This post is part of my series Blogging Calvinism in which I blog my thoughts and reaction to Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election by Sam Storms.

Back from a (long!) short weekend away, it’s time to tackle chapter five. Bear with me if my writing is a little substandard. I really want to get this post out today but a few weird health quirks are disturbing my concentration.

In this chapter Storms looks at two necessary components of salvation: faith and repentance. For each of these he asks whether they can be biblically spoken of as gifts from God rather than as feelings or actions originating from man’s free will.

The chapter is short but I want to take a little time to dig into some of the passages. For faith Storms presents three texts, two of which I will address. For repentance, he mentions two.

Faith

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

The potential significance of this passage for Calvinists is in its reference to something about salvation being the gift of God. From our English texts readers might be tempted to see the gift as a reference to either the grace of God or the faith of the believer.

Non-Calvinists might argue that the gift Paul has in mind is grace itself. Calvinists and non-Calvinists would agree that the grace of God comes from him as a free gift, that we do not earn or merit it in any way. Calvinists, on the other hand, might argue that while grace is a gift, faith is also a gift. Faith itself is something that doesn’t originate within the heart of man but is something given to us by God.

Storms digs into the Greek a little bit to point out that the gift cannot be a reference to either grace or faith but rather refers to all that Paul has in view in this passage – namely, salvation. I will not reproduce Storms’ argument from the grammar but it is sound. When Paul says that “this is not your own doing” what he has in mind is the whole of our salvation.

I was a little surprised that Storms did not back up a few verses in his discussion. If we take in a bit more of the context the case becomes more compelling:

Ephesians 2:1-10

2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

The first part of the passage teaches that natural man is dead in his sins. This goes back to the whole discussion of total depravity. Left to ourselves we are dead and unable to make any movement toward God. If the non-Calvinist is right, God has extended prevenient grace to all people, reviving them just enough so they can respond to the free offer of salvation. If the Calvinist is right no one can respond to salvation except for those individuals who are fully regenerated, brought from death to life.

The latter seems to be what Paul has in view in Ephesians 2:5. There is no indication that all people are revived and some will then respond. Rather, those who have been revived have been fully revived through complete union with Christ. This is saving work. Those who experience this are fully saved, not just revived to a point of being able to respond to the gospel.

Immediately after this Paul tells the reader that it is by grace they have been saved. The same phrase shows up again in Ephesians 2:8 as Paul continues to describe what salvation does for the sinner. The picture given is of a salvation which is completely the gift of God. From first to last it is his work.

At this point it might sound like I have finally made up my mind. Indeed, I think this passage presents another compelling case for Calvinism but I am going to hold out a little longer before positioning myself on this.

At any rate, on to the next passage.

Philippians 1:29

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (ESV)

Paul here is encouraging the believers to be strong in the face of suffering. The things Christians must endure at the hands of non-Christians are simply evidence of their destruction and our salvation. What is more, the suffering we face is not in some sense random or chaotic but has been appointed to us by the hand of God. Thus Paul says that God has “granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should… suffer for his sake.” But suffering is not the only thing that Paul says has been granted by Christ. Belief in him is also something that has been granted.

Storms points out that the word granted that Paul uses means “to give graciously and freely.” (71) God is not simply allowing believers to experience suffering, he is the one sending it. Paul compares the suffering we receive to the salvation we receive, encouraging believers that both of these come from God. Believers know that the salvation they have received is good so they should trust that the persecution they receive will also turn out for good.

Part of what strikes me in this passage is that Paul does not have to explain what he means about believers being granted salvation. Evidently this is already enough a part of the thinking of Christians at Philippi that Paul can use it to support his point about suffering.

Repentance

2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (ESV)

Here is another place where Paul is giving instruction for believers and salvation is inserted as part of the discussion. Paul presents a list of things the Lord’s servant should demonstrate in his life. At the end of this list we are told that the Lord’s servant should be “correcting his opponents with gentleness.” The reason for this is that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth”. As before Paul does not have to stop and unpack what this means. Elsewhere in his letters (such as Ephesians 2:1-10) he does unpack this theology, but here the believers are already grounded in this kind of thinking.

The thinking is that God is the one who leads people to repentance. Why should you be gracious to unbelievers who oppose the gospel of Christ? For one, because you do not know what God might do with their lives. He may yet give repentance to them. The word grant here is not the same one used in Philippians 1:29 though if anything this word speaks more directly of one person giving something to another. The faithful servant of Christ does not know to whom God will grant repentance so he is to treat all people as possible converts.

This is one of the important points in the discussion between Calvinists and non-Calvinists. Calvinists are often characterized as trying to witness only to the elect. While some Calvinists may well use their theology to justify evangelistic laziness, those who are careful and consistent and biblical note that nowhere in the Bible is the call to evangelize ever relaxed. In his discussion on the next passage Storms will talk a little about the opposite error, those who go to great lengths to try to induce salvation without looking for the real fruits of repentance. Both errors should be avoided. As Storms will note, salvation is in the hand of God, not of men. We are called to be faithful workers of the field and God will give the growth where he will.

Acts 11:18

18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (ESV)

I was a little surprised that Storms chose to use this passage since its interpretation can be a little ambiguous. Although the Greek “grant them repentance” in this verses is essentially the same as in our previous passage the context is different. In 2 Timothy Paul is directing people how to respond to individuals and he brings individual salvation into consideration. In Acts 11:18 a larger people group is in view. Repentance is still being viewed as a gift from God, something God must give people to bring about salvation, but the point of this verse is that God has shown he will give this gift to gentiles, not just to the Jews.

The possible tricky part is that while the verse says God has granted repentance to the gentiles, we know that not all gentiles will be saved. One could then conclude that although God grants repentance to people, people can still reject what God has granted – God gives them the gift of repentance and they are then able to turn the gift down. Storms notes this objection at the end of chapter five but says he will take it up later so we will have to wait and see how he responds. His point at this time is to say that repentance and faith can be spoken of as things God gives to people, not things that originate within people. I have a few thoughts of my own about how to respond but I will hold off until Storms comes back to it.

That about covers it for chapter five. I hope this hasn’t been too painful. As I mentioned at the start of the post I haven’t quite been at full form today but hopefully my unpacking of this material has been careful and thorough enough to be helpful to others as well as to me.

In the past I have stated that one of the two most compelling arguments for Calvinism comes from John 6 (the other is from Romans 9). In John 6 we find the following two passages:

John 6:35-40

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (ESV)

John 6:43-44

43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. (ESV)

The passages seem clear enough, but to restate: no one can pursue Christ unless God the Father draws that individual to Christ. I have argued before that God draws all people to Christ so that all are free to pursue him. The problem with this argument is that these passages appear to say that all who are drawn to Christ are not simply enabled to accept or reject him but will certainly be brought to him. In the first passage, all that the Father gives to Christ will be received and will never be cast out. In the second, no one can go to Christ unless the Father draws him, and all of those drawn by the Father will be raised up on the last day.

What recently came to mind is what Jesus says in John 12:32:

John 12:32

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (ESV)

In John 6 no one can go to the Son unless the Father draws him. But here Christ on the cross will draw all people to himself.

In his commentary on John D. A. Carson argues that what is in view here is not individuals for salvation but the kinds of people who are saved. In John 6 we find reference to individuals who are saved. Here we find the affirmation that salvation is not just for the Jews. This makes some sense. Jesus’ words in this section were triggered by the arrival of Greeks in John 12:20. The disciples were faced with a dilemma. The Greeks came to the disciples and asked to see Jesus. The disciples seemed a little uncertain as to what they should do. They finally go tell Jesus and John 12:23-32 contains his response. John 12:23, then, could be Jesus saying, “I will draw all people, not just Jews. The Gentiles can come to me because of what I will do on the cross.”

This reading of the passage answers a few questions. The drawing in John 6 seems to be final and complete. It is not an invitation, it is a bringing. Those who are drawn are saved. The same cannot be the case in John 12 which refers to all people being drawn since elsewhere Scripture is clear that not all people will be saved. In fact, just a few verses later we find people who see Christ but do not believe.

This reading also helps us see the difference in the Father’s drawing and the Son’s drawing. It is because of the Son’s work that salvation is made available to all people. This is what Paul calls the mystery of the gospel, the glorious truth that in Christ salvation is not something just for the Jews. Because of the Father individuals are drawn to Christ and are saved. Because of the Son those individuals include people of every ethnicity, not just the Jews. Because of Christ those Greeks trying to see Jesus would be welcome.

I still have one hesitation. Elsewhere in the Bible when we find passages talking about the inclusion of all people in God’s plan of salvation the discussion is usually more direct. For example, is there really any doubt what Paul means in Galatians 3:23-29? (Granted some doubt is introduced by egalitarians who want to make this passage say more than it says, but that is a different discussion.)

Still, I am leaning in Carson’s direction. Any thoughts, anyone?

Additional note:

Sometimes Calvinists will try to use similar reasoning in passages like John 3:16 or 2 Peter 3:9 – namely claiming that “all” in these verses does not refer to everyone but to something else. In John 3:16 “the world” is claimed to be used in a way similar to what we said about John 12:20. Some say “the world” does not mean each individual but refers to all kinds of people, every tribe and tongue and nationality. For 2 Peter 3:9 some have argued that “all” refers to the elect rather than each individual, that God wants all of his chosen ones to reach repentance.

I disagree with both of these views. I believe that God loves all people, saved and unsaved alike. I recognize that there can be some question left with passages like Romans 9:13 (Malachi 1:2-3) but I believe hate in those verses refers to the fact that they were rejected in the plan of God. If one were to argue that hate has to mean something like how we normally understand hate I would simply point him to Luke 14:26 and ask how we can honor our father and mother while also hating them in the way we normally think of hate.

I think one could say there is a difference in how God feels toward the unrepentant that live as opposed to those who die. Does God love the sinner in Hell? I believe one could say that he does not. God loves all his creation on the earth but his steadfast love is only for those who are saved. Once a sinner dies without Christ and goes on to judgment he no longer experiences anything of the love of God, in part because God no longer has any love for him.

On 2 Peter 3:9 I believe that God does desire for all people to be saved. But this is not the only desire God has. Something in the mind of God is more desirable than the salvation of all people, otherwise all people would be saved. I have talked several times before about the notion of two wills in God so I will not rehash it here.

This post is part of my series Blogging Calvinism in which I blog my thoughts and reaction to Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election by Sam Storms.

In chapter four Storms considers the nature of man’s free will. He affirms that man does have free will but the question is what that will is free to do? The short answer is we are free to choose anything we desire to do. An unsaved person is free to choose Christ for salvation if they desire to do so.

The problem is that left to themselves no one will ever desire Christ. Scriptural evidence for this is abundant and the clearest statement of this is found in Romans 3:10-12 (Psalm 14:1-3):

Romans 3:10-12

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.” (ESV)

Left to himself no one will seek God. We are all dead in trespasses and sins and have been so from the moment of our conception. That is not to say the unborn child in the womb commits sin but as descendants of Adam we all participate in the corruption of sin brought about through Adam. This is known as the doctrine of original sin.

The fact that none of us is able to do good, and thus none of us is able to choose Christ, is known as total depravity. The will of man is completely corrupt and has no desire for good. Thus though we are free to do what we will, what we will is always going to be evil.

Our only hope is for God to change the heart of an individual, enabling him to desire God. This has already been discussed some in previous chapters. Non-Calvinists believe in prevenient grace, grace that God gives to all people overcoming some of the effects of original sin so that all people are enabled to turn to God in faith. Prevenient grace does not completely undo original sin, people remain dead in their sins, but they are revived just enough so that they can exercise their will towards God.

The problem noted in previous posts is that this cannot be found in Scripture. The doctrine of prevenient grace makes sense but it seems to me to be missing from the Bible.

The Calvinist view of how God overcomes total depravity in people is for God to enable specific individuals to have faith in him, regenerating them so that a dead will is turned into a living will. Once regenerated and presented with the grace of Christ, that grace will be irresistible. To the person who has been made alive the beauty of God’s grace will be clearly evident and a truly alive person can do nothing but yield himself to the glory of God.

I just read a section in John Piper’s God is the Gospel that applies here:

…blinded persons consider the facts of the gospel but see no compelling spiritual beauty, no treasure, nothing supremely precious. They see facts. They may even agree that the historical facts are true. Satan surely does. But they do not have “true sense of the divine excellency of the things revealed in the Word of God, and a conviction of the truth and reality of them thence arising.”
…
Seeing this “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” is not neutral. One cannot see it and hate it. One cannot see it and reject it. If one claims to see it, only to reject it, one is “seeing” it only the way Satan sees it and wants us to see it. In that case we are still in the grip of his blinding power. No, the kind of seeing that Satan prevents is not the neutral seeing that sets you before a meal with no taste or distaste for what you see. The kind of seeing that Satan cancels and God creates is more like spiritual tasting than rational testing.
…
If you are blind, someone may persuade you that the sun is bright. But that persuasion is not what Paul is talking about [in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6] When your eyes are opened – that is, when God says, “Let there be light” – the persuasion is of a different kind. That’s what happens in the preaching of the gospel. It’s what happens when God moves with Creator power over the darkness of human hearts. John Piper, God is the Gospel, pages 62-64

As Storms notes, the doctrine of total depravity does not mean that “all people are as bad as they possibly can be.” (55) God does exercise grace and his will in the hearts of all people, restraining some from sinning as much as they might and giving good gifts and talents to all people so that all people are able to enjoy a measure of his grace. There are two sides to this grace God gives all people. First is what Storms describes as “negative or preventative. Its essential characteristic is that of restraint.” (56, emphasis his) The second is when God “bestows upon both nature and humanity manifold blessings both physical and spiritual.” (58)

I was a bit disappointed with Storms discussion of the first of these. Normally his discussions are filled with relevant Scripture passages that build a very compelling case but here arguments from Scripture were largely lacking. From our own experience we know that even lost individuals can do things we would call good. They feed the hungry, they give to victims of disaster, they help us in times of need. In the eyes of God such actions are not themselves good since “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23). Nonetheless, they are actions that make human interaction better and more enjoyable. Christians and non-Christians alike benefit from these good acts. If the will of man is totally depraved, why are individuals capable of anything resembling goodness? The answer is common grace. This is not prevenient grace of the non-Calvinist. In common grace nothing of the will of man is elevated above the state of total depravity. People remain evil in their hearts and motivations but God keeps people from carrying out as much evil as they could. Storms says that “one of the purposes of the Spirit’s activity in our world is to impede or inhibit or curb the outward expression of the inward propensities of the sinful heart.” (57, emphasis his) In other words, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to prevent the full manifestation of individual sin.

As I mentioned, all of this fits with our own experience. The biggest challenge to the doctrine of Total Depravity is that we experience people who seem basically good. Since total depravity is (I think) clear in Scripture something else must also be at work to prevent the full manifestation of man’s depravity. Common grace is the likely answer. I agree with Storms, I think he is right, but his argument in the chapter lacks biblical evidence. He quotes a number of theologians on this issue but he never quotes the Bible. (One of Storms quotes comes from Charles Hodge. In his Systematic Theology Hodge mentions just one Bible reference for Common Grace and that reference clearly refers to the work of the Spirit to believers, not unbelievers.)

Once again, I agree with Storms and others about common grace experienced by all people. This fits with our own experience and harmonizes with what the Bible teaches. I just wish Storms had a fuller discussion about how common grace can be demonstrated biblically.

So all people are totally depraved but people are generally restrained from the full exercise of their depravity. This means no one is able to choose God unless God enables them. They can freely exercise their will but their will can never be for God. Storms presents the question this way: “Why is it that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him? Is it because the Father prevents him from doing so? God forbid!” (60)

On this I have one point of disagreement with Storms and, for that matter, with non-Calvinist. I agree that it is sinfulness and total depravity that keeps people from being able to freely choose Christ. But I believe there are instances when God specifically ensures that people will not see or choose him. These times may be the exceptions to the general rule, but they are present in Scripture.

