Do Calvinists Need to Be More Loving? - Ask Pastor Tim

"Pastor Tim, can you please do commentary

and give good advice on the subject

of today's young Calvinists

being more loving

and bearing fruit of the Spirit?

To form a question out of it,

is it okay to appear rather
mean and unloving

while being a Christian who identifies

as a Calvinist?"

And then he writes a lot
of other things here,

but at the end he says this:

"I recently went to a Calvinism debate

by James White.

Everyone I met there,

I brought up the points you made

in your 'Is Theology Your Idol?' video.

I friended more than 50 people on Facebook

that went to the debate,

and talked to almost all of them

on Facebook Messenger.

I had dialogue with them
in a very natural,

non-confrontational way about this subject

and how I've repented,

how my mind has changed.

I sent them all your video.

A good chunk were grateful

and told me they felt convicted as well,

but there were others

who were talking in a scholarly language

trying to stand up for continuing

to appear mean and cold,

and trying to say Scripture
doesn't tell us otherwise.

Some of these guys cuss

and are getting Ph.D.'s at Bible college."

Tim: So the mean and cold ones

are "cussers" as well, I guess.

But do you know that not long ago -

it's been some years now,

but Time Magazine ran an article called,

"Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now."

And the third on the list was Calvinism.

This new Calvinism.

We've talked about the
young restless reformed.

What do you think?

Mean?

Can we justify being mean?

Let's ask this:

This guy has a concern

that there are folks
in the Calvinistic circles

that are mean.

Now rather than just
jumping on that bandwagon

and assuming that what
he's saying is right

and going to answer it,

is there a sense that that's right?

What can you say about Calvinism

and those who profess it?

And churches that hold
to the doctrines of grace?

I mean, just from your own experience,

would you say he's right at all?

I mean, he says, even in those

who went to that debate,

he says many of the people responded well.

The video that he was sharing with them

was basically a video -

were you taping then?

James: That was 8 years ago.

Tim: Eight years ago?

On theology being our idol.

And so what would I have said in there

that he would be making a point

with these people?

I think it had to do with priority.

Where your theology becomes

the most important thing over and above

perhaps the things that Christ says

are the weightier matters of the law.

That's not to say that doctrine

isn't a weighty matter.

That doesn't mean that truth
isn't a weighty matter.

But what we do with it,

how we respond with it,

how we react towards other people

because of what we believe,

we never want to neglect
the weighty matters.

So, what makes Calvinists mean?

(from the room)

I feel like sometimes people confuse

God's wrath when you talk about it

as coming off as mean.

That's what I've kind of
experienced in the past.

So it's like don't talk
about the wrath of God.

Talk about grace.

So I don't know if that would be it.

Tim: Here's something to think about.

I know years ago, back in 1996,

Brother Andy brought a series on missions,

and he did one message on reasons why

those in reformed circles

are not more involved in missions.

And one of the things that he brought up

was isolationism.

Do you know the very nature

of believing in election

makes those who believe
in the doctrines of grace

very narrow?

It comes across that way.

You're very narrow.

You've got this elect people.

I remember as a young believer,

I had somebody very
close to me in my family

say, "I hope you're going to be happy

in heaven all by yourself."

But the reality is if we
understand Scripture,

we understand that they
asked the Lord one day,

"Are there many or are there few

that are going to be saved?"

"Strive to enter in," He said.

"For many are going to seek to enter in

and will not be able."

We recognize that both

coming at it from the human side

and the striving and the narrow gate,

there's few.

We recognize from God's perspective

and the sovereign side of this

that there are an elect people.

It can seem very narrow.

And that's not the same as isolation.

I think what happens

is that we get people

who come to the doctrines of grace,

and they settle into their
little reformed communities,

and they basically cut
themselves off from the world.

And I can remember visiting a church

up in Kalamazoo that was reformed.

And I doubt people a block away

knew the church was there.

And that was kind of how I felt

about many of the reformed churches.

People would come -

sometimes they would
drive from fairly far away

and they would
conglomerate in this building,

and then they would
go back out again.

But you just didn't get a real feel

that the people knew they were there.

This idea of meanness...

I think the thing I talked
about in that video

was just about how knowledge puffs up.

There is a knowledge that humbles us,

and there is a knowledge that puffs up.

And what can happen is people come

to these doctrines -

it's like God has shed some light

that you kind of feel like
maybe other people don't see,

and then you feel superior.

And then you look down at people.

And it's more about what I know.

If you recognize what he said there,

he said it was like there
were these scholarly guys

who are getting Ph.D.'s -

and you don't want to
stereotype that all the Ph.D.'s

are mean and arrogant.

But it is interesting that Jesus told us

something about titles.

And really that we should
call one another "brother."

And there are a lot of guys

that really like to be called "doctor."

I think Christians probably should leave

those titles behind.

Because it tends to make
men feel superior.

Calling somebody "doctor" is probably

the reformed way of
calling somebody "father."

It's like they would be better off

if they left that title behind.

And I recognize some people use it

to show respect.

But brethren, as Calvinists;

as those who hold to
the doctrines of grace,

brethren, you know what we
don't ever want to forget?

I've been thinking a lot
about these verses.

There's various of them.

How about somebody read Matthew 23:23?

You know this.

Jesus rebuking the Pharisees.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!

Hypocrites!

For you tithe mint and dill and cumin

and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law,

justice and mercy and faithfulness."

Tim: Justice and mercy and faithfulness.

And sometimes I think about people -

certain people - they can dot every "i"

and cross every "t"

but they neglect the weightier matters.

Mercy.

Can you think of any other verses

that are similar to that?

Do you remember when Matthew or Levi

had Jesus over?

And Jesus confronted the same Pharisees?

Do you remember what He said there?

Where's that? Matthew 9?

Mercy and not sacrifice.

And then what it is? Matthew 12?

Oh, that's the one where His disciples

were going through and picking

the grain on the Sabbath.

And what did Jesus respond there with?

Anybody remember there?

(unintelligible)

I desire mercy and not sacrifice.

And then you remember
the account right after that?

There's a man with a withered hand

and He brings him out.

And there's different accounts,
and there's different places

where He expresses this truth.

But He basically says this:

Look, you guys, if you have an ox

or a sheep or a son

who falls into that pit or that well

on the Sabbath, you'll pull him out.

And listen to what He said.

Is it right to do good on the Sabbath?

What does that have to do

with all the new Calvinism?

It has everything.

Brethren, this is what mattered.

You remember the text?

I mentioned this on Sunday.

"This is not the way you learned Christ

assuming that you have learned of Him

and have heard of Him
as the truth is in Jesus."

But think with me here.

How do we learn Christ?

Right from verses like these.

And what do we learn?

What's weighty with Him?

What's the most important thing?

Is the most important thing

for you to win a battle in an argument

on election?

And you know what happens?

Oftentimes, we get
exposed to these things.

There's nobody more dangerous

than a young "Calvinist."

Has just come to understand

double-predestination,

and has had his eyes open to Romans 9,

and goes out and bashes the family

and just butchers
people with those things.

Election and limited atonement.

By the time he's done with everybody,

he's made it seem to everybody

like it's impossible to get to heaven.

Whereas Jesus - think about Him.

A leper comes to Him

and He touches him.

I can remember a family called me.

They wanted to know about the church.

And I mean, you can tell

by the questions people ask -

this was back when I
was manning the phone

before James took it over.

Somebody called,

"Well, tell me about the church."

And I could tell by the questions,

it's like: Do you have Sunday school?

Do you do this? Do you do that?

It's like the guy's making judgments.

And you know, in the end I said -

and this was in the earlier years

when we were meeting over at Fatty's -

and I said,

"Sir, if you're okay to have a meal

after the service and maybe sit across

from a prostitute,

we're the kind of church
you want to come to.

If that's not up your alley,

you probably want to
look for another church."

And he never came.

And we're probably much better off for it.

But this is what matters.

