I had the great privilege this past Saturday, Oct 24 2009 to participate in a Reformation Conference at Covenant Reformed Church in Sacramento. As part of the commeration of the great Genevan Reformer John Calvin I was asked to present a paper on Calvin's view of the Christian life.
The past couple of months have been both encouraging and heart searching as I delved into both Calvin's Institutes, Book 2:6-11 and the 'Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life'. What a rich treasure of succinct biblical teaching Calvin gives us on the true nature of the Christian life.
I set out my paper around Calvin's main points as the actual five points of Calvin regarding what it means to be a true Christian. The five points Calvin believed that mark a true Christian's life are...
1. The Pursuit of Holiness
2.The Exercising of Self-Denial
3.The Cultivation of Patient Endurance
4.The Possesion of an Eternal Hope
5.The Wise Maintaining of an Orderly Life
A few weeks before he entered glory in 1564 Calvin wrote to Farel 'It is enough that I live and die for Christ who is to all His followers a gain both in life and death...'
His motto was as ours should be to 'I offer my heart to you Lord, promptly and sincerely...', Christian are you living as Christ calls you to?
