In light of today being Reformation Day, I want to briefly examine the lasting effects that the Protestant Reformation has had on Christianity as we know it. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem Concord Hymn ends its first stanza by referring to the “shot heard ’round the world.” Emerson was referring to that first fateful musket shot which began not only the battle of Lexington and Concord, but the American Revolutionary War.

Though it is doubtful that the participants of that battle understood its full significance, through the lens of history and the filter of hindsight, we are able to see that that shot indeed had worldwide significance. Similarly, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a copy of what came to be known as the 95 Theses to the church gate at Wittenburg.

Luther had written a series of 95 points, which at their heart, challenged the sale of indulgences, which by that time was a common practice. The Roman Catholic Church had come to teach that merit, and in a deeper sense, righteousness before God, could be purchased. The veneration of relics could slash up to 1,000,000 years off of a stay in Purgatory. This system is perhaps best encapsulated in the saying of Johann Tetzel: “When a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs.”

Martin Luther had been brought up in this system to believe that confession and penance could attain favor with God. As a result of severe disciplinarian parents and schoolmasters, Luther developed a keen sense of discipline and judgment coupled with a feeling that he could never be good enough. Though his father had made all of the necessary arrangements for Luther to pursue a career in law, in the late summer of 1505, Luther abruptly gave up studies in law and entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, much to the contempt of his father. Several factors seem to have contributed to this decision. Weeks earlier, Luther had been caught in a severe thunderstorm during which he feared for his life. He cried out to St. Anne that if he was spared, he would become a monk. He was spared, but it also seems that his decision was affected by a deep concern for his own soul.

During the early years of his monastic life, Luther struggled deeply with indwelling sin. He was told that he must confess, ask forgiveness and perform penance. Yet he quickly realized that if this was all that there was, then every sin must be confessed in order to be forgiven. Luther would spend hours boring his confessors with every imaginable sin, which he often referred to as “knots” in his spiritual life. Luther even resorted to beating himself to purge indwelling sin but he quickly realized that the sins of the flesh go much deeper than the skin. Luther became convinced that he had been right all along and that he (nor anyone) ever could be good enough for God and he often struggled with deep bouts of depression.

Luther’s superiors then did what for many of us would be the last thing we would do, they made him a priest and assigned him to lecture through the Scriptures. Luther’s solace most likely came in 1515 when lecturing through Paul’s epistle to the Romans. God stopped him at Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Here Luther found the comfort, hope, strength and joy that had so long eluded him. Luther came to realize what his soul had known all along, that there was no amount of confession, penance of self-mutilation that could earn favor with God. Instead, our righteousness comes through faith in Christ (this faith itself is a gift from God). Once Luther grasped this precious truth, he too could say with Paul that he was not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).

In this verse and others Luther began to grasp the doctrine of justification through faith alone by grace alone (which is once again coming under attack). A doctrine, which in a sense, was “heard ’round the world.” In attacking the sale of indulgences, Luther was not only attacking a false theology, but he was also attacking the profits of the powers in that be and this did not go unnoticed. Luther was called to appear before Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and commanded to recant his positions. This scene ended with Luther’s famous lines:

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.

Luther survived several attempts on his life and eventually returned to public life after being sheltered by friends in a castle. Luther died on Februrary 18, 1546 of complications from an apparent heart attack, leaving behind an incredible yet mixed legacy. Luther is sometimes known for his shortcomings as much as any successes: he was brash, sometimes down-right rude and had a penchant for sometimes over-drinking and under-thinking (not a good combination). These faults coupled with an apparent anti-Semitism leave a legacy that is as stained as it is shining.

In a man like Martin Luther we have the reminder that God uses ordinary people for His extraordinary causes. We are reminded that the Gospel is precious yet difficult because it is the truth that we can do nothin on our own, we are wholly dependent upon God for salvation. We are reminded that we must cherish the Word of God because when it is neglected, so are souls. We are also reminded that we must watch our lives closely (1 Timothy 4:16) because people are watching and will remember when our words and actions do not align with the Gospel.

Though we could spend significant time and energy untangling the legacy of the Reformation and Luther, but on the anniversary of these events, we may praise God that He saves and that He will keep His Word pure. He will continue to work in and through and sometimes in spite of people like Luther and us.

• Read Martin Marty’s biography of Martin Luther

Over the past few days, I’ve posted some thoughts about the community aspects of the Christian life, from the cultural impact of true community to the biblical commands to practice hospitality. These are difficult concepts for many of us to grasp, particularly as our culture becomes more and more isolationist (both politically and practically speaking).

Though it’s always been possible to be alone in a crowd, many are now seeking this isolation. Personal media devices have taken this to a new level and no one wants a phone unless it also plays music through headphones. Many people literally travel from driving alone to an office or cubicle where they are fairly isolated back home with little to no meaningful human interaction in between. For many, pay-at-the pump and drive-throughs are the standard fair and we feel put out if we actually have to make contact with another person.

This culture of isolation leaves many Christians with a skewed interpretation of Scripture. For many, salvation has become merely a “personal” experience and following through with life in a church community is now presented as optional (for the old-fashioned, the hip have outgrown it almost entirely). How easily we forget that God has ordained that the very transmission of His gospel take place through individual contact or by addressing a crowd, but it must be verbalized and it must be passed on.

The idea that the church is optional has had devestating effects on the purity of the Christian life for far too many people. What we so often fail to miss is that the idea of living in a community is not optional for the Christian life. While there might be extreme circumstances when believers are isolated, this is not the ideal. Rather, we are made for relationship, first and foremost with God and then with other believers.

While I understand the arguments made by some that the “church” as most Americans know it is a very western concept and therefore not entirely biblical, it is not my purpose to address these arguments today. I do think that most Christians would agree that the ideal setting to live out the Christian life is one of community (which is best found in the church).

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reminds us of the truth of Genesis 2:18, that “it is not good for man to be alone.” Though we are saved as individuals, God has ordained that we live out the Christian life in community with other believers. Without other believers, how can we “fulfill the law of Christ” and bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:1)? The very injunction that we are to “consider others as more significant than ourselves” (Philippians 2:3) seem to preclude living the Christian life at a distance.

Earlier I said that the notion of individualism has had detrimental impact on the purity of many believers, let me explain. Scripture is clear that we are to live in community. Part of this is a blessing, we find our burdens lighter because they are shared. But another aspect of this is that God’s people often speak God’s Word to us, sometimes in the form of rebuke. Jesus gives specific instructions about going to one another when one is in sin (Matthew 18:15-20) and in his first letter to them, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for not addressing the sin in their midst. These things require community.

The idea of church discipline is often misunderstood and misapplied. The goal is always the restoration of the believer but sometimes it results in the exclusion of a professing believer from the community of believers. This would have had tremendous significance to the original readers of Scripture when their church family was often literally closer than their physical families. Yet when we feel as though we can take or leave community, the idea of exclusion from that community carries little weight over us. Yet exclusion from he community of believers and the refusal of hospitality is sometimes the very result of church discipline.

We are to refuse hospitality to false teachers (2 John 1:10-11), but we are also to refuse hospitality to unrepentant sinners when the proper steps have been followed. Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 5:11-13:

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler–not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Paul says that the unrepentant sinner is to be excluded from the community and refused hospitality. I wonder how many people would be completely unphased by such pronouncements in our day and age. The fact that we have lost touch with the concept of community cannot have positive results and it has caused some to be unaffected by their lack of repentance (if the church practices discipline at all). Exclusion from community was seen as the penultimate result of holding one another accountable and underscores how little we cherish the Body of Christ as our family. When we truly love one another as we ought, then the world will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35), and perhaps we will “yearn” for the company of believers as did Paul (Philippians 1:8) and we will truly bear another’s burdens.

We must strive again for the sense of community which ought to mark the church as Christ’s Body, each member depending on the others (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).

• Read The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch

More stuff for you. Enjoy what caught my eye this past week, I know I did. Sorry, not much to browse this week, and no poetry and music. My parents have been in town, and wouldn’t you know it, I chose the same week to be sick! I’ve been quite ill most of the week and any time I’ve felt well enough has gone to family. Maybe next week.

Look into my ears and see what I’ve been listening to at the Last.fm site which uses a plugin called “Audio Scrobbler” to track the music you listen to and then make recommendations on your established listening patterns.

Send a Bible to China through VoM’s “Bibles Unbound” program.

Become a drug dealer and help distribute AIDS medicines to Africa.

Read Straight.com’s article wondering “Have trendspotters blown indie rock’s cool?” The article features the great quote: “Somewhere along the line, indie rock became the new easy listening, and indie-rock stars became the new Burt Reynoldses of the world.

Read Rolling Stone’s piece wishing Sting was as cool as David Bowie.

Read this ABC News article about a judge who dismissed charges against a woman who killed her unborn baby by shooting her belly the day she was to deliver (ht: ID). The judge reasoned: “If someone else had pulled the trigger, he or she would be criminally accountable. Because it was the pregnant woman herself, no crime was committed.”

Read this “hands-on” review of Microsoft’s Zune, which concludes: “Regardless of either the Zune or the iPod, the consumer will be the winner.”

Browse as the Drowned in Sound writers each choose their six favorite albums of the last six years.

Browse Forbes‘ list of “iPod Killers that Didn’t.”

Read the Guardian’s article asking whether it’s Ok (environmentally) to use an mp3 player.

Browse Drowned in Sound’s albums that didn’t make the cut for their 66 best albums of the past six years series.

Discuss Drowned in Sound’s question: “How Do You Discover New Music?”

Read Forbes‘ discussion of the use of Nirvana material in merchandising campaigns.

Read Frontpage.com’s article about a “scholar” arguing that Christians support torture and Tony Campolo supports the claim.

Read USA Today’s article claiming that Rush Limbaugh has accused actor Michael J. Fox of exaggerating his illness for political gains.

Watch Fox’s video for yourself.

Read the Daily Mail’s article about British Airways refusing to allow workers to wear crosses.

Read this article about the “religion of peace” demanding another chance to execute a recent apostate.

Read Michelle Malkin’s article about the upcoming election and the fact that “There are no grown-ups in the Democrat Party.”

Follow Justin Taylor’s link to Vern Poythress’ new book Redeeming Science, which the author is making available for free download as a PDF.

Read the Wall Street Journal’s article wondering what might happen if the Democrats do gain control.

Read Al Mohler’s review of Wayne Grudem’s new book: Evangelical Feminism: A New Path to Theological Liberalism?

Read Justin Taylor’s “Halloween Reflections.”

Win 15 free CDs by participating in Christianity Today’s annual reader poll.

Browse Christianity Today’s album reviews of the new Starflyer 59, Ashley Cleveland and Fernando Ortega albums.

Read this Reuters article speculating as to the effect the demise of Tower Records will have on independent bands and record labels.

Read Pat Buchanan’s piece calling for resistance against the judicial tyranny that’s been imposing homosexual values.

Read about NBC refusing to air ads for the new Dixie Chicks movie.

Read about Australia’s top cleric who has been suspended for likening rape to cats attacking uncovered meat. Whose fault is it? The uncovered meat of course. Read more about him here.

Read Justin Taylor’s post “Bring the Books,” which is Spurgeon’s reflections on Paul’s comments.

Read about Rhett’s experience in the Chicago Marathon.

Read Kyle’s thoughts on goat cheese.

Read as Matthew Hall wonders if “Christianity is APolitical.”

Read Russell Moore’s piece asking “Are Christians Sinking the GOP?”

Read Mark’s thoughts about how to honor God in your calling, no matter what that calling might be.

Read Mike’s thoughts about a “Really Cool Find” right here in Glen Rose, TX.

Read as Clarke offers a quote from one of my favorites, Geerhardus Vos.

We’ve been thinking, for the past couple of days about the role of the Church in the larger culture, whether it be in the so-called “welfare ministries,” or in the broader aspect of formulating an actual community which in and of itself would influence the world. Most of us understand the fact that we have been created for relationship and community. We even realize that a church that truly fosters a sense of community will have a tremendous impact. However, there seems to be a disconnect between understanding and applying these principles.

