Faith Embraces the Favor - Institutes of Christian Religion Part 10

John Calvin:

"We shall now have a full definition of faith if we say that it is a firm and sure knowledge of the divine favour toward us, founded on the truth of a free promise in Christ, and revealed to our minds, and sealed on our hearts, by the Holy Spirit." The Institutes of Christian Religion, 475.

Faith sees and receives God's favor for sinners in Christ. Faith is not simply understanding that the doctrines of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus happened. Demons understand that cognitively. It is embracing that what God has done in Christ is for you--for me. This kind of faith, in Calvin's words, "cannot possibly be disjoined from pious affection" (476). Faith informs the mind of the truth of what God has done in Jesus and affects the heart with the reality of God's undeserved favor and love.

Self-Progress - Institutes of Christian Religion 9

John Calvin:

"...he who is most deeply abased and alarmed, by the consciousness of his disgrace, nakedness, want, and misery, has made the greatest progress in the knowledge of himself. Man is in no danger of taking too much from himself, provided he learns that whatever he wants is to be recovered in God." Institutes of Christian Religion, Book II, Chap. II, 231.

Nobody, well hardly anybody, says this kind of thing nowadays, which is why guys like John Calvin are good for the soul. It rescues the modern person from thinking more highly of themselves than they ought.

The "greatest progress"? Wouldn't many say that is nothing close to progress? Progress is thinking of yourself better; of realizing self-actualization; of esteeming yourself more...not of being conscious of your disgrace, your nakedness, your want, your misery; yet that is where, Calvin says, is the greatest progress of self-knowledge you can find. Most consider this foolishness. For many this is not progress but retrogression.

There is a key qualification here, lest one think that Calvin is simply a sin-monger and on a self-negativity binge; it is: "provided." Provided one knows that Jesus has recovered all that was lost in the fall of man; provided one knows that in Adam all are dead, and in Jesus dead men are made alive again; provided one knows that the old man has been crucified and the new man has been resurrected; provided one knows that Jesus has restored and changed fallen humanity into a new humanity--this kind of self-knowledge is good for you.

So, yes, consider your utter sinfulfness and you will know yourself truly, and then looking at your sinfulness turn your eyes to Jesus and trust in him. He has recovered and restored all that you've lost in and of yourself, and replaced sinfulness with righteousness.

I pray phrases like this increase your view of the debaseness of yourself and the deliverance found in Jesus. Think worse of yourself and more of Jesus. This is a good thing, and demonstrates mental health and psychological wholeness. To me all this sounds like that crazy guy at the beginning of the New Testament, John the Baptizer, who would probably be categorized in the DSM-IV with a mental illness due to just eating grasshoppers and honey and wandering in the wilderness, but was one of the most mentally healthy men alive. He said, speaking of Jesus and himself, "He must increase, and I must decrease" (Jn. 3:30). Thank God for this kind of self-depreciation, which is self-progress.

Hang on to God's Lips - Calvin's Institutes 8

John Calvin:

"...it is to be observed, that the first man revolted against the authority of God, not only in allowing himself to be ensnared by the wiles of the devil, but also by despising the truth, and turning aside to lies. Assuredly, when the word of God is despised all reverence for Him is gone. His majesty cannot be duly honored among us, nor his worship maintained in its integrity, unless we as it were upon his lips." Institutes of Christian Religion, Book II, Chapter I, 213.

Active sinfulness comes from passiveness toward God's Word. If you are not hanging onto the lips of God sin will follow quickly. It's not enough to simply assume God's Word, one must pursue it, otherwise lies will become more attractive and the Devil will gain more power. To fight against the Devil, like Jesus showed us, is to hang onto the lips and words of God.

Human Duty under and in Providence - Calvin's Institutes 7

John Calvin:

"As regards future events, Solomon easily reconciles human deliberation with divine providence. For while he derides the stupidity of those who presume to undertake anything without God, as if they were not ruled by his hand, he elsewhere thus expresses himself: 'A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps," (Prov. 16:9); intimating that the eternal decrees of God by no means prevent us from proceeding, under his will, to provide for ourselves, and arrange all our affairs. And the reason for this is clear. For he who has fixed the boundaries of our life, has at the same time intrusted us with the care of it, provided us with the means of preserving it, forewarned us of the dangers to which we are exposed, and supplied cautions and remedies, that we may not be overwhelmed unawares. Now, our duty is clear, namely, since the Lord has comitted to us the defence of our life,--to defend it; since he offers assistance,--to use it; since he forwarns us of danger--not to rush on heedless; since he supplies remedies,--not to neglect them..." Institutes of Christian Religion, Volume I, Chapter 17, 186-187.

Calvin's Calvinism is not without human responsiblity. When you get sick--take pills. When you get cancer--pray for healing. When you lose your job--find another one. When you sin--seek God for forgiveness. When you need to get something done--plan to do it and do whatever is necesarry beforehand. When you preach--call sinners to trust in Jesus. When you have to go to work in the morning--get out of bed.

