Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Calvin on the Pursuit of Holiness

"Until the day that we leave this world, there will always be spots and stains within us, and we will always be bent down with the burden of our sins and weaknesses. This is in order to humble us and to show that our life is to be a constant battle.

"Thus, though sin dwells within us, it must not have dominion, but the Spirit of God must conquer it. This can only happen if we flee to God with fervent zeal, and pray that he will remedy the evil that we cannot change. Also, that he would grant us more of the gifts of His Spirit so that we might overcome all that has weighed us down."

-- John Calvin, Sermons on Galatians, trans. Kathy Childress (1563; repr. Edinburgh: Ganner of Truth Trust, 1997), 530.

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