Jesus wants our doctrine to be biblical,

but with it, we need to remember

the weighty matters.

I've been thinking about the Moravians.

I've been thinking about the Moravians

for the last couple days.

The ones that sold themselves

to the leper colony.

Ruby and I saw something the other day

concerning leprosy,

and I've just been thinking.

They sold themselves into a leper colony

where they likely were
going to get leprosy.

You know what? That wins the world.

Not your debate over Calvinism.

Not getting your Ph.D.
and being mean and ugly.

You know what melts people's hearts?

"I will. Be clean."

Now, we can't do that.

We can't heal like Jesus could.

But we could jump the wall

and go into the leper colony.

I'll tell you,

that's what turns the world upside down.

Our right theology -

oh, Brother Andy hit it right on the head

back in that '96 series.

The whole reformed movement

will just basically be a footnote

in church history if all we have

is just correct doctrine.

That's not what has ever
turned the world upside down.

It simply isn't.

The Moravians turned
the world upside down.

And we would say their doctrine

probably didn't square up in some places.

But you know they could look at us

and they could say

our lives don't square
up in a lot of places.

I personally would rather
have what they had

than have what we have

if all it is is just the dead letter.

I've prayed this - I've wanted this,

that God would make our church

or maybe our circle of churches

in this day and age

the modern Moravian movement;

some kind of movement of the Spirit

that would just unleash a passion.

Think about this.

I mean, somebody open up

and just begin reading 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Just start reading there.

Again, Brother Andy, when he was here

and he spoke at the men's Grace House

when it was over on Pine Street,

he said that these verses affect him

more than anything else.

They should affect us too.

And look what it's done to his life.

He's not some cold Calvinist.

He and his wife are giving their lives.

This is what we want to be.

Somebody start reading that.

1 Corinthians 13:1.

Just start reading real loud.

"And yet I will show you
the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men

or of angels, but do not have love,

I am only a resounding gong

or a clanging cymbal."

Tim: Okay, stop there.

See how we speak?

We stand in the pulpit and speak?

Oh, we can perfectly articulate

our views on the atonement

or perfectly articulate justification

and how it's different
from sanctification.

But listen to what Paul's saying.

You see, this goes right along

with what Jesus was saying.

What are the weighty matters?

As we refine our doctrine,

we need to see such glorious views of God

that at the same time are producing

such fruit in our own lives,

and if it doesn't, it's worthless.

And the thing is, we can
try to convince ourselves -

it's almost like we think,

well, we have come to understand truth

that other people have
not come to understand,

and therefore that automatically

guarantees a blessing.

That automatically guarantees success.

Brethren, I can remember

when our church first started

and I was considering joining

a Reformed Baptist Association

that operates in the United States

and abroad.

And you know, as I examined it,

do you what I began to realize?

I began to realize that the missionaries -

every single missionary

being sent out by this
reformed Baptist association,

every one of them at that time

when I was assessing it,

every one of them were saved

in other circles;

every single one of them

got their missionary burden

in other circles,

and then at some point,

came to the doctrines of grace

and joined this.

And one of the guys that
was trying to recruit me,

he asked about joining and I asked him,

doesn't it bother you

that the movement is not producing

its own missionaries?

They're all transplants.

They all come from somewhere else.

Why is that fruit not coming
out of our churches?

He said, "no, that doesn't bother me.

I think we should give ourselves more

to printing books anyways."

I thought I don't like that.

I want to be part of circles

where the Spirit of God is saving,

and where the Spirit of God

is putting His hand on men and women

and burdening them
with a passion for souls.

I don't want this dead Calvinism.

I don't want it.

But I mean, we need this.

Keep reading now.

"If I have the gift of prophecy

and can fathom all mysteries

and all knowledge,

and if I have a faith
that can move mountains,

but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor,

and give over my body to hardship

that I may boast, but do not have love,

I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind..."

Tim: Okay, that's far enough.

But you think about,

like I think of 1 Timothy.

Somebody open to 1 Timothy 1.

Maybe about verse 5.

And read that text.

1 Timothy 1:5.

The aim...

"The aim of our charge is love

that issues from a pure heart

and a good conscience

and a sincere faith."

Tim: Notice that.

And another text I think a lot about

is Galatians 5:6.

Circumcision is nothing.
Uncircumcision is nothing.

But what's everything?

Faith working through love.

That's everything.

Brethren, a lot of you

are the young Calvinists.

But look, if we properly learn Christ,

this is what we need.

See, I was thinking today.

Wow, John Sytsma has like 15 years on me.

I thought you know he could outlive me,

but I thought,

I'm probably going to see John's funeral.

Who's going to replace him?

Who's then going to run all over the world

and run to Iraq and run to Nepal

and run to India and
run to the Philippines?

Who's coming along?

Who's going to have the love?

What about when Sam Pitrone's gone?

What about when Andy's gone?

Who's going to go to these places then?

And the Moravians are gone.

The leper colonies.

I was hearing just today -

my wife had Platt preaching

who's now leading in the
Southern Baptist Convention.

What's his position?

He's the president of (the mission board).

And basically that thing operates -

I think his goal is for the
missionary aspect of it.

And he was talking about Africa

being one of the least reached.

Randy Pisino is going over there

4 or 5 times a year, but when he's gone,

who's going to go then?

Africa.

You know a lot of English
speaking people in Africa.

A lot.

I cannot get out of my mind Haiti.

Haiti.

We went up through those mountains

preaching the Gospel.

But here it is.

"Is it okay to appear rather mean

and unloving while being a Christian

who identifies as a Calvinist?"

I mean, just the things we've considered.

Of course it's not.

It's not just not being mean.

It's not just articulating
the right doctrine.

Because if we do that
but we don't have love,

I'll tell you, judgment day's
going to sift all that out.

And the right doctrine is not -

think about it.

Jesus never once -

Matthew 25 ought to stand before our eyes

all the time.

He never once says,

"You were a Calvinist."

"Good job."

Think about everything that He says.

"I was hungry."

"I was thirsty."

"I was naked."

"I was a stranger."

"I was sick."

Listen, religion that
is pure and undefiled -

it's visiting the widow and the orphan

in their affliction.

That's what Jesus is recognizing.

Jesus said, "Follow Me."

He put His hand on the leper.

The Moravians put their hands on lepers.

But this is the Calvinism that we want.

This is what William Carey broke out of.

He broke out of the dead

and dying churches of 18th century

hyper-Calvinism.

And he broke out into India.

And others went with him.

And a handful of those churches

caught the fire.

Spurgeon.

A burden for souls.

Oh, he could preach
the doctrines of grace.

But he had a love for the souls of men.

Young, restless, and reformed.

I don't know. That makes
me think of a soap opera.

"The Young and the Restless"

that my grandmother watched

when I was a kid.

Young and the restless.

Restless doesn't sound good.

Young? That's okay.

But I think we need to be

young and purposeful

and holding to good doctrine.

(Incomplete thought)

You think about it.

You know, if you're the two Moravians

that jumped the wall
into the leper colony;

or you're the guy on the ship

that sails away out of Copenhagen Harbor

and goes to the Caribbean never to return,

you know you kind of
have your moment of glory

as you're pulling out of the
harbor, and you say the words

that get immortalized,

but then you're forgotten.

I mean, we know who they were.

We can put names to them.

But you kind of jump the wall,

and the glory's kind of over.

You know? Yes, charge!

And you go in there, and what is it?

Day after day among the lepers.

And they're dying and they stink

and they're repulsive

and you're probably going to catch it,

and you're in that all the time

and there's no vacations
and you don't go out

and you basically live all your days there

and you preach the Gospel.

The Lord will be with you

and He'll give you joy.

And He'll uphold you and keep you going,

and in the end, there's great reward.

But there's not a lot of glamour here.

Most of what He calls us to

isn't out on the platform
under the bright lights.

So, who's ready to go?

And the going doesn't just mean Africa.

It may mean just out here

in these neighborhoods.

It may mean - who knows what it may mean?