Calvin: condemning the impulses to rebellion

Friday, November 25, 2016
    Commemoration of Katherine of Alexandria, Martyr, 4th century
Meditation:
    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
    —1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)
Quotation:
    It may seem absurd to some that all desires by which man is by nature affected are so completely condemned—although they have been bestowed by God himself, the author of nature. To this I reply that we do not condemn those inclinations which God so engraved upon the character of man at his first creation, that they were eradicable only with humanity itself; but only those bold and unbridled impulses which contend against God’s control.
    ... John Calvin (1509-1564), The Institutes of the Christian Religion, v. I [1559], tr. John Allen, Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1921, III.iii.12, p. 544 (see the book)
    See also 1 John 2:15-17; John 15:19; Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:1-2; 1 John 4:4-5
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, teach me self-control. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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