Most of us have either experiened or heard from someone who has experienced an unfriendly church. Whatever the reason, it seems that churches are now the most segregated of all institutions and it’s far too common to find an unfriendly, unwelcoming group calling itself a church. Though we recognize this as a problem, most of us have not thought much about how we have arrived at such a scenario.

Christians are commanded to love becase God has first loved us (1 John 4:19) and we are even told that it is by our love for one another that the rest of the world will know that we are Christ’s disciples (John 13:35). In short, we are commanded to love one another. This is difficult in our society which equates love with a warm and fuzzy feeling that’s possible to “fall in and out of.” In contrast to this, God commands us to love. Building on this, Scripture continually presents Christians as a new family with bonds to one another stronger than our physical family, because we are bound by blood of infinite worth.

Scripture not only commands us to love in the abstract sense, we are also clearly commanded to put this love into practice by opening our homes to one another. We are commanded to practice hospitality. This is a foreign concept to many of us because we have neither been taught nor demonstrated what biblical hospitality looks like. As Alexander Strauch says in his book The Hospitality Commands:

Unless we open the doors of our homes to one another, the reality of the local church as a close-knit family of loving brothers and sisters is only a theory.

He goes on to assert that “A cold, unfriendly church contradicts the gospel message.” For many, one of the clearest commands to practice hospitality will be 1 Peter 4:9, which reads:

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling

I find it interesting and almost amusing that Peter gives a qualifier to the way in which we are to show hospitality to one another: “without grumbling!” Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter knows the human heart all too well. It’s one thing to open our homes and tables to close family and friends at holidays and birthdays, but Peter gives the broad command to show hospitality to one another, which by necessity includes those in the church who would not normally be at your child’s birthday party. And we are to do it without grumbling! What could be a more concrete example of sacrificial living than to open our homes to one another, giving of our time and resources and isn’t it true that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). God judges not only our actions but our hearts and it is not enough to do the right thing from the wrong motives.

Hospitality is the glue which is missing from many local churches. We wonder why there is a disconnect between the idea and the practice of truly loving one another. For many, it is because there is no practice on a daily “life on life” level of these things. We’re more than willing to help people load when they move, we’ll bring you a meal when someone dies or is born, but much of our commitment to one another does not extend much beyond this. Yet we are to be family with those in our churches. Family is not convenient, in fact, sometimes it is difficult, but it is nonetheless commanded.

Paul commands in Romans 12:13 that we: “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” and in 1 Timothy 3:2, he goes so far as to say that hospitality must be one of the qualifications of an elder in a local church. While we might quibble that such a small thing ought not to be taken into account, Paul says that elders must be hospitable, because, as Strauch reminds us, hospitality:

is a concrete, down-to-earth test of our fervent love for God and His people. Love can be an abstract, indistinct idea; hospitality is a specific and tangible. Hospitality is love in action. Hospitality is the flesh and muscle on the bones of love. Through caring acts of hospitality, the reality of our love is tested.

We are not only commanded to practice hospitality to believers, but to the larger community as well. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us that we are to even include strangers. After all, what could be a better “launching pad” for the gospel than an open door and a set table. While these things seem to be small and insignificant, they are nonetheless, concrete examples of sacrificial love.

If our churches are to regain the cultural impact of being a community, we must recapture the lost practice of hospitality. We must put “feet to our faith” and practice these things. A love that is biblical, a love that is real will be a love that is living and active and sacrificial. We must open our doors to one another because we are commanded to, but also because we truly love one another (because He has first loved us).

