The Role of Good Works - John Calvin

I often say that caricatures of Calvinism are so abundant that it borders on slander.  On the topic of the role of good works, I believe Calvin is second-to-none.  Here is a sampling:

"But though it is by mercy alone that God admits his people to life, yet as he leads them into possession of it by the course of good works, that he may complete his work in them in the order which he has destined  . . .  Hence it appears, that working is not at all opposed to grace, but refers to pursuit . . . There is nothing in the term reward to justify the inference that our works are the cause of salvation . . . Let us not suppose, then, that the Holy Spirit, by this promise, commends the dignity of our works, as if they were deserving of such a reward. For Scripture leaves us nothing of which we may glory in the sight of God. Nay, rather its whole object is to repress, humble, cast down, and completely crush our pride." [1]

He goes on to write, "How often do we meet in Augustine with this expression,—'God crowns not our merits but his own gifts; and the name of reward is given not to what is due to our merits, but to the recompense of grace previously bestowed?'" [2]




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1. Calvin, J., & Beveridge, H. (1845). Institutes of the Christian religion (Vol. 2, p. 414-418). Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society.
2. Calvin, J., & Beveridge, H. (1845). Institutes of the Christian religion (Vol. 1, p. 370). Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society.

Beth Moore and Narcissistic Exegesis

My fanaticism on precise biblical interpretation is never to imply that I have arrived.  My passion for this topic is two-fold: One, I have not arrived, and I need to always strive to be better; and Two, I am exercised too often by the sloppy and dangerous preaching of very popular teachers.  Last night I was doing a review of some Beth Moore material.  I came across a YouTube clip of one of her presentations. She is teaching about Isaac’s wells in Genesis 26. Beth Moore teaches that the text is about us. She takes the names of the wells and teaches that they relate to unresolved arguments and accusations in our lives.  Her call is to really step into the destiny that God has for you – to dig up the dirt in your well.  That is ridiculous.  The passage is about God’s provision and faithfulness.  This is called by critics: narcissistic exegesis – making the Bible all about me.  Moore's exhortation from Genesis 26 is to live with thick skin and ignore the accusations that come your way!  I promise you that Genesis 26 is NOT about how we handle criticism and accusation. “This chapter also confirms that the divine promises to Abraham are passed on to Isaac.”^[1]

This morning I read this comment by David Jackman:

“We only interpret it properly when we begin by asking what it means to the original readers and taking the text at its original face value. If we do not get right what it meant to them, we are unlikely to get right what it means to us. Hard work at the exegesis of the text is indispensable to good expository preaching. Otherwise, it will lack real biblical authority . . . as Christian preachers, we are not to give Jewish sermons. So, must we also always read the Old Testament Scriptures through our New Testament spectacles, so that we interpret the particular in the light of the whole revelation off God, in all the Scriptures, finding their focus and fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ.”[2]

Let us not mistake passion, captivating teaching, that is supposedly out of the Bible, with authoritative, inerrant Spirit-filled truth properly drawn out of the text of Scripture, in harmony with the text of Scripture and consistent with Holy Spirit’s intent within Scripture. Listen to Jackman: Do the hard work of exegesis!

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^[1] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 94). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[2] Jackman, David, Mastering the Old Testament, Volume 7, Judges, Ruth, Lloyd J. Ogilvie, General Editor, Word Publishing, 1991, Page 335