Calvinist?

I came across this blog today. JD Greear is the Lead Pastor of the Summit Church in Durham, NC. I have never met him but have heard a lot of great things about his ministry through my buddy Andrew Hopper. It seems as if we have the same feelings and perspective about the issue of "Calvinism".

Check it out:
http://jdgreear.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/whether-or-church-is-calvinist-on-between-the-times.html

This is a hot topic of controversy right now. A lot of my dad's generation is scared to death of Calvinism because of the extreme hyper-Calvinistic representation. I completely understand the fear. My dad watched the ultra-reformed kill the Baptist church in South Africa. I do believe that there are some pros and cons to what is happening in the young evangelical reformed movement in our country. Read this article that came out in 2006 "Young, Restless, Reformed". This movement is nothing like the hyper-Calvinistic movement that has plagued many parts of the world. This movement differs from any previous movements because it makes much of God's sovereignty and much of the Great Commission that God has called us to.

Simply put...our focus needs to be ON CHRIST. I just got done preaching to our church about Paul in Athens. The Athenians were worshiping the false Greek idols. No different to what I am witnessing in New Orleans with Mardi Gras. Too much of anything can be considered "idol worship". This applies to Calvinism. I have a bunch of friends that consider it their mission to convert everyone to Calvinism. What the heck! I call that 'idol-worship'. WE FOLLOW CHRIST! Now we can take great principles from Calvin, Luther, Edwards, Spurgeon, Graham, Stanley, Warren, Driscoll, ________ (you fill in the blank). But WE FOLLOW CHRIST! I personally hate getting the question, "Are you a Calvinist?" But I (like JD Greear) am excited to know that my preaching and ministry makes much of God and His sovereignty. However, I also love that people get a little confused because I also make much of our churches effort, work, and ministry for the Kingdom of Christ. Much like the abuse that the terms "church" and "Christian" have encountered in our culture, the term "Calvinist" has also been abused. Let's not allow a few hyper-idiots destroy some good theological conviction from the Holy Scriptures.

To my anti-Calvinist brothers and sisters, stop labeling all of Calvinism with the extremist. A movement that makes much of God is not a bad thing.

To my Calvinist brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in following what Calvin taught regarding our lives in Christ...why are you walking around so proud and arrogant? If any theological conviction should humble you it is Calvinism. Salvation is by GRACE alone, through FAITH alone, in CHRIST JESUS alone. Start living like it.

I love how JD Greear put it at the end of his blog,
"God give me the head of a Baptist, the heart of a Pentecostal, and the feet of a Jehovah’s Witness".

Good stuff.