Friday, February 28, 2014

When calvinism stops following calvin

In the last few years, Calvinism has experienced quite a resurgence in evangelicalism and especially Baptists life.  Calvinism is a heavily theological movement and so ideas are thus worked out. However, Reformed Baptists have an awkward challenge before them.because John Calvin was not a baptist and his entire theological system was designed in contradiction to baptist theology.  This has lead these baptist ministers to go in directions which are heterodox to both baptists and reformers.  Such is the case with the baptist reformed doctrine of Lordship Salvation.  Reformed baptist unlike their reformed step parents emphasize more emotion and not as much strict logic in their theology.  This has lead to the following caricature.  A negative attitude towards humanity, a zealous desire to avenge God, and an elitist relationship with God. Core to the baptist reformed doctrine is the axiom of regeneration prior to faith fusing faith with repentance of sin.  In order to evangelize, the reformed baptist must ask the unbeliever to believe and do good works as well, thus being practically indifferent from works based salvation.   Now the reformed baptist are sure to know that this is not the traditional baptist understanding of evangelism.  In fact reformed baptist like Paul washer and David Platt have been quick to anathematize modern baptists evangelist.  And while the contemporary church growth "seeker sensitivity" methods of white washing conversion are long overdo for criticism.  These reformers seek more and at times ignore this enemy regardless. (referring to John Piper having Rick Warren Speak at the desiring God conference 2010)  
But are reformed Baptists aware that there views on regeneration prior to faith are not the views held by John Calvin??
These are some excerpts THE INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION(henry beveridge trans.): book 3 chapter3  "Regeneration by Faith. of repentance"
section 9 "In one word, then, by repentance I understand regeneration, the only aim of which is to form anew the image of God, which was sullied, and all but effaced by the transgression of Adam."
section 1 "The shortest transition, however, will be from faith to repentance; for repentance being properly understood, it will better appear how a man is justified freely by faith alone, and yet that holiness of life, real holiness, as it is called, is inseparable from the free imputation of Christ righteousness.  That repentance not only follows faith, but is produced by it ought to be without controversy." Now as Calvin defined repentance to be the timing of regeneration, we see that calvin taught that faith is prior to regeneration. Repentance is then the natural product of justification and not the pre-requisite. "... it is certain, that no man can embrace the grace of the gospel without betaking himself from the errors of his former life into the right path and making it his whole study to practice repentance."
section 5 "For in comprehending Faith under repentance, they are at variance with what Paul says in the acts, as to his 'testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ"(acts xx.21).  Here he mentions faith and repentance as two different things.  What then? Can true repentance exist without faith? by no means  But although they cannot be separated, they ought to be disttinguished.  As there is no faith without hope, and yet faith and hope are different, so repentance and faith, though consistently linked together, are only to be united, not confounded."
Calvin defends the protestant view of distinction.  This is the foundation that leads to the separation of justification and sanctification.


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