So just as personal recap, Calvin divided his Institutes into four separate books. The current book is centered around the knowledge of Creator God. To this point we have looked an many many different angles ranging from how we are to see the Creator God in ourselves, in the earth, and how He gave us the Scriptures as a guide to lead us to this deeper knowledge of the Creator God.
One thought that continually strikes me is how much time and precision Calvin put into organizing the books as he did. With this we know why he paid careful attention in building the foundation of relying solely on Scripture as our guide, for as we get deeper and deeper into the workings and attributes of God, many questions will arise, and Satan will use those opportunities as doorways less we head them off with sound Scripture.
Calvin begins to address a few concerns he must have been approached with in his day, for chapter 14 begins by addressing the understanding that there are things we humans just will not know while on earth. There are things we cant comprehend and there are things that God may have just wanted to keep to himself. He is after all, God. Fortunately for us God is a loving God and will supply us with all the knowledge we NEED. For instance God allows for us to peak into the creation of the world. HELLO!! a window into the creation of the world. Pretty cool.
So as Calvin states, "Therefore, let us willingly remain hedged in by those boundaries within which God has been pleased to confine our persons, and, as it were, enclose our minds, so as to prevent them from losing themselves by wandering unrestrained."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Blogging the Institutes - Day 27
Why tell us the story of Creation?
- To give us something to lean on, because we would wonder all around truth were God not to directly state it.
"For as an eye, either dimmed by age or weakened by any other cause, sees nothing distinctly without the aid of glasses, so if scripture does not direct us in our inquires after God, we immediately turn vain in our imaginations."
To ponder creation, time & space, the heavens..... is a dangerous game. We can come to some conclusion and it be totally wrong. So let us take Calvin's advice on the matter...
"Let us willingly remain hedged in lay those boundaries within which God has been please to confine out persons, and, as it were, enclose our minds, so as to prevent them from losing themselves by wandering unrestrained."
- To give us something to lean on, because we would wonder all around truth were God not to directly state it.
"For as an eye, either dimmed by age or weakened by any other cause, sees nothing distinctly without the aid of glasses, so if scripture does not direct us in our inquires after God, we immediately turn vain in our imaginations."
To ponder creation, time & space, the heavens..... is a dangerous game. We can come to some conclusion and it be totally wrong. So let us take Calvin's advice on the matter...
"Let us willingly remain hedged in lay those boundaries within which God has been please to confine out persons, and, as it were, enclose our minds, so as to prevent them from losing themselves by wandering unrestrained."
Blogging the Institutes - Day 29
Last word on angels....
"Whatever, therefore, is said as to the ministry of angels, let us employ for the purpose of removing all distrust, and strengthening our confidence in God. Since the Lord has provided us such protections, let us not be terrified at the multitude of our enemies as if they could prevail notwithstanding his aid, but let us adopt the sentiment of Elisha, that more are for us than against us."
Devils....
I would like to quote Book 1 Ch. 14 sec 13 in it's entirety, I wont, but I would like to. This section is to let us know that the enemy we face is strong, but at each instance where we see/realize his strength, we must know we have armor stronger than his darts, a faith that can defeat his every advance. So " we must not be cowardice, but, on the contrary, with minds aroused and even on alert, let us stand ready to resist; and knowing that this warfare is terminated only by death, let us study to persevere. Above all, fully conscious of our weakness and worst of skill, let us invoke the help of God, and attempt nothing without trusting Him, since it is His alone to supply counsel, and strength, and courage, and arms!"
The number of enemies may be infinite, but if God's glory is dear to us, as it should be, we ought to struggle with all our might against him who aims to steal it!
"God holds him (satan) bound and fethered by the curb of his power, he executes those things only for which permission has been given him, and thus, however unwilling, obeys his Creator, being forced, whenever he is required, to do him service."
What confidence is gained by rightly assigning God His power and satan his proper position underneath, doing only what God allows. I can only then rejoice in all circumstances for they are means to one end.... God's Glory
Side note:
While Calvin is dealing with these obscure issues (angels, devils, Satan, fall of angels etc...) my mind tends to be flooded with questions that the scriptures do not explicitly answer. During this flood I grow a little frustrated, i now know it is out of pride, b/c "we see it was the Lord's purpose to deliver nothing in his oracles which we might not learn for edification". So if the answer isn't in the Holy Word of God, then it isn't profitable for me, it may even harm me due to my sinful tendency, the same tendency that all fallen men posses, to create pride and self righteousness and steal God's glory. That is restful to a mind prone to wander.
