Quest for Godliness # 2

Why We Need the Puritans

What is a Puritan? The term Puritan was coined in the early 1560’s as a derogatory epitaph implying a hypocritical religious lifestyle. Yet, in reality they exhibited an intense spiritual maturity that is of absolute necessity today. In short, the Puritans need to be recovered because they had an unrivaled spiritual maturity coupled with Christian wisdom and passionate knowledge of the Scriptures. Their lives were lived in a perpetual state of conflict and strife, thus creating a rich heritage of closeness with Christ. Because of this the Puritans are needed today because they can help us toward our own spiritual maturity.

First, their Christianity completely embraced the totality of their lives. They integrated Christianity into the fabric and fray of their personal lives in both work and play. Second, they were marked by a high level of spiritual experience. They communed with God and they meditated passionately on the words of life. This brought about a hatred for sin and love of grace. Third, they worked out what they taught. They were men of action who sought to be agents of change for their generation and those that would follow. Fourth, the Puritans had a remarkable stability within their families. They sought wives to love and cherish forever while they raised children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. The home was the first front of evangelism and ministry. Fifth, they treasured the eternal worth of humanity. By understanding how great their God was they were also able to understand the value he placed on humanity. Sixth, the Puritan’s sought and strived for church renewal and reformation. They sought to bring about an “enrichment of understanding of God’s truth, arousal of affections Godward, increase of ardour in one’s devotions, and more love, joy, and firmness of Christian purpose in one’s calling and personal life” (27). Renewal of the Church and reformation of the heart were the goals of Puritan ministry.

Puritanism was a worldview. In being such it was a spiritual movement to direct people back to God and to renew the Church of Christ. It was their goal to complete what the Reformation began: a radical reshaping of Church and church life. Such a vision was to be achieved through preaching, teaching and the placing of all things in life under the sovereign lordship of their creator and redeemer.

There are three types of evangelical Christians today who stand in need of being reshaped by the Puritan worldview. First, there are restless experientialists. They are the extroverts of Christianity who emphasize joy, happiness, etc. and often become the defining category of evangelical Christians. They need the Puritans to return them to a more god-centered focus which will bring about a humility, patience, and steadiness often lacking in this type of people. They need to become more self-conscious recognizing that God often works through difficulties to enable his children to grow in grace.

Second, there are entrenched intellectuals who present themselves as rigid, argumentative and critical Christians. They need the Puritans to point them to the necessity of God performing a heart work in them, a softening of the affections. They need to develop an intimate passion for their redeemer and a love for all other Christians, even with those whom they disagree. They need to move from knowledge about God to a “relational acquaintance with God himself” (32). Last, there are disaffected deviationists who once saw themselves as evangelicals but have since become dissatisfied with evangelical Christianity. They need the Puritans because they speak of the unknown mystery of God, the radical love of God for fallen sinners, his merciful salvation, that the Christian life is one of spiritual conflict, yet that God will protect his children with their lives ultimately bringing glory to God alone.