The Journey

Isaiah 45:4-6 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.

     Reformed theology is relatively new to me.  I have been a Christian for nearly 30 years, but only had a vague understanding of “Calvinism” for many years.  In my ignorance I would say, “I don’t agree with all of it,” but I really did not know what I did or did not agree with.  It was in 2007 in a little International Baptist Church in Celle Germany where we attended church for the 2 months that I was first impacted by the doctrine. 

     The company I worked for had sent me to Germany for training and familiarization with the equipment we manufacture.  My wife and I found the only church that spoke English and seemed to hold to Biblical truth.  We had 3 children at the time ages 1 to 6 that came to the service with us.  One Sunday the pastor preached a sermon that stunned my wife and me.  He taught about how God chose those whom He willed for salvation for His own glory.  I remember talking to my wife on the way home about this hard doctrine and saying, he was a Calvinist.  But that is about all I knew. 

     God uses different ways of preparing us.  What we loved about the little church in Germany was worshiping our savior together as a family.  As we headed back to Texas we felt a great need for something deeper.  To be involved with people that had a real heart for discipling their children and a strong commitment to the Word of God.  For a few weeks after returning we attended Grace Family Baptist Church in Houston because we liked the idea of family integration.  I was also somewhat familiar with Voddie Baucham and was very impressed with his teaching.  I did not even realize at the time that GFBC was a reformed Baptist church.  After a few weeks we decided to return to the large church we had been at for several years and try and make a difference.  GFBC was an hour drive and we wanted to be ministering in the community we lived in.  

     After another year had passed we felt very discouraged with the impact we were having and the children’s ministry that our children were in.  We led a prayer ministry and I was a fill-in teacher.  The last straw was hearing Hannah Montana played at the Vacation Bible School rally or children attended.  Where was the depth?  What is the purpose?  Is children’s ministry all about entertainment?  Why were so many people content with the shallowness?

     In contrast our children attended Vacation Bible School at a small PCA church.  This church was all about teaching the Bible and leading the children to know Christ.  The teaching impressed us so much we changed membership, though we did not hold to some Presbyterian doctrines.  I was also becoming more comfortable with reformed teaching.

     In March of 2009 I began listening to a radio series by John MacArthur on the Doctrines of Grace.  He covered the 5 points of Calvinism over several weeks.  I was blown away.  Verses that had always made me scratch my head suddenly began to make sense to me.   In fact, the whole of scripture began to come together for me and I saw the uniform message more clearly.  Salvation is entirely of God, so that He gets all the glory.  After listening to this series several times, I also listened to lessons from R.C. Sproul and John Piper on the subject.  I became convinced.

     God chose us. (John 15:16 , Ephesians 1:3-6)  He granted us repentance. (Acts 11:18, 2 Tim 2:25)  Faith is a gift from God. (Eph 2:8, John 6:65)  As the opening passage from Isaiah 45 states, He names us.  That is, we take His name as His children. (1 John 3:1)  Then he equips us to do His will.  He does all this for His own Glory.  There are many more passages that demonstrate God’s sovereignty that I hope to cover in the coming months.  

     For now I am grateful God has shown me this truth.  Scripture has never been more real to me and my desire to know Him more has been stimulated.  To finish the story, we spent 3 years in the conservative PCA church where we grew to know understand the doctrines of grace further before we decided to make the drive and join Grace Family Baptist.  This decision was ultimately made because we are most like minded with the people and teaching of GFBC.  I personally hold to the reformed Baptist doctrine of Charles Spurgeon and the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession.  We believe children are a gift from God and are about to have or 6th.  (Our family is small compared to many who attend GFBC.)  We love having the children worship along side us at church instead of spread out in youth groups and children’s classes.  Praise God we have fit in well, and our children love the church and friends they have made.  To God be the Glory.

     Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36