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Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the apostle Paul said, but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.
In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.
Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.
Welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and I'm your host. Every day of the week, we do something differently. Mondays, taped sermon from Bethlehem Bible Church, preaching through First Corinthians.
Tuesday, I talk to Pastor Steve about issues in the local church. And on Wednesdays, I like to talk about books. And we look at two different kinds of books, books that are excellent that you should read, and books that you should stay away from.
And I'm happy to say today, I have an excellent book in my hand, Living for God's Glory, subtitled Introduction to Calvinism by Dr. Joel Beeky. Joel, welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. Thank you, good to be here.
Well, I see on the fly leaf that you're the president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. You're also pastoring at Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation, editor of Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director for Reformation Heritage Books.
Where do you get all the time, Dr. Beeky? A good wife. She lets me work long hours. I remember asking Steve Lawson one day, how long do you study a typical day? And he said, you're gonna get mad at me if I tell you.
And I didn't know if he was gonna say one hour, some kind of Saturday night special like Spurgeon might do, or if he was gonna say a lot of hours. And he said, 12 hours a day and I have an excellent wife.
And so, is that a typical day for you as well?
I would say yes about that, yeah.
Well, Dr. Beeky, I'm holding this book in my hands, an excellent book by Reformation Trust, the Ligonier publisher. And give me an overview of the book, and then we'll talk a little bit more specifically about Calvin 500 and things after that.
Well, it was brought to birth, actually, through Bailey, one of the editors of Sproul's team of Ligonier people. I was suggesting to him that someone needs to do a book on an introduction to Calvinism that replaces the basic ideas of Calvinism by Henry Meader, which was in the 70s, but since has languished and is really out of date in a number of ways.
And he said, well, what was my idea? And I said, well, I think we should look at, have chapters in the book on basically the mind, the heart, and the church. And he said, well, why don't you do it? Why don't you present it?
Now, I looked at the table of contents, Dr. Beeky, in part one, Calvinism in History, part two, Calvinism in the Mind, part three, Calvinism in the Heart, part four, Calvinism in the Church, part five, Calvinism in Practice, and then part six, Calvinism's Goal.
As I read the chapters, I mean, I love Dr. Haken and Dr. Thomas and Dr. Ferguson, but as I read the chapters, I asked myself, I think Dr. Beeky just should have written all the chapters. Did you ever consider that?
Well, I did at the beginning, but some of these men are very important friends in my life, in fact, all of them are, and I just thought they could do a better job than I could in a number of cases, and so I thought I'd examine their area.
For example, Calvinistic Ethics by Nelson Klosterman, I mean, it would take me many, many hours to produce something close to what...
And in the preface, you said that Sinclair Ferguson wrote the chapter on doxological Calvinism, and he did it in one afternoon on the final due date. What happened there?
Well, Sinclair Ferguson is a wonderful, wonderful brother. He's proud of something. He's just always under the gun, just getting to put the book out. I think it was in 2008, yeah, because it's for the 500th anniversary of Calvin in 2009.
The final due date was there. I just pressed him, and he said, see what I can do this afternoon and that evening.
That is wonderful. Now, some of our folks on the internet will be familiar with Calvinism and the background and what it is, what is Calvinism versus hyper-Calvinism. For some of those people listening today on the radio, Dr. Beeky, could you give us an overview of what Calvinism is, why we're not worshiping John Calvin?
Talk a little bit about the theological shorthand for the sovereignty of God, so people, when they hear the word Calvinism, they don't recoil in horror with some kind of fatalistic system.
Yes, this is probably one of the main reasons why I wrote this book, so you could, those who are familiar with Calvinism, could hand it to their neighbor and say, this is what Calvinism really is all about, beyond something that's just a few pages about the so-called five points of Calvinism.
They are important for the doctrine of self, so much, much more than that. And so I'm aiming to show that Calvinism is a whole way of thinking, a whole way of life, a whole reality. And really, Calvinism does mean century, but its essential teachings really are Pauline in the New Testament, and basically what Calvin is doing is organizing Paul's theology and explaining it.
I know that great, and he really teaches what the Bible teaches for the main century. It was an offshoot, divided, undominated, it's really called the reform move, sort of came to dominate, because he was salvation, not alone.
It's based on script-saving work for us. We're needing God, we're needing his grace. We want to live the whole of life,.
God be in every area. Well, when I was thinking about that sin principle that dwells within us, and why we need redemption, and why we need to have God elect us, I was looking in your book, and you have Edwards' quote, when I look into my heart and take a view of my wickedness, it looks like in an abyss infinitely deeper than hell.
And Dr. Beakey, would you agree with the statement that if you're having a hard time dealing with election, unconditional election, it's probably because you don't understand what total depravity really is?
Yes, I think that's a very accurate assessment. Loving God, you know, damn anyone to hell, understand the God of Scripture, and you understand your own depravity. The amazing thing is not that God reprobates anyone to condemnation, the amazing thing is that he elects anyone to salvation.
I mean, the angels fell, and he didn't give them a possibility of being restored. They're devils, and there will always be devils. But with man, with fallen man, out of his sheer sovereign goodness, salvation, and calls sinners to it, and draws them into it, and wonderful grace.
In other words, if there was no election, you and I and no one else would ever be saved, because we'd all go our own way to perdition.
Well, Dr. Beakey, this is Mike Ebendroth at No Compromise Radio. We're talking to the people in Worcester, Massachusetts, and those on podcasts across the country, and maybe the world, who knows. And I'm talking about the book, the Reformation Trust book, Living for God's Glory, An Introduction to Calvinism.
And I would heartily recommend this book for those who have never read anything about Calvinism, and also for those who'd like to understand it better. I think of the Thomas and Steele small booklet, and I also think this is a better book because it deals with some of the practical implications of Calvinism.
Dr. Beakey, on page 42, I loved it when you said, as Calvinists, we are enamored with God. We are overwhelmed by his majesty, his beauty, his holiness, and his grace. And you say on that same page that Romans, it's a doctrinal text of the Bible, but the main doctrine for Romans is not grace, faith, belief, or law.
But what's the greatest doctrinal issue in the book of Romans? Do you remember what you wrote?
Well, I think I probably wrote that it's just God. God in all his awesomeness, and all his theological dimensions, and all his practical reality, and all his love that he pours out into our hearts.
Well, that's exactly right. You said that the greatest theological statement in Romans begins with God. God gave them over. God will give to each person according to what he has done. God set forth a propitiation.
God justifies the ungodly. And isn't that what we're really saying Calvinism is? Looking at the world, looking at God through his perspective versus our perspective as fallen creatures.
Yes, that's why the Reformers actually developed as one of their primary mottos, incorum Deo, which is literally translated, in the face of God. We speak about getting in someone else's face a bit negatively, but if you really love someone and they're in your face, so to speak, it's a very pleasurable, wonderful experience.
It's awesome at times, because intimacy is always awesome. But that's what the Reformers were really after, a really personal encounter with the great God of the universe, the great savior of mankind.
And so they wanted to live all of life.
Dr. Bickey, how has the book been received so far in the evangelical culture of books and publishing?
Well, they printed 13 ,000 as the first press run, which was quite encouraging, and those have sold, and it's going well. It's not going gangbusters, but it's going well, I think.
Do you think it's slow in, I don't want to say it's slow in its popularity, but when people get a big book today, and I'm looking at the book, and it's over, it's about 400 pages long, do people today, they just want to have an easy book to read, some kind of Cliff Notes version of Calvinism?
Well, I intended it to be a popular book. I tried to write simply, and that's one of my main goals, is to write simply and directly about the various subjects. But I did intend it to be 200 pages, and it was just really hard to keep it too small.
I wanted it to get feedback I've gotten from people so far. It's been encouraging about that. Once they get into it, they seem to enjoy it, so that's great.
I'm not saying it to flatter you, but I really enjoyed the book, and there are some folks that need to just read such a book so they can see the implications of this great doctrine, and doctrine affects methodology, the way we think, doxology, and I think that's what your book does, is shows us that this is more than just, these are the five points that you need to memorize, this is TULIP, but I like the practical application.
Since this is No Compromise Radio, I have to ask you this question. Dr. Bicca, on page 81, you're talking about universal redemption, and you're talking about Arminians, and you say, and I think it's quite bold and quite accurate, but tell me what you're thinking when you said that universal redemption slanders God's attributes, it slanders God's wisdom.
That's a pretty tough statement, those are pretty tough statements, and also it slanders God's justice.
Yes, well, if you consider that God elects people, as the Bible says, one who died works in those things, if you actually, Arminian universal redemption, of whatever stripe it may be, you're actually making a discontinuity within the Godhead, because you're saying something like this, well, Jesus died for everyone, but the Father only saved certain people, or you're saying Jesus died for everyone, and therefore, when everyone is not saved, the logical concern of people, which gives you an impotent God.