The list goes on...there is no blind fate here; there is no dry stoicism; live with all your might while you live and trust God in whom you live and move and have your very being.

Spirit & the Word - Calvin's Institutes 5

John Calvin: 

"But I answer, that the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason.  For as God alone can properly bear witness to his own words, so these words will not obtain full credit in the hearts of men, until they are sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit.  The same Spirit, therefore, who spoke by the mouth of the prophets, must penetrate our hearts, in order to convince us that they faithfully delievered the message with which they were divinely intrusted...the only true faith is that which the Spirit of God seals on our hearts."  Institutes of Christian Religion, Vol. I, 72-73.

Cultivating a Knowledge of God in the Heart - Calvin's Institutes 4

John Calvin,

"And here we must observe again...that the knowledge of God which we are invited to cultivate is not that which, resting satisfied with empty speculation, only flutters the brain, but a knowledge which will prove substantial and frutiful wherever it is duly perceived, and rooted in the heart." Insitutes of Christian Religion, Volume I, 57.

The World a Mirror to Behold God - Calvin's Institutes 3

John Calvin states,

"...we cannot open our eyes without being compelled to behold him...first, wherever you turn your eyes, there is no portion of the world, however minute, that does not exhibit at least some sparks of beauty; while it is impossible to contemplate the vast and beautiful fabric as it extends around, without being overwhelmed by the immense weight of glory.  Hence, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, elegantly describes the visible worlds as images of the invisible (Heb. xi. 3), the elegant structure of the world serving us as a kind of mirror, in which we may behold God, though otherwise invisible."  The Institutues of the Christian Religion, Volume 1, 51.

Measure Yourself Against the Majesty of God - Calvin's Institutes 2

Calvin states,

"...men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God." 39

This measurement against God is not self-annihilating but leads to a true self-understanding.  As Calvin says earlier,

"...it is evident that man never attains to true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.  For (such is our innate pride) we always see ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity." 38

We cannot know ourselves until we know God.  If the self is put in first place all manner of folly follows.  The American passion for searching for self-meaning is self-destructive because the self cannot be found without relationship to God.

All quotes from John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion.

Reading the Bible (and Calvin) in a Year & Other Links

Have you ever wanted to read a Christian theological classic?  Probably not. Why not try it?  The gentlemen over at ref21 offer a 2009 reading schedule for John Calvin's Institutes of Christian Religion, which is considered one of the greatest books in Christian history.  I am looking forward to doing it this year.  

NFL has some good games this weekend: Favre vs. Pennington, Chargers vs. Broncos.  Chargers are lucky to be in that position, but they have played well down the stretch.  Most other divisions and they wouldn't stand a chance for the playoffs, but weak division ='s a fighter's chance for the playoffs.  Pennington's old team kicked him out for Favre, and now it comes down to a must win for each team for the playoffs.  Favre's Jet's have choked as of late, and Parcell's dolphins have played much better this year with Pennington at the helm.  There are many more great games Sunday as well...

Trueman, again, this time on the economy and idolatry.  That is a must read.

Thinking about a Bible reading plan for next year?  Here are a few recommendations I have enjoyed in the past: Robert Murray McCheyne's has a great plan for reading the OT once and the NT twice, yet requires much committment to stay on plan; the Discipleship Journal plan, recommended by Pastor John Piper, is a good one and helps one finish the Bible in a year without as much reading.  

A few others I haven't tried that look interesting is: A 61 day chronological plan which traces key events and people throughout biblical history.  That looks like a solid one to get a good sweeping view of the Bible.  It could be a great one for mothers with kids who have a hard time committing to the entire Bible in a year or a good one for those who struggle reading the Bible and just want to start somewhere.  One should be able to nail 61 days out of 365, right?  What about a Bible reading plan with the Apocrypha?  Now, I hesitate to call that a Bible reading plan at all, but if you are interested in some other literature held to be of historical importance to Jewish people and held to be inspired by Roman Catholics--give that a shot.  However, the Apocrypha is not canonical and should never be read in the same way as God's Word inspired by the Holy Spirit, rather it should be read carefully and critically just like any other fallible text.

The Insolence of Devotion to Mary the Mother of Jesus

John Calvin stood against the grossly inappropriate titles for Mary the mother of Jesus by the Roman Catholic Church.  This too is not strictly old theology that has been done away with by the more modern Vatican II Roman Catholic Church.  The Catechism states the following:

"971 'All generations will call me blessed': 'The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.'  The church rightly honors 'the Blessed Virgin with special devotion.  From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored wiht the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs....This very special devotion...differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.'  The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an 'epitomy of the whole Gospel,' express this devotion to the Virgin Mary."  Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part I, Section II, Chapter III, Article 9.

