When is a Calvinist not a Calvinist?

When his theology and teaching are man-centered.

Calvinists believe that fallen, sinful, rebellious men and women (and children) are unwilling and unable to repent of their sin and to come in faith to Christ. We Calvinists believe that for someone to respond properly to the gospel God must first send forth an effectual call that gives the sinner both the willingness and ability to repent and believe.

Furthermore, the Calvinist believes that after a person is regenerated and converted to Christ, he is still totally dependent upon God’s work in him “both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure” – to live as a God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-dependent and obedient Christian who reflects Christ in his life. In short, we confess with Paul, “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor.15:10).

The gospel of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ is good news about what God does for sinners and in sinners and through sinners who are totally unable to do those things themselves. The Bible is all about this wonderful Savior and His saving work which alone can bring us to God and enable us to follow Christ in newness of life. In this new life we are “enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 35).

With such a God-centered theology and Christ-centered message, why would anyone descend to man-centered preaching and teaching? Such a ministry will be neither saving nor sanctifying (unless God is pleased to overrule it, of course).

What do I mean by “man-centered preaching?” I do not mean that the preacher does not know the Lord or desire to preach Christ. I do not mean (necessarily) that he is a heretic or a deceiver. I simply mean that in his ministry the Bible is approached in a very un-Calvinistic way. Such a ministry uses the Bible as a book of principles to be implemented and examples to be imitated. In the name of “practical Christianity” or “application in preaching” we are told that God blessed certain people because of what they did and if we do the same thing He will bless us. In fact, some go as far as saying (or at least implying) that we are not being blessed because we are not implementing the right principles or following the right examples. Then comes the guilt-trip to try to get us to do more.

As has been said in other posts (see http://jotzandtittlez.blogspot.com/2011/04/bible-what-its-all-about-1.html), the Bible is about God’s saving work through Christ, not about man’s self-saving or self-sanctifying work through the use of principles and examples. Even as a believer, I am still in need of salvation from the remaining darkness in my mind, the remaining perversion in my affections, and the remaining rebellion in my will. There is no quick fix to remaining corruption except suicide (which I am NOT advocating, of course). No amount of surrender, consecration, imitation, mystical expereinces or down home advice can deliver me from the sinning that my Savior alone can save me from. And that salvation does not come from considering what everyone else in Scripture did, but what God alone can do and does for His people. See Him in the Bible and preach Him in the pulpit.