Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
John CalvinRead
Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.
Interpretation
True faith leads to actions that reflect that belief; it cannot exist in isolation.
This quote by John Calvin emphasizes that while faith is essential for salvation, authentic faith naturally expresses itself through actions and deeds. It suggests that genuine belief will manifest in a person's life through good works, illustrating the interconnectedness of faith and actions in the journey of redemption.
In practice
During a sermon on the importance of living out one's faith.
Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.
Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil.
For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.
When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.
Dispassionate objectivity is itself a passion, for the real and for the truth.
Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we're not alone.
The Cross isn't an ornament, mere symbol. It's the mystery of God's love, that He died for our sins.
From my perspective, I think the question of how we build a better future is an extremely important overarching question, and I think it's become obscured from us because we no longer think it's possible to have a meaningful conversation about the future.
When two great saints meet, it's a humbling experience.
I am not, in the ordinary acceptation of the term, a good-natured man; that is, many things annoy me besides what interferes with my own ease and interest. I hate a lie; a piece of injustice wounds me to the quick, though nothing but the report of it reach me. Therefore I have made many enemies and few friends; for the public know nothing of well-wishers, and keep a wary eye on those who would reform them.
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