The Life of the Christian Man | John Calvin

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - The Life of the Christian Man; And First, by What Arguments Scripture Urges Us to ItScripture commends righteousness primarily by aiming to instill and establish a deep love for it in believers' hearts, acknowledging that humans are not naturally inclined towards it. This core purpose is integral to regeneration, which seeks to manifest a harmony between God's righteousness and believers' obedience, thereby confirming their adoption as sons.The strongest and most effective motive for living righteously comes from God's work through the person and redemptive act of Christ. God the Father has stamped the likeness of Christ for us to conform to, making our life's expression of Christ the very condition upon which we have been adopted as sons. To fail in this dedication to righteousness is seen as revolting from the Creator and abjuring the Savior.Righteousness is also fundamentally rooted in God's inherent holiness; we are commanded to be holy because our God is holy. Our union with God demands holiness as its bond, meaning we are to be infused with His holiness, recognizing that it is unfitting for God’s dwelling to be defiled.Additionally, Scripture draws powerful exhortations from all of God's benefits and the individual parts of our salvation. These include our identity as God's children, Christ's cleansing blood, our engraftment into His body, His ascension as our Head, the Holy Spirit dedicating us as temples, and our ultimate destiny for incorruption. These foundations are considered far superior to philosophical commendations of virtue that only appeal to human dignity.Scripture emphasizes that the Christian life is "a doctrine not of the tongue but of life". It must possess the whole soul and deeply penetrate the inmost affections of the heart, affecting the entire person beyond mere intellectual understanding or outward profession. This transformative journey begins with integrity, defined as a sincere simplicity of mind, free from guile, and an unfeigned dedication to God for holiness. This integrity is recognized as the chief part of worshiping God and the beginning of right living. While full evangelical perfection is not attained in this earthly life due to human weakness, Scripture encourages continuous, unceasing progress and striving toward this ultimate goal, assuring believers that even slight daily headway is valuable until final perfection is achieved in full fellowship with God.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed