First Evangelical Free Church Sioux City, Iowa

Review: The Joy of Calvinism

Greg Foster has written a fascinating, helpful, and dense book for us in his The Joy of Calvinism. Right from the start – even from the introduction – I realized that this book was not going to go at all as I had anticipated it…and that was a good thing. Instead of a popular-level read on why Calvinism both makes sense and leads to joy, Foster has written a philosophical treatise on the merits of Calvinism as being the most straightforward manner to put the pieces of the Bible together and THAT should lead us to joy. Foster often does a “compare and contrast” between how a Calvinist would understand a passage and how those in other camps might see the passage – at times this is quite helpful though at other times I couldn’t help but wonder if those in other camps would see Foster’s characterization of them as accurate (note: I’m not saying that Foster is wrong, but rather I am saying that those whom Foster criticizes wouldn’t necessarily agree with his understanding of their positions). That said, on to the review itself:

The challenge begins with the first chapter itself – “Detour” in which Foster challenges just about every preconception of Calvinism that there is and shows how Calvinism is often misunderstood both by its critics and its defenders. One of the most helpful sections in this chapter concerns the two understandings of free will: “Who is more free, the sober and self-controlled man or the addict? Who is more free, the man with nature and well-ordered desires or the pervert? In one sense, they are all equally free. That is, they are all free to act within the bounds of their capacities…and they are fully responsible for their actions. And yet, those whose capacities and powers give them a wider scope to exercise their freedom are, in another important sense, freer (p.33-34).” And again: “The addict is free, but the sober man is (in one sense) freer. The addict can freely struggle to overcome his addition or freely wallow in it, but the sober man is free to do many other things…that the addict isn’t free to do because of his addiction (p.34).”

Helpfully, Foster continues to show the differences between Calvinism and other theological systems by saying that “When we discuss the differences between theological traditions, these are the differences we tend to focus on. What is the salvation system we need to use? Is it the sacraments? Belief? The ‘means of grace’? Yet the most important issue is usually overlooked. Are you saved by a salvation system or by Jesus himself? That is the difference between Calvinism and all other systems. (p.54)”

As one might imagine, Foster continues throughout the book in this manner – dismantling false understandings and rebuilding them according to a robust understanding of what the Scriptures actually teach. On one level, I would expect this book to ruffle a great number of theological feathers both for those who do not subscribe to some sort of Calvinism as well as for some of those who do. At the same time, I found Foster to be thought-provoking and helpful in the ways that he sums up his arguments. One example that he used a few times is that of what one of my theology professors called “embracing the tension” – the idea that we simply don’t have every answer that we want and we need to be ok with that. “There is a very edifying Scripture in the book of Deuteronomy, when Moses is announcing the renewed covenant between God and his people at Moab. He says, ‘The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.’ This is a balance that we must maintain. On the one hand, we must not speculate about the secret things God has not chosen to reveal to us. On the other hand, we must not deny or neglect any of the truth God has chosen to reveal (p.87).”

Another false assumption that Foster ably tackles is found on page 89: “But sin is not misfortune. It’s something we do. It’s a crime, not an accident. We need not only to be healed but also to be pardoned.” Or to clarify, Foster speaks of a judge with a courtroom of convicts: nobody would ask why the judge doesn’t pardon them all. Instead, people are amazed that the judge pardons any. This is the right and true understanding of God choosing some for salvation and not others.

There is much that is helpful in this book, so let me give but two more quotations, this time about personal choice, arguing against the idea that we ourselves determine our eternal destinies: “When people are told that they determine their own eternal destinies, they can’t help but picture God as coming to them, wooing them, asking for permission to work in their lives. This conception puts people in the driver’s seat with God. That obviously creates difficulties getting people to conceive of God as sovereign Lord (p.97).” And the follow-up thought? “Incidentally, the arrogance of choice also involves the anxiety of choice. Did I really give myself over to Jesus? Or am I self-deceived? I still sin. I know that sinful hearts are deceptive and above all self-deceptive. So how can I know I truly choose Jesus? When the ultimate issue of eternal life or death is determined by my own choice, there will always be this element of self-doubt (p.99).” Of course the answer is that the surety for our salvation resides with God, and that topic is broached in the chapter entitled “God Loves You Unbreakably” (which, I would add, I found to be the best in the entire book), but that’s a discussion for another time.

In this book I found very little to disagree with, though oftentimes I would have to re-read a sentence or paragraph multiple times to truly understand the point that the author was making. Of course, standard disclaimers would apply – there is a mention of the version of the Apostle’s Creed which speaks of Christ “descending into Hell” and there is at least one mention of infant baptism, though both of these are given in examples and not the main point or argument – however I found very little that wasn’t carefully thought out and argued. Even when I disagreed at points (which were always minor), I still found the author to have offered a candid and solid defense of his view.

In summary, I found this to be a great book. Not because it’s an easy read (it isn’t, though it is mercifully short). Not because the concepts were easy to grasp (they weren’t). Rather, I found this to be a great book because it got me thinking. The author did this through numerous means – logic, direct appeal to the Scriptures, creative metaphors. In short, it carved Biblical ruts in my mind, and there’s no better place to be than trundling along in the paths that Christ carved for us.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I wish to note that the publisher of this book, Crossway, provided it to me at no cost as a review sample. That said, my review is in no way influenced or controlled by them and thus I write my review of this book with honesty and integrity.)

Grace throughout the Bible

Grace permeates the pages of the Scriptures. The Bible "stinks" of God's grace. There's simply no other way to say it - page after page of text about who God is, how sinful people are, and how wonderful Christ is all add up to one thing: God's grace is shown to those who turn to Him in repentance by trusting His Son Jesus Christ. This is what we mean by the word "salvation."

All of this said, sometimes it is easy to miss the forest for the trees as we move verse by verse through the Scriptures - sometimes it is easy to lose track of the grace. I once came across a blog post entitled "The Grace of God in the Bible" which I found to be an encouraging reminder of God's grace. Read and be refreshed:

Genesis shows God’s grace to a universally wicked world as he enters into relationship with a sinful family line (Abraham) and promises to bless the world through him.

Exodus shows God’s grace to his enslaved people in bringing them out of Egyptian bondage.

Leviticus shows God’s grace in providing his people with a sacrificial system to atone for their sins.

Numbers shows God’s grace in patiently sustaining his grumbling people in the wilderness and bringing them to the border of the promised land not because of them but in spite of them.

Deuteronomy shows God’s grace in giving the people the new land 'not because of your righteousness' (ch. 9).

Joshua shows God’s grace in giving Israel victory after victory in their conquest of the land with neither superior numbers nor superior obedience on Israel’s part.

Judges shows God’s grace in taking sinful, weak Israelites as leaders and using them to purge the land, time and again, of foreign incursion and idolatry.

Ruth shows God’s grace in incorporating a poverty-stricken, desolate, foreign woman into the line of Christ.

1 and 2 Samuel show God’s grace in establishing the throne (forever—2 Sam 7) of an adulterous murderer.

1 and 2 Kings show God’s grace in repeatedly prolonging the exacting of justice and judgment for kingly sin 'for the sake of' David. (And remember: by the ancient hermeneutical presupposition of corporate solidarity, by which the one stands for the many and the many for the one, the king represented the people; the people were in their king; as the king went, so went they.)

1 and 2 Chronicles show God’s grace by continually reassuring the returning exiles of God’s self-initiated promises to David and his sons.

Ezra shows God’s grace to Israel in working through the most powerful pagan ruler of the time (Cyrus) to bring his people back home to a rebuilt temple.

Nehemiah shows God’s grace in providing for the rebuilding of the walls of the city that represented the heart of God’s promises to his people.

Esther shows God’s grace in protecting his people from a Persian plot to eradicate them through a string of 'fortuitous' events.

Job shows God’s grace in vindicating the sufferer’s cry that his redeemer lives (19:25), who will put all things right in this world or the next.

Psalms shows God’s grace by reminding us of, and leading us in expressing, the hesed (relentless covenant love) God has for his people and the refuge that he is for them.

Proverbs shows us God’s grace by opening up to us a world of wisdom in leading a life of happy godliness.

Ecclesiastes shows God’s grace in its earthy reminder that the good things of life can never be pursued as the ultimate things of life and that it is God who in his mercy satisfies sinners (note 7:20; 8:11).

Song of Songs shows God’s grace and love for his bride by giving us a faint echo of it in the pleasures of faithful human sexuality.

Isaiah shows God’s grace by reassuring us of his presence with and restoration of contrite sinners.

Jeremiah shows God’s grace in promising a new and better covenant, one in which knowledge of God will be universally internalized.

Lamentations shows God’s grace in his unfailing faithfulness in the midst of sadness.

Ezekiel shows God’s grace in the divine heart surgery that cleansingly replaces stony hearts with fleshy ones.

Daniel shows God’s grace in its repeated miraculous preservation of his servants.

Hosea shows God’s grace in a real-life depiction of God’s unstoppable love toward his whoring wife.

Joel shows God’s grace in the promise to pour out his Spirit on all flesh.

Amos shows God’s grace in the Lord's climactic promise of restoration in spite of rampant corruption.

Obadiah shows God’s grace by promising judgment on Edom, Israel’s oppressor, and restoration of Israel to the land in spite of current Babylonian captivity.

Jonah shows God’s grace toward both immoral Nineveh and moral Jonah, irreligious pagans and a religious prophet, both of whom need and both of whom receive the grace of God.

Micah shows God’s grace in the prophecy’s repeated wonder at God’s strange insistence on 'pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression' (7:18).

Nahum shows God’s grace in assuring Israel of 'good news' and 'peace,' promising that the Assyrians have tormented them for the last time.

Habakkuk shows God’s grace that requires nothing but trusting faith amid insurmountable opposition, freeing us to rejoice in God even in desolation.

Zephaniah shows God’s grace in the Lord's exultant singing over his recalcitrant yet beloved people.

Haggai shows God’s grace in promising a wayward people that the latter glory of God’s (temple-ing) presence with them will far surpass its former glory.

Zechariah shows God’s grace in the divine pledge to open up a fountain for God’s people to 'cleanse them from sin and uncleanness' (13:1).

Malachi shows God’s grace by declaring the Lord’s no-strings-attached love for his people.

Matthew shows God’s grace in fulfilling the Old Testament promises of a coming king. (5:17)

Mark shows God’s grace as this coming king suffers the fate of a common criminal to buy back sinners. (10:45)

Luke shows that God’s grace extends to all the people one would not expect: hookers, the poor, tax collectors, sinners, Gentiles ('younger sons'). (19:10)

John shows God’s grace in becoming one of us, flesh and blood (1:14), and dying and rising again so that by believing we might have life in his name. (20:31)

Acts shows God’s grace flooding out to all the world--starting in Jerusalem, ending in Rome; starting with Peter, apostle to the Jews, ending with Paul, apostle to the Gentiles. (1:8)

Romans shows God’s grace in Christ to the ungodly (4:5) while they were still sinners (5:8) that washes over both Jew and Gentile.

1 Corinthians shows God’s grace in favoring what is lowly and foolish in the world. (1:27)

2 Corinthians shows God’s grace in channeling his power through weakness rather than strength. (12:9)

Galatians shows God’s grace in justifying both Jew and Gentile by Christ-directed faith rather than self-directed performance. (2:16)

Ephesians shows God’s grace in the divine resolution to unite us to his Son before time began. (1:4)

Philippians shows God’s grace in Christ’s humiliating death on an instrument of torture—for us. (2:8)

Colossians shows God’s grace in nailing to the cross the record of debt that stood against us. (2:14)

1 Thessalonians shows God’s grace in providing the hope-igniting guarantee that Christ will return again. (4:13)

2 Thessalonians shows God’s grace in choosing us before time, that we might withstand Christ’s greatest enemy. (2:13)

1 Timothy shows God’s grace in the radical mercy shown to 'the chief of sinners.' (1:15)

2 Timothy shows God’s grace to be that which began (1:9) and that which fuels (2:1) the Christian life.

Titus shows God’s grace in saving us by his own cleansing mercy when we were most mired in sinful passions. (3:5)

Philemon shows God’s grace in transcending socially hierarchical structures with the deeper bond of Christ-won Christian brotherhood. (v. 16)

Hebrews shows God’s grace in giving his Son to be both our sacrifice to atone for us once and for all as well as our high priest to intercede for us forever. (9:12)

James shows us God’s grace by giving to those who have been born again 'of his own will' (1:18) 'wisdom from above' for meaningful godly living. (3:17)

1 Peter shows God’s grace in securing for us an unfading, imperishable inheritance no matter what we suffer in this life. (1:4)

2 Peter shows God’s grace in guaranteeing the inevitability that one day all will be put right as the evil that has masqueraded as good will be unmasked at the coming Day of the Lord. (3:10)

1 John shows God’s grace in adopting us as his children. (3:1)

2 and 3 John show God’s grace in reminding specific individuals of 'the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.' (2 Jn 2)

Jude shows God’s grace in the Christ who presents us blameless before God in a world rife with moral chaos. (v. 24)

Revelation shows God’s grace in preserving his people through cataclysmic suffering, a preservation founded on the shed blood of the lamb. (12:11)

Excellence

If you haven't figured it out by now, I like reading books. Actually, let me clarify: I like to read A LOT of books. It's one of the joys of being a pastor that I am able to spend time reading what other faithful Christians have written so that I can draw off of those wise lessons in sermons, Sunday school lessons, counseling appointments, my daily life, etc.

