Calvinism is well known and respected for its theology, but what can we say about your piety?
We are sometimes told that Calvinists are not good Christians. According to one review: “Nothing will lead to pride and indifference as much as affection for Calvinism. Nothing will destroy holiness and spirituality as an attachment to Calvinism. The doctrines of Calvinism will destroy and destroy”. kill everything: prayer, faith, zeal, and holiness. ?
- Perhaps it is true that some who call themselves Calvinists are not so good Christians.
- They call it.
- Sometimes they are even called.
- But if they are not good Christians.
- They will not be good Calvinists either.
- Because a true understanding of reformed theology leads to a vibrant Christian experience that will fill your spiritual life with vitality.
- Far from cooling the heat of piety.
- The doctrines of grace help induce growth.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the life of John Calvin, in all his passion for Christ. “Strive,” Calvin wrote in the Golden Book of True Christian Life, “to attain a high degree of holiness until we reach the perfection of goodness, which we seek and pursue in life, but which we will only achieve once we free ourselves. of the earthly mind. And may God admit us into His fellowship. ? In other words, we must strive for continued holiness; even if the goal is not reached, we must strive until we see the Lord in his glory.
Calvinism is completely attached to the heat of personal piety because it is completely attached to the Bible. Only in the scriptures does Calvin say, “Can we find the root of the transformation of our lives?”
It is Scripture that shows us the righteousness of our holy God and tells us to be holy as he is holy (see Lv 20. 26; 1P 1. 15)
It is the scriptures that teach us the righteousness that God demands in His holy law; It is the scriptures that proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, because he has become our holiness by faith (see 1 Corinthians 1. 30). It is the scriptures that bear witness to the work of the Spirit, whose holiness conforms to Christ. And is it the scriptures that call us to persevere. in holiness without which no one will see the Lord?(He 12. 14)
It is also the scriptures that teach us the distinctive doctrines of reformed theology, commonly known as Calvinism, doctrines that do not prevent us from seeking holiness, as is often said, but actually impel us towards a life of greater holiness. these doctrines make holiness a perfectly possible goal by basing our experience of Christian life on the powerful grace of our God.
Perhaps the best doctrine to begin with is total depravity. Like Calvin, Calvinists believe that nothing we do is completely good. Sin has distorted all aspects of who we are. Our minds, our hearts, our wills and even our bodies have been corrupted by our wickedness.
This doctrine may not seem very encouraging. But does knowledge of sin lead us to repentance?Which is the first step towards holiness. Only when we see how far we are from holiness will we go to God through His Grace; alone, and alone, we will be ready for the righteous work that the Lord demands. There is no holiness without repentance, and there is no repentance, without knowledge of sin. In other words, the doctrine of total depravity is fundamental to holiness in the gospel.
The second doctrine separated from the reformed faith is choice. This truth teaches that what happens in our salvation is determined by God’s previous decision. Choice is God’s decree in love with his sovereignty so that our salvation is not based on everything we do. , but only in His mercy. God’s grace is God’s choice.
Critics say this doctrine eliminates any incentive to personal holiness. If we have been chosen by God since eternity, our salvation is assured. So why bother living a righteous life?
This criticism is a dangerous distortion of what the Bible teaches. Far from eliminating the need for personal holiness, the doctrine of choice calls us to a life of holiness. We were chosen in Christ only for the purpose of holiness.
To see this, we must follow the Pauline logic of the beginning of the Ephesians, here the Apostle thanks God for choosing us in Christ, before the foundation of the world?(Eph 1. 4a). But why did God give us this blessing, what was his purpose in choosing us in Christ?It is up to us to present ourselves holy and irrepressible to Him (Ep 1:4b)
The doctrine of choice is therefore a call to holiness. God chose us to be holy in Jesus. Paul made essentially the same argument in Romans, when He said that we were “predestined to be in the image of his son” (Rom 8. 29). ). We have been called by God to be like Jesus, according to his standard of righteousness. Instead of making us proud and presumptuous, the grace of predestination is the basis of our sanctification.
The third distinctive doctrine is God’s sovereignty. To some extent, every Christian claims to believe in this doctrine. However, only Calvinists have a good understanding of God’s sovereignty by not limiting God’s control over human decisions, but by believing that He “preserves and governs all creatures and their actions?”(Bref catechism of Westminster, answer 11)
Some people say that such a great view of God’s sovereignty eliminates any sense of human responsibility, including our responsibility for spiritual growth. But Calvinism understands that this is not the logic of the Bible. “Develop your salvation with fear and tremor,” Paul writes. Philippians (Philippians 2:12). But on what basis does the Apostle make this exhortation?Is it because it’s all up to us, so we must develop our own holiness?Will we never be completely saved?
On the contrary, Paul tells us to work for our salvation, because it is God who works in you both wanting and doing, according to his goodwill (Fp 2:13). The graceful work of our sovereign God lays the foundation for a life of service and devotion to God. John Calvin wrote: “Holiness is not a credit for which we attain communion with God, but a gift from Christ, which allows us to prostrate ourselves before God. him and follow him?
Finally, the sovereign grace of our God is the basis of a life of prayer, which is the heart of every pious life, is not prayer the way to achieve something that God does not want to give us?Or a way for us, to make God do something He doesn’t want to do; rather, it is a way to abandon our own will to God’s sovereign plan. We pray according to God’s promises, asking what only he can do, and then we expect him to respond. We are all Calvinists when we pray, because in prayer we submit to God’s sovereignty, relying on his elegant plan for our lives.