to blow, and forthwith, in one moment, when it so pleases him, making a perfect calm; keeping the sea, which seems constantly threatening the earth with devastation, suspended as it were in air; at one time, lashing it into fury by the impetuosity of the winds; at another, appeasing its rage, and stilling all its waves. Here we might refer to those glowing descriptions of divine power, as illustrated by natural events, which occur throughout Scripture; but more especially in the book of Job, and the prophecies of Isaiah.

By the knowledge thus acquired, we ought not only to be stimulated to worship God, but also aroused and elevated to the hope of future life. For, observing that the manifestations which the Lord gives both of his mercy and severity are only begun and incomplete, we ought to infer that these are doubtless only a prelude to higher manifestations, of which the full display is reserved for another state. Conversely, when we see the righteous brought into affliction by the ungodly, assailed with injuries, overwhelmed with calumnies, and lacerated by insult and contumely, while, on the contrary, the wicked flourish, prosper, acquire ease and honour, and all these with impunity, we ought forthwith to infer, that there will be a future life in which iniquity shall receive its punishment, and righteousness its reward.

For in regard to the fabric and admirable arrangement of the universe, how few of us are there who, in lifting our eyes to the heavens, or looking abroad on the various regions of the earth, ever think of the Creator? Do we not rather overlook Him, and sluggishly content ourselves with a view of his works? And then in regard to supernatural events, though these are occurring every day, how few are there who ascribe them to the ruling providence of God—how many who imagine that they are casual results produced by the blind evolutions of the wheel of chance?

In the prefatory address, Calvin writes:

… we are (if you will) the mere dregs and off—scourings of the world, or worse, if 6worse can be named: so that before God there remains nothing of which we can glory save only his mercy, by which, without any merit of our own, we are admitted to the hope of eternal salvation: and before men not even this much remains, since we can glory only in our infirmity, a thing which, in the estimation of men, it is the greatest ignominy even tacitly to confess. But our doctrine must stand sublime above all the glory of the world, and invincible by all its power, because it is not ours, but that of the living God and his Anointed, whom the Father has appointed King, that he may rule from sea to sea, and from the rivers even to the ends of the earth; and so rule as to smite the whole earth and its strength of iron and brass, its splendour of gold and silver, with the mere rod of his mouth, and break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel; according to the magnificent predictions of the prophets respecting his kingdom (Dan. 2:34; Isaiah 11:4; Psalm 2:9).

What beautiful words. This is crucial to our lives, that the glory of God reigns above all. And not just reigns, for there is no glory to be found in us apart from the hand of God.

Later Calvin writes of the Catholic church,

Why, then, do they war for the mass, purgatory, pilgrimage, and similar follies, with such fierceness and acerbity, that though they cannot prove one of them from the word of God, they deny godliness can be safe without faith in these things …

We must be ever watchful that we do not allow that which is not found in scripture to rule our lives and our hearts, that we would deny godliness because of acts of man.

Our gospel is not new.

In demanding miracles from us, they act dishonestly; for we have not coined some new gospel, but retain the very one the truth of which is confirmed by all the miracles which Christ and the apostles ever wrought.

In the article, McGuire recognizes the stereotypical view of Calvinists as an accurate representation of many who hold the doctrines of TULIP, and calls for a Calvinism centered in love, for God and for the sinner.

We are never more like God than when we love. Does your Calvinism show itself in love for God and love for man? Has it freed you to love sinners? … It is so much easier to be lost in the beauty, the faithfulness, the cohesiveness, the clarity of sound Reformed theology than to be lost in the practice of love, which is, after all, the great aim of orthodox theology. Galatians 5:6b says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” This is a stunning statement. Yes, we must earnestly contend for the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints. But to contend is quite different from to be contentious, which Webster’s dictionary defines as “exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes.” The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

I cannot agree more. It is easy to become arrogant and prideful when you believe you understand the gospel in a fuller sense than others, especially when coupled with the zeal of such eye-opening theology which causes you to want others to experience it is well. But we cannot allow our theology to become our Bible. Our theology makes us no better than any other brother or sister and we must love them as such, not continually debating and pushing around those who do not agree with us.

David Wayne made a few comments on this subject in his blog a few years back and I want to highlight a few of them.

