Hi, my name is Erik. I am a Calvinist and I have a problem.
I’ve noticed a bit of a theological and devotional imbalance. Perhaps you can relate. I love Christ, his gospel, the theology that encompasses these things. I love to meditate, talk, and even dream about Christ and the gospel.
However, something in me flinches when I say that God loves me. You can put your eyebrow back down. If you are swimming in the Reformed side of the pool you know what I am talking about. I often feel like I need to qualify the conditions of God’s love towards me, by rushing to articulate such things such as grace, mercy and election. Don’t get me wrong these are all true expression of God’s love for me but I am uncomfortable just saying Paul’s words as if they are my own:
Galatians 2:20 20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
This is what bugs me.
Perhaps it is an over reaction against the pop-evangelical portrayal of Jesus as everybody’s boyfriend instead of Lord and King, I don’t know.
At any rate, the Bible is clear: God loves his children. I need to stop there. I need to loiter around this monument of theological truth. Too often, out of a fallen understanding, I try to chase this sweet taste of divine benevolence with other theological tonics, as if I am feeling guilty or something. This is not right. Any theology that cannot marvel and enjoy the love of God in Christ Jesus is not divinely calibrated.
So here I am today talking to myself and instead of listening to myself. I need to have my mind renewed by the word of God (Rom. 12.1-2) that I might properly esteem and enjoy the great and marvelous Savior who loved me and gave himself up for me.
I definitely do not have it all figured out and the more I grow the more chinks in the armour I see. Thanks be to God for his illuminating grace through sanctification. Thanks be to God for his love for me.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
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Erik, I have been cringing and grinding my teeth for days over your recent series on Ecumenism. I could see myself thinking those same sort of judgmental thoughts, not that long ago really, and being unwilling to acknowledge that there are a lot of people in God’s family that He loves unconditionally irrespective of whether they have everything figured out to my own level of arrogant expectation. And then you posted this article just a couple of minutes ago.
I have a long way to go as a recovering Pharisee, brother. But I am grateful that you find yourself splashing around in the depths of God’s amazing love. As a Reformed brother in Christ, I am so tired of the “blame game” and the “performance treadmill” and the self-inflicted guilt/manipulation of believing that God’s love is somehow tied to being right, or holy (in myself), or theologically sharp. It’s NOT! He just loves me. Amazing, isn’t it?
Bill,
Thanks for the comment. Do you think I was being more narrow than the Bible in the Ecumenical posts?
I want to thank you for being so honest because as you said, all people in the reformed camp either struggle with this or have struggled with it at one time or another. You have been so faithful to encourage believers through your posts, so I want to share something with you that my pastor drives home to us every week. Nothing here will be new to you, but perhaps the Lord will encourage us all from these words.
My pastor says that for those in Christ, God is nothing but benevolence, love, and mercy towards us. Because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, we are fully justified and we have Christ’s righteousness granted (imputed) to us. Therefore, God is free to love us in the same way that he loves his Son because he loves us based on Christ’s merit.
It has taken months of constantly hearing this from my pastor to start believing it in my heart. Theologically I knew it, but translating it to my heart was another matter. Thanks so much for sharing. Remember that God is nothing but good and benevolence and love and mercy towards his children! His wrath is revealed against the sons of disobedience, but towards His children (the ones whom God has begotten as his elect and beloved children) God is nothing but love and mercy. Blessings to you.
Great post, Erik. As a fellow believer treading water in the Reformed end of the pool, you articulated exactly what I oftentimes feel, especially about feeling compelled to qualify and define terms instead of just exulting in His love and praising Him for it with abandon.
You have me thinking God’s love must be preached and emphasized more, especially to those who are hurting. There can be a pervasive “worm theology” among Reformed believers, fixating on the imagery of Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” where we look so much upon our wretchedness and vileness that we overlook the wonderful reality that we have been adopted as sons and have the love of God in Christ. We can go to him as our Abba father and pour out our hearts and know He will love us and keep loving us.
A good and timely and appreciated reminder, brother.
Enjoyed both the post on Ecumenism and this one. It’s a good exposure to both to find the balance that a thinking Christian must have. That Biblical filter than we must work on to appraise both the natural and supernatural to find an accurate harmony of the two.
I have noticed in reviewing songs for corporate worship that some version of the phrase “Jesus, Lover of my Soul” has been prevalent. The frequency with which I was seeing this phrase began to set off my man-centered antennae. I began to think I might need to avoid songs with these lyrics so as not to communicate the wrong idea; the man-centeredness that mainstream Evangelicals seem to be drunk with.
While a balance is imperative, how awful to shun perhaps the most important truth a believer can ever know. Romans 5:8 says it all! He loved my soul whilst I was his enemy. Now, though still unlovable at times, I can rest in the truth that His love is unconditional and none that have been given to Jesus will be lost.
Great post Erik….this is something that I’ve been trying to deal with my heart on recently as well.
Erik,
Well . . . perhaps not technically more narrow than Scripture, but there’s just something about the whole tenor of the argument that bothers me. As if you’re trying to convince yourself why you’re the only church in Omaha not signing up for the Luis Palau crusade. Like you’ve been backed into a corner and feel the need to defend yourself, while perhaps secretly wishing you didn’t have to do it.
A couple of years ago, I would have espoused the same views on ecumenism, but something has happened to me since moving to the secular culture of the United Kingdom. As a missionary, I no longer have the luxury of such an isolationist perspective: if a person professes to be a follower of Jesus, then I am thrilled to walk together with them, regardless of their label. There are simply too few of us to splinter off into hundreds of different groups that refuse to speak to or work with one another.
This has not been an easy transition for me, Erik. I have been so programmed to condemn others: for not being Reformed enough, for being too Charismatic, for being too Arminian, for not baptizing by immersion . . . heck, even for being too Reformed! But that is SUCH bondage and I don’t think Jesus would be pleased to come back finding us squabbling over secondary issues.
I’m thinking I would rather err on the side of grace, to be known as having a big heart for the extension of God’s kingdom and, like the Apostle Paul, rejoice that Christ is preached by some, even if they do it out of contention. To let the Lord Jesus sort the tares from the wheat (there IS something in the Bible about letting them both grow together, isn’t there?) in the consummation of all things, rather than pull up the tender plants on this end of things. To love other believers, even though we don’t like their label or some of their doctrines, rather than calling them unbelievers in order to justify NOT walking together with them. Life’s too short and there are too many lost souls to worry about whether the Roman Catholics are going to have a tent at the crusade: it would be okay if they had one at the Douglas County Fair, wouldn’t it? Then why not a Christian event?
Thanks Erik. I have battled with this a lot. I do still battle with it (it depends on who says it). God loves me!
For me it has been as a result of the “Jesus is your boyfriend” gospel message. I cringe sometimes when I hear about the love of God. For example, I have a Christian friend who tells me how much God loves her children, and although they’re not walking with Jesus, they “accepted” Him into their hearts, as if they makes everything okay. Her two children, all aged over 20, hate God and live normal unregenerate lives of fornication and drunkenness. But according to her understanding of the love of God, and of Jesus’ boyfriend factor, all is A.O.K.
Gary’s comments about “worm theology” are true. We need not get out of balance. We must however not forget the reality of hell and wrath, for it is in comparison to His pure wrath that makes His perfect love all that much more perfect and glorious! From the churches I came from, there were Christian’s (Children of God) and pre-Christian’s (Children of
disobedienceGod???)Being in the Reformed pool helps. My Christian friend isn’t, so she doesn’t think that God hates anyone, or maybe better put, that God would pour His wrath on anyone in hell. To her Jesus has to be her boyfriend, for if He wasn’t, if His love wasn’t that shallow and lustful, then maybe her children are not right with God, along with most of the people she knows.
So God loves me! It is amazing to meditate on – but I think for the moment I will still cringe when I hear it said by someone from my non-Reformed church background.
And Erik, I really like the modified image!
Bill,
To be clear, we do not feel like we are “backed into a corner and need to defend ourselves” This is not the case at all. I am simply pointing out what is going on and at the same time saying why we will not be participating. It is a topic of conversation here in Omaha (not OBC not participating but the Palau thing).
I take issue with your comment on several levels. I just want to briefly hit some points here:
.1. If I am not being more narrow than the Scripture (ie being biblical) why would my position trouble you?
.2. Your labeling this as an “isolationist perspective”. If you mean isolationist in the sense of not doing “ministry” with unbelievers than yes I am an isolationist. If you mean not reaching out to unbelievers with the gospel than you are dead wrong. That is an unfair characterization. You have mixed two things here that I haven’t addressed. I am talking about partnering in a ministry with people who deny the gospel. This is forbidden in the Scripture (2 Cor. 6.14). This is not to say that we do not spend time with unbelievers; for we do. We love unbelievers and want to proclaim Christ to them, but then also continue to love them if they do not want to be a believer. This is not isolationist from the world but isolationist from ministerial compromise.
.3. There are not different rules for missionaries or other Christians. Bill all Christians are to be missionaries to their culture. Some travel across the water others across the street. So you have traveled to the UK, well God has put me in Omaha (a foreign country in many ways to me). God does not give a missionary privilege to blur the lines of believer/unbeliever. In fact, you could argue (in light of 2 Cor.6) that it is in gospel ministry that this line should be all the more vivid.
.4. You said, “I don’t think Jesus would be pleased to come back finding us squabbling over secondary issues.” To be clear, I am “squabbling” about the gospel, specifically justification by faith alone. Is this a secondary issue?
.5. You want to “err on the side of grace”…in reading what you wrote this sounds like “erring on the side of preference”…you have made your preference the overriding authority over a text like 2 Cor. 6.
.6. You said, “To love other believers, even though we don’t like their label or some of their doctrines, rather than calling them unbelievers in order to justify NOT walking together with them.”
Do you think Paul was locking arms with the Judiazers?
If you think RC believe the gospel of faith alone, by grace alone in Christ alone then we have bigger issues. If you think they don’t but are still saved, well that is still a problem. If you think they do believe something different and yet you still will partner with them in “ministry” that promotes “Jesus” even though you disagree as to how he saves…well than I do not what to say. This practice seems riddled with compromise and inconsistency.
Erik,
Thanks for your post. Have shared the same thoughts. My concerns take a slightly different slant. I ponder God’s love for me, but I also struggle with the assurance of salvation. I know what Scripture makes clear on this subject from Paul’s writings and 1 John and many more – but there’s always this nagging thought: “What if I am not one of the elect?” Roy Fish in his sermon “The C Word” speaks of Asa Middleton who shared the same concern. AM stated, ““The most that I have ever ventured to say respecting myself is that I think it possible that I may get to have been.” That makes sense to me – but I always return to God’s word and usually pray for more faith. What are your thoughts?
Great post, and Martin I loved your response….great words to meditate on.
Erik,
I appreciated the post. The love of God is such an amazing thing. In fact, it is such an amazing thing that we could not and can not comprehend it without His enablement, without His Spirit. (Eph 3:16-19) Should we not all be thankful, as well as amazed, that God’s gracious hand would allow us to know this love?
P.S. The gospel presentation at the wedding yesterday was…beautiful. I was kind of sad that you had to continue with the rest of the ceremony:) It was a wonderful day though for considering the grace of our God (Prov. 18:22)
Erik,
Great post. Great art, too. How’d you make it?
regarding the art…apparently you guys are not Beatles fans?!
here is a link…
Justin-thanks for the comment and the encouragement. Weddings are such a great place to preach the gospel.
This is why I stick to the bible and not any theological teaching of man. I think it is better to allow God to show his word to us.