Chalcedon Blog

To have faith in God means, to expect, and to be fully assured of obtaining, from God whatever we need.[1] ~ John Calvin

There is a spiritual disease that has bedridden a good many Christians. It's a pervasive power that has suppressed the otherwise doctrinally brilliant Reformed believer who rests in a false security behind the repeated refrain Deo Volente. Yes, the will of the Lord will be done, but that must never become an excuse to not live by a vibrant and active faith that dispels darkness and advances the rule of God.

The disease is doubt, and it is a magnificently deceptive force that counters the advancement of the Kingdom in your life and our society. You might be well-versed in the doctrines of grace, and your systematic theology may be air-tight; but your life is powerless. Confusion, depression, anger, frustration, procrastination, laziness, and a lack of purpose dominate you emotionally and mentally.

A misconstruing of the purpose of doctrine is stifling the power of the Kingdom that is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). This affects all of us, so long as we are at home in the body. This is well-llustrated in Martha's encounter with Christ outside the tomb of Lazarus:

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I KNOW THAT HE SHALL RISE AGAIN IN THE RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY. John 11:21-24

This statement drew a swift rebuke from Jesus. This is quite strange, since Martha was correct in what she said. What's even more odd is the fact that a few minutes later, her sister Mary said the exact same thing--"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (v.32)--and this caused Jesus to weep (v.35).

Listen again to Martha's response to Jesus' assurance that her brother would rise again: "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Martha, like many a Reformed believer, was quite correct in her systematic theology. She had obviously read the doctrine of the resurrection in detail. She knew that at the last day a glorious resurrection would take place. She was confessional. She had been catechized. Her statement of faith was flawless.

But she could not move God to a demonstration of His power. She had stumbled over the same stumbling stone as the unbelieving Jews:

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. John 5:39-40

Martha knew that at the last day she would be reunited with her brother in the resurrection. For her, resurrection was simply a doctrine. It was a statement of faith codified in the text. Her concept of the resurrection was easily believed because it was distant from her reality. But could her doctrine of the resurrection actually impact her life in the present? Could her statement of faith be converted into a life of faith? Jesus revealed to her the true nature and purpose of doctrine:

I AM THE RESURRECTION, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. BELIEVEST THOU THIS? John 11:25-26

The doctrine of the resurrection was standing in front of her. The power of the resurrection was contained in a person--the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a powerful lesson for those of us who love sound doctrine: we must not lose sight of the Person behind the doctrine.

Faith begins when doctrine is personified. In this sense, faith does war against reason. It wars against the neutralizing power of stoicism that causes otherwise brilliant Christians to live far below the great expectations God has for them. How can we as the temples of the Holy Spirit be so powerless in our affect on this world? It is because we separated doctrine from Him who is the Word of God (John 1:1), and this has left us faithless to be overcomers.

This result has been a misapplication of reason by using it to analyze the veracity of Scriptural propositions without coming to an understanding that helps us to live out it's power. This should never be the dilemma of the "believer." The fallout of reason should only be the poison of the unbeliever's philosophy. John Calvin describes the contrast wonderfully, and sounds quite "charismatic" as he challenges us to live spiritually:

For they set up reason alone as the ruling principle in man, and think that it alone should be listened to; to it alone, in short, they entrust the conduct of life. But the Christian philosophy bids reason give way to, submit and subject itself to, the Holy Spirit so that the man himself may no longer live but hear Christ living and reigning within him.[2]

This is the power behind our service to God. This is what it means be a Christian: we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that renews our minds to give expression to Christ's authority in this world. When we don't "hear Christ living and reigning within," our concept of obedience becomes much like the Pharisees in their emphasis upon outward forms. Calvin redirects us to the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit in overcoming this handicap:

I call "service" not only what lies in obedience to God's Word but what turns the mind of man, empty of its own carnal desire, wholly to the bidding of God's Spirit.[3]

This is the great starting point for faith. Not "the faith," but a life of faith that is driven by a full assurance in the promises of God that are "yes and amen in Him" (II Cor. 1:20). It is the concept of the life lived by faith that I'd like to examine with you; and for our teacher, I've invited the great John Calvin whom I quoted at the outset:

To have faith in God means, to expect, and to be fully assured of obtaining, from God whatever we need.

Our lives are driven by need, and we live in a world of great need. The powers of darkness have held sway over the minds, souls, and cultures of God's creation. The people of God are in need of faith; a faith that moves us to action. A faith that is so convinced of God's benevolence towards us that we are driven to constant prayer and spiritual confrontation. God wants us to drive out the kingdom of darkness. He expects us to run to the battle in every area of life. He's disappointed by our hiding behind books and confessions. As great as these are--and I have lots of them--they are a means to an end and not the end itself. Advancing the Kingdom of God requires an advancing faith, and that means, as Calvin stated, an expectation and FULL ASSURANCE of obtaining from God!

1. Calvin's Commentaries: Harmony of the Evangelists, Vol. III (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996), 19.
2. The Institutes of the Christian Religion in Two Volumes, Trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1960), 3.7.1.
3. Ibid.