The True Love of God

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[Synergists] … say that the Augustinian tradition subordinates the love of God to the will of God … But this is not what distinguishes the Augustinian tradition from the Arminian tradition. The distinction is between intensive and extensive love, between an intensive love that saves its loved ones, and an extensive love that loves everyone in general and saves no one in particular. Or if you really wish to cast this in terms of willpower, it’s the distinction between divine willpower and human willpower. Or, to put the two together, does God will the salvation of everyone with a weak-willed, ineffectual love, or does God love his loved ones with a resolute will that gets the job done?

The God of Calvin is the good shepherd, who names and numbers his sheep, who saves the lost sheep and fends off the wolf. The God of Wesley is the hireling, who knows not the flock by name and number, who lets the sheep go astray and be eaten by the wolf. Which is more loving, I ask? – Steve Hays

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11 thoughts on “The True Love of God”

  1. I think I would prefer to be a Paulist, Calvin believed a lot of things that I don’t agree with. Besides that we can not be descendants of Calvin, he broke away from the catholic church didn’t he. I believe the true church of God has stood the test of time and has always had the same true doctrine that it teaches today. Yes the doctrines of Grace.

  2. Philip,

    I have never read one thing that Calvin wrote. I intend to, but haven’t yet. I use the term Calvin or Calvinist simply to differentiate what I believe, which is what Paul taught, from those who are enamored with Free Will or Synergism. That is also why I prefer to think of these things as Mongergism vs. Synergism. :-)

    In Christ

    Mike Ratliff

  3. I had a set of Calvins Commentaries at one time. He was off on a lot of things such as baptism by sprinkling. The main thing about Calvin is that he differienciated from arminianism. I just don’t like the term Calvinist unless your a presbyterian.

    Philip

  10. Mike – forget Calvin … read RC Sproul’s Chosen By God and Grace Unknown. Really excellent stuff! Calvin’s Institutes are cool I guess but a lot more effort and more stuff that you probably wouldn’t agree with.

    Like you, I tell people I’m a Calvinist because it helps them quickly agree or disagree but I think the proper verbiage is “I hold to Reformed Theology” or if you want to be specific on the salvation piece, “I hold to the Doctrine of Election”.

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