Wealth and Poverty from God’s View

Let us never give way to the common idea that people are to be valued according to their income, and that the person who has most money is the one who ought to be the most highly esteemed. There is no authority for this notion in the Bible. The general teaching of Scripture is flatly opposed to it. “Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called” (1 Cor. 1:26). “Let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glories glory in this, that he knows and understands me” (Jeremiah 9:24). Wealth is no mark of God’s favor. Poverty is no mark of God’s displeasure. Those whom God justifies and glorifies are seldom the rich of this world. If we would measure people as God measures them, we must value them according to their grace.

~ J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 2 , [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 212. {Luke 16:19-31}

Reading Through the Institutes of the Christian Religion #2

2013 Calvin Reading Group

 Thoughts and reflections on the following areas.1.6.2-1.10.1.

***A quick re-cap to bring us up to speed.***

#1- God is the principle being, the(principum essendi), the essential foundation of all existence, knowledge, and being. All our knowledge of God is derived and has its origin in God himself. Thus, Bavinck says, " What we nee to understand about God must be taught by himself, for this cannot be known except by the author himself."  God, who is personal, having perfect  knowledge of himself and self consciousness freely and truly revels himself to man.This relationship between Gods own self knowledge and ours of him are archetypal and ectypal. The relation between our knowledge being ectypal of Gods archetypal knowledge is understood further as Bavinck writes," Our knowledge OF God is the imprint of the knowledge God has of himself but always on a creaturly level and in a creaturely way. The knowledge of God present in his creatures is only a weak likeness, a finite, limited sketch, of the absolute self consciousness of God accommodated to the capacities of the human or creaturely consciousness."

#2- Similar to Psalms 19: 1-2, Calvin states that "God for the first time was arrayed in visible attire when, in the creation of the world, he displayed those glorious banners, on which, to whatever side we turn, we behold his perfections visibly portrayed." Creation, elegant in its structure and bursting forth with beauty is as Calvin says, ".. a kind of mirror, in which we may behold God, though otherwise invisible.."The firmament and the heavens, the Psalmist says, shows his handiwork speaking loudly and testifying of Gods existence. when ever one gazes on the things that were made Calvin states that, "....we cannot open our eyes without being compelled to behold him."

#3- Knowledge of Gods existence not only is visible outwardly in all that has been created but also within man who is as well a creation of God. Calvin was aware of this sense of deity or (sensus divinitatis) that resided in the bosom of men quite well and the effects that this inward testimony had on men when he expresses that,"All men of sound Judgment will therefore hold, that a sense of Deity is indelibly engraven on the human heart. And that this belief is naturally engendered in all, and thoroughly fixed as it were in our very bones..."Also stating that, "That there exists in the human minds and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity, we hold to be beyond dispute, since God himself, to prevent any man from pretending ignorance, has endued all men with some idea of his Godhead, the memory of which he constantly renews and occasionally enlarges, that all to a man being aware that there is a God, and that he is their Maker, may be condemned by their own conscience when they neither worship him nor consecrate their lives to his service."

#4- Unfortunately,because of mans depravity the glorious display of creation, although shining clearly, and the inward testimony of God which is unable to be erased bears no fruit and is stifled. Calvin writes,"... scarcely one in a hundred is found who cherishes it in his heart, and not one in whom it grows to maturity so far is it from yielding fruit in its season. Moreover, while some lose themselves in superstitious observances, and others, of set purpose, wickedly revolt from God, the result is that, in regard to the true knowledge of him, all are so degenerate, that in no part of the world can genuine godliness be found."

#5-Man, when he looks toward God as the true standard of righteousness and virtue instead of himself, sees within himself a world of misery and depravity. Having seen the beauty of God he turns his thoughts to the true standard of virtue and righteousness hes compelled to revere and honor God. "Our mind cannot conceive of God, without rendering some worship to him", Calvin states,but man can not take one step without falling into error."the human mind..",Calvin says is prone " to lapse into forgetfulness of God, how readily inclined to every kind of error, how bent every now and then on devising new and fictitious religions." Instead of worshiping the creator man prostrates himself before the meanest objects in fictitious worship as an act of reverence to God.

I begin this entry's reflections with where i left off by quoting Calvin.

 "Therefore, though the effulgence which is presented to every eye, both in the heavens and on the earth, leaves the ingratitude of man without excuse, since God, in order to bring the whole human race under the same condemnation, holds forth to all, without exception, a mirror of his Deity in his works, another and better help must be given to guide us properly to God as a Creator."