One book that I recently picked up (Excellence by Andreas Kostenberger) implies a simple question: "What does Christian excellence look like?" The book is written by a theology professor and so of course it is geared to that sort of profession, but take a moment and glance through the titles of his chapters and I believe you'll see many parallels to your life as well:

Part One: The Foundations for Excellence

1. The Excellence of God

2. The pursuit of Excellence

3. Holiness

4. Spirituality

Part Two: Vocational Excellence

5. Diligence

6. Courage

7. Passion

8. Restraint

9. Creativity

10. Eloquence

Part Three: Moral Excellence

11. Integrity

12. Fidelity

13. Wisdom

Part Four: Relational Excellence

14. Grace

15. Humility

16. Interdependence

17. Love

The question that arises for me is this: do I pursue excellence - which I would define as God-glorifying effort with grace-filled joy as I serve Him by serving others - in every area of life? Take a look at the list again and notice how comprehensive it is. Do I (and you as well, dear reader) think deeply about every area of our lives and how we can press on towards Christian maturity - not out of guilt, but out of grace? Spend time this week thinking intentionally and deeply about what tasks and roles God has called you to - parent, spouse, employee/boss, church volunteer, community leader, etc. Ask yourself "what does it look like to reflect God's grace and His character in each of these roles - and all the more so when the going gets tough, the boss gets upset, or my children don't obey?"

Desiring God Pastor’s Conference

I was privileged to attend the Desiring God Pastor's Conference in Minneapolis, MN over the past week alongside one of our overseers. It was a wonderful time of hearing and learning from other men of God on the topic of "God, Manhood, and Ministry." I took a few notes during the sessions and wanted to share some select quotes with all of you which I found to be helpful or challenging:

1 )  "If you want your kids to give away their heart [to God] then you must show them how by doing it yourself." -Pastor Douglas Wilson, speaking on how to raise up your children with a vibrant and healthy faith.

2 ) The idea of headship (and the consequent idea of submission) has been taken to unhelpful extremes in the church. "The issue in headship isn't necessarily related to gender," said Wilson, referencing how Christ relates to God. Similarly, "Submission isn't about disrespect or lack of value," again referencing how Christ submitted to God. Instead, Wilson argued, we would be wise to realize that "Biblical headship is bleeding sacrifice... The application then is that men are called to provide and protect... A man is to be a fortress for his family. This is exactly what Adam did not do when the serpent tempted Eve." Or, to cast the whole debate in a different light: "Men, your authority is a gift to others, not a gift to you."

3 ) Speaking of setting an appropriate balance in the home between what is prohibited (i.e. parents saying "no") and what is encouraged, Wilson observed that "The Garden of Eden was a world primarily of 'yes' with only one 'no.' Do our homes have any relation to this balance?" (As an editorial sidenote, don't take this out of context - Wilson's point is that we should be encouraging out children to live with wide-eyed wonder at all that God has provided for them while at the same time respecting and obeying what God has commanded of them which their parents are responsible for teaching)

4 ) "You are called to have a home of grace regardless of whether your kids are 'good' or 'bad'." Wilson made this excellent point when he was asked by a parent about what to do with children who are difficult. His wise reply indicates that our parenting is answerable to God - there aren't escape clauses stating that we get out of our responsibilities when our kids don't behave like we would want them to. Regardless of their actions, we are in control of our own actions.

5 ) Pastor Crawford Loritts noted that "manhood must be engraved into your boys." This is to be done by showing them that a "real man embraces obligation and responsibility."

6 ) Another helpful comment by Pastor Loritts: "Your children need you [their father] more than they need you to work for more square footage in the home." The point is simply this: if the choice is between providing "better" for your kids or actually being there with them, the second should always win out even if it means you make do with a little less.

7 ) Pastor Darren Patrick had this wonderful quote that every Christian needs to understand: "Struggle in life isn't a sign of God's absence, but instead it is a sign of God's presence." Why would he say this? Because "spiritual fruit grows painfully - this is the truth of Christianity."

8 ) One closing quote from Ramez Atallah of the Egyptian Bible Society: "Western countries may actually be more hostile to Christianity than muslim nations because there are fewer religious similarities in western countries." By this Atallah means that at least there is a basic religious underpining in muslim nations. Granted, that underpining is not God honoring, but it creates a national conversation that allows folks to speak more openly about their faith than is common in most western countries.

For anyone who is interested in listening to the sessions, they have been posted online (both audio and video) here.