Sins, Sabbaticals, and Survivors

One of the most interesting preachers on the Web is John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN. He’s a full-bore, five-point, classical Calvinist. His positions are so extreme, one almost wonders at the credulity of his listeners. And yet, Piper, a Southerner, has the charm and charisma of a Southern story-teller that makes his preaching inimitable. To my surprise, many college and university students have resonated with his extreme message of predestination and determinism.

Christianity Today noted in their email notices that Piper is taking a sabbatical to deal with “issues” in his life and ministry. He offered the following to his congregation in Minneapolis:

“I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with [my wife] Noël and others who are dear to me,” Piper wrote. “How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins.”

We grieve that a brother in the Lord has exhausted himself in the pursuit of his calling, and in so doing, needs both rest, recovery, and our grace. I respect this decision and trust Piper will find recuperation and restoration in his time away.

What I am struck by, is the emptiness of Calvinism as a theological system that lacks the resources to deal with our most intimate need; cleansing of the heart from the fleshly nature that coddles human pride, nurtures unsupported notions of one’s own importance, and can lead to the weakening of spiritual defenses that lead to out-broken sin. That is not to say that the entirely-sanctified person will not be tempted to pride; that the entirely-sanctified will “run and not be weary.” It is to profess, however, that there is a Scriptural cure for the divided heart. Or as Wesley implied in his sermon On Sin in Believers, 13:

“And as this position, ‘There is no sin in a believer, no carnal mind, no bent to backsliding,” is thus contrary to the word of God, so it is to the experience of his children. These continually feel an heart bent to backsliding; a natural tendency to evil; a proneness to depart from God, and cleave to the things of earth. They are daily sensible of sin remaining in their heart, — pride, self-will, unbelief; and of sin cleaving to all they speak and do, even their best actions and holiest duties. Yet at the same time they ‘know that they are of God;’ they cannot doubt of it for a moment. They feel his Spirit clearly ‘witnessing with their spirit, that they are the children of God.’ They ‘rejoice in God through Christ Jesus, by whom they have now received the atonement.’ So that they are equally assured, that sin is in them, and that ‘Christ is in them the hope of glory.’ ”

Thankfully, neither Scripture nor Wesley leaves the believer in this position or state. Methodists from the South Georgia Confessing Association state:

“Wesley believed that Christ’s death on the cross made it possible not only for sinners to be saved by grace, but, indeed, for them to be saved to the uttermost. Entire sanctification was restoration to the image of God, being made perfect in love toward God and neighbor.

“It is thus that we wait for entire sanctification; for a full salvation from all our sins, from pride, self-will, anger, unbelief; or, as the Apostle expresses it, ‘go on unto perfection.’ But what is perfection? The word has various senses: Here it means perfect love. It is love excluding sin; love filling the heart, taking up the whole capacity of the soul. It is love ‘rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, in every thing giving thanks.’ [Sermon 43–The Scripture Way of Salvation]”

My prayer for John Piper is that during his months of self-imposed sabbatical, he will discover the rich treasure of heart holiness, entire sanctification, and return to his pulpit in the renewal of his nature in the image of Christ to preach holiness and full salvation!

In Him,

David Felter