We believe that when we read the Bible, there's a consistency in the Godhead, didn't die for a single person in vain, his salvation is offered, his blood is offered to everyone, but by nature, man rejects that, and so the Spirit works in us, and when he draws us to repentance in Jesus Christ, we learn that grace did.
Amen. Dr. Beakey, tell us about some of the issues in evangelicalism today that you think some of our listeners should watch out for, things that are happening in the culture of, I guess we have to use the word loosely, evangelicalism, but what's coming down the pike that we might be aware of to guard ourselves against imbibing?
Well, that's a broad question, brother.
Well, I made it broad enough that you can take it whichever way you want. Okay, okay.
Well, one thing that really troubles me is when Reformed people, or even Calvinists, will say something like this, you just keep saying that's all scripture has to say about becoming a Christian, you fall into the so-called evangelical easy-believism.
To truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is no small thing, it's a full-life commitment. In the pulpit, or in the pew, or in society, make it sound very simple and very easy, over and then you've got assurance.
I think it does an injustice to data which shows a whole life to the Lord, and eventually it alienates people because they're gonna decision them and they'll feel this very shallow way trying to get into the other and live it.
I think a lot of these people are deceiving themselves for eternity, and I think they need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Along those lines, Dr. Beeke, are there any, in your studies, are there any Puritans or Reformed folks, or those who would call themselves Calvinists, who would practice some kind of Finney-like altar call at the end of their service?
I've just been reading The Great Invitation by Errol Holson. I can't really think of anyone, at least that I would respect, who would use some kind of manipulation like that at the end of the service, some kind of, you know, come up here, believe this, you're good, here's assurance.
It seems, or I guess what I'm getting at is, isn't there a link between what we believe and what we do, and if we believe and have been taught by the Spirit of God what we call Calvinism, it should flesh itself out, it should incarnate itself into ministry, shouldn't it?
Yes, yes. There have been a few preachers that have said, you know, if you, right after preaching, if you want to come at my study right away after the sermon, and that's fine, because then you can deal with people one-on-one, but when you make it public, it's almost as if you're saying the public becomes a substitute for the inward.
So I think that is very troubling, and I'm trying to rack my brain, but I can't think of anyone who I would say was truly reformed in church history that's done that. I do think it was a 19th century innovation by Charles Finney, simulated and enlarged upon in a variety of ways ever since, with, I think, disastrous results.
Well, I was thinking about Wesley, even, an Arminian, who didn't do altar calls either. No. That's exactly right. I love in your book, you quote William Perkins, and out of all the folks who know about Puritans, I think maybe you know the most, or at least you've written a wonderful book about each of the Puritans.
William Perkins says about preaching, here's the issue with preaching. To preach one Christ, by Christ, to the praise of Christ. And Dr. Beeky, tell me a little bit, and tell our listeners a little bit about the propulsion these days in the pulpit to preach moralism, to do good, to be good, whether that's seeker-sensitive preaching, or whether that could be maybe in some reformed circles where Christ is almost forgotten, and maybe we're preaching through Ephesians over four years, and we forget to remind people that they're in Christ, so therefore live out who you are.
How important is it to preach Christ, and if we don't, is it moralistic?
Well, the word moralistic is bandied about quite freely today. There are moral, all the moral imperatives flow out, you know, in union with Christ, and sanctification, and all moral, true moral living out of Jesus, and so Christ really, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1 .30, he's made of God unto us to be our wisdom, our righteousness, or justification, our sanctification, and our full redemption.
So the preacher that doesn't begin and center and end in Christ in all his sermons, know nothing among you. So what you notice in Paul is that all his doctrines, even common practical moral issues, they lead back to Jesus.
Your wife is the way Christ treats the Church. How should you live Christ?
Dr. Beeky, I've got about 10 seconds or so, so we'll wrap it up, and I'll make an outro for you. Dr. Beeky, this is Mike Ebendroth, No Compromise Radio. Thank you for being on the show. I hated to cut you off, because I could just sit and listen to you preach and talk about the Lord all day, living for God's glory.
I'd encourage all of our listeners to get a copy of this, An Introduction to Calvinism on Reformation Trust. Thank you for being a guest today.
No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Ebendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible-teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.
Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at six. We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.
The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.