Calvin on The Use of God's Beautiful Gifts

Just recently I posted an excerpt from The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life" (which is a translation of a part of John Calvin's Institutes of Christian Religion. Here is a second excerpt. It is from the chapter titled "The Right Use of the Present Life" from a subsection called "Earthly things are a gift of God".

"1. The first principle we should consider is that the use of the gifts of God cannot be wrong, if they are directed to the same purpose for which the Creator himself has created and destined for them. For he has made the earthly blessings for our benefit, and not for our harm. No one, therefore will observe a more proper rule than he who will faithfully observe this purpose.

2. If we study for instance, why he has created the various kinds of food, we shall find that it was his intention not only to provide for our needs, but likewise for our pleasure and for our delight. In clothing he did not only keep in mind our needs, but also propriety and decency. In herbs, trees, and fruit, besides being useful in various ways, he planned to please us by their gracious lines and pleasant odors. For if this were not true, the psalmist would not enumerate among the divine blessings "the wine that makes glad the heart of man, and the oil that makes his face to shine." (Ps. 104:15) And the Scriptures would not declare everywhere that he has given all these things to mankind that they might praise his goodness

3. Even the natural properties of things sufficiently point out to what purpose and to what extent we are allowed to use them. Should the Lord have attracted our eyes to the beauty of the flowers and our sense of smell to pleasant odors, and should it then be sin to drink them in? Has he not even made the colors so that the one is more wonderful than the other? Has he not granted to gold and silver, to ivory and marble a beauty which makes them more precious than other metals or stones? In one word, has he not made many things worthy of our attention that go far beyond our needs (Ps. 104:15)?"

Jonathan Edwards on Pride

Jonathan Edwards is a well-known preacher/theologian from colonial America in the 1700's. He was a missionary to Native Americans and also served as one of the early presidents of Princeton university.

Edwards taught that pride was one of the worst causes of error and that Satan uses it to fight against revival. He also taught that nothing puts a Christian so out of reach of the devil as humility. In one of his writings, he writes the following under the heading "Pride: a Secret Enemy":

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Pride is much more difficult to be discerned than any other corruption because of its very nature. That is, pride is a person having too high an opinion of himself. Is it any surprise, then, that a person who has too high an opinion of himself is unaware of it? His thinking is that he thinks that the opinion he has of himself has just grounds and therefore is not too high. If the grounds of the opinion of himself crumbled, he would cease to have such an opinion.

But, because of the nature of spiritual pride, it is the most secret of all sins. There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable and there is no other sin in the world that men are so confident in. The very nature of it is to work self-confidence and drive away any suspicion of any evil of that kind. There is no sin so much like the devil as this for secrecy and subtlety, and appearing in great many shapes that are undetected and unsuspected.

Spiritual pride takes many forms and shapes, one under another, and encompasses the heart like the layers of an onion: when you pull off one, there is another underneath. Therefore, we have need to have the greatest watch imaginable over our hearts with respect to this matter and to cry most earnestly to the great Searcher of hearts for His help. He that trusts his own heart is a fool.

Since spiritual pride in its own nature is so secret, it cannot be so well discerned by immediate intuition on the thing itself. It is best identified by its fruits and effects, some of which I will make mention of below together with the contrary fruits of Christian humility.

--

After that short excerpt, Edwards continues to speak of "Pride: the Great Fault-Finder", "Pride: Ministering in a Harsh Spirit", "Pride: Putting On Pretences", "Pride: Taking Offence Easily", "Pride: Presumption Before God and Man", "Pride: Hungry for Attention", and "Pride: Neglecting Others".


If you wish to read the entire writing (it isn't very long), you can find it here

Scattered Thoughts Series: Strong Drinks & The Believer

These are some thoughts I've arrived at in different ways, some in the past and some more recently. Some might seem obvious, but I hope they shed some light or bring some interesting questions into your mind.

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Recently Ian had an interesting post that brought my mind to the subject of alcohol. I agree with Ian that wine, and other forms of alcohol are a gift of God that can be legitimately used. I choose to abstain--in moderation, that is. :) I like the occasional wine or beer

This is something I've considered before. There are all sorts of positions people take, both regarding personal consumption and regarding whether others should be allowed to do so.

