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The land … will be yours and your children’s forever, because you have followed the Covenant LORD wholeheartedly” (Josh. 14:9, author’s translation).
Can you guess who said these words: “We are called to a knowledge of God, not that knowledge which … merely flits in the brain, but that which … takes root in the heart”? That’s right, it was John Calvin. He has been appropriately designated “the theologian of the heart.” His emblem was a stretched-out hand offering an inflamed heart to God; his motto was, “My heart I give you Lord, promptly and sincerely.”
All through the ages, the world has been radically redirected by theologians of the heart. In fact, three thousand years before Calvin, another theologian of the heart set the standard for service to God. It was Caleb, companion of Joshua and warrior for the Lord. In viewing his heart commitment, consider what a heart theologian believes, does, and receives.
What a Heart Theologian Believes
Certain elements mark the faith of a theologian of the heart. First, a heart theologian believes (with all his heart) that the God who revealed Himself to Israel is the one and only sovereign Lord over heaven and earth. For him, there can be no other god.
Because a theologian of the heart believes in the one and only God, he cannot be intimidated by contrary forces that swirl about him. Caleb had no doubt the Israelites could claim the land God had promised them. Neither meeting “giants in the land” nor finding himself in a minority could destroy his confidence.
Second, a theologian of the heart believes that God’s sovereign love has been set on particular sinners. He understands that God has made a plan for these graciously favored sinners, and that He will carry out that plan. Caleb knew of God’s plan to give Israel the land of Canaan, and he was confident the Lord would fulfill His purpose. A theologian who believes wholeheartedly in God’s plan will not be bothered by the ups and downs of prosperity in the present world order. He knows God will sustain him through his struggles in the present, and future glory is sure to come.
What a Heart Theologian Does
Caleb’s life demonstrates two concrete actions of the heart-theologian. First, a theologian of the heart witnesses to the truth of God despite the opinions of the majority. Caleb and Joshua were clearly in the minority. But God had promised a certain land to His people, and they believed He would be true to His promise. They spoke out even though they were being loudly contradicted by a powerful majority.
It’s a pattern that has repeated itself over and over. Athanasius, Augustine, Luther, Knox, Machen—they all bore their testimony to the truth in the face of contrary opinions of the majority. The inner chamber of the heart theologian’s soul is sacred, and will receive its strongest influence from none other than God Himself and the Word He has spoken.
One issue before the church continues to be the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Noteworthy theologians have compromised the clear line drawn during the Reformation in an effort to re-establish rapport with non-evangelicals. But the theologian of the heart will not surrender to the pressures of the modern day. He will bear his testimony to the truth whatever the consequences.
Second, the theologian of the heart never seeks retirement from the fray. Caleb was 85 years old when he approached Joshua requesting permission to conquer more land. He was as hale and hearty at 85 as he had been 45 years earlier.
This commitment past an artificial “retirement” age in Caleb displayed his wholehearted devotion to the Lord. If only more Christian believers today would show the same wholehearted commitment to their tasks. An early withdrawal from the battle for truth never will characterize the theologian of the heart. He will, by God’s sustaining grace, persevere until the end.
What a Heart Theologian Receives
So what is the payback? What are the rewards of a theologian of the heart?
First, the theologian of the heart receives the blessing of a meaningful and satisfying life of service to God. Length of life may not always be the case. In the ordering of God, the lives of some of His most faithful servants are cut short. Yet many theologians of the heart may have the joyful experience of Caleb. At 85 years of age they still will be fresh and green, bearing fruit in their old age (Ps. 92:14).
Second, the theologian of the heart receives a special inheritance from the Lord. Caleb was given Hebron. Hebron! The highest spot of southern Judah, where a person’s expanded vision might embrace the Jordan to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. God has His ways of compensating those who surrender the course of their lives to Him. As the old saying goes, “You can never outgive God!”
Any theologians of the heart today? It’s the need of the hour. May God in His grace raise up servants among His people today who are committed, not to the whims and fancies of the passing hour, but to the solid substance of God’s truth that can never fail.