If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! – Luke 11:13
It is possible to focus on a small part and miss the bigger issue. When I first embraced Reformed theology, I was so psyched to find Calvinism actually in the Bible!! I wondered how I’d missed it all those years. So when I read a verse like this I read the first half and said, “Ah ha! See? Total depravity!” Indeed, there it is. However, why did I stop at the first half of the verse? Was Jesus teaching on total depravity or something else?
Clearly, if you read the rest of the verse Jesus point is not total depravity (though he does teach that) but even greater than that, he’s teaching on God’s grace. Yes, we are evil, but God is greater than that and gives us evil people an even greater gift: His Spirit. The focus isn’t depravity but grace.
I wonder how often I missed that? We can focus on one doctrine so much that we miss the bigger picture. I remember someone saying that once a person becomes a Calvinist, they shouldn’t be allowed to talk about it for a year. Not because they’ll find out it is wrong, but because it will give them time to chill out. I think that is wise advice.
I wonder how many truly incredible doctrines I’m missing right now because I’m overly focused on some pet doctrine? God, give me the gift of your Spirit so that I might be able to see through the theology to glimpse your beauty. Amen.