No easy escape from false worship

As in his commentaries, Calvin is addressing the great lie of his time, false worship of images and service offered to false gods in the Roman Catholic church. I can have a tendency to read across those lines lightly since I'm not a part of that group. But I am still in this world and have as much or an even greater tendency to erect my own idols, images and false gods. I have been guilty of "render[ing] honor to God alone [with my lips], but undergo[ing] servitude for the others."

Simply not being among the primary targets at which Calvin aims is not a reason to wipe my brow and breath a sigh of relief, for there is no easy escape from this mad tendency of my corrupt heart. May God grant much grace in this day to render unto him not only honor, but service, as well. I am not tempted to give the nod to an image or a relic, but I am drawn to serve my selfish desires and my craving for recognition.

How good and merciful is our Father, remembering that we are made of the dust, to call us away from such and then also to give us his Word, illumined and empowered by His own Spirit to effectively change us? Thanks be unto God!

Christians Enamored of Christian Writing

Every day in the "Institutes" great conviction has been brought but especially in the reading of Thursday and Friday. I had to answer the question - what do I spend most of the time reading?
My answer, I must confess and repent, was in the books of men instead of "The Word of God".

As Calvin so clearly stated -
1.8.8 "If godly men take these things to heart, they will be abundantly equipped to restrain the barking of ungodly men; for this is a proof to clear to be open to any subtle objections."

1.8.9 "...the people themselves also had neglected the habit of reading it (The Word of God)."

I have been so humbled and reminded at the same time that the great resource of Christian writings we have today are not a bad thing unless I allow them to take first priority above reading "The Word of God."

May we continue in His Word so that "we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"(2Peter 3:18) "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you"(1Peter 3:15b) and to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."(2Timothy 2:15)

suppressing the knowledge of God

Calvin makes a powerful argument concerning our inherent knowledge of God as
well as the suppression of that knowledge. I found this interesting:

> But to render their madness more
> detestable, David [Ps. 14:1] represents them as flatly denying God's existence; not
> that they deprive him of his being, but because, in despoiling him of his
> judgment and providence, they shut him up idle in heaven.

In other words, denying God may mean denying him in his attributes and not
just denying his being. If someone denies that God rules or that God is judge
over all, he has in effect denied that the true God exists.

I can't find the specific passage now, but somewhere in this week's reading he
makes the point that an individual can't at the same time acknowledge God in
his holiness, judgment, and power and then go on sinning against him. I see
that played out in my own life. When I am bent on sin, I have to view God as
far away, unconcerned, or less than perfectly good. In other words, even in a
single act of sin, it's impossible to view God for who he really is and at the
same time go on in sin. This encourages me to cultivate and meditate on a
true view of God. This will do far more to kill sin than fleshly methods of
sin avoidance.

Hey,
This is cool. I look forward to seeing what others are learning. The reading has been good so far and has encouraged me in my thinking toward the sermon this week.

Have a blessed day,

Paul

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Stan

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