The Primary Article of the Christian Religion

Or The Other Five Points of Calvinism.

From Michael Horton’s chapter in John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine & Doxology, a 5-point survey following the logic of Calvin’s argument on justification found in his Institutes of the Christian Religion:

1. To save us from judgment, the Son became flesh and merited our salvation (2.15-17).
2. Thus, the righteousness by which we are saved is alien to us (3.1.1; 3.1.4; 3.2.24; 4.7.11).
3. Yet Christ must not only be given for us; He must be given to us. (3.1.1).
4. We are recipients not only of Christ’s gifts but of Christ himself. (3.1.1; 3.1.4; 3.2.24; 4.17.11).
5. Faith unites us to Christ (3.1.1), but it is the Holy Spirit who gives faith, and it is Christ who always remains the sole ground of salvation rather than faith itself. In other words, faith is nothing in itself; it receives Christ and with Him all treasures. (3.11.7; 3.18.8).

Look for a review of this book to be posted here sometime before Calvin’s 500th birthday, which is coming up in

You can get your own John Calvin birthday clock at Calvin 500.

Comments

[kim from hiraeth]

Thanks for the link to the Calvin Birthday count down clock! I snagged it and installed it right ahead of my Harry Potter "Half-Blood Prince" count down.

[rebecca]

I'm glad Calvin had the honor of being ahead of Harry Potter. :)