The Myth of Calvinist Lethargy
I remember the first time I heard the moniker “frozen chosen.” I was sadly sitting at the feet of a misguided Arminian. His disdain for God’s sovereignty and for Christians who hold to the Doctrines of Grace was temporarily transferred to me in my ignorance as a new believer. Like the KJV-only guy at church, who had me for a time, the indoctrination into error is fast and furious. Thanks to God’s sovereign grace, the Lord delivered me in time, and the lessons were later helpful when I refused to let the proverbial cement dry on any one doctrinal position.
The truth still matters to me, today. In fact, nothing has drawn my ire like man-centered theology that so pervades evangelical churches. Small group discussions, worship songs, baptismal testimonies, and even pulpits can inadvertently serve to elevate man…in the name of Jesus. The reason is the narcissistic tendencies of the natural man under the reign of sin. It is every person’s default setting.
The Christian is first baptized by the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:11). This is the beginning of one’s new life in Christ (Rom 6:4; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15). The shift in one’s direction is radical, but one’s progress will differ from his fellow new believer. Some grow very quickly in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18), while others seem to languish. Bold boasting in Christ can be linked to personality type, but knowledge of the truth also matters. If one is zealous without truth, it eventually becomes an embarrassment to that Christian.
False teachers can be very zealous and convince unwary converts, who will mimic the confident charlatan. The wise learner will be diligent to exercise discernment with each view to a teaching. New believers are novices, and they should not be the ones teaching in the church. Fascinating are the number of conversion stories of preaching pastors who were actually born again later in their ministry tenures. Each one of these accounts must serve as a warning to all the churches, to be diligent to know and guard sound doctrine.
I was baptized Roman Catholic, nurtured by liberal Arminian Methodists, brought to conversion by fundamental Baptists, seminary trained by Dispensationalists, and finally grounded in the Reformed faith by Scottish Presbyterians who introduced me to the Puritans. Needless to say, I have been around the theological neighborhood. It has been a labor of shedding bad doctrine after bad doctrine to get to where I am, today. Even now, I am very hesitant to claim my cement has dried.
In contrast with the easy charge that I have followed every wind of doctrine that has redirected me, I confess that God’s grace has compelled me to labor long and hard through each season of holding doctrinal positions that I now understand as error.
Recently, I was challenged with the age-old myth of Calvinist lethargy — the purported curse of the frozen chosen, that is, those who appear to rest from labors upon conversion, especially in winning souls because of their belief in predestination. First, the Bible is very clear that God has chosen a people for His own possession (Dt 7:7; Rom 11:5; 1 Pet 2:9). These are His elect, who He predestined to adoption as His own children (Rom 8:30; Eph 1:4–5; 1 Jn 3:1, 10). The doctrines of predestination and election are so abundant in the biblical text, the greater mystery is why anyone claiming to be born again would ever deny them.
It is the devil’s work to keep people in the dark about the kingdom of God, by thwarting their hearing or understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and King of kings (1 Tim 6:15). Even after an elect soul is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, converted via repentance and faith, and now on the sanctified narrow way of life…the devil does not stop his work of hindering the saint’s progress.
A church may boast about being Christ-centered and Gospel-driven each week from the pulpit, but if they only talk about the Gospel and do not actually preach it, then they are not helping sinners or saints. Boasting about our commitment to boast in the main thing does not constitute the main thing.
For this reason, I am an advocate of weekly celebrations of the Lord’s Supper. By presenting this sacrament, there is a small assurance that the death of Christ will be visually proclaimed even if the sermon neglects a clear Gospel presentation to be heard.
Winning souls is wise, and it is biblical (Prv 11:30; Lk 5:10). The centrality of winning souls is heard from the pulpit week after week…or it is not heard. If one is looking for Calvinist zeal for the Gospel, then begin your investigation in the pew…listening. Bring your Gospel checklist with you. Did the man of God preach the Gospel beginning with predestination and election? If these doctrines are not regularly preached, then a diluted Gospel message is put forth over time, which is the slippery slope to all kinds of heresies.
One may claim to be a Calvinist preacher, but without a clear presentation of the doctrines that set the Calvinist apart from the Arminians, Arians, Pelagians, Socinians, Open Theists, etc. you are not a Reformed preacher and obviously not zealous to be one. Zealous Calvinism, meaning biblical Christianity, begins in the pulpit. The love of true Bible doctrine is contagious and motivating.
Reformed worship is not a circus, a comedy routine, a therapy session, or a rock concert — all of which look rather zealous on the outward appearance. The zeal of the Calvinist is brewing mightily in the heart for sound doctrine and in the mind seeking spiritual discernment. If you wish to locate the fire of a Calvinist, you must look within his bones (Jer 20:9). If you wish to see that fire come out, simply ask the Calvinist about the sovereignty or holiness of God. You will not be disappointed and you, too, might become genuinely zealous with the knowledge you glean from God’s chosen who are hardly frozen.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
September 9, 2022
