QUOTE OF THE WEEK God has manifested Himself as Father to us. If we do not manifest ourselves as sons to Him in turn, we prove ourselves to be extremely ungrateful (Mal. 1:6; 1 John 3:1). 9 SUMMARY In this chapter, Calvin addresses how Scripture commands Christians to live, which is not intended to be …
The Expository Genius of John Calvin is the first book in the Long Line of Godly Men Profiles series, which is edited by Steven Lawson. It is my fifth volume to read in the series (the others being on Lloyd-Jones, Luther, Watts, and Owen). If you are not familiar with the series, they are not …
Throughout the month of October (and a bit of November), I invite you to read one more book together for this year, A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin. The previous two books that we have read together were both written by Puritans (Thomas Watson and John Owen); John Calvin, however, was …
Continue reading Let’s Read A Little Book on the Christian Life Together
The question at hand of which comes first, regeneration or faith, is full of obvious assumptions. If our faith precedes our regeneration, then it might be quite easily assumed that salvation is a synergistic work by which we extend a hand of desperation to God and He, in turn, rescued us. And if our regeneration …
Continue reading Does Regeneration Precede Faith? | John Calvin
The following quotation is from one of Calvin’s sermons that were collected together as a short book. Its subject is a heavy one. Many who claimed to agree with the Reformation were buckling under the threat of (and often enacted) persecution. A common mentality was of private support of Protestantism, while maintaining the public motions …
Continue reading God’s Word Prepares Us for Suffering | John Calvin
The Necessity of Reforming the Church is John Calvin’s short treatise to Emperor Charles V explaining why the Reformation was necessary. Therefore, it is a powerful summary of why the Reformers saw the need for a reformation in the first place. The following quotation is of Calvin describing the natural progression of true worship. I …
Of all the various philosophies to choose from, Stoicism is particularly fascinating to me (as I've noted previously). Far from the stereotype of seeking to remain emotionless through life, Stoics seeks to live each day as if they might not have another, to master their primal appetites and desires, and to face with resolve and …
While reading through Banner of Truth's beautiful gift edition of Calvin's A Guide to Christian Living, which is itself a short section from his Institutes, I read this powerful section and thought it quite worth sharing. But really, buy and read the whole thing. Ligonier also published a translation called A Little Book on the Christian Life. Elsewhere …
Continue reading Calvin on Avoiding Ungodliness and Worldly Desires
B. C. Newton 