Dr. Jeff Mayfield explains how God uses sin to facilitate our Christian growth. He discusses a passage from John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion: book 2, chapter 7, section 5.
After Dr. Mayfields 8 minute video, are 3 videos: the first is an excerpt that includes sections 4 – 8 of chapter 7; then there are two videos that are readings of the entirety of chapter 7 from the Institutes for those who would like to hear the entire chapter.
Dr. Mayfields YouTube site is Knowing to Love; the readings of Calvin’s Institutes, ch. 7 are from the YouTube site, Sermon Library.
Excerpt of ch. 7: sections 4 – 8:
Calvin’s Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 7, part 1 of 2: This part includes the reading of the contents of the chapter, initially:
Calvin’s Institutes, Book 2, Chapter 7, Part 2 of 2:
To hear other videos by Dr. Mayfield in this blog, see: Categories; Jonathan Edwards; and John Owen.
To hear other video readings from John Calvin’s Institutes, see: Categories, Calvin’s Institutes.
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
To listen to the post on the sinner’s prayer, see: Categories, Sin.
Jonathan Edwards established the following criteria as stages in the struggle of faith leading to the born again experience (if I am interpreting that correctly). The following is from my post on the sinners prayer:
Edwards established a 5 stage process which he termed, the struggle of faith: 1) horror of being eternally lost; 2), the sinner’s attempt to stop sinning via his will power; 3), realization that only God can save him from sin; 4), conviction, the sinner beginning to see that God’s judgment is just; 5), awakening to God with genuine religious affections.
The following prominent Christians spent many years between stages 1 and 5 of Edwards standard of assessment for genuine conversion:
John Calvin, 12 years; Wesley, 23 years; Whitefield, 10 years; Fox, 12 years; Edwards, 5 years; Brainerd, 9 years; Newton, 6 years; Spurgeon, 4 years….
I am left thinking, “Where am I on this scale?” The criteria of stages 3 and 4 are very familiar to me; not so with 5. I must examine myself more carefully.
At what stage are you?