CALVIN'S CROWNING OF CHRIST
We in the Evangelical Church love the Hymn "Crown Him Lord of All." And rightly so!
But who do you crown? Really? Of whom do you think of most often? Of whom or what do you sing of most frequently? Is you shower stall an echo chamber of secularism, or a praise chamber for Christ the King? Who really has your utmost affection and attention day by day? Who is your real Lord?
O how we need a bigger view of Jesus the Christ!
Last Sunday, I preached on the Reformation Doctrine of solus christus - Christ Alone. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I thought it good to quote John Calvin at length to help us continue to gush about our Savior. In his magnum opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion (II.16.19), Calvin wrote:
When we see the whole sum of our salvation, and every single part of it, are comprehended in Christ, we must beware of deriving even the minutest portion of it from any other quarter. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that he possesses it; if we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, we shall find them in his unction; strength in his government; purity in his conception; indulgence in his nativity, in which he was made like us in all respects, in order that he might learn to sympathize with us: if we seek redemption, we shall find it in his passion; acquittal in his condemnation; remission of the curse in his cross; satisfaction in his sacrifice; purification in his blood; reconciliation in his descent to Hades; mortification of the flesh in his sepulcher; newness of life in his resurrection; immortality also in his resurrection; the inheritance of a celestial kingdom in his entrance into heaven; protection, security and the abundant supply of all blessings, in his kingdom; secure anticipation of judgment in the power of judging committed to him. In fine, since in him all kinds of blessings are treasured up, let us draw a full supply of him, and none from any other quarter. Those who, not satisfied with him alone, entertain various hopes from others, though they continue to look to him chiefly, deviate from the right path by the simple fact, that some portion of their thought takes a different direction. No distrust of this description can arise when once the abundance of his blessings is properly known.
Amen! Hallelujah! Happy Reformation Day!
by Keith McWhorter