John Piper
30 Mar
I don’t consider myself a Calvinist. Yet. But I’m not as Arminian as I once was, let’s just put it like that.
I’m definitely much farther from the “if you’ve prayed the prayer, you’re as good as there” camp than I once was. (My “faith journey” began far away from that camp before it journeyed toward it…)
I was once repelled by John Piper, and his continously “theological” mind almost offended me.
That’s changing. Largely due to his mini-book “When the Darkness Will Not Lift”, which is a free resource at www.desiringgod.org. My “recent” struggle with salvation and security and assurance was the midpoint of a severe depression, from which I think I’m finally beginning to emerge. Until I read Piper’s thoughts, though, I had no real idea of just how typical my struggle is.
I have a deep, sincere, honest empathy with those who struggle to know they are saved. Normally, we struggle because we feel doomed to hell, while those around us profess and proclaim a peace beyond measure that they have no doubts of. There are many factors that induce this, but lack of saving faith in Christ is, in many cases, probably not the real problem. Was it for me? I honestly do not know. I am mildly sure that an appropriate but perhaps misdirected focus on “do you know that you know that you know” can trigger doubts that are not the same as the “conviction of the Spirit”.
There’s a lot to this.
For now, I want to focus on Luke 22-24 and Christ. Not on me. I’m hopeless and that’s unquestionable. In Christ there is hope beyond measure. Only in Him. Not in a moment at an altar, not in walking an aisle, not in saying a prayer. Only in Christ.
And, yes, I’m going to buy some Piper books and read ‘em.
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Wouldn’t everyone like to be in Heaven and also enjoy everything they want to enjoy on this earth. (I’m as good as there philosophy) Ahhh………do people “really” believe what they say they believe. I would like to share a couple of verses of scripture:
Proverbs 9: 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.Question? Who gives one assurance of Salvation – contrary to popular opinion, it’s not someone’s doctrine, regardless of how strong they preach it!!! The Lord is the one who assures our hearts. If one never sees his need of help, he will never seek help! To receive help from the Lord, our heart must be desirous of that help and we must seek it!! It is not just an illusion, he does give help to his children. We aren’t as good as there, regardless of who believes that.
It pays us to take heed to our ways – that is important for this life and for the one to come!!