Michael Horton - Calvin on the Christian Life: Glorifying and Enjoying God Forever

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Be warned. This looks like a book on how Calvin thought about living the Christian life. But open it and you will discover that Mike Horton is driving you on a grand Calvin tour of the whole of theology. And that, of course, is Professor Hortons (and John Calvins) point: it takes the whole biblical gospel to make a whole Christian life. By employing the classical formulation of the two natures of Christ (distinct but not separate), Dr. Horton provides readers with a key to help unlock Calvins teaching. But more than that, he shows why the Genevan Reformers vision of the Christian life remains unsurpassed. Thoroughly satisfying, thoroughly enjoyable, and thoroughly recommended.

Sinclair B. Ferguson, Professor of Systematic Theology, Redeemer
Seminary, Dallas, Texas

Learned and lucid, masterfully organized and vigorously expressed, this full, solid, and exact study of Genevas reforming pastor is an outstanding piece of work. In all four sections Calvin comes to vigorous life. Calvins reputation for godly wisdom, and Hortons for vivid writing, will certainly be enhanced.

J. I. Packer, Board of Governors Professor of Theology, Regent College

Calvin on the Christian Life provides an amazingly personal and comprehensive portrait of the Reformers passions and positions, constantly connecting them to issues of belief and practice in our day. Far more than a synthesis of Calvins thought and practice, this book provides readers with an intimate glimpse into his private piety.

Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher; author, Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series

Scholar and pastor Michael Horton has provided us with a well-researched introduction to John Calvins doctrine of pietyCalvins word for the reverence and love that the gospel produces in all our relationships. One of the most intriguing aspects of Hortons book is the way he traces the theme of distinction without separation through the Christian life, whether with respect to the two natures of Christ, grace and the sacraments, or church and state. This book will enlighten beginners and refresh and challenge veterans in the field.

Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Using the most recent Reformation research, as well as letting the sources speak for themselves, Michael Horton has given us a wonderful overview of how John Calvin saw the life of the Christian. The book demonstrates the open attitude Calvin had toward living in this world and does away with the caricatures that still surround this Reformer. Hortons book is both academic and practicala rare but very welcome combination.

Herman Selderhuis, Director, Refo500; President, The International
Calvin Congress

THEOLOGIANS ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

EDITED BY STEPHEN J. NICHOLS AND JUSTIN TAYLOR

Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life:
From the Cross, for the World,
Stephen J. Nichols

Schaeffer on the Christian Life:
Countercultural Spirituality,
William Edgar

Warfield on the Christian Life:
Living in Light of the Gospel,
Fred G. Zaspel

Wesley on the Christian Life:
The Heart Renewed in Love,
Fred Sanders

CALVIN

on the Christian Life

GLORIFYING AND ENJOYING
GOD FOREVER

MICHAEL HORTON

Calvin on the Christian Life: Glorifying and Enjoying God Forever

Copyright 2014 by Michael Horton

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Josh Dennis
Cover image: Richard Solomon Artists, Mark Summers

First printing 2014

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-3956-5
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3957-2
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3958-9
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3959-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Horton, Michael Scott.

Calvin on the Christian life : glorifying and enjoying God forever / Michael Horton.

1 online resource. (Theologians on the Christian life)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-1-4335-3957-2 (pdf) ISBN 978-1-4335-3958-9 (mobi) ISBN 978-1-4335-3959-6 (epub) ISBN 978-1-4335-3956-5 (print)

1. Calvin, Jean, 15091564. 2. SpiritualityChristianity.
3. Christian life. 4. Spiritual lifeChristianity. I. Title.

BX9418

248.4'842dc23 2013030010

2014003301

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To W. Robert Godfrey,
Calvin scholar, mentor, and friend

We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ. We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is of him. If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects that he might learn to feel our pain. If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.

JOHN CALVIN, INSTITUTES OF THE
CHRISTIAN RELIGION 2.16.19.

SERIES PREFACE

Some might call us spoiled. We live in an era of significant and substantial resources for Christians on living the Christian life. We have ready access to books, DVD series, online material, seminarsall in the interest of encouraging us in our daily walk with Christ. The laity, the people in the pew, have access to more information than scholars dreamed of having in previous centuries.

Yet for all our abundance of resources, we also lack something. We tend to lack the perspectives from the past, perspectives from a different time and place than our own. To put the matter differently, we have so many riches in our current horizon that we tend not to look to the horizons of the past.