Consider what we find in John 12:36b-40:

John 12:36-40

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.” (ESV)

Note verses 37-38 and Posted in: Theology

Okay I am clearly ripping off John Piper with the title of this post. Piper has written things such as Don’t Waste Your Life and Don’t Waste Your Cancer. The reminder is a good one and very fitting for the passage I have in view:

Psalm 9:13-14

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation. (ESV)

Throughout the Psalms we find the Psalmist calling God to action for the sake of his glory or for his name’s sake. The same thing is in view here only the Psalmist is saying he will be the one to glorify God for his salvation.

In the Psalms one thing we learn is that the proper response to God’s work is always praise. Here David has very public praise in mind: “that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.” This would be the gates of Jerusalem. He will stand in the gates of Jerusalem and tell the people coming and going about the good thing the Lord has done.

When God does something for us (and everything we have is a good gift from the Lord) our proper response should be praise. The greater the work, the greater the praise. For believers the greatest gift is the gift of everlasting salvation through the eternal Son. An everlasting gift merits everlasting praise. This doesn’t start when we get to Heaven, praising God for salvation begins here on earth.

But salvation is not the only work of God that merits praise. Praise him for your home, the food you eat, the family you have, your friends, your church, your workplace, all of these things. If something is lacking, go so far as to praise God for the trial, thanking him for the victory he has over the world so that you do not have to fear defeat and failure. Christ has overcome the world. Praise the Lord!

Don’t waste your salvation. Don’t keep it to yourself. God has blessed you so that you will bless him, so that you will tell of his name among the nations. That means friends, family, neighbors, and people all over the world. Tell them of the good thing the Lord has done for you.

1 Peter 4:12-19

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (ESV)

On October 9, 1747, a 29-year-old man named David Brainerd lay dying in the home of Jonathan Edwards, the great American preacher. Brainerd had been engaged to Edwards’ daughter but he died of tuberculosis before they could marry. Though only 29 when he died Brainerd had already done more for the kingdom of God than many people do with a full life. He had committed himself to the evangelism of indians in the American frontier. The diary of his work was later published and has served to motivate generations of people to pursue missionary service.

During one period of trial Brainerd wrote the following words into his diary:

Such fatigues and hardship as these serve to wean me more from the earth; and, I trust, will make heaven the sweeter. Formerly, when I was thus exposed to cold, rain, etc., I was ready to please myself with the thoughts of enjoying a comfortable house, a warm fire, and other outward comforts; but now these have less place in my heart (through the grace of God) and my eye is more to God for comfort. In this world I expect tribulation; and it does not now… appear strange to me; I don’t in such seasons of difficulty flatter myself that it will be better hereafter; but rather think how much worse it might be; how much greater trials others of God’s children have endured; and how much greater are yet perhaps reserved for me. Blessed be God that he [is] the comfort to me, under my sharpest trials; and scarce ever lets these thoughts be attended with terror or melancholy; but they are attended frequently with great joy.1

What could move a man to respond to suffering with such faith? Is it possible that we might display a faith like his?

Let’s read our text together this morning, 1 Peter 4:12-19.

Before we move into the sermon let me explain why I want to address the topic of suffering this morning. I have two main reasons. Behind these reasons there is the assumption that all people will suffer in this life, and that in this life believers can expect to suffer more than unbelievers.

My first reason, then, is to prepare you to glorify God in the midst of your suffering. In verse 16 of our text Peter tells us that in our suffering we ought to glorify God. Suffering is not something we are given to endure, to survive. Like all things God gives us, suffering is something through which we can glorify God.

Second, I want to help you face suffering without being surprised by it. Suffering should be an expected part of life. Only in America and Europe today do we find people that think they should be able to live life free from suffering. This kind of thinking is alien to the world. And it should be alien to believers. All people suffer the daily trials of a fallen world. All people suffer under the opposition of Satan. And believers suffer under the persecution of a world that is at war against God. When you face suffering I want you to be ready for it, and I want you to handle it well.

So why does suffering happen? Why do people endure so many trials in this life? Examples of suffering are legion. You know all the various ways people struggle and suffer and experience pain in this life. Why does God allow this to take place? Is he passive, helpless, unable to do anything about it? Or does he use suffering for good? Can we perhaps even speak of suffering as coming from the hand of God?

On that last point, we are not usually used to thinking of suffering or God in this way, but the Bible is overwhelmingly packed with evidence showing that God not only uses suffering, he ordains or initiates our suffering. I could bring up countless passages to demonstrate this. The whole point of the book of Job speaks to this. But let me mention just two places in Scripture that show suffering is from the hand of God.

First is in our text, 1 Peter 4:17. Peter attributes the suffering of people to the judgment of God. One reason we experience suffering is because we, the world, are under judgment. Judgment only comes from God. No one else can bring judgment. Suffering that comes from judgment, then, is suffering that comes from God.

We will look more later at the nature of this judgment. Briefly, God uses it to purify the church and as a prelude to the final judgment of the unbeliever.

A second passage that shows suffering is by God’s will is Ecclesiastes 7:13-14. There we read Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. Both joy and adversity come from the hand of God. In part this is due to his sovereignty – nothing in this universe can happen unless God allows it. Satan has to ask God for permission before he is allowed to torment Job. But suffering is not simply a matter of God allowing a trial. Suffering is also the will of God. From him comes the day of joy, and from him comes the day of adversity.