More disturbing language comes a bit earlier in the Catechism:

"969 This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.  Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation....Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."  Catechism of the Catholic Church, ibid.

There is an attempt to clean it up with qualifiers in the next section in 970 but it remains blasphemy.  Titles like these for Mary made John Calvin cringe.  He wrote in his commentary on Luke 1:48, which contains Mary's Magnificant the following:

"Now observe, that Mary makes her happiness to consist in nothing else, but in what she acknoledges to have been bestowed upon her by God, and mentions as the gift of his grace.  'I shall be reckoned blessed,' she says, 'through all ages.'  Was it becuase she sought this praise by her own power or exertion?  On the contrary, she makes mention of nothing but of the work of God.  Hence we see how widely the Papists differ from her, who idly adorn her with their empty devices, and reckon almost as nothing the benefits which she received from God.  They heap up an abundance of magnificent and very presumptuous titles, such as, 'Queen of Heaven, Star of Salvation, Gate of Life, Sweetness, Hope and Salvation.'  Nay more, to such a pitch of insolence and fury have they been hurried by Satan, that they give her authority over Christ...None of these modes of expression, it is evident, proceeded from the Lord...If it was her duty to praise the name of God alone, who had done to her wonderful things, no room is left for the pretended titles, which come from another quarter.  Besides, nothing could be more disrespectful to her, than to rob the Son of God of what is his own, to clothe her with the sacrilegious plunder."  Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 1.

The Shameful Indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church

Another great Protestant Reformer was John Calvin, and his Institutes of Christian Religion is known as one of the greatest written works in Christian history.  One key major disagreement that Calvin and the other Reformers had against the Roman Catholic church was indulgences, and lest you think the Roman Catholic church has changed its tune in regards to indulgences, take a look at their Catechism straight off the Vatican's web-page:

"1471 What is an indulgence? 'An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.'"  Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part II, Section II, Article IV, X.

Calvin displayed the great error of this doctrine, free from the shackles of our modern politically correct tone, in his Institutes of Christian Religion:

"From the dogma of satisfaction that of indulgences takes its rise.  For the pretence is, that what is wanting to our own ability is hereby supplied; and they go to the insane length of defining them to be a dispensation of the merrits of Christ, and the martyrs which the Pope makes by his bulls...They give the name of treasury of the Church to the merits of Christ, the holy Apostles and Martyrs.  They pretend, as I have said, that the radical custody of the granary has been delivered to the Roman bishop, to whom the dispensation of these great blessings belongs in such a sense, that he can both exercise it by himself, and delegate the power of exercising it to others...These, to describe them truly, are a profanation of the blood of Christ, and a delusion of Satan, by which the Christian people are led away from the grace of God and the life which is in Christ, and turned aside from the true way of salvation.  For how could the blood of Christ be more shamefully profaned than by denying its sufficiency for the remission of sins, for reconciliation and satisfaction, unless its defects, as if it were dried up and exhausted, are supplemented from some other quarter?...What is this but merley to leave the name of Christ, and at the same time make him a vulgar saintling, who can scarcely be distinguished in the crows?  He alone ought to be preached, alone held forth, alone named, alone looked to, whenever the subject considered is the obtaining of the forgiveness of sins, expiation, and sanctification." Book III, chapter 5, 572-574

Happy Reformationstag II

The Swiss Reformer John Calvin would like a say as well this Reformation Day. (Or at least I would like to give him voice.) The following is from his renowned Institutes of Christian Religion on the subject of faith and works:

"13. But since a great part of mankind imagine a righteousness compounded of faith and works let us here show that there is so wide a difference between justification by faith and by works, that the establishment of the one necessarily overthrows the other. The Apostle says, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,” (Phil. 3:8, 9). You here see a comparison of contraries, and an intimation that every one who would obtain the righteousness of Christ must renounce his own. Hence he elsewhere declares the cause of the rejection of the Jews to have been, that “they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God,” (Rom. 10:3). If we destroy the righteousness of God by establishing our own righteousness, then, in order to obtain his righteousness, our own must be entirely abandoned. This also he shows, when he declares that boasting is not excluded by the Law, but by faith (Rom. 3:27). Hence it follows, that so long as the minutes portion of our own righteousness remains, we have still some ground for boasting. Now if faith utterly excludes boasting, the righteousness of works cannot in any way be associated with the righteousness of faith. This meaning is so clearly expressed in the fourth chapter to the Romans as to leave no room for cavil or evasion. “If Abraham were justified by works he has whereof to glory;” and then it is added, “but not before God,” (Rom. 4:2). The conclusion, therefore, is, that he was not justified by works. He then employs another argument from contraries—viz. when reward is paid to works, it is done of debt, not of grace; but the righteousness of faith is of grace: therefore it is not of the merit of works. Away, then, with the dream of those who invent a righteousness compounded of faith and works."

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