Predestinarian and Charismatic: An Outline

What follows is a modified outline of a presentation I have recently given at two different small groups.  I thought that I would go ahead and share this with a wider audience.  I hope it is helpful to those who read it. 

Predestinarian and Charismatic (An Outline)
By Christian Edmiston

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 NASB

I.  What is a Predestinarian Charismatic?

A.  A Predestinarian Charismatic is a theologically conservative evangelical Christian who embraces both the Calvinistic doctrines of grace and the continuation and vital importance of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit taught in the New Testament.  A Predestinarian Charismatic does not merely pay lip service to or water down one or both elements, but rather embraces, teaches, and models them.
Additionally, Predestinarian Charismatic Christians are anxious to see the wedding of sound doctrine with displays of God's power in miraculous manifestions.  I call this convergence Word and Power.

  1.  A Predestinarian Charismatic may, or may not choose to identify as "Reformed". While I choose not to, I respect the decision of those who choose to continue using that moniker.

 B.  A Predestinarian Charismatic Christian is supremely interested in grace.

  1.  The most important thing to a Predestinarian Charismatic (and, to be fair, all true Christians) is the Gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).


But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.  (NASB)


2.  And what is the Gospel of the grace of God?


Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB

  3.  Predestinarian Charismatics embrace the Doctrines of Grace (TULIP):

   a.    -Total Depravity:  The Need for Grace (John 6:44; Romans 3:9-19; 8:7)
    b.   -Unconditional Election: Grace Before Time (John 6:44; Romans 8:28-30; 9:1-23; Ephesians 1:3-12)
    c.   -Limited Atonement:  Grace Accomplished (John 17:9,19; Romans 5:6-9; Hebrews 10:14)
    d.   -Irresistable Grace:  Grace Applied (John 6:44; Acts 16:14)
    e.    -Perseverence of the Saints:  Finished Grace (John 6:44; 10:27-30; Romans 8:28-30; 33-39; Hebrews 10:14)


 4.  As Charismatic Christians, we embrace all of the charismata, or "grace gifts."

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”
 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)  And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 
(Ephesians 4:7-13 NASB)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 
( 1 Peter 4:10 NASB)


5.  It is important to remember that in reality, dividing up spiritual gifts into "miraculous" or "non-miraculous" is artificial.  Teaching is just as much a charisma as prophecy.  Serving is just as much a charisma as miracles.  Administration just as much as tongues, etc...  




II.  Why Does it Matter?  Why Emphasize These Points?

 A.  At the risk of sounding overly sectarian, I believe that the these points are important for the following reasons:
 
 1.They are taught in Scripture (see references above)
 2. They have the potential to bring about raproachment between those who emphasize experience over doctrine, and those who favor doctrine over experience.  They matter because obeying the "whole counsel of God" matters (Acts 20:27).
3.  Jesus taught on election (John 6:44,65) and did miracles of power.
4.  The same Paul who wrote Romans 9 also wrote 1 Corinthians 12-14.