Some would see in this a terrible view of God. What kind of God do you serve if he desires the suffering of people? But in this I see a great reason for comfort and reassurance. God is good. God is loving. God is love. I know God is faithful and trustworthy. Since even suffering is in his control, when it comes I know it comes from a loving Father. And I have the assurance of Romans 8:28 that even this trial, this test, this suffering will be used by God for my good. Could we really say that if suffering were not from the hand of God?

John Bunyan, the early Baptist pastor who suffered for his preaching and is best known for his book Pilgrim’s Progress once said: “We shall or shall not suffer, even as it pleaseth him.… God has appointed who shall suffer. Suffering comes not by chance or by the will of man, but by the will and appointment of God.”

The question then becomes why does God use suffering? Why do the righteous suffer and why do the unrighteous suffer?

On why the righteous suffer I have five reasons: (1) So that we will grow in the faith; (2) In order to purify his church; (3) So that by our witness of faithful suffering people will be drawn to Christ; (4) In order to accomplish the will of God; (5) So that God will be glorified.

The first reason God uses suffering is explained by Paul. Paul wrote quite a bit about suffering. One reason he could talk about it so much is because he experienced it so often. He knew the pain of persecution and the trials of daily life. He never despaired under suffering but always saw in suffering the opportunity to draw closer to God. In 2 Corinthians 1:9 he wrote, Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. Through suffering we learn that we do not have the final say over our lives. Through suffering God increases our trust and reliance on him. When we suffer well we give up a little more of our grasping for power and we turn in trust and faith to God.

The second reason for suffering is to purify the church. We already glanced at 1 Peter 4:17, let’s read again verses 17-18: For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” When persecution sets in we begin to see who it is that truly has faith. Many people claim the name of Christ when it is easy. How many will remain faithful when such faith might cost them their lives? How many people will be faithful to God when they are faced with intense trials in their personal lives? God uses suffering to demonstrate the true faith of his people.

Third, I believe one reason God uses suffering to demonstrate true faith is so that the lost will be drawn to him. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus instructed his followers to let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. In a similar way people see you when you suffer well and they will marvel. They will want to know what is the reason for this hope that is in you3. They will see how God sustains you in suffering, and they will want to know more about the God who sustains.

Fourth, God also uses suffering to accomplish his will. Sometimes the things God wants to bring about require suffering. Consider the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. His brothers beat him, throw him into a well planning to leave him to die, decide to sell him into slavery instead, in slavery he is lied about and eventually thrown into prison where he stays for some time. In all of this Joseph is faithful to God. He suffers unjustly at the hand of his brothers but even when he has the chance to get revenge he doesn’t do it. What does he say instead? Two passages I want to point out from Genesis. The first is in Genesis 45. Here Joseph first reveals himself to his brothers. He reassures them not to be distressed. They have every reason to be distressed – they know the wrong they did, and here he has the power to execute them! What Joseph says is amazing. In verse 5 he says, “God sent me before you to preserve life.” Joseph believes that everything that took place happened according to God’s will. His brothers were guilty of sin. But their sin was part of God’s plan to preserve his people in the midst of famine. After their father Jacob died the brothers were nervous again so Joseph has to reassure them once more. He says in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” The evil they intended was intended by God for good. God planned Joseph’s suffering as the way to preserve his people in a time of great famine.

The fifth reason why the righteous suffer is for the glory of God. Our passage this morning is not the only place where Peter talks about suffering. Hear what he says in 1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Your suffering will result in the glory of God.

So why do the unrighteous suffer? Let me briefly mention three reasons. First, so that people will realize their need for God. Through suffering believers grow in the Lord. In a similar way through suffering God can bring unbelievers to himself. Second, God will also use the suffering of the unrighteous in order to accomplish his will. Back in Genesis, just as God used Joseph’s suffering to preserve his people during famine, God used the famine itself to lead his people into Egypt. A great many people suffered during the famine but by the famine the will of God was accomplished. Third, God will use the suffering of the unrighteous for his glory. One comfort believers have from this is that there is no such thing as senseless suffering. We do not want to see others suffer. We pray for God to end the suffering of humanity. You should mourn when you hear of people slaughtered in Zimbabwe. We should do what we can to end that pain. But suffering is a reality in the world. Our comfort is that suffering is never meaningless, whether it falls on the Christian or the unbeliever.

Now we are ready to look at Christians and suffering. There are four things I want to look at related to Christian suffering. First, should we expect to suffer? Second, what might cause our suffering? Third, what enables us to endure suffering? And fourth, how should we respond to suffering?

Should we expect to suffer as Christians? The Bible says we should. 1 Peter 4:12 says not to be surprised when the trial comes; Jesus in John 15:20 tells us that if he is persecuted, we will be persecuted; and Paul in 2 Timothy 3:12 writes that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Suffering and persecution should be an expected part of the Christian life. As we mentioned earlier, America and Europe in the modern world are an exception, not the norm. Our comfortable lives are very unusual and I do not think they will last. Brothers and sisters, do not be surprised when the fiery trial comes.

But be careful not to confuse the consequences of your sin with the suffering Peter wants us to rejoice in. There should be no rejoicing when you suffer because of your sin. 1 Peter 4:15 says, But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. If you suffer for your wrongdoing, what good is that to you?