Calvin turns his attention to scripture or special revelation after coming to the conclusion that the general revelation found in creation and inward is insufficient to bring men to a true knowledge of God. The way that the knowledge of God reaches us is God's revelation in a general sense. This principle is the (principium cognoscendi) and in regards to the topic that Calvin is now speaking about namely scripture being the self revelation of God is the external cognitive foundation of knowing (principium cognoscendi externum).

"God gives his elect a better help to the knowledge of himself--viz. the Holy Scriptures. This he did from the very first."-Calvin, John

At the beginning of 1.6.1 Calvin writes,"Not in vain, therefore, has he added the light of his Word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation, and bestowed the privilege on those whom he was pleased to bring into nearer and more familiar relation to himself".  General revelation leaves the reprobate without an excuse and reveals Gods wrath  as it supplies all men with the knowledge of Gods existence and some of his attributes. For the elect, those whom God had predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son before the foundations of the earth, the scriptures  were given to guide them into a full knowledge of himself. the scriptures  were given to guide them into a full knowledge of himself. Calvin states that the common proofs of Gods existence in general revelation with the addition of his word now directly leads his church into a surer,truer knowledge of him. True knowledge is revealed to the elect from God of himself not only as creator to his elect but also as redeemer in the person of Christ the mediator. If we look closely we analyze whats being said we can see that the unregenerate knows and at the same time does not know God. They know God externally and internally but do not know him in a way thats salvific and equates to eternal life as the regenerate does.

"Before proceeding farther, it seems proper to make some observations on the authority of Scripture, in order that our minds may not only be prepared to receive it with reverence, but be divested of all doubt."-Calvin, John

Having touched on scripture (the bible) as God special revelation, Calvin proceeds to argue for its authority and refutes various objections. Calvin begins chapter 7 saying, "But since no daily responses are given from heaven, and the Scriptures are the only records in which God has been pleased to consign his truth to perpetual remembrance, the full authority which they ought to possess with the faithful is not recognised, unless they are believed to have come from heaven, as directly as if God had been heard giving utterance to them."

"our faith in doctrine is not established until we have a perfect conviction that God is its author. Hence, the highest proof of Scripture is uniformly taken from the character of him whose Word it is."-Calvin, John

The Bible is self-authorizing, self-verifying, and self-attesting. God doesn’t need the “OK” from man or from the evidence within creation to be the Word of God. It is objectively true; it needs no other witness but itself. Calvin puts things into perspective concerning scripture when he writes,

"Let it therefore be held as fixed, that those who are inwardly taught by the Holy Spirit acquiesce implicitly in Scripture; that Scripture, carrying its own evidence along with it, deigns not to submit to proofs and arguments, but owes the full conviction with which we ought to receive it to the testimony of the Spirit. Enlightened by him, we no longer believe, either on our own Judgment or that of others, that the Scriptures are from God; but, in a way superior to human Judgment, feel perfectly assured--as much so as if we beheld the divine image visibly impressed on it--that it came to us, by the instrumentality of men, from the very mouth of God."

Unregenerate men who vehemently oppose the authority of the scriptures as being self-authorizing many times desire external proof for its authority. What must be held firm and conveyed is the fact God is the ultimate authority, and when God speaks the truth concerning his word there are no external standards of truthfulness to ensure the truthfulness of His Word. Gods speaking is the final and ultimate authority in all things and if one appeals to an external source to prove the validity of Gods words then Gods words aren't the final and ultimate authority. That external source becomes the final authority of all things. The notion that scriptures authority depends on the decision of the Church or man is quickly refuted by Calvin many places in chapter 7 on of which stating that, "Nothings therefore can be more absurd than the fiction, that the power of judging Scripture is in the Church, and that on her nod its certainty depends." Further proofs and examples for its authority are given  historical validity, transmission, miracles and prophecies, the wondrous providence of God in the preservation of the sacred books, and it’s own internal consistency with itself.


In chapter 10 Calvin comes full circle back to where he began concerning the knowledge of God the creator and writes,"We formerly observed that the knowledge of God, which, in other respects, is not obscurely exhibited in the frame of the world, and in all the creatures, is more clearly and familiarly explained by the word. It may now be proper to show, that in Scripture the Lord represents himself in the same character in which we have already seen that he is delineated in his works." In scripture (special revelation)we met with the same God who is the author of creation. With the scriptures at their disposal the elect gain a deeper,richer knowledge of  the one true God and his attributes as opposed to the many false deities worshiped by the heathen. With the spectacles of scripture God is not only creator, but redeemer, provider, sustainer, and righteous judge just to name a few.

"The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation," (Ex. 34:6, 7).

There is no word or truth of greater importance than the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are full of many messages, the least among them being more valuable than the combined wealth of the world and more important than the greatest thoughts ever formed in the mind of man. If the very dust of Scripture is more precious than gold, how can we calculate the worth or importance of the gospel?1 Even within the Scriptures themselves, the gospel message has no equal. The story of creation, though lined with splendor, bows before the message of the cross. The law of Moses and the words of the prophets point away from themselves to this singular message of redemption. Even the second coming, though full of wonder, stands in the shadows of the gospel. It is no exaggeration to say that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the one great and essential message, the acropolis of the Christian faith, and the foundation of the believer’s hope.

Washer, Paul (2012-10-12). The Gospel’s Power and Message

Reading Through the Institutes of Christian Religion

2013 Calvin Reading Group

OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR

 "Our wisdom,..."

"...in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves." Calvin begins his opus  which to be sure is a monumental work that stands among the greatest works of Christian theology and Western literature. It ranks with works such as St. Augustine's Confessions and City of God in value, insight and significance. His institutes will be the focus of this and upcoming post that i and a group of others are reading. I'll be recording my thoughts and observations concerning this book so feel free to follow along as i take a journey into the Institutes of the Christian Religion.

OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD...

Knowledge-....no,TRUE KNOWLEDGE.. Knowledge of God the creator

A.W. Pink begins his book " the attributes of God" with his reflections Gods solitude prior to creation stating, "There was a time, if “time” it could be called, when God, in the unity of His nature(though subsisting equally in three divine persons), dwelt all alone. “In the beginning God.” There was no heaven, where His glory is now particularly manifested. There was no earth to engage His attention. There were no angels to hymn His praises; no universe to be upheld by the word of His power. There was nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for a day, a year, or an age, but “from everlasting.” In the area of science when we deal with impersonal objects we are active while they are passive. We take the first step in examining them and experimenting with them.When it comes to a spiritual, personal being like God this is different. For God to be known to what ever degree or extent  he will have to voluntary reveal himself to us which means such a being can only then be known only through revelation. God must revel himself to us before we can go to him or know anything about him. If this is the case when finite man deals and interacts with each other,  seeing that a man must reveal himself to others in appearance,word, and act in order to learn and to known him, how much more must it be between God and man.Gods self-knowledge and self-consciousness is the source (prinicipium esssendi)of our knowledge of him.God is the essential foundation or principle of existence for all that has been created. No knowledge of God is possible except  that which comes from and by God. Bavink sates this relation in simple terms,"What we need to understand about God must be taught by God himself, for this cannot be known except by the author himself" In his book "Biblical Theology" Geerhardus Vos explains this relation, "Originally God alone existed. He was known to himself alone, and had first to call into being a creature before any extraneous knowledge with regard to him became possible. Creation therefore was the First step in the production of extra-divine knowledge."The first five books of Calvin's institutes are a great eye opening commentary or discourse that relates to Rom 1:20-23 and Psalm's 19:1-2. This is where i will begin my quick summery of the first five sections  of book one in his institutes.

Psalms 19 :1-2 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.² Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

Romans 1 20"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Calvin in section five of book one expounds on psalms 104:2 concerning Gods revelation via the created order saying,"God for the first time was arrayed in visible attire when, in the creation of the world, he displayed those glorious banners, on which, to whatever side we turn, we behold his perfections visibly portrayed."Analogous to psalms 19 where the psalmist rejoicingly exclaims, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge." 

The elegant structure and creation of the world Calvin explains acts, "..as a kind of mirror, in which we may behold God, though otherwise invisible.."Utterly incomprehensible, Gods essence transcends all human thought, but through the visible creation his perfections and existence are clearly revealed. \ the apostle Paul who in the book of Romans pens the verse, "That which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead," (Rom. 1:20). Similar to what Paul wrote,Calvin writes concerning God and his perfections, that they are clearly displayed, "....in the whole structure of the universe, and daily place himself in our view, that we cannot open our eyes without being compelled to behold him."

It is indeed clear, that as we gaze upon the world we see that no area however minute is void of beauty,glory, and evidence of Gods existence and power. This knowledge of Gods existence not only is visible outwardly in all that has been created but also within man who is as well a creation of God. In his Reformed Dogmatics, Bavinck expresses his view on the (sensus divinitatis) or sense of deity that Calvin is referring to saying, " there is a revelation of God in all his works, not only outside of, but especially within humans."To be sure, Calvin was aware of this sense of deity that resided in the bosom of men quite well and the effects that this inward testimony had on men when he expresses that,"All men of sound Judgment will therefore hold, that a sense of Deity is indelibly engraven on the human heart. And that this belief is naturally engendered in all, and thoroughly fixed as it were in our very bones..." It is true that much can be said about the topic of the "implanted" and "acquired" knowledge of God . Although the two  my not be opposites, one coming from the created world  through observation and reflection and the other which one is born with and arises from their own being expanded by the latter, they ultimately have their final reference point and foundation in God and his revelation which precedes both. Calvin weights in on the subject again quite nicely writing, "That there exists in the human minds and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity, we hold to be beyond dispute, since God himself, to prevent any man from pretending ignorance, has endued all men with some idea of his Godhead, the memory of which he constantly renews and occasionally enlarges, that all to a man being aware that there is a God, and that he is their Maker, may be condemned by their own conscience when they neither worship him nor consecrate their lives to his service." Unfortunately, this seed that is divinely sown in all is stifled. Calvin records this grim state of events saying, "... scarcely one in a hundred is found who cherishes it in his heart, and not one in whom it grows to maturity so far is it from yielding fruit in its season. Moreover, while some lose themselves in superstitious observances, and others, of set purpose, wickedly revolt from God, the result is that, in regard to the true knowledge of him, all are so degenerate, that in no part of the world can genuine godliness be found." Because of mans depravity the glorious display of creation, although shining clearly, and the inward testimony of God which is unable to be erased, washes away these manifestations before they can have any beneficial result. Man thus rushes headlong into error and folly willingly.

"Hence that immense flood of error with which the whole world is overflowed. Every individual mind being a kind of labyrinth, it is not wonderful, not only that each nation has adopted a variety of fictions, but that almost every man has had his own god. To the darkness of ignorance have been added presumption and wantonness, and hence there is scarcely an individual to be found without some idol or phantom as a substitute for Deity. Like water gushing forth from a large and copious spring, immense crowds of gods have issued from the human mind, every man giving himself full license, and devising some peculiar form of divinity, to meet his own views." -Calvin

A person can never truly know himself without first knowing God. Man so long as he is unaware of his deep depravity, misery, and rebellion against his creator, provider, and sustainer will rest at ease. Satisfied with an empty semblance of righteousness our innate pride convinces us we are wise, upright, and holy by our own standards. Man likens himself to seem less than only a demigod until the day he contemplates the face of God and his perfect standard and after such contemplation to look in himself. Calvin explains this sad situation stating that, "So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence."

"Mingled vanity and pride appear in this, that when miserable men do seek after God, instead of ascending higher than themselves as they ought to do, they measure him by their own carnal stupidity, and, neglecting solid inquiry, fly off to indulge their curiosity in vain speculation. Hence, they do not conceive of him in the character in which he is manifested, but imagine him to be whatever their own rashness has devised. With such an idea of God, nothing which they may attempt to offer in the way of worship or obedience can have any value in his sight, because it is not him they worship, but, instead of him, the dream and figment of their own heart." - Calvin

Mans descent into error and folly is unprecedented. Having begun with the majestic glories of the created order and seed of religion attesting to Gods existence man quenches any profitable result willingly. Diving deep into the ocean of pride and self-righteousness he looks to his brother as the standard for wisdom,virtue, and righteousness unaware of his misery for the time being. Having turned his thoughts to the true standard of virtue and righteousness hes compelled to revere and honor God. "Our mind cannot conceive of God, without rendering some worship to him", Calvin states,but man can not take one step without falling into error."the human mind..",Calvin says is prone " to lapse into forgetfulness of God, how readily inclined to every kind of error, how bent every now and then on devising new and fictitious religions." Piety and worship suddenly become the main concern but instead of worshiping the true God man sinks into the ocean of idolatry. These idols are a fictions worship, in such an act Calvin states that they, "...merely worship and adore their own delirious fancies; indeed, they would never dare so to trifle with God, had they not previously fashioned him after their own childish conceits." And that,
"It makes little difference, at least in this respect, whether you hold the existence of one God, or a plurality of gods, since, in both cases alike, by departing from the true God, you have nothing left but an execrable idol." Man has made a fool of himself to say the least when according to Calvin when man is observed to be reluctant to "....lower himself, in order to set other creatures above him. Therefore, when he chooses to worship wood and stone rather than be thought to have no God, it is evident how very strong this impression of a Deity must be; since it is more difficult to obliterate it from the mind of man, than to break down the feelings of his nature,--these certainly being broken down, when, in opposition to his natural haughtiness, he spontaneously humbles himself before the meanest object as an act of reverence to God."


 I conclude these reflections with a quote from section 6 of book 1 and will pick up from there next time.

"Therefore, though the effulgence which is presented to every eye, both in the heavens and on the earth, leaves the ingratitude of man without excuse, since God, in order to bring the whole human race under the same condemnation, holds forth to all, without exception, a mirror of his Deity in his works, another and better help must be given to guide us properly to God as a Creator."