THE CALVINIST CONTROVERSY

First Picture, John Calvin 1500's,Theologian of the Reformation, Wm. Carey first missionary from England, A.Judson, first missionary from North America, George Whitfield, greatest Evangelist since Paul, (All 1700's), Charles Spurgeon, 1840's to 1890's, world's largest Christian Church at that time, tremendous conversions to Christ, Marty Lloyd-Jones, Pastor Westminster Chapel, saw personally 500 conversions a year just by his own witnessing. All historic Calvinists and main stream of the historic Protestants.

A few years ago I met a man in a shopping center who was helping a Southern Baptist Church get started in the Lehigh Valley. He was a “layman” who was  serving  through the North American Mission Board for a few weeks.  There are only about three small works in our area of over 880,000 people that are SBC.  So I asked, “How are the Southern Baptist doing?”

“I guess you heard we’re divided over Calvinism.”

HOWEVER, CALVINISM SHOULDN’T  DIVIDE CHRISTIANS!  Now I don’t even like the term “Calvinism.”  However, I became a Calvinist in Seminary, when I bowed to what God’s Word declared. Yet, when I describe what I believed to those of the opposite camp they tend to agree or at least don’t think we are very much apart.

Let me give a brief history. John Calvin, the Reformer, wrote a book that never before was attempted.  He sought to systematically set down all the teachings in the Bible.  This work was the first “theology book,”  Institutes of the Christian Religion.

It was written with passion, and by in large became the “theology of the Reformation.”  Statements of faith reflective of Calvin were made.  The Presbyterian , Dutch, and German Reformed churches.  The Anglicans, the Congregationalists, and most of the Baptists.

It became the foundation for the Puritans and the American work ethic was born from it.

However, Calvin was a man and was flawed like all of  us are.  For my mind he wrongly believed in “double predestination,” a state church in which the government enforced Christian morality instead of the church, because it was filled with hypocrits.  His tyrannic view from Geneva against religious liberty was transported by the Puritans  under Cotton Mather. (Yes. Same governor who lived during the Salem Witch trials.)

I believe I am a “Biblicist”.   I see a Sovereign God who always wins!  We need to seek  Him for everything.  I  also believe the Lord Jesus is with all who love Him, even though I may differ with some.   I am a “Calvinist” after the order of Whitfield, Carey, Judson,  Spurgeon, and Martyn Lloyd Jones. (Without all their talent).  Next week we’ll look at the problem of “free will.”

 It is my hope that I can share how close God's people really are in these matters, whether they are Calvinists, Free Will Baptist, or Wesleyan Holiness.