This was his way of saying that the TULIP and the Westminster Confession weren’t the last word in matters of theology. Lest I get him in trouble, he does affirm and agree with these things, but he knew that they weren’t the last word. Pratt also said “I will have more trouble with someone who agrees with every jot and tittle of the Berkhof or the Westminster Confession than with someone who becomes an Arminian.” His reason was that if you agree with every word from Berkhof or the Confession, you have come dangerously close to elevating those documents to the same level as Scripture. We must always keep in mind that these are man’s summaries of the Bible, not the Bible.

And…

But, we who defend this tradition have to remember that the T in the TULIP applies to us. Too often we believe that the T in the TULIP stands for the total depravity of arminians, or the total-depravity-of-people-who-spuriously-claim-to-be-reformed-but-aren’t-because-they-aren’t-as-pure-as-I-am. The T applies to all of us and it guarantees that we reformed types are as sinful as our opponents.

The Jolly Blogger ends with a quote from Jonathan Edwards in his work, The Freedom of the Will:

They say, moreover, that the keeping up such a distinction of names, has a direct tendency to uphold distance and disaffection, and keep alive mutual hatred among Christians, who ought all to be united in friendship and charity, though they cannot, in all things, think alike. I confess, these things are very plausible; and I will not deny, that there are some unhappy consequences of this distinction of names…However the term Calvinistic is, in these days, among most, a term of greater reproach than the term Arminian; yet I should not take it all amiss, to be called a Calvinist, for distinction’s sake: though I utterly disclaim a dependence on Calvin, or believing the doctrines I hold, because he believed and taught them; and cannot be justly charged with believing in every thing just as he taught.

What I am trying to point out here are two things:

1. We need to constantly watch our hearts to protect ourselves from falling into the sin of many Calvinists before us. If we truly understand Calvinism, there is no room for pride, for our salvation and heart for God is because of God. The constant attack within the body of Christ needs to end, whether Calvinist or Arminian. Let everything be to the glory of God.

2. We cannot allow the stereotypical view of Calvinists to discourage us from our convictions. And we cannot allow those who lash out against Calvinists and Calvinism to diswayed us from preaching what we believe to be truth. Truth begins and ends with the Bible, not man. In the same way, I would not want an Arminian to be persuaded from preaching his doctrine because Calvinism makes more sense, or any other reason, outside of what the Bible says.

I rarely jump on bandwagons. I was an Angels fan in Southern California before they won the World Series in 2002. I refused to jump on the Shaq and Kobe train, nor have I ditched the 49ers since the wheels came off. I don’t like to be a part of the crowd. Why? I am still a bit unsure. But I like to think it is because I look at something without rose-colored glasses, discerning the merits of a candidate, of a team, of a movement, from afar in order to protect myself from becoming someone who believes without knowing, understanding and living.

And that is why these questions go through my mind. Why Calvinism?

Because Calvinism is the most thorough description and explanation of the connection between God and man as written in the Bible and provides the most ample guide to glorifying God by placing Him on His rightful throne above all creation and remaking our joy as the fruit of such glorification rather than the object of our desire, which is God above all else, because He alone is worthy of such devotion.

Because Calvinism is not a set of doctrines that are found only by first reading Spurgeon or Calvin, but by the clear reading of scripture, which is correctly placed above all human wisdom, and the understanding of its inerrant nature as God’s word.

Because Calvinism is a righteous rebellion against the current framework of evangelicalism and its failures to make disciples, rather than converts of moralism, and respond to the broken state of humanity.

Because Calvinism does not place hope in this world, in humanity, technology, or spirituality but in God through the death and resurrection of His Son, which enables those who repent and believe, through God’s sovereign grace in election and the work of the Spirit, to be righteous in His sight as adopted sons and daughters.

Essentially, it wasn’t until I changed the source of my joy from myself and the things in my life to God and the furthering of His glory, that the pains and struggles of life were replaced with a light so blinding, that the context of my life became eternity. And that is the fruit of Calvinism.

And that is my answer.

Some would say I’m preaching from Calvinism rather than the Bible. Ultimately I agree with Spurgeon, Calvinism is just a nickname for the gospel. Unfortunately, the gospel isn’t something that is understood equally by all, even those within the Church. So the title of Calvinism has to be accepted as the best way to articulate the gospel in a way that best reflects the gospel of the Bible.