The Doctrines of Graciousness

F I V E M O R E P O I N T S F O R YO U N G
C A LV I N I S T S

David Mathis
Executive Editor, desiringGod.org

The cage-stage Calvinist. Oh that we didn’t need this term! But sadly,
though understandably, we do.
In the resurgence of Reformed theology in recent years, especially
among young adults, the term has arisen for good reasons.
Sometimes it can seem like the safest thing to do with a new Calvinist
is lock him in a cage for a few months (perhaps even a couple years),
until his spiritual maturity can catch up to his newfound theology.

The “doctrines of grace” are explosive — first mind-boggling and then,

if they truly take root, inevitably life-transforming. When they land on
a young and restless person, they can make him a kind of liability for a
season (though a host of other benefits may come with it). Giving
mental assent to the Bible’s teachings about our depravity and God’s
election, atonement, and grace is quicker and easier than learning to
live out the kind of virtues God pairs with such precious truths. You
can chop down a tree, and plant a new one, in just a few hours, but
you cannot grow fruit overnight.

Meekest and Most Patient

Those of us who take most seriously what the Bible says about God’s
sovereignty, foreknowledge, and predestination will be just as serious
about the kind of life and spiritual fruit that will accompany such
knowledge. As the beloved pastor and hymnwriter John Newton (1725–
1807) observed, “Calvinists should be the meekest and most patient
of all men.”

Side by side with the great truth

“ It is a great
in 2 Timothy 2:24–26 that God is
the one who grants repentance shame when
comes the summons for his good theology
servants to be kind, patient, and
has a bad
gentle. So also in Colossians 3:12,
have you learned “as God’s
reputation
chosen ones” that he chose you because of poor
before you chose him? Amen.
conduct.”
Wonderful. Also, learn
T S
“compassion, kindness, humility,
w h
meekness, and
e apatience.”
e r
t e use a second TULIP to pair with the first. What might
Maybe we could
it look like to encourage young Calvinists — and all of us — to the kind
o
of spiritual virtues
n that should accompany the biblical theology of Total
depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible
F
grace, and Perseverance of the saints?
a
c
T — Totale Humility
“God opposesb the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
o
(James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)
o
Both James andk Peter quote these words from Proverbs 3:34. One of
the great themes in all the Bible is that God, in his highness, not only
visits but lifts the lowly (Luke 1:48, 52; 14:11; 18:14; James 4:10; 1
Peter 5:6). This is his peculiar glory, that he, in a sense, humbles
himself to help the humble. Which is the very heart and essence
of Calvinism. One of the great ironies of indwelling sin is that learning
about God’s absolute sovereignty could, in any way, make us
arrogant.
Who are great in God’s kingdom? Those who humble themselves like
children (Matthew 18:4). God himself, in human flesh, rode into
Jerusalem not on a mighty steed, but as the humble king, on a beast
of burden (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5). “He humbled himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him” (Philippians 2:8–9). If taking the
Bible seriously is what made us Calvinists, how can we not “in humility
count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)?

“The humbling theology of Calvinism,” writes Newton, “is undermined

by embittered, angry, and scornful words.” Then he asks pointedly,

“Has your Calvinism humbled you?”

U — Unconditional Kindness
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Kindness may seem small in modern eyes, but it’s emphatically not so
in God’s economy. Not only does the story of the early church
celebrate small acts of kindness (Acts 10:33; 24:4; 27:3; 28:2), but
text after text characterizes Christian conduct as manifestly kind (2
Corinthians 6:6; Colossians 3:12; Titus 2:5). Recognized leaders in the
church are to be “kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:24), just as all
Christians are to be “kind to one another” (Ephesians 4:32). Kindness
is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Love is kind (1 Corinthians
13:4).
And when God, who rules over
“ The humbling
every square inch of the universe,
instructs us to cultivate kindness, theology of
he prompts us to become greater Calvinism is
reflectors of him. Our heavenly
undermined by
Father, says Jesus, “is kind to the
ungrateful and the evil” (Luke
embittered,
6:35). In his kindness, “he makes angry, and
his sun rise on the evil and on the
scornful words.
good, and sends rain on the just
and on the unjust” (Matthew
Has your
5:45). Such kindness “is meant to Calvinism
lead you to repentance” (Romans humbled you?”
2:4). Such kindness engrafts even
T S
strangers into
w his
h age-old tree of
blessing by efaith
a (Romans 11:22).
e r
Because wet are e saved through God’s loving kindness (Titus 3:4), and

anticipate an eternity basking in “the immeasurable riches of his grace

o
in kindness toward
n us” (Ephesians 2:7), we are freed to bend his
kindness toward us out into the lives of others. “Mean Calvinist” is a
F
contradiction in terms. Calvinists should be the kindest of all people.
a
L — Limited c Criticism
The Lord’s eservant must not be quarrelsome but kind to
b
everyone, . . . correcting his opponents with gentleness. (2
o
Timothy 2:24–25)
o
Don’t fall for the
k “four-pointer” deception. Yes, Calvinists can be
critical types. It’s good to be discerning, and pay attention to details.
But a critical eye does not necessitate a quarrelsome spirit. “The
Lord’s servant,” Paul says about church leaders, “must not be
quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring
evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24–25).
There is, of course, an important place for Christian rebuke (Luke 17:3;
1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:15) and “correcting . . . with
gentleness” — particularly for pastors. “Preach the word; be ready in
season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with
complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Paul admonishes his
converts not as slaves but as beloved children (1 Corinthians 4:14),
even with tears (Acts 20:31), and expects local-church elders to do the
same (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 14). And there is a place for every
Christian, in love, to provide gracious correction, “teaching and
admonishing one another in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). “All
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy
3:16).
But our criticism has a limited place. And the goal is always building
up, not tearing down (2 Corinthians 13:10). Please do have a critical
and careful eye. And do have the courage, and kindness, to humbly,
lovingly, offer a corrective word. But let your correction be limited.

I — Irresistible Graciousness
Let your speech always be gracious. (Colossians 4:6)
This may be the single most important word for a young Calvinist: “Let
your speech always be gracious.” Always. This is remarkable. Even
when correcting error, even when officially approved leaders combat
serious deception, there is a way for our words to always be gracious.
Not only is it gracious to humbly inform people of their error, and
protect others from it, but how we talk can be gracious or ungracious.
And what a tragedy when a new
Calvinist, in theS name of our
“This may be the
glorious “doctrines
h of grace,”
speaks ungraciously to others.
a
Shouldn’t those with the highest
single most
r
view of God’s grace take extra
care to make suree our speech is important word
gracious?
o for a young
Look to Jesus himself. The people
n
“marveled at the gracious words
Calvinist: ‘Let
F from his mouth”
that were coming your speech
a
(Luke 4:22). Let’s pray that others
c always be
T e
w b gracious.’
e o Always.”
e o
t k
would see in us, as they did with him, the fulfillment of Psalm 45:2:
“grace is poured upon your lips.”

How differently might our five-point debates unfold if we resolved to

speak with grace? After all, the effect Paul gives of gracious speech is
this: “that you may know how you ought to answer each person”
(Colossians 4:6).

P — Perseverance in Patience
Be patient with them all. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
What does Paul celebrate first about love in 1 Corinthians 13? “Love is
patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4). He considered patience to be one of the
distinguishing marks of his ministry (2 Corinthians 6:6; 12:12; 2
Timothy 3:10). “Be patient” is one of his repeated exhortations to
church leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:24; 4:2). And not
just patience, but as 2 Timothy 4:2 commends, “complete patience”!

When our theology is becoming increasingly God-centered, our lives

should become increasingly patient. God himself is the great model of
patience (Romans 2:4; 9:22; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:15), and his Son,
the God-man, — get this — is our example of “perfect patience” (1
Timothy 1:16).
Contagious Joy
It is a great shame when good theology has a bad reputation because
of poor conduct. Yet however we’ve failed, we can take heart that the
sovereign God in whom we trust is at work in us (Philippians 1:6; 2:13)
by the power of his sovereign Spirit. With him in view, Paul prays that
we would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious
might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11).
This is the kind of patience we need. We can grit our teeth and endure
without joy, and win no one. Or we can endure with contagious joy,
and out-rejoice those who don’t yet see things as we think they
should.
Let’s believe in both divine sovereignty and human meekness, and
trust that our sovereign God, in his good and perfect timing, will show
himself to those who disagree (Philippians 3:15). Perhaps we may
even have a part to play, through our graciousness.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities
Churchin Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is a husband, father of four, and author of Habits of Grace:
Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.