• Read The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch

I’ve written recently on the need for churches to be actively involved in first loving one another and then serving the community. As I have, I’ve been meditating on just what a local church’s role in a given community is to be. It’s interesting that God, through Jeremiah in 29:7, commands the exiles to: “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

On one hand, churches are absolutely to be about the “practical” ministries of feeding the poor and clothing the naked (Matthew 25:31-40). But it’s interesting that Jesus says that one of the primary ways to live out the Christian life is first and foremost in love and service for fellow believers. He says in John 13:35: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In other words, the world will see the way that we love and serve one another, ouf of self-sacrifice, considering one another as more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3) and bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2, etc.) in unity (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, etc.) and they will know that we are Christ’s disciples!

Richard J. Mouw says in his book: He Shines In All That’s Fair: Culture and Common Grace that:

One of the most significant cultural tasks that the Christian community must perform in the world is simply to be a community - a fellowship of people who, in the patterns of their life together, serve as a sign of faithfulness in the larger world.

It seems so simple, yet so profound doesn’t it? We all know that we have that deep-seated desire to belong and to be loved. It is built-in to every person and it is the mandate of every Christian. As our society becomes increasingly isolated, what could be more powerful than to stand boldy as a community?

It’s interesting that as many churches look for clever marketing strategies and more and bigger gimmicks, what will truly draw people is what we should be doing all along: loving one another. We must, as Paul warns Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16, watch our teaching along with our lives, we cannot substitute friendly people for sound doctrine, but neither can we truly claim sound doctrine if we do not have loving people.

As the people of the local church begin to love one another as we truly ought, this will be noticed, for “a city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).

• Read He Shines In All That’s Fair: Culture and Common Grace by Richard J. Mouw
• Read The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch

I was listening the other day to NPR’s Fresh Air. Hostess Terri Gross was having a discussion about the White House’s “Faith Based Initiatives” with David Kuo, author of Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction.

Though Kuo’s point was that he felt that the faith-based initiatives program had been used to draw in religious leaders with promises that were not kept, I couldn’t help but find my mind wandering to other points brought up by the program.

On the one hand, we might view Bush’s idea of giving many community outreach programs to churches and community outreach groups as a good thing. On the other, we might ask why churches weren’t doing these things all along and why it has taken yet another government initiative to remind us of these things.

James says in 1:27 that: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James says that the faith that is real and active and “pure” is that faith which is lived out of love for the sake of God and others.

Jesus, when speaking of the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-40 says that what we do to the “least of these,” we do to Him and among the actions He commends His hearers to do are feeding and clothing the poor. In an interesting command, God, in Jeremiah 29:7 commands the peole of the exile to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” In other words, God’s people are to naturally be doing the very things that this Republican White House has tried to encourage churches to do. We must once again ask why it is that more of our churches are not doing these things to begin with.

For many, the answer is probably, at least in part, a knee-jerk reaction against the “social gospel” movement which focused on acts of service to the detriment of the preached Word, the real reason why we do acts of service in the first place. For others, it probably never occurs to them that churches ought to be involved in such ministries because they have never seen this, because the government takes care of these things.

Over the years, churches seem to have continually abdicated our role as community servant. As we have, the need does not diminish, so naturally, someone is going to pick up the distribution of these services and in most cases, it has been the government. Once these services are taken over by the government, the moral attachment that comes by necessity with the preached Word, that component that convicts laziness and exhorts hard work for the sake of God goes missing and now many people feel entitled to these same services, which in turn, breeds a dependence on the welfare state.

We as Christians are to be about love. Love of God and love of others. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). This love is to begin within the local Body, so much so that Jesus goes so far as to say in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Does your community know that your church is full of Christ’s disciples because of your love for one another? Does this love then overflow into the surrounding community? Yes, we must preach the Gospel at every chance, we can never lose sight of that, any service devoid of Gospel content is not satisfactory for the Church, but the preached Gospel must also be the lived Gospel.

As Paul reminds Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16, we are to keep a close watch not only on our teaching, but on our lives as well and our lives must be marked by love and our love will be lived out in service. We need to lovingly encourage our churches to take back their role in reaching each local community and truly being that “city set on a hill” (Matthew 5:14).

• Read Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction by David Kuo
• Read The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch

As I’ve noted, this past weekend was the second annual meeting of the Fellowship of Reformation Churches. Our theme was “Humble Orthodoxy: Speaking the Truth in Love.” By necessity with a topic like that, one of the things we discussed throughout the day was orthodoxy and the ideas of “essential” doctrines and “non-essential” doctrines.

