SCRIPTURE
“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”[1]
“’Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.’”[2]
“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”[3]
CALVIN: Book One, Chapter Two
“And it ought to be more carefully considered that all men promiscuously do homage to God, but very few truly reverence him. On all hands there is abundance of ostentatious ceremonies, but sincerity of heart is rare.”[4]
REFLECTION
It is one thing to acknowledge the awesome works of our Trinitarian God; it is another to establish faith solely on Him alone, apart from His works. Jesus handled the demonstration of God’s power and human faith in Him alone with pity and mercy. In one picture we find Jesus moved by compassion, in another scenario we find Him seemingly shaking His head at the human necessity for “signs” and “wonders” to believe. God calls humanity to Himself above all things created or not created, and yet in compassion God demonstrates His power amidst us so “that the works of God might be displayed”[5] for human sakes. Nevertheless, God demonstrates His power so that “the secrets of his [our] heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his [our] face, he [we] will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”[6]Thereby, it is not as if God’s power in human salvation does not play its sufficient role. Furthermore, the grace of God’s power prepares the spiritual eyes of human understanding as a means toward revealing and illuminating Christ as messiah; not merely as a nice miracle worker, no, such power is manifest of God amidst humanity as our wrath bearing Savior. Inevitably, however, it is not human fascination with the power God displays which saves or sustains us, it is Christ in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, sustained and matured by fellowship with our Trinitarian God. His power points us to His authority as God and creator of the universe. His wrath bearing suffering on our behalf draws us toward intimacy with Him through the Spirit. Many persons in the Church seek God’s power promiscuously, arranging for themselves structures and methods which bolster of maintaining God’s power amongst them, and in some cases, lose all sense of the central purpose of the Gospel, i.e., to be one with God through Christ in the Spirit. For Calvin, who God saved from Roman Catholic superstition,[7] it was necessary to make much of fellowship with Christ than to boast, and even manipulate people by method or purpose of God’s power. Meaning, it was not in the extensive indulgences to lure God’s favor and power toward us, rather, it is the purpose of the power of God to point to that which is better, i.e., fellowship with God. When we pay God homage for His power alone, and when we build methodologies around His power at the expense of fellowship with God, we have manifested a false Gospel dichotomy. God’s power on display is not the Gospel, it is so that you and I may look with awe and believe Christ for salvation.
PRAYER
Father, your greatness is truly unsurpassable. I am thankful you demonstrate yourself by your power to our blind estate. If it were not for the power of God by the Holy Spirit humankind would certainly flail in the mire of depravity, leaving your Son without an eternal bride. Therefore, I consider my helplessness in light of Jesus’ mercy, and I ask, God, in the words of your servant’s Peter and John, “’And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’”[8] Lord, I recognize your providential leadership over healing and signs and wonders are above my understanding, while yet profoundly good. Therefore, Lord, give to your Church the Holy Spirit that we may discern right, and that your Word would go out amongst us with power to heal and save many lost persons throughout this broken, sin induced world. And Lord, foremost, I ask that your compassion would prevail in our fickle hearts. What a pain it is to consider a God who would show Himself in power to a dark and underserving people, and for once awestricken hearts to now trust in human flesh, as though faith in Christ alone had been weighed and found and wanting. No! How patient you are to contend with a stubborn people who have been found wanting in the sight of God. You alone possess the power of infinite patience toward an impatient people. Have mercy on me God. Deliver me from the idolatry of seeking God’s power and wisdom at the expense of abiding in fellowship. God help the Church navigate this tension and may the fire of love and desire you have toward dwelling in us kindle a mutually preeminent priority to abide and fellowship with you through the Holy Spirit. For your power is only as helpful to the human heart as it is in maturing your church toward greater fellowship with God. Amen.
[1]ESV. English Standard Version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2001. Matthew 14:14. Print.
[2]Ibid., ESV. John 4:48.
[3]Ibid., ESV. Luke 18:7-8.
[4]John Calvin, Translated by Henry Beveridge. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, LLC, 2008. P. 8. Print.
[5]Ibid., ESV. John 9:3.
[6]Ibid., ESV. 1 Corinthians 14:25.
[7]Derek W. H. Thomas and John W. Tweeddale. John Calvin: For a New Reformation. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2019. P. 31. Print: “he [Calvin] was ‘too firmly addicted to the superstitions of the Papacy to be drawn out of such a deep mire.’”
[8]Ibid., ESV. Acts 4:29-30.