Rather than writing something new, I just want to repost to something I've written in the past. I think it still generally reflects how I feel now:

May Christians consume alcohol?

Yes. Consider the following:

1. Alcohol was a part of the Jewish ceremonies and an accepted part of their religion (Ge.14:18, Ex.29:37-40, Nu.15:7, Ne.10:39).
2. Alcohol has spiritual significance for the New Covenant believer (Is.55:1, Mat.9:17, Lu.22:20).
3. Alcohol is characterized in the Scriptures as a gift of God (Ge.27:28, De.7:3, De.14:26, Joel 2:19).
4. Alcohol is characterized as a cheerful and joyful thing before God and man (Ju.9:13, Ps.104:14-15, Ec.9:7).
5. The Scriptures indicate that alcohol has its time and its place to be used (Pr.31:6).
6. Jesus Christ Himself partook of alcohol (Lu.7:33-34, Jh.2, etc.).
7. Alcohol is recommended in the New Testament because of its healing properties (I Ti.5:23)

As many of us have witnessed with our own eyes, there are great dangers in becoming drunk and the Bible has specific warnings to drunkards (Ge.9:21, Ge.19:32, Pr.20:1, Pr.21:17, Pr. 23:21, Pr.23:31, Pr.31:4, Is.5:11, Is.5:22, Is.28:7, Hs.4:11, Joel 1:5, Tit.2:3, I Pe.4:3, I Co.5:11). This is the very reason why God made regulations regarding drinking alcohol (Lev.10:9, Eze.44:21,
Ep.5:18, I Ti.3, Ti.1:7), but He never outright forbids it.

It is worthy of noting that in Bible times there were certain vows/oaths that caused a person to abstain from drinking (Nu.6:3). Also, abstaining from strong drinks was often a sign of concecration (I Sa.1:15, Da.10:3, Lu.1:15, Lu.7:33).

It must be said that we need to be sensitive to the weaknesses of those around us. We shouldn't drink if it will cause someone around
us to sin (Ro.14:21).

A Christian can enjoy moderate alcohol consumption with a good conscience! "Wine maketh glad the heart of man" (Ps.104:15 - KJV).

The Bible allows for two points of view regarding consumption of alcohol:

A) It can be harmful, so I will consume it in moderation

B) It can be harmful, so I will abstain.

Scattered Thoughts Series: Checks and Balances

These are some thoughts I've arrived at in different ways, some in the past and some more recently. Some might seem obvious, but I hope they shed some light or bring some interesting questions into your mind.

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The Christian life is a challenge in all seasons of life, and certainly no less for young adults and young men.

The basic elements of what it means to be a Christian and live a Christian life are not going to make you a "super-Christian". They are the minimum of what you will need to survive. Think survival, not icing on the cake.

If they were just icing on the cake, then the conclusion is obvious: We can pick and choose and miss some of them and get by unscared.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. If they are the bare minimum for survival, we can't afford to neglect them. It is warfare. Remember the old slogan: Loose lips sink ships. I'd just revise it for this posts purposes, and say "Looseness on this things sink many a guy".

So, here are the checks and balances the Bible gives us to "keep our head above water". I'm not going to list Bible verses, but I trust you'll know that these things are frequently covered in the Scriptures

1. Prayer & Bible Study. One thing about neglecting this is that if you have a past background in Bible Study and prayer, you may not notice immediate problems when you start slacking. You'll still have some carry-over in your Bible knowledge and feeling of fellowship with Christ, and that can be dangerous. Its easy to assume that you know things and that will often lull you further to sleep. We can't pretend we can stay afloat to any degree without these two spiritual disciplines. They are the basic sustinence, with out them we WILL wither up.

