Deutero Q

A while back I was given a book with the curious title of Oxymoronica. The book is a compilation of oxymorons. An oxymoron, you may recall, is the combination of seemingly contradictory terms, for example: cool heat, deafening silence, and jumbo shrimp. And how about this one: joyful Calvinism. Now that is truly an oxymoron in the minds of many people!

Sadly, Calvinists are often cariacatured as sour and dour Christians. I even heard one preacher refer to us as "God's joyless people." It seems to me, however, that Calvinists ought to be among the most joyful of God's people. After all, we emphasize grace--and the Greek word for “grace” is related to the words “gift” and “joy.” People who have been changed by God’s gift of grace ought to be full of joy.

Away, then, with joyless Christianity! Let those of us who wear the Calvinist label trade the rotten fruit of sourness and dourness for the fresh fruit of joy and gladness (Galatians 5:22).

May the joy of Jesus fill our lives!