Today marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great reformer, John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564). Hundreds of thousands commemorate this day with gratitude to God for this man and his influence on the church.
For those of us who embrace the doctrines of grace, we celebrate God's preacher who did so much to teach us even still today. He wrote the astounding work: "Institutes of the Christian Religion" which is cherished to this day.
River of Life is a Calvinist (theologically - all 5 points) church that serves Christ and celebrates the doctrines of grace. The acronym TULIP literally shapes the way we do our marriages, our ministry, and our lives. You can read our reformed theology statement here: http://portagechurch.org/beliefs/Reformed%20Positional%20Statement.pdf
But even those who disagree with his theology should still regard him as a gift to the church. Here is what some of the great contrasts to his teachings said about him: John Wesley called him “a great instrument of God,” and Jacob Arminius considered Calvin “incomparable in the interpretation of Scripture” and recommended Calvin’s commentaries second only to the Bible itself. So learning and benefiting from Calvin isn’t just for the five pointers.
Why was John Calvin so significant? Listen to John Piper (who is doing a conference on Calvin) discuss the importance of John Calvin's life and ministry and how it impacts our life today.
So today we celebrate this man of God who taught us so much and was used by our Lord to remind us what Jonah wrote: "Salvation belongs to the Lord" (Jonah 2.9)
Soli Deo Gloria!
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