The Reformed (2/2) - My Beef with the Reformed

It looks so good on paper doesn't it? People realizing in the 5 points of Calvinism that they have absolutely no ground to boast in other than the fact that God, for some reason, set his sights and love on them. This fact alone should point straight towards humility.

However, often the reformed are known to be bible-knowledgeable blowhards who hit people over the side of the head with the good book rather than living and loving in light of their professed beliefs. It baffles me that the people who understand God's grace the most, atleast in their minds, show it the least. Here's my beef with the reformed.

1.) Some end up becoming the very adjective that they should despise: religious.

Yuck. I hate religion. Religion says "behave or God won't love you". The gospel says "God loves you and if the Spirit is in you, you are finally free to live, that is, to love and serve God. The gospel, while showing the wages of sin, ultimately displays love as a motivator. Fear of God is definitely not absent in the Scriptures, but religion uses fear alone- even against born-again Christians. This is theologically wrong and just foolish.

2.) Theological, intellectual snobbery

I'm talking about the theological conversation that starts with one person describing their views and ends with the other person saying, "Oh. Well I believe the bible." Do they not understand that "believing the bible" is a pretty complex task. It is a task that is spiritual, intellectual, and philosophically presuppositional. To say, "Oh, I just believe the bible" belies cockiness and a poor understanding of the bible itself. This elitism makes NO sense in the light of the doctrine of Unconditional Election. It's like cocky person bragging about their lack of anything to brag about. I know, it's ridiculous.

3. Coldness

Sometimes people just need a hug. I do believe good theology is a necessary foundation for good, lasting relationships, however, sometimes you don't need to quote a bible verse. Sometimes you can just say, "I love you", "you're doing alright", or "Hey, Honey, you look beautiful". This last year I left a church with possibly the best bible-teaching in the country (honestly, and you probably know which one it is). It wasn't theological differences, it was just, for lack of a better word, cold. Members didn't talk to each other. We got floored by the Word and left. Church must be far more than sound theology and good teaching.

That's all I can think of for now. I pray that I never rub Calvinism or any other part of my theology in anyone's face (especially a brother). I won't to be very strong with my convictions but when discussing I want to simply show my case from the bible in humility.

If you've got different beef (or beef with my beef), then leave a comment.