Calvin's Vision: Piety in the Christian Life

 

Summary

In this exploration of John Calvin's teachings on the Christian life, we delve into the profound concept of piety, a central theme in Calvin's theology. Piety, for Calvin, is not merely a religious formality but an experiential love of God as Father and a reverence for Him as Lord. This dual aspect of piety—love and reverence—forms the bedrock of the Christian life, shaping how believers live out their faith in practical terms. Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, particularly Book 3, Chapters 6 through 10, often referred to as the "Golden Booklet of the Christian Life," provides a comprehensive guide to understanding and living out this piety.

Calvin's emphasis on piety is rooted in his own conversion experience, which, though not extensively documented, is believed to have been influenced by passages such as Romans 1:18-25. This passage highlights the importance of honoring God and being thankful, themes that are interwoven throughout Calvin's writings. His life exemplified this commitment to piety, as seen in his willingness to serve in Geneva despite personal reluctance, demonstrating a life of self-denial and obedience to God's call.

Calvin's teaching on the Christian life is characterized by four key aspects: self-denial, cross-bearing, meditation on the future life, and the use of the present life. Self-denial involves putting aside personal desires to follow Christ's example. Cross-bearing is seen as a lifelong journey where believers experience God's provision and grow in patience and obedience. Meditation on the future life encourages believers to live with hope and purpose, while the use of the present life emphasizes moderation, industry, and gratitude.

Calvin also highlights the motivations for living a pious life, which include God's holiness and the benefits of salvation. These motivations are not merely theoretical but are meant to inspire a genuine transformation in the believer's life, leading to a deeper communion with God. Ultimately, Calvin's vision for the Christian life is one of progressive sanctification, where growth, not perfection, is the hallmark of a believer's journey.

Key Takeaways:

- Piety as Experiential Love and Reverence: Calvin's concept of piety is an experiential love of God as Father and a reverence for Him as Lord. This dual aspect forms the foundation of the Christian life, guiding believers in their daily walk with God. It is not about mere religious formality but a deep, heartfelt response to God's grace and holiness. [11:49]

- The Role of Self-Denial and Cross-Bearing: The Christian life, according to Calvin, begins with self-denial and is marked by cross-bearing. This involves a willingness to set aside personal desires and endure trials for the sake of Christ, reflecting His own journey of sacrifice and obedience. [48:59]

- Motivations for Piety: Calvin emphasizes God's holiness and the benefits of salvation as key motivations for living a pious life. These motivations inspire believers to pursue holiness and live in a manner that reflects their identity as children of God. [38:01]

- Progressive Sanctification: Growth, not perfection, is the hallmark of the Christian life. Calvin's teaching encourages believers to embrace the process of sanctification, trusting that God is continually at work in them to conform them to the image of Christ. [46:41]

- Living with Hope and Purpose: Meditation on the future life and the proper use of the present life are essential aspects of Calvin's teaching. Believers are encouraged to live with hope, focusing on eternal realities while engaging in the world with moderation, industry, and gratitude. [54:45]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction and Humor
- [00:35] - Conference Planning
- [01:07] - Calvin's Institutes Overview
- [02:03] - Calvin on the Christian Life
- [02:20] - Paul's Charge to Timothy
- [03:39] - Truth and Godliness
- [05:27] - Love from a Pure Heart
- [07:15] - Calvin's Vision of Piety
- [08:35] - The Golden Booklet of the Christian Life
- [10:09] - Understanding Piety
- [11:49] - Experiential Love and Reverence
- [19:51] - Roots of Calvin's Teaching
- [30:44] - Calvin's Teaching on Christian Life
- [47:30] - Four Parts of Christian Life
- [56:14] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: John Calvin's Teachings on the Christian Life

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 1:18-25
2. 1 Timothy 1:3-5
3. Romans 13:13-14

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul emphasize as the goal of instruction in 1 Timothy 1:3-5, and how does this relate to Calvin's understanding of piety? [03:39]

2. How does Romans 1:18-25 highlight the themes of honoring God and being thankful, and why are these themes significant in Calvin's teachings? [25:53]

3. In Romans 13:13-14, what behaviors does Paul instruct believers to avoid, and how does this passage relate to Calvin's concept of self-denial? [21:43]

4. According to the sermon, how did Calvin's personal experiences reflect his teachings on self-denial and obedience to God's call? [28:09]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Calvin's concept of piety as an "experiential love of God as Father and a reverence for Him as Lord" challenge or affirm contemporary understandings of religious devotion? [11:49]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that self-denial and cross-bearing are essential to the Christian life, and how might these practices manifest in a believer's daily life? [48:59]

3. How does Calvin's emphasis on God's holiness as a motivation for piety differ from other motivations commonly discussed in Christian teachings? [38:01]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of progressive sanctification in the Christian life, and how does this concept provide hope for believers? [46:41]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you struggle to honor God or be thankful, as highlighted in Romans 1:21? How can you cultivate a more grateful heart this week? [25:53]

2. Calvin emphasizes self-denial as a starting point for the Christian life. Identify one personal desire or habit that you feel called to set aside in order to follow Christ more closely. What steps can you take to begin this process? [48:59]

3. Consider the concept of cross-bearing as a lifelong journey. What current challenges or trials are you facing that could be seen as part of this journey? How can you seek God's provision and grow in patience through these experiences? [51:10]

4. Calvin speaks of living with hope and purpose by meditating on the future life. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine to maintain an eternal perspective? [54:45]

5. The sermon highlights the importance of God's holiness as a motivation for piety. How does this perspective influence your approach to personal holiness and your relationship with God? [38:01]

6. Calvin's teaching encourages moderation, industry, and gratitude in the use of the present life. Identify one area where you can practice moderation or increase your gratitude this week. What practical steps will you take? [54:45]

7. Reflect on the idea of progressive sanctification. In what ways have you seen growth in your spiritual life over the past year? How can you continue to embrace this process of becoming more like Christ? [46:41]

Devotional

Day 1: Experiential Love and Reverence
Calvin's concept of piety is deeply rooted in an experiential love of God as Father and a reverence for Him as Lord. This dual aspect of piety forms the foundation of the Christian life, guiding believers in their daily walk with God. It is not about mere religious formality but a deep, heartfelt response to God's grace and holiness. This love and reverence are not abstract ideas but are meant to be lived out in practical ways, influencing how believers interact with God and others. Calvin's teachings encourage believers to cultivate a relationship with God that is both intimate and respectful, recognizing His sovereignty and grace. [11:49]

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:23-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you express both love and reverence for God in your daily interactions with others today?


Day 2: Self-Denial and Cross-Bearing
The Christian life, according to Calvin, begins with self-denial and is marked by cross-bearing. This involves a willingness to set aside personal desires and endure trials for the sake of Christ, reflecting His own journey of sacrifice and obedience. Self-denial is not about self-deprivation for its own sake but about aligning one's life with the example of Christ, who put aside His own will to fulfill the Father's purpose. Cross-bearing is a lifelong journey where believers experience God's provision and grow in patience and obedience, learning to trust in His plan even in the midst of suffering. [48:59]

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'" (Matthew 16:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: What is one personal desire you can set aside today to better follow Christ's example of self-denial and obedience?


Day 3: Motivations for Piety
Calvin emphasizes God's holiness and the benefits of salvation as key motivations for living a pious life. These motivations are not merely theoretical but are meant to inspire a genuine transformation in the believer's life, leading to a deeper communion with God. Understanding God's holiness helps believers to see the importance of living a life that reflects His character, while the benefits of salvation remind them of the grace and mercy they have received. This understanding should inspire believers to pursue holiness and live in a manner that reflects their identity as children of God. [38:01]

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:14-16, ESV)

Reflection: How does reflecting on God's holiness and your salvation motivate you to live differently today?


Day 4: Progressive Sanctification
Growth, not perfection, is the hallmark of the Christian life. Calvin's teaching encourages believers to embrace the process of sanctification, trusting that God is continually at work in them to conform them to the image of Christ. This process involves a gradual transformation where believers learn to rely on God's strength and grace to overcome sin and grow in righteousness. It is a journey marked by progress rather than perfection, where believers are encouraged to persevere in their faith, knowing that God is faithful to complete the work He has begun in them. [46:41]

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you see God working to bring about growth and transformation today?


Day 5: Living with Hope and Purpose
Meditation on the future life and the proper use of the present life are essential aspects of Calvin's teaching. Believers are encouraged to live with hope, focusing on eternal realities while engaging in the world with moderation, industry, and gratitude. This perspective helps believers to prioritize what truly matters, living with a sense of purpose and direction that is rooted in their eternal destiny. By keeping their eyes on the future, believers can navigate the challenges of the present with a sense of hope and confidence, knowing that their ultimate reward is with God. [54:45]

"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: How can you live with a greater sense of hope and purpose today, focusing on eternal realities while engaging in the present?

Quotes

"Paul says this as I urged you upon my departure from Macedonia remain on at Ephesus in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith." [00:02:35]

"Calvin called his Institutes of the Christian religion a sum of piety yes it was a rigorous engagement with the truth of God's Word but it was an engagement with the truth of God's Word for the sake of producing piety what does he mean by piety he means an experiential love of God as father and a fear and reverence of God as Lord." [00:11:04]

"Calvin says that the object of the work that God is doing in us to sanctify us to conform us to Christ to change us to transform us that the object is to manifest in the life of believers a harmony and an agreement between God's righteousness and their obedience and thus to confirm the adoption that they have received as sons." [00:30:48]

"True Christian freedom is found when you want to do what you ought to do true Christian freedom is when you want to do what you ought to do it is not that God's standards have somehow disappeared on the other side of grace it is that by the work of God's Spirit more and more you want to do what you ought to do." [00:34:46]

"Calvin emphasizes this aspect of the Christian life both a love of righteousness and a rule of life and then he talks about our motivation what's our motivation for living the Christian life now most of us for the last couple of hundred of years in the evangelical and Protestant and reformed community have talked about grace as our motivation for living the Christian life." [00:37:05]

"Calvin sketches out this motivation for the Christian life it's responding to God's benefits in salvation he goes on to say two more things one this is a matter of the heart not the tongue this is not something that Calvin gets right at the kind of parodies that we make of them determine for us is generally a negative term when you talk about someone being pious very often you have a negative meaning connected with that." [00:44:49]

"Growth not perfection is the characteristic of the Christian life when you outline the Institute's three chapters 6 to 10 there are four parts and these are the four parts of the Christian life that Calvin gives to us there let me just say them quickly and then I'll elaborate self-denial cross bearing meditation on the future life and use of the present life." [00:46:41]

"Calvin begins by saying that the living of the Christian life begins with denial of self he says this in part because the Christian life is in large measure because it is the living out of our union with Christ it is going the way of our Savior and what did our Savior come do when he came he took up his cross and he denied himself." [00:47:38]

"Calvin says five things about cross bearing bearing the cross in your life is the way that God conforms us to his son and Calvin talks about five ways that the Lord uses that first of all he calls on us to pass our whole lives under a continual cross he calls us to pass our whole lives under a continuous cross." [00:50:50]

"Calvin then in this section says that we must meditate upon the future life why so that we can escape the troubles of this life no so that we are animated by a vital hope so that we can live now for God's glory in the midst of this fallen world and he concludes by talking about the Christians use of the present life especially urging us to moderation in the enjoyment of temporal blessings." [00:54:45]

"Calvin's teaching on the Christian life is rooted in two grand realities the grand reality of what God made us in the first place in the garden to be and the grand reality of union with Christ and what he has made us to be in union with him and as Jesus fulfilled for us all the obligations of God's law and in his own life lived in perfect righteousness as the only son to ever perfectly image his father." [00:31:43]

"Calvin's themes of honoring God and being thankful to God are interwoven into his recital of the account of his conversion and they find themselves again into his writings against the Roman Catholic Cardinal satellite it finds itself again in to the introduction to the French translation of the New Testament over and over this theme of honoring God and being thankful to him is a key part of Calvin's piety." [00:26:24]

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Transcript
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