"Whatever, therefore, is said as to the ministry of angels, let us employ for the purpose of removing all distrust, and strengthening our confidence in God. Since the Lord has provided us such protections, let us not be terrified at the multitude of our enemies as if they could prevail notwithstanding his aid, but let us adopt the sentiment of Elisha, that more are for us than against us."
Devils....
I would like to quote Book 1 Ch. 14 sec 13 in it's entirety, I wont, but I would like to. This section is to let us know that the enemy we face is strong, but at each instance where we see/realize his strength, we must know we have armor stronger than his darts, a faith that can defeat his every advance. So " we must not be cowardice, but, on the contrary, with minds aroused and even on alert, let us stand ready to resist; and knowing that this warfare is terminated only by death, let us study to persevere. Above all, fully conscious of our weakness and worst of skill, let us invoke the help of God, and attempt nothing without trusting Him, since it is His alone to supply counsel, and strength, and courage, and arms!"
The number of enemies may be infinite, but if God's glory is dear to us, as it should be, we ought to struggle with all our might against him who aims to steal it!
"God holds him (satan) bound and fethered by the curb of his power, he executes those things only for which permission has been given him, and thus, however unwilling, obeys his Creator, being forced, whenever he is required, to do him service."
What confidence is gained by rightly assigning God His power and satan his proper position underneath, doing only what God allows. I can only then rejoice in all circumstances for they are means to one end.... God's Glory
Side note:
While Calvin is dealing with these obscure issues (angels, devils, Satan, fall of angels etc...) my mind tends to be flooded with questions that the scriptures do not explicitly answer. During this flood I grow a little frustrated, i now know it is out of pride, b/c "we see it was the Lord's purpose to deliver nothing in his oracles which we might not learn for edification". So if the answer isn't in the Holy Word of God, then it isn't profitable for me, it may even harm me due to my sinful tendency, the same tendency that all fallen men posses, to create pride and self righteousness and steal God's glory. That is restful to a mind prone to wander.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Blogging The Institutes: Day 26 1.13.26 -1.13.29
Satan's twisting of words reminds me of the certain one-to-three word movie reviews that flash on all movie trailers, "AMAZING", "FULL OF ENTERTAINMENT", knowing that the full sentence may actually say "AMAZING how boring a film can be!" False teachers and false doctrines almost always are founded by Satan using one-to-three words out of context to "prove" his point. The abuse of the true Holy Trinity is no exception.
Quick Question?
Has Joel Olsteen ever read Matthew 10:34?
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Day 24, 25, & 26 - Because my response is the same!
"Let us willingly leave to God the knowledge of Himself."
John 1 and Phil 2:6-11 together put me on my face. Today Calvin was talking about Jesus as equal member of the Trinitarian Godhead and mentions these two passages. John 1 has been on my heart and in my head because of a few sermons I have heard over the last few days and paired with this Philippians passage the truth of Jesus' deity is oh so clear.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"
"….Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above all names, so at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
The thing that absolutely blows my mind is the fact that the only God made Himself, humbled Himself and came to earth in the form of a man. The holy, perfect, righteous God came and lived/ministered immersed in a sinful, selfish, and unrighteous world. Do you understand that? I mean it takes a lot for some people to humble themselves and shop at Wal-mart! The God of the universe was in heaven, surround by angels who worship Him, sing songs about Him and He left that to come and dwell amongst the very thing he hates, sin. And it was His choice! I mean, if I am honest, would I do that? And better yet He came because He loves us. He came to redeem us. He came namely that His name would be made known and worshipped by His redeeming work. The aim of his humbling was to serve and in serving make known the Greatness of Himself; So that, every knee would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. That will happen you know.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Blogging The Institutes: Day 25 1.13.23 -1.13.25
There will be those that get lost in the labyrinth of human curiosity, and when the guidance of the divine is in front of them, they will choose to ignore it. It is this we witness when certain people question the Divine make up of the Trinity. They enter a labyrinth that no human mind can navigate, and when approached with a map (the Scriptures), the choose to navigate blind, eventually giving up, sitting in a corner, and crying.
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