Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
John CalvinRead
The subject then of these chapters may be stated thus, - man's only righteousness is through the mercy of God in Christ, which being offered by the Gospel is apprehended by faith.
Interpretation
True righteousness in humanity comes solely from God's mercy through Christ, received by faith as presented in the Gospel.
In this quote, John Calvin emphasizes the concept that human righteousness is not something that can be achieved on one's own but is instead a gift from God. This righteousness is made available through Jesus Christ and can only be fully grasped through faith as communicated by the Gospel, highlighting the foundational Christian belief in salvation and grace.
In practice
In a sermon about salvation, one might quote Calvin's words to illustrate the importance of faith in receiving God's grace.
Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
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.
Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.
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.
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.
When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.
Once we are self-aware, we must choose purposes and principles to live by; otherwise the vacuum will be filled, and we will lose our self-awareness and become like groveling animals who live primarily for survival and propagation. People who exist on that level aren't living; they are "being lived".
It seems to me that we often commit ourselves wholly to something while knowing almost nothing concrete about it. Another word for that, I suppose, is 'faith.'
It is very important for a priest, in the parish itself, to see how people trust in him and to experience, in addition to their trust, also their generosity in pardoning his weaknesses.
He believed in God even if he was doubtful of men's claims to know God's mind. But that a God unable to forgive was no God at all.
Julian once wrote that coincidences are the scars of fate. There are no coincidences, Daniel. We are puppets of our subconscious desires.
Yesterday is ever jealous of...tomorrow.
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