(Writing after devotions with Jesus and His Spirit, in unit 18-50, Block E, Mar Vista, Jalan Bt Ferringhi, Penang, Thursday, Oct 24th, 2024)

1. I am now in Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin’s magnum opus, book 3, chapter 2, “Of faith. The definition of it. Its peculiar properties.” There are 3 principal parts to this section.
2. It is important to be reminded that Book 3 is of the “benefits of Christ’” for His people. And the place of the Person and Ministry of the Spirit of God and of Christ in affecting the union of God’s people with the Triune God.
3. Calvin has barely began to talk about the benefits of union with Christ before he launches into an exposition of faith, and its necessity in the whole scheme of union.
4. Calvin writes of “the nature of this faith, by means of which, those who are adopted into the family of God obtain possession of the heavenly kingdom“.
5. I had to pause at this point to allow the enormity of the truth of what Calvin is saying to sink in. When have we heard this awesome truth ever preached like the preacher actually believed it? How would the lives of believers, and the whole church change if this truth of God contained in Scripture, and brought to us personally through our union with Christ affected everything we think, say and do?
6. We possess the kingdom because we are adopted into the family of God in our union with Christ. I then recalled Luke 12:32, where Jesus Himself said, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your (italics mine) Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
7. I KNOW I did not get that! This is knowledge that is way too high, and beyond my puny human understanding to grasp. This is glory! And only the glorious Spirit of God can make this up close and personal to God’s children, God’s “little flock”. With transformational outcomes.
8. I did a word search (using e-sword bible app again) on the phrase, “good pleasure”, and found that the Greek word used for the translation is “eudokeo“. This word means that it is God’s good pleasure to think good of His “little flock”, and to choose, or determine, and to do willingly, and be ready, and prefer to give His little flock His kingdom. (mic drop moment!)
9. Calvin in this part of Chapter 2 makes reference to something he terms as “implicit faith”. He criticizes a group of people he terms as “schoolmen” for teaching and propagation of this “implicit faith” which he says, “they have invented the fiction of implicit faith, with which name decking the grossest ignorance, they delude the wretched populace to their great destruction. Nay, to state the fact more truly and plainly, this fiction not only buries true faith, but entirely destroys it. Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?“
10. Again, to truly reflect upon Calvin’s point above made me think how our present-day congregations are not too far removed from his. Contemporary congregations are quite satisfied to let their church leaders and preachers do the thinking for them until faith is almost implicit.
11. For John Calvin faith “consists not in ignorance, but in knowledge of the divine will”. For him, as he understood gospel faith, faith “is an EXPLICIT RECOGNITION (capitalized and bolded by me for emphasis) of the divine goodness, in which our righteousness consists”.
12. No wonder Luther also exalted faith as this faith exalts the righteousness of faith in Christ to possess all of Him.
13. Imagine how a contemporary believer can revel and rejoice in such a truth held personal!