2. Attending Church. This is one of the biggest checks and balances that we have, partly because it points us to the other ones I've listed here. If you take a burning ember away from the fire, it will be cold fast. Fire needs more fire and kindling to last long. And lone ranger Christians are even less able to brave the elements on their own. If we want to be on fire, but don't make it to church, we are on a futile path. The Bible EMPHATICALLY mentions that we must gather with other Christians for worship & fellowship. It is important for accountability, instruction, and a neccessity to spiritual growth. And others need us there too!!! The body suffers when we are missing. It is easy to underestimate the effect that our absence actually has in discouraging others. Its easy enough to slack in ones spiritual life when attending church regularly, let alone when neglecting attendance!!!!

3. Parental guidance. Two instincts, perhaps magnified in guys, tend to push us away from utilizing our parents in this way: A. We know that being a man involves stepping up to the plate and making decisions and taking initiative. B. We are either of a too different mindset compared to our parents or our sense of independence pride is violated by seeking guidance.
However, we need to realize a couple things: Yes, being a man means taking initiative and being a leader. But being a leader is so much more than the raw self-decision-making. Good leaders delegate, consult those under them and above them, and are very open to any information they can get. A leader who rejects all advise is usually on his downhill. So consulting with parents is actually a "manly" thing to do, just like the husband who consults with his wife on a decision still can be a "man" and a "leader", actually it could be said that he's doing something that can make him a better leader. Parents have a unique perspective that young guys may not have just as a wife certainly has a unique perspective that her husband may not have. It is my opinion that many of the problems guys run into in all sorts of life matters come partially from either not involving their parents at all or just introducing them when crucial decisions are already made. As society changes, broken homes and dead-beat parents become more and more common, so that obviously can make things difficult. Not everybody has a Godly or even available parent to consult with, and the effect that this is having can't be underestimated. However, many of these things can be accomplished via another family member or a close mentor. In my life, I've personally learned that nobody can think they are so right and yet can be so far off base as a young man when he sets his mind on something (I say this as a young man). That is why I believe critical decisions are best formed with the help of (or at least throughly run by) respected individuals who have known us since we needed diaper changes. :) The amazing thing is that more often than one would expect, the two "generations" actually think similarily on things (assuming mutual understanding and communication is accomplished). Furthermore, if we are confirmed in our decisions by our parents or mentors, our resolve and confidence will be increased in a way that far exceeds what would be if we never had confirmation by receiving counsel from others. Additionally, even if the advise we receive isn't really the greatest or hampered by "hang ups", the "adversity" that gives us will actually be benefitial!!

There are probably more things that could be listed. But in these three things are exposed a plethora of issues that I think cause many hardships to young guys. These are so fundamental things, but perhaps the most widely neglected. And I hope sharing them might be helpful to someone else and clarify these things further in my mind.

Thomas Watson on Sanctification

"The main thing a Christian should look after is sanctification. This is the unum necessarium, 'the one thing needful.' Sanctification is our purest complexion, it makes us as the heaven, bespangled with stars; it is our nobility, by it we are born of God, and partake of the divine nature; it is our riches, therefore compared to rows of jewels, and chains of gold (Song of Solomon 1:10). It is our best certificate for heaven. What evidence have we else to show? Have we knowledge? So has the devil. Do we profess religion? Satan often appears in Samuel's mantle, and transforms himself into an angel of light. But our certificate for heaven is sanctification. Sanctification is the firstfruits of the Spirit; the only coin that will pass current in the other world. Sanctification is the evidence of God's love. We cannot know God's love by giving us health, riches, success; but by drawing his image of sanctification on us by the pencil of the Holy Ghost it is known." (from "A Body of Divinity" by Thomas Watson")

Thinking upon this quote caues me to contemplate upon that evidence of God's love (sanctification) and whether it is being manifested in my life.

Making a Difference: Hospitable Evangelism

Back in 2005, the Washington Times had an article commemorating the 50th anniversary of L'Abri.

