Jeff Noblit: Causes for Rejoicing Concerning the Rise of Calvinism
September 16, 2008 10 Comments
Jeff Noblit of Anchored In Truth has been releasing a series via his podcast with the above title. It is a very good series and I would recommend that you take the time to listen to it. You can find it here.
I have been very excited about the rise of Calvinism in the SBC. I think it is a very good thing that we get back to theology. Whether you agree with Calvinism or not, the cause for Christ is advanced when we return to the study of theology. What do you think?
The Everyday Christian 
I think learning theology is great, but lets not make the mistakes of the past and get so rapped up in the intellectual that we forget about the rest, namely the heart. I think we if we aren’t careful we can run the risk of making Christianity seem a very dry thing that is all about the brain. On the other hand I think there probably is a need of an increased focus on intellectual matters, but balance seems key to me.
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I agree with you that we can go too far into the intellectual aspects of our faith. We must also feed the experiential aspects as well.
Having said that, I want to make clear that Calvinism does not dry up our passion for the Lord. In fact, it does just the opposite, it expands our passion for the Lord as we realize more and more what He has done for us and what our fate would be had He chosen not to save us.
If you listen to any of Noblit’s messages you will be not be able to deny his passion. That is true for most of the Calvinistic pastors that are out there. You can’t listen to John MacArthur, John Piper, Paul Washer, or Mark Dever, (just to name a few) and say they are dry. If you miss their passion then you weren’t listening.
Balance is the key. We need to worship in spirit and in truth. God will accept nothing less. True worship includes the whole person. Anything less is insulting to God.
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It depends — Castigating the thousands of people whose faith has been re-ignited by reading “The Shack” on the basis that its conception of the Trinity is incorrect does not strike me as a welcome development. Theology should increase our love for God, not our distain for fellow Christians who are “ignorant.”
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Jesse,
It is not “castigating” to correct someone who has errors in their theology. It is an act of love. I agree that theology should increases our love for God but it should also motivate us to teach the TRUTH to those who are “ignorant”.
Lastly, let me say that the “faith” that is re-ignited by reading The Shack is not a biblical faith. It is a false faith. We are not talking about a simple error but something that borders on heresy.
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Thanks for making my point for me ;=)
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I think that the rise in calvinism alone is not what we should be happy about. Although I am a calvinist, I do not want to see calvinism turned into the next mega church movement. The doctrines of grace are powerful because they are rooted in the scriptures. The good news is that the more people are talking and preaching about the soveriegnty of God and the depravity of man, God is going to call out his elect from the world. Many have been praying for revival and reformation and this may be God showing his mercy on a godless nation. If this is truly a move of God then it wont simply be doctrinal statements that change in churches, but the people themselves will be changed and it will become evident when Americans begin to revolt against sin in the culture and we start to see Godly leaders rising up. Lets pray that in all of this God is truly glorified and perhaps this country can get back to its roots.
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Steve,
I agree with what you have said. If I were to write my post today I would probably phrase it differently than I did. I would be more clear that we should be happy about the rise of Calvinism because it brings people back to the Bible and a proper understanding of God. I have not gone back and listened to Pastor Noblit’s series again but, unless my memory fails me, I am fairly sure that it the point he is making also.
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ffff
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