Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
John CalvinRead
For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by His fatherly care, that He is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond Him - they will never yield Him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in Him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to Him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Recognizing God as the source of all good leads to true happiness and willing service.
In this quote, John Calvin emphasizes the importance of acknowledging God as the ultimate source of goodness and provision in life. He argues that until individuals understand that their happiness and all they possess come from God, they will struggle to serve Him fully and sincerely. This recognition fosters a deep, genuine relationship with God, where one's happiness is rooted in divine connection rather than external pursuits.
Themes
GodHappinessServiceFaithRecognition
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the nature of faith and happiness, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of recognizing God in our lives.
More from John Calvin
All quotes →The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
John CalvinRead
Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.
John CalvinRead
Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil.
John CalvinRead
For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.
John CalvinRead
When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.
John CalvinRead
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