What are some of the things that cause us to suffer? We suffer because we live in a fallen world. Sickness, natural disaster, death – these are all the effects of sin on the world. A great deal of our suffering comes because of what happened in the Garden of Even.

We also suffer because we are surrounded by sinners. People lie to us. They steal from us. Some people murder others. One spouse cheats on another. Employees steal from their employers. Employers use and abuse their employees. We suffer because of the sins of others.

As Christians we suffer for our faith. This is really what Peter has in view, suffering for being a Christian. This could be persecution, people oppressing, hurting, or killing other people because they are Christians. So much blood has been shed because of Christ. Many, many people have given their lives for their savior. Are you willing to be one of them?

Are you also willing to suffer in your daily life for his sake? Will you do what he calls you to do even if you suffer for it? Will you do the right thing even when it is painful? Will you take a stand for the truth even when it hurts? Will you oppose homosexuality even in a culture that praises this sin? Will you call for racial reconciliation even if others oppose you for it? Will you be honest in your taxes even if it means paying more this year? The list goes on. Sometimes we suffer because people oppose us for doing the right thing.

So what enables us to endure suffering? How can we stand up in trial? Three things: knowledge of the victory of Christ, knowledge of how God uses our suffering, and knowledge of the faithfulness of God.

We know Christ has the final victory in the war against sin and Satan. Jesus gives us our greatest hope in the face of suffering in John 16:33 when he says, “ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We also know God is using our suffering for good. We already looked at Joseph in Genesis. You would be right to be amazed at how well Joseph endured his suffering. What a difference it must have made to know that God was using Joseph to redeem the people. When you are in the midst of suffering you can find assurance in the knowledge that God is using your suffering in his plan for the world. As we mentioned before, there is no meaningless suffering.

We can endure suffering because we know that God is faithful. Hear what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

One final question. How should we respond to suffering? 1 Peter 4:13 says we should rejoice. When you suffer as a Christian you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. You are participating in his suffering. Rejoice to have been found worthy of this! In Acts 5:41 we find the disciples just having been arrested, beaten, threatened, and released. The disciples do not mourn for their sufferings. They do not cower from fear. They rejoice! Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Could this be your response to suffering? Rejoicing that you were found worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ?

Your response should also be continued faithfulness. In verse 19 we read Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Suffering is not an excuse to put obedience on hold. We are not given time to lick our wounds. Suffering should motivate you even more to faithful service for Christ. You suffer with a bright hope for the future. What will you do to help all of those whose suffering in this life will only be replaced by even greater suffering in the life to come? Are you willing to endure even more suffering to get the gospel to them? Are you willing to suffer for the sake of Christ?

Have you ever noticed that when you learn a new word you will suddenly start to hear that word used a lot more often than before you knew the word? Most likely the word was always used but when you did not know it you ignored it.

A similar sort of thing can happen with Bible reading. You can read Scripture over and over and yet many details will simply be overlooked or not given their full significance.

As I continue to wrestle with Calvinism and other related notions part of what I have come to see more and more is just how much God orchestrates the events of the world. When it comes to the Old Testament prophets, God spoke to them of many future events. But he did not just look ahead, see what would happen, then told the prophets about the future; he told the prophets what he was going to do with the future. See how this is revealed in Matthew 2:13-23:

Matthew 2:13-23

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (ESV)

Note all of the events that are orchestrated by God to bring about the end he desired:

• Vv 13-15: Herod sought to kill Jesus but Joseph was warned in a dream and fled to Egypt. The end of verse 15 says this is a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1. Note the wording: “This was to fulfill…” The reason it happened was because God said it would happen.
• Vv 16-18: Herod’s method of eliminating Jesus was to kill all male children in Bethlehem. The wording in v17 is a little different than what we find in v15, the writer is just putting it a little different. It already seems clear from 13-15 that God orchestrated Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus. The question is whether or not God orchestrated this specific way for Herod to attempt what God had planned.
• Vv 19-23: Even after Herod’s death Jesus and his earthly family could not safely return to Bethlehem. They left Egypt but went to Nazareth. In v23 we again find a purpose statement: “…that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled…” The brutal reign of Archelaus, which required Joseph to avoid Bethlehem, and Joseph’s choice of Nazareth were events orchestrated by God.

This is an unusual way of approaching Scripture and I am still wrestling with this a bit. To present the question from this passage bluntly: did God plan for Herod to massacre baby boys? Did God place a brutal tyrant in authority because the man was a brutal tyrant?

But let me turn the question another way. The people that suffered under these horrible circumstances, would it have comforted them to know that their suffering was being used by God to bring about the hope of salvation for the world? Would they have endured better if they realized that the events of their suffering were part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity?

And to make the question a little more personal. Am I willing for God do to with me whatever he wishes if it means accomplishing his will? Am I willing to suffer for the glory of God?

Matthew 1:1-17

1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. (ESV)

I will not likely keep this up every day, but from time to time I will post something on my gospel reading for the day. Today’s reading starts me off in the gospels and comes from Matthew 1:1-17. This is the first of two genealogies of Jesus found in the New Testament. The second is in Luke 3:23-37. These genealogies differ from each other. Some think Matthew presents Jesus’ ancestry through Joseph while Luke presents it through Mary. (Don’t miss Luke’s comment in Luke 3:23 that Jesus was the son “as was supposed” of Joseph, Luke saying that someone other than Joseph was the father of Jesus.)

In verse 1 Matthew gives three titles for Jesus. First, he is the Christ. Second, the son of David. Third, the son of Abraham. The last establishes him as a member of the Jewish race. He does not come to the Jews as an outsider. The second establishes him in the royal line of David. By itself that might not mean much – David had many descendants – but it becomes more significant with the first title. He is called the Christ, the anointed one. From the start Matthew is making clear that he believes Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. God promised through the prophets that a king would come from the line of David who would establish an eternal throne and would rule over the world. He would establish justice and righteousness and would forgive the sins of his people. The genealogy reinforces the ancestry claims, showing just how Jesus has descended from Abraham and David.

The genealogy is representative rather than comprehensive. Several generations are skipped, but in such genealogies the phrase “father of” could mean “ancestor of” so the reader would know, for example, that Josiah was the grandfather of Jechoniah, not his actual father.

The genealogies can be a bit difficult for modern readers to work through. I admit that I have skimmed through more than a few of them when I come across them. And yet if nothing else these records remind us of the faithfulness of God to his people and his power to accomplish his will. If you scan the names of a genealogy your eyes will take you through hundreds or thousands of years of Israelite history, through good times and bad. The record in Matthew begins with faithful Abraham and includes people like Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of Ruth; Rahab, the prostitute who protected the spies sent by Joshua; David, the king who inaugurated the golden age of Israelite history; Manasseh, one of the most wicked kings Israel had ever seen (2 Chron 33:9) who God nevertheless finally turned to himself (2 Chron 33:11-13, 2 Chron 33:23); Jechoniah, who ruled Judah for three months and was on the throne when Nebuchadnezzar captured and pillaged Jerusalem (the final destruction of Jerusalem would happen under King Zedakiah); and Joseph, a humble carpenter who is faithful to the Lord.

Through all of those events God was faithful to his people. Through the most famous of them to the most obscure God was working out his promises. Only a small handful of those people would have had even the slightest notion of what God was going to do through one of their descendants. A number of those names belong to tyrants who were not interested in serving God to begin with – God used them anyway. God is faithful and God will accomplish his plan, whether we cooperate or not.

This post is part of my series Blogging Calvinism in which I blog my thoughts and reaction to Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election by Sam Storms.

In chapter three Sam Storms presents the Calvinist’s view of election. Some of what he presents in this chapter is not unique to Calvinists. Many of the beliefs he describes in the section on the goals of divine election are also held by many non-Calvinists. Storms acknowledges this when he says “I am sure many Arminians agree with much that I’ve said to this point.” (43) This section addresses the question of what is God’s ultimate goal in election. The ultimate goal is that God be glorified. “…Election has the glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as its ultimate focus.” (42) Through salvation individuals become aware of God’s glory and they begin to desire more and more of him: “God’s shining of his light into the soul doesn’t merely awaken us to the existence or reality of spiritual things, of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit. It shows the excellency and glory and beauty of such things and imparts a new taste for them.” (42-43)

I know many non-Calvinists who are bothered by the notion that God is ultimately motivated by a desire to promote his own glory. The alternative is usually to say that God is ultimately motivated by his love. Love is always expressed to someone else, so God is motivated by his love for his creation. He created us, some say, because love needs an object. He loves us and because of that love he does what he does. I understand this view but more and more I disagree with it. First, God’s love is ultimately expressed to himself. This is at the heart of the Trinity, with the members of the trinity loving each other (St. Augustine has described the Trinity as God the Father and God the Son loving each other with God the Holy Spirit being the love that goes back and forth between them.). God’s love finds an object in himself without that love being entirely self-focused. The oneness of the Trinity means it is self-focused in one sense but the threeness means it is not self-focused in another sense. I continue to argue that God does not love humans in quite the same way that he loves himself. As the highest being that exists he is the one most worthy of love and adoration. To love anything more than God is idolatry, and God is not guilty of idolatry. (Those who hear a little of John Piper in this, you are correct, particularly since my wife and I are presently reading Desiring God together.) The second reason I disagree is that in the Bible whenever we find God doing something if any sort of purpose is expressed the purpose is always his glory. God’s love is clearly expressed in the Bible but I don’t think it is ever given as the reason why he acts. Showing love to people is what God does; for his glory is why God does it. The ultimate way God has shown his love has been through the cross, and through the cross he was glorified.

The distinctives of Calvinism are discussed in the beginning and ending of the chapter (before the biographical sketch of John Calvin). The primary difference is that “God saves men and women in accordance with a plan formulated in eternity past.” (39) Non-Calvinists could say this but would mean something totally different than the Calvinist. What non-Calvinists cannot say is that “the distinction in humanity between those who believe and those who don’t… is ultimately God’s doing.” (40) God’s choice was not based on any merit of the one chosen: “…there was nothing particular in you differing from any other person that moved God to deal thus peculiarly by you: you were as unworthy to be set by as thousands of others that are not regarded of God…” (43, quoting Edwards) But the work of God “was neither random nor haphazard… He knew what he was doing when he chose one by not another.” (40) Mankind cannot know why God chooses this person and not that person, but we can know that God had a reason that did not rest on the merits of the individual. As far as the individual is concerned, God’s election of him is simply a matter of grace.

