Christianity's Family Tree - Chapter 4 - Presbyterianism (Discussion)

Thank you for your patience... it's been a hard week... but we persevere.
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In class, we watched the video and I asked the question, "So does anyone have any questions about what you read or saw on the video?"  And then I sat back and let the conversation happen.

Predestination/Election:
For many unfamiliar with the theology of John Calvin, some elements of the TULIP model are troubling - mostly the lack of what many would call "Free Will" - the ability to choose.  The way the TULIP model reads makes it seem like if God numbers you among the elect, then you don't have a choice whether or not to respond positively.  Needless to say, this was a problem for some.  One of our class members is Presbyterian and asked us to replace the phrase "Free Will" with the term "Free Agency".  This shifts the focus from choosing to acting.  It's not so much about the emotional or mental choice to follow Jesus.. it's really about the way that choice gets reflected in the way we live.  The question changes from "I am one of the elect?" to "I am living like I am one of the elect?"

Sovereignty of God:
We talked a little in abstract and "what ifs" about what it means to believe that God is sovereign... that all of the things that happen around us are within God's will and that God's purposes can be accomplished even when it involves happenings that we don't understand.  Those lessons became real with the deaths of three members of our community last week.  Many of us have spent the last several days reminding ourselves that even in the midst of our pain and grief, God's love and grace surround us.  For me, the words of Romans 8:28 have really come alive in a whole new way.  I also read this great blog post from a Christian writer this week.  You can read the whole post here, but the quote that speaks to me most in the midst of our current tragedy is this one:

What an authentic faith provides is a way to navigate the good and the bad, the holy and the evil, the positive and the negative.  It internalizes the Spirit so that we become less reactive.  We are able to stand firm and believe no matter what happens around us.  The ground of our faith allows us to NOT be tossed too and fro by the vagaries and chaos, but instead to stay strong.  Bad things will happen in life, even to the best among us.  Thanks be to God for a faith that immunizes us and allows us ultimately to proclaim “Thanks be to God.”  (Dan R Dick)

The questions that I continue to ask myself are these:  Are you living as one who believes in the God of creation, resurrection and grace?  And am I able to say "Thanks be to God" in all things?  It looks like I am a work in progress.

Are there other questions or ideas that studying this chapter brought up for you?

Peace, Deb

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Taking It Home

Most Calvinists and non-Calvinists would agree that God takes all that happens in our lives and , when we place our trust in him, uses it for his glory and purposes.  This week we will focus on this idea.

·       Read Psalm 103.  What does this psalm say about how God reigns?

·       Read Job 19:25-27a.  What do you think that Job, who lost everything, continued to trust in God?  What does a strong trust in God’s rule and reign produce in us?

·       Read Lamentations 3:19-33.  What do these verses tell us about God?  What gives us home even in the worst of times?

·       Read Philippians 1.  What was the apostle Paul’s perspective on his own suffering?  How does his view of God’s reign and work in our lives – even in adversity – help you?

·       Read Romans 8:28.  How does this promise sustain you in difficult times?  Read Psalm 25:1-10; Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 12.  What does it mean for you to trust in the Lord?  In what ways do you need to trust in the Lord right now?

I found this handy little chart in one of my church history books.  We'll refer back to lit later.

Topic	Calvinism	Lutheranism		Arminianism
Human will	Total Depravity without free will permanently due to divine sovereignty	Total Depravity without free will until spiritual regeneration	Depravity does not prevent free will
Election	Unconditional election to salvation with those outside the elect foreordained to damnation (double-predestination)	Unconditional predestination to salvation for the elect	Conditional election in view   of foreseen faith or unbelief
Justification	Justification is limited to those predestined to salvation, completed at Christ's death	Justification by faith alone, completed at Christ's death.	Justification made possible for all through Christ's death, but only completed upon choosing faith in Jesus
Conversion	Monergistic, through the inner calling of the Holy Spirit, irresistible	Monergistic, through the means of grace, resistible	Synergistic, resistible due to the     common grace of free will
Preservation and apostasy	Perseverance of the saints: the eternally elect in Christ will necessarily persevere in faith	Falling away is possible, but God gives assurance  of preservation.	Preservation is conditional upon continued faith in Christ; with the possibility  of a final apostasy.

Monergism (Greek mono meaning "one" and erg meaning "work") is a term for the belief that the Holy Spirit is the only agent who effects regeneration of Christians.  This view, held by Reformed and Calvinistic groups, sees salvation as the work of God alone, from first to last.