Calvinists should be the calmest and kindest

There is nothing more tragic for a Calvinist than to be angry and rude. How can those who admire the greatness of God behave like characters from the fairy tale "The Little Red Hen" in the face of the moral decline of society? And how can those who openly proclaim their love for the "doctrine of grace" treat others without showing grace?

We Calvinists believe in the clear biblical testimony that God is sovereign in salvation as well as in everything else. How can we fail to see that to «point a finger in the eye» of other people—eyes that we believe God has not yet opened—is tantamount to mocking God Himself?

«Calvinists ought to be the meekest and most patient of all men,» wrote beloved pastor and hymn writer John Newton (1725–1807). If we truly believe what we preach, we should be the calmest and kindest of men, no matter how wicked and harsh our world becomes. We should also hold our brothers in the faith of the great God accountable when they show anger through unbelief or show harshness toward those who do not share our theology of all-encompassing grace.

However, we should not be shocked when Calvinists do not live up to the grace they proclaim. After all, we also believe in the complete depravity of human nature. This is not an excuse, but at the same time it should not come as a surprise to us.

«Human nature has the ability to twist any truth into something ugly,» says author and professor D. A. Carson, founder of The Gospel Coalition. «Perhaps, in the wrong temperament, these doctrines can become the basis for thinking of oneself as a superior sect. That can breed a kind of arrogance.».

Are Calvinists better prepared for suffering?

One of the unfortunate realities is the evil Calvinist. Intemperance can manifest itself at any time, but we are perhaps especially prone to it in times of social decline. This issue becomes even more pressing amid the growing opposition to biblical Christianity.

Trusting that God is both all-good and all-controlling should make us more meek and patient. But should it also give us more peace in times of cultural upheaval? I asked Carson whether the Calvinist revival of recent decades should prepare us better to face future pressures and perhaps persecution against Christians.

«"I would like to think so. I would say that's how it should be. Especially when you absolutely believe in God's providence in these things and don't think, 'Oh, God's going to lose this time,' or anything like that. Yes, it should be," Carson replies.

But of course, we have more to say than «should have been.» We know our sinfulness.

«I’m very cautious about saying that because you’re a Calvinist, you’re less vulnerable to the pressures of this time,» Carson adds. «I would say, «If you call yourself a Calvinist, learn to trust in the sovereign goodness of God.» This is not a time for triumphalism or self-righteousness. This is a time for repentance and pleading for God’s mercy.».

The greatness of God fills the vacuum

One factor in the resurgence of big God theology in our time, Carson says, has been a reaction to the «lowest common denominator evangelical theology» of the previous generation. «It had become too simple, too superficial—«Believe in Jesus, accept Him as your personal Savior, and everything will be fine.» People were looking for something more authentic, something more powerful, something that really made a difference—not something that had become credulity.».

The pure, unadulterated theology of the great God presented in the Bible has filled this vacuum for many and perhaps prepared them for the insults, slander, and opposition that faithful Christians face in an age increasingly dominated by secular elites. The theology of God's grace—despite our sin, in election, in redemption, conversion, preservation, and everything else—can and should make us the most confident people, even when the world around us seems to be tottering.

There's nothing romantic about being chased.

In God’s providence, the revival of Calvinist theology may have come just in time to give many Christians a much-needed stabilizer for the storms ahead. But it’s worth saying loud and clear: Belief in God’s absolute sovereignty does not lead to a romanticization of persecution. Carson understands this well from his own experience, having grown up a persecuted Baptist in mid-twentieth-century French-speaking Canada, where Protestants were not welcome.

«I remember a shoemaker when I was growing up. In those days, he wasn’t just a guy who sold shoes in a regular store. He actually made shoes: he measured people’s feet and made shoes for them. He lived in a small village called Saint-Cyril. Everyone knew him. He was a small businessman who went about his business. One day, he had a sincere conversion and lost 90% of his business. He didn’t know how to survive. And then his shoemaking shop burned down. He and his family left the province of Quebec and moved to Ontario.

For him it was a real devastation. He had to start learning English, which he knew almost nothing. But from the point of view of our church it was a huge loss. He was a sincere convert who, from our point of view, was lost to French-speaking Canada. There were many such cases. This was the most extreme, but not the only one.

«"If you call yourself a Calvinist, learn to trust in the sovereign goodness of God.".

The pressure you feel in such circumstances is not joyful while you are going through it. Later, when you look back, you can see in the big picture how God used it to strengthen people and prepare them for the period of real fruitfulness that came two or three decades later. But while you are going through those two or three decades, there is nothing romantic about it.

Has your theology humbled you?

The second unfortunate reality is the evil Calvinist. It is worth asking ourselves regularly: Are we accurately reflecting the theology we proclaim in our dealings with others? Whether it is in the big picture, like social pressures and societal shifts, or in the small, like everyday dialogues with unbelievers and other Christians, we who proclaim the sovereignty of God should be not only at peace with the world, but also kind to its inhabitants.

John Newton, in particular, had kind but constructive words for Calvinists who were cruel to others who did not share their theology. He reminded them, «The humble theology of Calvinism is undermined by despair, anger, and contempt,» and asked bluntly, «Has your Calvinist theology humbled you?» As Tony Reinke notes, «Calvinism, properly understood, humbles us, and this should be clear to others.».

«"The humble theology of Calvinism is being undermined by despair, anger, and contempt.".

Newton had no difficulty in finding the «proud and self-sufficient Calvinist» in his day and warned: «I fear there are Calvinists who, though they consider it a proof of their humility to be ready in words to debase the creatures and give all the glory of salvation to the Lord, yet know not what Spirit they are.».

Newton's advice is insightful and guilt-inducing. When you disagree with an "unbeliever," remember that "he is a more proper object of your compassion than of your wrath." What if he is a fellow believer?

You will soon meet in heaven; he will be dearer to you than the best friend on earth. Look forward to this period in your thoughts; and though you may have to deny his faults, accept him personally as a kindred soul with whom you will be happy in Christ forever.

As true as this advice was in Newton's time, it is perhaps even more prophetic in our time, where the lines are drawn not so much between denominations as between faith and unbelief.

Because God is good

Ultimately, it is not just theological conclusions that make us kinder. Christians do not become kinder—not with the goodness that comes from the Holy Spirit—by merely meditating on abstract connections, but by nourishing their souls and taking their example from the very words of God.

Not only does early church history record small acts of kindness (Acts 10:33; 24:4; 27:3; 28:2), but text after text characterizes Christian behavior as clearly good (2 Cor. 6:6; Col. 3:12; Titus 2:5). Not only are recognized church leaders to be «good to all» (2 Tim. 2:24), but all Christians are to «be kind to one another» (Eph. 4:32). Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Love is patient and kind (1 Cor. 13:4).

«"The goodness of God himself frees us to manifest goodness in the lives of others.".

When God, who rules over every part of the universe, calls us to cultivate goodness, He invites us to become better imitators of Him. Our heavenly Father, Jesus says, «is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked» (Luke 6:35). In His kindness «He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust» (Matt. 5:45). Such kindness «leads you to repentance» (Rom. 2:4). This kindness weaves even strangers into His ancient tree of blessing through faith (Rom. 11:22).

Calvinism should prepare us well for suffering opposition—and not unload it on others. We say we believe that only God can decisively change hearts, and that should free us to be the most peaceful and kind people.

As Carson says, "If you call yourself a Calvinist, learn to trust in the sovereign goodness of God.".