Early
last year Time magazine listed Calvinism as one of the biggest ideas of 2009, noting how popular this religious philosophy
has been becoming in America. The “New Calvinists” are now very prominent in leadership among the nation's churches,
and many of their strongest voices are calling the Church to become “Charismatic.” In other words, they believe
that God sometimes operates through supernatural gifts today just as He did in the Bible. However, virtually all of these
Calvinists deny that speaking in tongues is something God wants every Christian to do. This makes them very different from
the historic Charismatic Movement.
Traditional Charismatics
generally teach that all Spirit-filled believers should regularly use tongues as part of their private prayer-life. This is
biblical. The Lord made clear in 1 Corinthians 14:5 that He wants each of His children to experience this blessing, saying,
“Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues...” In fact, based on some scriptures it may be safe to say that God
wants everyone to operate in all the gifts of the Spirit occasionally. However, tongues are unique because they alone are
given for personal benefits. 1 Corinthians 14:4 says, “One who speaks in a tongue edifies [ministers to] himself...”
All of the other manifestations of Christ's power are given to bless the Body, or the Church as a whole (1 Cor. 12).
Speaking in tongues
dramatically improves a person's life because it strengthens their faith (Jude 1:20, Is. 28:11-12). By letting God guide their
lips to utter words in a strange language, a Christian can daily exercise putting their trust in Jesus. The inner spirit of
a person is heavily encouraged by this act, and the result is an increase of peace and sanity in the individual's life. According
to New York Times reporter Benedict Carey, “contrary to what may be a common perception, studies suggest that people
who speak in tongues rarely suffer from mental problems. A recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England
found that those who engaged in the practice were more emotionally stable than those who did not.”
Why does God
desire that people do such a weird thing as pray in foreign tongues that they do not know? It is a symbolic image of what
a heart deeply surrendered to Christ looks like. James 3:8 explains, “No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil,
full of deadly poison.” The normal human without Jesus has a sinful nature, and is unable to control their tongue. Their
mouth is frequently something that tears people down rather than bringing men words of genuine love. When somebody allows
God to miraculously take over their vocal cords though, they are demonstrating that He can change their lives entirely. Even
the most impossible thing to conquer can be mastered.
The Father in
Heaven is immensely generous, and He strongly desires to equip His kids with tools like the ability
to speak in tongues. It is something that is available to everyone who asks for the Holy Spirit's empowerment. Plus, because
it allows Him to give someone the words they need when they do not know what to pray, using it will significantly impact a
person's relationship with the Lord (1 Cor. 14:2, 14-17).