In other words, there are some doctrines which are simply not up for debate such as Jesus’ divinity or bodily resurrection, while there are other doctrines about which there may be disagreement yet each party may still be within the bounds of orthodoxy. An example of the latter might be baptism. Godly men on both sides of the issue have been Credo- (believers’) or Paedo- (infant) baptists and both are considered orthodox, while teaching baptismal regeneration is not orthodox.

As you might expect in a gathering of like-minded Calvinist-believers, the question emerged whether or not adherence to the “Doctrines of Grace,” which is another term for what have become known as the “Five Points of Calvinism,” is an “essential” doctrine. It’s interesting because Scot McKnight has been asking the question “Do Calvinists Understand Arminianism” as well.

I must say at this point that I am thoroughly reformed. I have no problem referring to myself as a “Five Point Calvinist,” I believe all five “points” to be biblical and I do believe that reformed doctrine presents the most God-centered, Scripture-honoring system of beliefs. I have been convinced of these doctrines for nearly as long as I have been a believer and they are an integral piece of my faith. Yet I do not believe them to be “essential doctrines.”

Throughout the years I have known many reformed brothers and sisters who have sincerely taught that if you denied, for example, unconditional election, then you did not truly understand salvation and therefore you were not truly saved. I’m simply not comfortable saying that someone must be a Calvinist to be saved, which is implied when we talk about “essential” doctrines.

It’s helpful to remember a bit of history in the process. The so-called “Five Points of Calvinism” were not drafted by John Calvin, but rather by the Synod of Dordt in 1619, 55 years after Calvin’s death. The followers of Jacob Arminius had rallied around a 5-point document drawn up by Johannes Uytenbogaert known as the Remonstrance (thus, they became known as the Remonstrants). These “Five Points” became known as the “Five Points of Arminianism.” Though the Remonstrants had gone further than had Arminus, it seems likely that, had he been alive, the document might have received his blessing.

In response to these “Five Points,” the Estates-General called for a Synod to meet at Dordt. The Synod met from November 13, 1618 to May 9, 1619 and included 84 delegates over 154 sessions. The official response was known as “The Canons of the Synod of Dordt,” or simply “The Canons of Dordt,” and these fall under five headings, which were in response to the “Five Points of Arminianism” and became known as the “Five Points of Calvinism.”

I give this background to say that the “Five Points of Calvinism” were drafted in response to a controversy and were given to correct theological error. Similarly, that which we have come to know as the “Fundamentalist/Modernist” controversy published a list of “essential” doctrines which could not be compromised. This list did not include the Doctrines of Grace.

I think that Calvinists need to be fair and admit that we often knock down straw men rather than deal with many of the true issues. Many of those we label “Arminians” truly do not teach or believe a works-based salvation. Most of those that Calvinists would label “Arminians” truly do hold to salvation by grace alone. Granted, there are just as many Arminians knocking down straw-man Calvinists, but that’s for another day.

I do not believe that Calvinism is an “essential” theological system because that question is essentially asking what must be believed to be saved. I do believe that it is a fuller explanation of the Scriptures, I do believe them to be “deeper truths,” and I do believe the system to be true, which means that I do believe we ought to teach them and seek them, but I also believe that there are many brothers and sisters whom I will see in the Kingdom who do not hold to these specific doctrines.

The question essentially becomes what is the Gospel itself. While I do believe that Calvinism offers the fullest explanation of that question, I do think that’s it’s possible for saving knowledge to occur without the “Five Points.” At that point, I personally must say that it is a “non-essential” doctrine over which there might be debate.

It’s interesting that the longer I’m a Christian, the more points of unity I find myself seeking and the fewer debates I pursue. I love studying doctrine as much, if not more than the next guy, but the more I study doctrine, the I’m convinced that it’s end result must be both humility and love.

• Read The Five Points of Calvinism by Edwin Palmer
• Read The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner
• Read The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin