Just Laugh at His Stupidity

In Calvin's Institutes, Book 4, Ch. 14, Sect. 4, Calvin continues his discussion of sacraments.  In doing so, he speaks of how outward signs that God has ordained render more certain to man the truth of God's promises.  The rainbow, for example, is set forth as one such sign of God's covenant faithfulness to never again destroy the world by flood.  In the course of this discussion, there is this marvelous statement that speaks to the naturalism of our day (and the naturalists who hold to it) just as it spoke to the naturalism of Calvin's own. 

Calvin on rainbows and naturalists:

If any philosopher, to mock the simplicity of our faith, contends that such variety of colors naturally arises from rays reflected upon a cloud opposite, let us admit it, but laugh at his stupidity in failing to recognize God as the lord and governor of nature, who according to his will uses all the elements to serve his glory.

So how ought we to respond to the naturalists of our day who stupidly speak of rainbows oh so scientifically, as though they are disproving the existence and providence of God?

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).

Are Calvinists Arrogant?

Calvinists, particularly newborn or young ones, are often charged with arrogance. And for a moment, I want to grant the charge. Maybe it is true that Calvinists are more arrogant, manifested to other Christians precisely when a God-centered and grace-soaked gospel and vision of all things is first embraced. Consider this. Maybe Calvinists really are more arrogant. But maybe they were more arrogant before ever they knew the grace of Christ. Perhaps God has chosen some of the most arrogant people on the planet for at least two reasons. First, God's choosing the proudest would highlight his grace, and his freedom and sovereignty in bestowing it. Choosing the worst sinners makes it clearer that such sinners couldn't save themselves (and it certainly wasn't their humble reliance on God that moved God to save them). Second, the proudest of the proud need more humbling, and there is nothing to flatten an inflated self like comprehensive grace, grace top to bottom, front to back, weighty grace, pouring forth from eternity.

So maybe the charge that Calvinists tend to be more arrogant is true. And so they (before becoming Calvinists, of course) are the ones to whom God has often determined to make known the riches and fullness of his grace--to display it more fully and to lay low what is too high. I was and am a proud man. And nothing but sovereign grace could overcome my high arrogance. An Arminian gospel, which I do not believe to be biblical and find repulsive, would make a wretch like me more, not less, proud.

That No One May Boast

Ephesians 2:8-9 deals a death blow to man's pride and vaunted powers: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not from you: it is the gift of God, not from works, that no one should boast." The "and this" in verse 8 is neuter and singular in the Greek. The syntactical problem here is that there is no neuter antecedent, which is unexpected. Both grace and faith are feminine and singular in the Greek, and the periphrastic participle rendered "you have been saved" (or "you are being saved") is masculine and plural. So what is the antecedent? Oftentimes "and this" has a conceptual antecedent in the New Testament. And that seems most fitting here in Eph. 2:8-9.  So the antecedent is a by-grace-through-faith salvation. None of it is from man: all of it is the gift of God. And, yes, this includes our faith. It too is a gift of God. 

Why, one might ask? Does it have to be taken that way? I think that grammatically it makes the most sense, though the grammar is not decisive. Context and theology are! There is another factor in the context—God's aim. God is bent on ensuring that no one might boast (v. 9) in the way he bestows salvation. Leaving a little room for man to glory in his self-generated faith would devastate God's purposes in salvation. If the decisive factor when a person comes to faith in Christ is self-generated faith—to any degree whatsover—then man is decisive, even if he says he is only receiving the free gift, and has reason for glorying in self. If salvation hangs ultimately on man's decision, upon whom does it ultimately rest? Yep, you got it. And it's disgusting, isn't it? God will have none of it. So the whole of his by-grace-through-faith salvation is a gift—including the faith—that none should boast. Except, in the cross of Christ and the free grace of God.

The Ultimate Youth Pastor

Check out Ignatius, the ultimate youth pastor. When Emily and I first watched this some months back, we enjoyed many belly laughs and rolls on the floor. Unfortunately, there is too much truth to this satiric piece as relates to American youth pastors. Hit the title of this post for the link. And enjoy.