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Calvin has received some “bad press” … I wonder why?
So many people are antagonistic about both the man himself, and the teachings that have been attributed to his name. And I have to admit that I bought into all this misinformation until, in the course of my study, I began to read the man’s actual words.
What I discovered was a passionate lover of God!
Reading Calvin’s Institutes was a revelation to me, confirmed by reading about his life. Yes, he made mistakes in his life …. Many of which he bitterly regretted …. Some of which he couldn’t see.
Now who does that sound like? ….. It sounds like the rest of us!
It was with great interest and much pleasure that I have read in various blogs about a resurgence of interest in Calvin and what he actually taught (as opposed to what people have said he taught). Following is some of the transcript of a talk given by Sam Storms at the recent Desiring God National Conference 2009 … called ….
The Final Act in the Theater of God Calvin on the Joy of the Last Resurrection Desiring God 2009 National Conference By Sam Storms September 26, 2009
When Calvin talks about turning our eyes away from earth and toward heaven, you should never think that he was somehow some sort of other-worldly dualist who despised God's creation. Far from it. Whenever Calvin talked about his passion to leave this earth and go to heaven, it was driven by 1) his hatred of sin, 2) his own bodily suffering, and 3) his desire to see God. Calvin was not negligent toward matters of this life or basic responsibilities. Think of his remarkable productivity. This is no other-worldly dualism…...
Calvin is a helpful guide to us because of his vision of Jesus Christ as that which made heaven heavenly. If Calvin longed for the resurrection and glorification of the body primarily to escape his physical agonies, he would not be worthy of our attention. What made heaven heavenly for Calvin was Christ. That's what energized his longing......
Calvin is helpful because of the way he instructs us to meditate on heaven and the final resurrection. He disciplined himself on a daily basis to focus on the future resurrection. ………
Calvin wrote, "How do we avoid entangling ourselves in the snares of this world? We make it our business to meditate on the heavenly life." …….
As Calvin wrote, "we ought to learn to have one foot raised to take our departure when it shall please God." Let us diligently work at our jobs and honor our employers, but let us do it with one foot raised. Let's get married, have children, devote ourselves to our spouses, but do it with one foot raised. Educate your children, Mom and Dad, but do it with one foot raised. Weep at the gravesite of a child that has died in infancy, but do it with one foot raised. Read a book, write a book with one foot raised. Cheer for your favorite football team with one foot raised. Plant a garden, plant a church, open a savings account, invest in a stock, but do it with the anxious expectation, the joy-filled hope, the anticipation of the heavenly life and the felicity of the life that will be ours.
© Desiring God
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