Lenses

For the record: This is written in response to some of the Calvinistic thinking I have been subjected to over the last couple months.  It is, however, written to all who claim to follow Christ.

Calvinism cannot be the lense through which we understand the Bible.  Read that again.  Rather the Bible ought to be the lense through which we understand John Calvin’s thinking.  If we are interpreting the Bible via what Calvin said, in preference to letting Scripture interpret Scripture, then our god is John Calvin.  The operative word is ‘preference’.  Obviously we must have some means to understand the Bible since it does not outline everything explicitly.  At the end of the day, we will not fully know God.  So the minute we define how he operates, we’ve got it wrong.  And the Bible is pretty clear on this.  Read the book of Job until you realize how much you don’t understand about God.  If that doesn’t do it, read Isaiah 55:8-9.  Obviously we must have some understanding of how God works since it affects how we live.

As followers of Christ, our allegience must first and foremost be to following him and his commands. What did Christ command?  To love God, and to love our neighbor.  Imagine from God’s point of view, watching humans try to understand his infiniteness.  It must be comical.  Worse, it is tragic as they forego obeying his commands, in vain pursuit of faulty knowledge.  This is exactly what James, and yes, even Paul, write about.  As followers of Christ, we must be demonstrating Christ’s love outwardly.  Our salvation isn’t contingent on our obedience.  Actually, our obedience should be in response to our salvation, but if we aren’t obeying, maybe we aren’t saved.  Getting our theology right is only the first half.  And we will only get it right to a small degree.  Following in Jesus’ footsteps is the second half.