- Apr 26, 2017
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Hi all, I just found this quote from john calvin
In the early chapters of his exposition of the Christian faith, The Institutes of Christian Religion, John Calvin argues that you may know a lot about God, but you don’t truly know God until the knowledge of what he has done for you in Jesus Christ had changed the fundamental structure of your heart.” “For the Word of God is not received by faith if it flits about in the top of the brain, but when it takes root in the depth of the heart…the heart’s distrust is greater than the mind’s blindness. It is harder for the heart to be furnished with assurance [of God’s love] than for the mind to be endowed with thought.” When the gospel does take root in the heart, the sign of it is that Christians are led “to establish their complete happiness in him.” Unless people experience this, “they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him” You don’t have true saving knowledge of God until you long to know and serve him. Such a soul “restrains itself from sinning, not our of dread of punishment alone; but because it loves and reveres God as Father…Even if there were no hell, it would still shudder at offending him.”
john calvin seems to be saying here that salvation is not through faith, but through knowledge of God. I personally long to know God largely because I know that there is no real joy or happiness or meaning apart from him. so some might say that my motivation for seeking God is getting something for myself, namely life. which makes quotes like this feel condemning. what do you think of this quote? can you help me to understand what he is really saying?
I also have not yet sought to "establish my complete happiness in him"
I know that complete happiness can only be found in him, but I have not attained that fullness yet, does that mean im unsaved?
In the early chapters of his exposition of the Christian faith, The Institutes of Christian Religion, John Calvin argues that you may know a lot about God, but you don’t truly know God until the knowledge of what he has done for you in Jesus Christ had changed the fundamental structure of your heart.” “For the Word of God is not received by faith if it flits about in the top of the brain, but when it takes root in the depth of the heart…the heart’s distrust is greater than the mind’s blindness. It is harder for the heart to be furnished with assurance [of God’s love] than for the mind to be endowed with thought.” When the gospel does take root in the heart, the sign of it is that Christians are led “to establish their complete happiness in him.” Unless people experience this, “they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him” You don’t have true saving knowledge of God until you long to know and serve him. Such a soul “restrains itself from sinning, not our of dread of punishment alone; but because it loves and reveres God as Father…Even if there were no hell, it would still shudder at offending him.”
john calvin seems to be saying here that salvation is not through faith, but through knowledge of God. I personally long to know God largely because I know that there is no real joy or happiness or meaning apart from him. so some might say that my motivation for seeking God is getting something for myself, namely life. which makes quotes like this feel condemning. what do you think of this quote? can you help me to understand what he is really saying?
I also have not yet sought to "establish my complete happiness in him"
I know that complete happiness can only be found in him, but I have not attained that fullness yet, does that mean im unsaved?