The Good - Part 1

This post is about the good in the Calvinistic resurgence. First, they have brought theology back into the fore. People are discussing doctrine again and reading books about it. They really want the mind to be informed in ways that didn't seem as noticeable a generation ago. Second, Calvinists have helped to recover a big view of God.

John Piper did a series explaining and defending Calvinism. He begins by talking about the recovery of this big vision of God. He mentions how every generation needs a J.B. Philips who wrote Your God is too Small. Sometimes one may rightly ask what exactly is meant by a "BIG" view of God? I would explain it basically as realizing God is not casual, familiar, fluffy cute and cuddly. One cannot relate to Him in a light, flippant kind of way. If one sees a fraction of God is it changes everything. The Hebrews feared God so much they would not even speak His full name. If someone can think of God, without some sense of awe, fear, wonder, speechlessness ...they are simply not thinking of the God of the Bible. This means sin and offending Him becomes a big deal again. This means worshiping Him makes sense again. The church needs this. And to the degree that the Calvinistic resurgence has helped to recover this I applaud that. R.C. Sproul's book The Holiness of God is an excellent book in that regard.

However, in the end I think the Calvinistic God is still too small. I do find it ironic that in Piper's presentation explaining the importance of this recovery of the wonder of God, he is primarily quoting from A.W. Tozer ... a Non-Calvinist.

I'll finish this post with a Tozer quote

“GOD SOVEREIGNLY DECREED THAT MAN SHOULD BE FREE TO EXERCISE MORAL CHOICE, AND MAN FROM THE BEGINNING HAS FULFILLED THAT DECREE BY MAKING HIS CHOICE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. WHEN HE CHOOSES TO DO EVIL, HE DOES NOT THEREBY COUNTERVAIL THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD BUT FULFILLS IT, INASMUCH AS THE ETERNAL DECREE DECIDED NOT WHICH CHOICE THE MAN SHOULD MAKE BUT THAT HE SHOULD BE FREE TO MAKE IT. IF IN HIS ABSOLUTE FREEDOM GOD HAS WILLED TO GIVE MAN LIMITED FREEDOM, WHO IS THERE TO STAY HIS HAND OR SAY, ‘WHAT DOEST THOU?’ MAN’S WILL IS FREE BECAUSE GOD IS SOVEREIGN. A GOD LESS THAN SOVEREIGN COULD NOT BESTOW MORAL FREEDOM UPON HIS CREATURES. HE WOULD BE AFRAID TO DO SO.” 

– A.W. TOZER

 THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY: THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD