Calvin's Definition of Faith

Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
This past Sunday we, along with reformed Christians around the world, celebrated the 500th birthday of John Calvin. In the weeks leading up to the celebration, I found myself pulling out books and notes on Calvin, most from my days in seminary. One of my memories of learning about Calvin is the first seminary quiz I took, writing Calvin’s definition of faith from memory for Systematic Theology I with Dr. Cynthia Rigby.
Found in Book 3 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (3.2.7 to be exact), Calvin’s definition of faith is this: “Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence towards us, founded upon the truth of the freely-given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” So what does it mean?
It means that faith is a gift of God and it is nothing we can achieve by our own work or study. Faith is beyond simple comprehension, it is our assurance of God’s steadfast love for us as we experience the mercy and compassion of God in the depths of pain and the heights of joy. It is our growing confidence that although we have never been promised great riches or all that we could want, as the prosperity preachers would lead us to believe, God is always with us.
Through Scripture as illumined by the Holy Spirit, we come to know Christ Jesus. We are assured of salvation because of God’s overflowing love that meets us in the manger every Christmas and on the cross every Easter. We know this both in our mind, for our intellect is a gift from God, and in our hearts, the very core of who we have been created to be. Just as the Spirit gives us the gift of faith, it also leads us to increase our faith as we desire to learn more of God, more will be revealed.
I encourage everyone to spend time thinking about faith and your own journey. How did you come to faith? Have you known it all your life or was it an epiphany? When did you first truly know that you were loved by God? How has your faith shaped your life? What in your life is shaping your faith? Spend time in prayer, spend time in study. Pray for illumination and spend time with God that your faith may be firm and certain.

Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen