Calvin: Institutes Chapters 3.7.3. to 3.7.7.

INSTITUTES
OF
THE CHRISTIAN
RELIGION

By
John Calvin

BOOK THIRD.
THE MODE OF OBTAINING THE GRACE OF CHRIST. THE
BENEFITS IT CONFERS, AND THE
EFFECTS RESULTING FROM IT.

CHAPTER 7.

A SUMMARY OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. OF SELF-DENIAL

3.7.3.

Speaking of living the Christian life, Calvin gives us what to him is a great description of a “well-ordered” Christian life. It is found in Titus 2:11-14

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹² instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

To this Calvin adds this tremendous pastoral insight: “After holding forth the grace of God to animate us, and pave the way for His true worship, he removes the two greatest obstacles which stand in the way—viz. ungodliness, to which we are by nature too prone, and worldly lusts, which are of still greater extent.” These two elements comprise both sides of the Law. Then Calvin notes that Paul boils the Christian life down to these three elements:

- Sobriety or soberness that speaks of chastity and temperance and the practical and frugal use of things.

- Righteousness which embraces the duties of a Christian.

- Godliness which speaks of our relationship with God.

And because it is so difficult to keep ourselves pure and undefiled by worldliness, Paul exhorts us to look unto the coming of the Lord and the incredible inheritance awaiting the saints.

3.7.4.

Obedience to God is a difficult matter. When we don’t obey we find ourselves in contravention to the One who is our Lord. When we do obey we find ourselves smitten with pride. In all this when it is difficult to obey we find ourselves impotent. Thus the Apostle points us to the necessity of grace. “For it teaches us to remember, that the endowments which God has bestowed upon us are not our own, but His free gifts . . ..”

We are to remain humble and consistently self-denying. “The only way by which you can ever attain to true meekness, is to have your heart imbued with a humble opinion of yourself and respect for others.”

3.7.5.

How can we truly serve others if we do not deny self? But Scripture, to conduct us to this, reminds us, that whatever we obtain from the Lord is granted on the condition of our employing it for the common good of the Church, and that, therefore, the legitimate use of all our gifts is a kind and liberal communication of them with others.”

It behooves us then to offer to the Lord those gifts He has graciously given us by using them to the service of others.

3.7.6.

We are to continue to do good even though the results are meager and the energy is low. “But Scripture subjoins a most excellent reason, when it tells us that we are not to look to what men in themselves deserve, but to attend to the image of God, which exists in all, and to which we owe all honour and love.”

Whether someone is our enemy, lacking merit or whatever the cause, we are to do good and bless them in Christ’s name.

3.7.7.

The best means to practice self-denial is to do good to others. If done properly “those duties, however, are not fulfilled by the mere discharge of them, though none be omitted, unless it is done from a pure feeling of love. “

“Every one should rather consider, that however great he is, he owes himself to his neighbours, and that the only limit to his beneficence is the failure of his means. The extent of these should regulate that of his charity.”

Questions To Consider

1. What does godly self-denial lead to?

2. What happens when virtue is pursued for its own sake?

3. According to Calvin, what three aspects of Christian living does Paul give to Titus?