John Piper | – The Calvinist


I wrote this poem called “The Calvinist” to capture a glimpse of God’s sovereign intersection with the life of a sinful man. There is no part of life where the greatness of God does not penetrate deeply. I want to help you feel that…

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By John Piper
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Desiring God God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Learn more at desiringGod.org. Desiring God

Comment (49)

  1. Hello I am new to Christianity and this whole Calvinism debate has me thinking. I do believe that God loves each and everyone of us and he died and rose again to save each and everyone of us. But that's not to say everyone will be saved. The predestined are the people that God has already chosen ahead of time to be saved…only he knows who those people are. Calvinism and its teachings make a whole lot of sense to me. But anyways the gift is there…we are all open to receive it there are no exemptions unless you blaspheme the Holy Spirit and I think there is another unforgivable sin that correlates to not being eligible for salvation at all. Ok…so I believe it's just a matter of if you truly seek and desire salvation…that probably isn't going to be everybody. Basically just do the will of the Father. Period. Attain salvation and truly mean it, confess your sins…it's literally the same gospel as the counter doctrine (arminiasm) so confess your sins…each and everyone of them and then repent. (change your mind/view on sin…it is evil and will only stray you away from the Lord). Believe that God sent his Son to die on the cross and that he rose up again on the third day, confess with your mouth that "Jesus is LORD" and from then on trust in Jesus and in Jesus alone to save you…I don't want to confuse anyone. First believe that Jesus died for the sins we committed prior to him, repent from those sons, say that he is Lord, ask the Lord to send the gift of the Holy Spirit unto you as he promised and from then on place your faith and trust in Jesus and in Jesus alone. Live for him in everything you do. Fear him. That's it…not everyone will make that decision in their lives…if you do however, be sure it comes from the heart and that you give EVERYTHING unto the Lord. Yourself, your job, everything but most importantly yourself. So those I feel who are predestined are the ones who truly have attained salvation. You will know them by their fruits. This I do understand and if you dig deeper, you can too. But not everyone will unfortunately. Hope I make sense. God bless everyone!

  2. wow…. so 1. Why isn't this video titled 'The Christian'?? As if Calvinists are the only ones that embody these values and practices, 2. Calvinists are all middle class white males? 3. Calvinist women don't think, write and read? Or are they just the fun beautiful thing to experience life with? This video and the title make me want to be sick.. it is so so so sad that Calvinists think that they embody these things and that other Christians don't. And I don't know how you could expect non-calvinists not to to take that thought away from that video. We are a body of believers who all think deeply and engage with God in meaningful ways.

  3. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

    Ephesians 1:4‭-‬5

  4. Such details and perfections in every little thing in this poem from words to the musics and video. Thank you for such masterpiece!

    I hope I can make masterpiece for God too in the future!

    Remembering RC Sproul who got the final line in this poem and then he is the first to be with The LORD!

    What a divine coincidence!

  5. We our On the very Last days before the world changes ,
    Believe in Christ and trust in Him and His Righteousness for forgiveness of all sins and the free Gift of eternal life.
    Saved by Grace by faith alone In Christ.
    Jesus Loves You and died for you so that you could have Eternal life through Faith in Him. Grace alone no works, free to choose Christ

  6. The video/poem could have been more accurately titled as "The born again Christian."
    I myself am not a Calvinist, and God allows me to feel like this poem feels.
    I'm also happy that, while the world identifies with doctrines as identity, I choose to identify with what God teaches me from His Word – He is able.
    Lovely poem.

  7. Greetings and Blessings in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Jesus) to all of the Body of Christ!

    I'm NOT a calvinist, BUT God (the Holy Spirit) showed to me Psalm 139 and Romans 9 and and John 6:37,44…..

    And Ephesians 1, HalleluYah to the LAMB of God (YAH/I AM is the LAMB/the WORD)!

    God bless all!

  8. No theologian or bible teacher has helped grow in such a deep understanding of the God of scripture than R.C Sproul. The Lord always provides faithful servants and always gives sound teachers to build up the church. I am forever thankful to God for helping me understand him more through one of his servants. Final whisper Gain!!

  9. Can’t help but come back to this. This is one of the three poems in my life I’ve come back to over and over again first for its beauty but now for its sustenance. Life is hard and often dark but God is glorious.

    See him stray, he groans.
    What is left to me?
    Fallibility.
    See him in lament.
    “Should I now repent?”
    “Yes! And then proclaim; all is for My fame.”

  10. Whoever reads this God bless, repent and believe the Gospel, Jesus christ is returning, humble yourself before God…trust in His free gift of salvation…and to you lukewarm christians, wake up and read your bible, feed yourselves and hold onto your faith

  11. The FALSE-HOOD here is that there is no such thing as Calvin's god "intersecting" with the so-called "life" of a man. The language here is designed to deceptively portray a degree of human autonomy that doesn't exist within Calvinism.

    John Calvin explains:
    -quote
    "men can deliberately do nothing unless he INSPIRE it." (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God pg 171–172)

    -quote
    They are merely INSTRUMENTS*, into which god constantly *INFUSES what energy he sees meet, and turns and converts to any purpose at his pleasure. (Institutes)

    Paul Helms
    -quote
    Not only is every atom and molecule, every thought and desire, kept in being by god, but every twist and turn of each
    of these is under the DIRECT CONTROL of god (The Providence of God pg 22)

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