Monday, November 16, 2009

External Christianity is NOT Enough


This excerpt is taken from John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, ch.vi. I have edited this in modern English, and though it may not be the best rendition, I pray that the essence of its content (since it pertains to practical Christianity) will go forth to the heart of the reader. Enjoy. Be blessed. Be edified…
“This is where we address those who would still consider themselves Christians but have nothing of Christ except His name and church membership. How dare they boast of this sacred name? The only ones who truly have communion with Christ are those who have acquired the true knowledge of Him from the Gospel.

“The Apostle teaches that no man has truly learned Christ who has not learned to ‘put off [the] old self, which belongs to [the] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,’ and put on Christ (Ephesians 4:22, ESV). Therefore, they are convicted of falsely and unjustly pretending to have knowledge of Christ, regardless of how flowing or eloquent their speech is concerning the Gospel.

“Doctrine is not a matter of the tongue, but of the life. It is not merely understood by the intellect and memory like other branches of learning, but is also received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds its seat and habitation in the innermost recesses of the heart. Let them, therefore, either cease to insult God by boasting that they are what they are not, or else let them demonstrate that they are not unworthy disciples of their divine Master.

“We must give first priority to doctrine contained in Christianity, since doctrine is where our salvation begins. Yet, it must be transfused into our hearts, and pass into our conduct, and transform us the new creatures the Scripture speaks, so as not to prove unfruitful.

“Philosophers are offended with those who profess a knowledge of the art of life yet have a conduct that does not display that life, and rightly so. They banish these offenders from their presence in disgrace because they ramble with words of wisdom that are meaningless. How much more then should we detest those flimsy sophists who are happy to give lip service to the Gospel, when we know that the true Gospel is powerful and effective, and ought to penetrate the innermost affections of the heart, fix its seat in the soul, and spread through the whole man a hundred times more than the cold speeches of philosophers?”