Book Review : On the Christian Life by John Calvin

By James Jeffery

 

 

A compelling argument can be made that John Calvin’s four-volume Institutes of the Christian Religion (1541) is the greatest theological treatise to be written outside of the Bible. The breadth, depth, and precision of Calvin’s magnus opus is apparent to any reader. However, many Christians are unaware that Calvin wrote the Institutes with the ordinary Christian in mind. His goal was to equip the layperson with a Biblically-grounded theology of God’s character, the nature of Scripture, and the doctrine of the church, among other critical and practical subjects. 

While many believers will be daunted by the size and density of the full copy of Calvin’s Institutes, this need not be the case with the excerpt booklet recently published: On the Christian Life. Published by Crossway, On the Christian Life is a new translation of what has come to be referred to as Calvin’s “Golden Booklet”: a rich devotional instructing believers in what Christ has done for us, and God calls us to practically respond to Him in our lives. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the booklet is given to the subject of suffering, and how it is that God uses our tribulations for our good and His glory. If it was Christ’s suffering that preceded His exaltation, why should it be any different with us? 

On the Christian Life is an excerpt from Book III, chapters 6-10 of the Institutes. In this short booklet, Calvin helps Christians understand what it looks like to live out our faith in Christ. In a methodical and accessible manner, Calvin first shows (chapter 6) the necessity of ordering our lives according to God’s Word. He shows that a Christian is a person who has been restored to fellowship with God, and therefore has been called and set apart for a life of service to God and others. In contrast to empty pagan philosophies, Christ demands that we have ‘a true knowledge of him from the word of the gospel’ which transforms our lives (p. 9). Far from claiming the moral high ground, the true Christian acknowledges his imperfection whilst simultaneously striving for perfection, which Calvin describes in terms of ‘integrity…a pure simplicity of mind that is free of subterfuge and pretending, the opposite of a double-heart’ (p. 10).

In Chapter 7, Calvin summarises the Christian life as one of self-denial. United with Christ in His death, our old self has been crucified with its passions, and we now live by faith in the Son of God. This, Calvin argues, is what distinguishes the false professor from the true believer: the true believer ‘seek[s] the things of God for their own sake, not for [their] own advantage’ (p. 15). Conversely, the unregenerate person only ever seeks to serve God insofar as it is a benefit to himself. The Christian is the man who has been inwardly dwelt by the Spirit of God. He is convicted of sin, not just because it is injurious to himself, but because it is an offence against the holy God who made him. Central to fulfilling our duty toward God and neighbour is following Christ and practicing self-denial.

Chapter 8 continues the theme of self-denial by considering what it means to ‘carry our cross.’ Specifically, Calvin admonishes believers to see their afflictions and trials as instruments sent from the sovereign hand of God to sanctify and cleanse us from our sin. As children of God, Calvin desired that believers would see suffering not as accidental, but coming from the hand of their Heavenly Father. Such trials produce in the believer patience, humility, dependence, and submission to Christ: all necessary components of a rich and rewarding relationship with God. 

Chapter 9 presents the light at the end of the tunnel. In the midst of agony and pain, believers are reminded of the promise of the future life. Suffering teaches us not to place our hope in this transient, fallen world, but to look forward to the New Creation, where all things will be restored. The cap-stone of this chapter is Calvin’s treatment of Christ’s resurrection, which he sets forth as the foundation for our hope. We can be confident God will deliver what He has promised because of Christ, our first fruit and trailblazer who guarantees our future. This, Calvin argues, is the only way we can face trials with genuine patience and joy, unlike the empty philosophies of this world. 

In the final chapter, Calvin draws us back to the present, and what God would demand of us now. He reminds us of the various blessings God gives us in this life, which are to be enjoyed rather than denied. This, I suspect, is in anticipation of those who would misconstrue his words and adopt an ascetic life as more ‘spiritual’ than one delighting in Christ and His gifts. Getting to the heart of the matter, Calvin reminds us that gratitude to God, a rightful contempt of the present life, contentment in our ‘calling,’ and the knowledge we are accountable to God are the only solutions to ‘lustful excess’ (p. 60). The chief motive that should be directing our heart in all affairs is love. Only such a mindset will produce a life that is pleasing to God, and which we can look back on with thankfulness and joy. 

On the Christian Life is a timeless treasure that every Christian would do well to read every couple of years. As it has been said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” How true this is of the Christian life. As forgetful creatures, we need to be reminded of what means to live for Christ, and how we should expect Him to be at work in our lives. 

At only 62-pages, this accessible booklet bridges the gap between theology and everyday discipleship. Don’t miss the opportunity to dive into Calvin’s enduring insights—this little book could have a big impact on your journey with Christ. On sale for only $13.99, this book is an absolute steal.