There is no question that L'Abri has had a great impact...just read that article and you will get a taste of that. This influence was present before and after Francis Schaeffer died. One example given in the Washington Times article is:


In the fall of 1960, Jim Hurley, a 16-year-old American agnostic studying at a nearby Swiss private school, dropped by "to laugh at the fundamentalists."
"He was talking about a God he knew," he remembers of Mr. Schaeffer. "He believed in people having honest questions and him giving honest answers. There weren't any unfair questions [or] unaskable questions."
Mr. Hurley became a Christian the next spring and is now a family therapist teaching at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Miss.


L'Abri's guest list is quite interesting and diverse. Some of the characters to have visit L'Abri over the years include: Jerram Barrs (speaker/author), Timothy Leary (counterculture figure), Rebecca St. James (musician), Mark Heard (musician, Larry Norman (musician), Nancy Pearcey (author), Irving Hexham (author), OS Guinness (speaker/author), Katherine Harris (U.S. House Rep), and Hans Rookmaaker (author). Some of these were athiest/agnostics/etc. when they arrived, and some left remaining as such. That L'Abri would be interesting enough to attract visits from both Timothy Leary and Katherine Harris tells you something about its diversity!!

The Schaeffer's were adament about insisting that people should NOT try to copy their methods and expect the same results. They always insisted that the idea was to be obedient to God's call, and find creative ways to reach people--not to try to reproduce a method that is supposed to work. The last thing needed, they reasoned, was to have throngs of people thinking L'Abri was a pattern to be applied in all sorts of other situations that may or may not fit well into other unique environments.

In reflecting on what I've read about L'Abri, I wonder.. do we ("we" being conservative western Christians) have a cold and clinical view of evangelism? Ie. Trying to win souls without caring for souls? Trying to win souls without wanting to even spend time with them? Trying to win souls without being concerned about any other aspects of their being? Trying to win souls, preferably at a distance and without getting our sleeves dirty? Trying to be an ambassador while living in what essentially could be symbolized by Alcatraz?

For those who are much like me (born and raised in a Christian environment and who are currently a professing "conservative evangelical" Christian, maybe we should consider the following questions...

1. When was the last time I've had someone over at my house that (a) I've known for less than 1 years, (b) is not a believer, (c) is from a radically different cultural context, (d) is not a family member, and (e) they stayed for more than an hour?

2. When was the last time I've had a conversation with a stranger that lasted more than a minute and which both parties would desire to continue? When is the last time I smiled and said 'hi' to a stranger?

3. When was the last time someone (other than a friend or family member or church member) asked you for advise on some issue in their life?

4. When was the last time I've went out of my way to be around or help a person who makes me feel uncomfortable?

5. When was the last time I did something for my next-door neighbour? Or even talked to them? How about the one that hasn't done anything for me?

The more I think about these questions, the more I feel like a hermit. Being an intoverted thinker may distinguish the way we interact, but it isn't an excuse for a totally disconnected life. I think many people living in North America (even very outgoing types) can feel a sense of failure on these matters. And as Christians, we need to be very concerned about this. Think about it, how many new people do you actually run into throughout the course of your day? And is that number increasing or decreasing as the years go by?

God definately uses different personalities and levels of outgoingness, but I don't think we can be ambassadors for Christ unless we are willing to sacrifice to connect with people. "Hit-and-run" may work in self-defense and baseball, but it seems to be a poor excuse for evangelism and probably to some degree has opened up the door for many to dismiss Christianity as a shallow, hypocritical religion influenced by marketing gimics more so than any deep commitment to truth in all of life.

Now.. where does one begin?

Difficult People - Threats - Part 2

Now, for part two, I would like to turn to some short tidbits of wisdom found both in the Bible and other sources that can be instructive here..

Regarding the nature, purpose, and origins of many threat-oriented approaches:

• "The less confident you are, the more serious you have to act" - Tara Ploughman

On keeping positive and unphased by threats:

• "I'm an old man and have known many troubles, but most of them never happened." - Mark Twain


• "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear." - Mark Twain

The need to temper ones response to threats:

• "Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame." - Benjamin Franklin


• "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." - Albert Einstien


• "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1)


• "Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty" (Provers 16:2)
  
• "Good sense makes one slow to anger.." 19;11

Why it is futile to try to out-shout a prototypical Threat-Hurler:

• "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Benjamin Franklin

Why you can be MORE confident and calm when someone threatens you and starts making a big scene in front of you:

• "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly". - Proverbs 14:29


• “They that are loudest in their threats are the weakest in the execution of them.” - Charles Caleb Colton

Why you should let your "opponent" out talk you:

• "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;" (James 1:19)



• "It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain

Why threats are NOT good ways to get what you want:

"I consider it a mark of great prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself” - Niccolo Machiavelli

Why threats don't phase an honest and intelligent person:

• “There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats; For I am armed so strong in honesty That they pass by me as the idle wind” - William Shakespeare

Difficult People - Threats - Part 1

I'm no expert in human behavior, and I often feel like a lost stranger when it comes grasping the complexities of human interaction. Part of this difficulty involves the problems that arise given the interaction of particular sorts of personalities.

I think we all can think of some particular instances of difficult people in our lives. People that threaten us. People that push us to the very limits of our patience. People who push all the wrong buttons. Notice that I'm not talking about people who push us hard or who challenge us. I do not consider challenging people to be necessarily difficult people.

As I don't feel to have considerable mastery over this topic, consider this more of a brainstorm session.

On common characteristic of "difficult people" is threats. Everyone resorts to a occasional threat. Since most of us are not naturally persuasive or confident, we tend to need to use some force on occasion. I think this is usually an unhelpful method, although there definately may be circumstances that justify it. But, continuing, difficult people that use threats are using this psychological ploy to accomplish something (namely, get something out of you or vent in some sort of way).

How should we deal with threats? Here are some potential suggestions. Remember that here I am not
speaking of "death threats", but rather the minor threats that are often used in a manipulative context
without various sorts of relationships.

1. Attempt to temporarily ignore the threat (regardless of how severe it is) and address the underlining need. Often the threat will be empty and won't be carried through if you show you are serious in addressing the underlining concerns. So, to make this more clear, if someone states a threat in the form of "If X, then Y.", ignore Y and drag the conversation into a discussion of X. Perhaps X can't be done because of some other mitigating factors. Perhaps X is not even clearly defined. Perhaps X is unreasonable. Perhaps X was done, but this fact is not recognized. Whatever you do, do not let the conversation focus on the threat itself. You could almost pretend the statement was instead formed as: "I want X". Threats can be a prototypical manipulative ploy and are often eventually manifested as being textbook examples of an attempt to draw you into a dual, usually by a person who has a characteristic reliance on threats to get what they want. By ignoring Y and focusing X, you are not only saving yourself from being on the receiving end of some major venting, you are also increasing the likelyhood of a win-win outcome. It is the best interest of the aggressor here to be derailed from his/her dash towards discussion of reprecussions.

2. Keep a calm and contained composure, as a much as possible. Whether you are about to solidly refute this persons claims, or concede because you know the reprecussions would be too great and the case they make too damning, it is in your best interest to remain cool. If you are about to refute what they are saying, you need to remain calm mainly because snapping back will only get them to listen to even less of what you have to say. However, a calm, peacefull response to their hot-headedness will certainly give them pause and likely make it more likely that they may hear more of your future argument. On the other hand, if you are about to concede and plead for mercy/leniancy, you should still remain calm. This person, more likely than not, came to you in order to set you straight. Non-resistence will not only make you a more difficult, but also insure that you have nothing to be embarassed about later. Remember, remaining calm is POWER and it will actually show your dominance over the situation, becuase you are controlling the most difficult thing to control. It is more difficult and awe-inspiring to be able to control you response to insults than to control someone elses behavior (which is what the other person is likely trying to do to you).

3. Beware of making unnecessary concessions in your conversation here. Sure, it would be nice to give in a little to pacify things (and that can be effective), but remember that some people have made careers of using this sort of manipulative technique of staging threats to get what they want. The greatest concessions will not likely passify the most hot-headed individuals and they may potentially be used against you later, which can be especially problematic if you later determine that they are unrealistic.

There are other factors and points to consider, but most of them highly depend on particular scenarios.