Storms says that “if election is according to God’s sovereign good pleasure, then God is glad he chose some and not all. It pleased him to choose some for salvation out from among the masses of hell-deserving sinners.” (40) I want to tweak this a bit to highlight the part that tends to be the most distasteful to non-Calvinists. Storms is saying that God is glad to choose to save some while sending the rest to Hell. Ultimately, God is glad that these go to Heaven while those go to Hell. I am still working to see what about this would be pleasing to God. I would agree with Storms and other Calvinists that the greatest surprise is that God would choose to save any. It is only by the amazing grace of God that anyone is saved from the fires of Hell. We all deserve Hell. Nothing in any way obligates God to save anyone. But if God is pleased to save some, why would God not be pleased to save others? Why is he pleased to send many to Hell? It looks like Storms will take up this question, but I will have to wait: “I’ll return to this point in the final chapter when I address the question of why God did not choose all.” (41)

At one point in the chapter Storms gives a response to the foreknowledge view of election. He says:

Were election to be based upon what God foreknows that each individual will do with the gospel, it would be an empty and altogether futile act. For what does God see in us, apart from his grace? He sees only corruption, ill will, and a pervasive depravity of heart and soul that serve only to evoke his displeasure and wrath.” (44, emphasis mine)

Since we are totally depraved God would see nothing but depravity in us. The non-Calvinist view of prevenient grace would be one way that God could see something other than depravity in us, but as I mentioned in my notes for chapter two, I do not know where prevenient grace is to be found in the Bible. When I first joined a Southern Baptist church the then campus minister of RUF at MSU (Brian Habig) put my Calvinism to a brief test. He knew I was leaving the PCA church over the issue of Baptism but I guess he wanted to see if my Calvinism were at risk (evidently a justifiable concern since I eventually shifted on Calvinism as well). In the discussion he reminded me of Ephesians 2:1-10 in which Paul describes human beings as being dead in their trespasses and sins. There is no hint here that God injects a little life into humans. We are dead. Unable to move, unable to choose, unable to do good.

Storms continues to show what I think is a very even hand in his treatment of non-Calvinists. He is careful to remind the reader that “neither Arminians nor Calvinists believe what they do about divine election simply because of something said by the men from whom the labels have come. Arminians believe in conditional election because they believe that is what the Bible teaches. Calvinists believe in unconditional election for the same reason.” (45) Calvinists and non-Calvinists disagree on what the Bible says but both groups have many individuals that uphold a very high view of Scripture. (Both groups also have people who do not hold the Bible very high at all.) Neither side is being loose with the Bible but both are trying to find the correct meaning of the biblical text. The question is what do we actually find taught in the Bible.

Similar to the chapter on Arminianism, the chapter on Calvinism closes with a sketch of the man for whom the position is named: John Calvin. As before I won’t discuss this section but it is well worth reading.

My daughter is in the room with me, browsing my bookcases. She grabbed a random book and asked if I would read it to her. I took a look at my copy of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief and said, “Well, if you want I will read it, but it is a really boring book! I even get bored with this book!” She replied, “I won’t get bored and I really want to read it!” So I started reading. A paragraph and a half later she grabs the book and says, “I know it doesn’t have pictures and I know I am bored but I just really want to read it myself.” After a few seconds of scanning the pages she threw the book aside and said, “That is a bored book!”

I have just finished my six-month trek through the Bible and am about to set off through it again. Last time around my reading plan was somewhat haphazard. This time I have organized it a little better. I have not yet decided how long I will take to read through the Bible this time, but here is the order I will go. Each day I will have readings from: The Old Testament, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the New Testament. This last time around I also read through Romans each month, following the advice of Martin Luther. At this time I don’t plan to do that with this plan, though I may change my mind and add either it or Hebrews later.

In the New Testament I am following the canonical order, but I am changing things up a little for the Old Testament. Below is the order I will follow:

Ecclesiastes
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy 31-34
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
Job
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
Song of Solomon
1 Kings
2 Kings
Deuteronomy 1-30
Jonah
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Proverbs
Ezekiel
Daniel
Esther
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

This is roughly chronological, with some exceptions. I begin with Ecclesiastes, it seems good to start my trip through the Bible with a reminder to fear God and keep his commandments. The other poetic and wisdom books (except Psalms which I will read each day) – Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Job, are interspersed throughout the plan. I have split up Deuteronomy. The last acts of Moses are kept at the end of the Pentateuch reading but I have moved the bulk of Deuteronomy to just before the period when the prophets start to foretell judgment on Israel. In Deuteronomy Moses recalls for the people all that the Lord has done for them and warns them that judgment will come if they stray. That judgment is fulfilled during the time of the prophets so Deuteronomy will be a good lead-in. I could have shuffled around 1 and 2 Chron but the books were written for the people of Judah that were returning from exile. It reminded them of God’s promise to his people and how the people had violated the requirements of God, resulting in exile. On the whole the focus is on the faithfulness of God. The people may have been crushed during exile, but God will keep his promises to them, primarily the Messianic prophecies through the descendants of David.

Once again I will use the Bible reading module of Logos Bible Software to keep track of my daily reading. I occasionally read the text straight from Logos but I usually prefer to read it in my print copy where I can underline and jot little notes. I always do my reading from the ESV simply as a matter of preference. On the whole it is a great translation that communicates the meaning of the Bible without doing too much fiddling with the text. Some fiddling is necessary at times to bring ancient notions into modern language and culture but too much fiddling runs the risk of distorting the original meaning of the text. The ESV translators have struck a good balance that keeps the translation “essentially literal”.