Calvin's Institutes: May 25

Calvin's Institutes: June 30

Today’s Readings Podcast Description The eternal counsel of God by which he chooses some for salvation and passes by others is one of the most profound and comforting doctrines in Scripture. In this section from John Calvin’s Institutes, we are invited to approach the mystery of divine election with humility and reverence, not with the curiosity that leads to presumption. Calvin shows us how this truth humbles us, magnifies God’s grace, and gives unshakable assurance to those who trust in Christ. Far from discouraging prayer or godly living, it grounds our confidence that salvation is entirely of the Lord. Readings: John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Section 5 Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com [https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com] Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton [https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton] Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com [https://www.credocourses.com] Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org [https://www.credoministries.org] #ThroughTheChurchFathers #JohnCalvin #InstitutesOfTheChristianReligion #Election #Predestination #SovereigntyOfGod #ReformedTheology

Calvin's Institutes: June 29

Today’s Readings Podcast Description The eternal counsel of God by which he chooses some for salvation and passes by others is one of the most profound and comforting doctrines in Scripture. In the opening sections of this chapter from John Calvin’s Institutes, we are invited to approach the mystery of divine election with humility and reverence, not with the curiosity that leads to presumption. Calvin shows us how this truth humbles us, magnifies God’s grace, and gives unshakable assurance to those who trust in Christ. Far from discouraging prayer or godly living, it grounds our confidence that salvation is entirely of the Lord. Readings: John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Sections 1–4 Augustine — The Confessions, Book X, Chapter X (Section X) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part X, Question X (Articles X–X) Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com [https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com] Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton [https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton] Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com [https://www.credocourses.com] Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org [https://www.credoministries.org] #ThroughTheChurchFathers #JohnCalvin #InstitutesOfTheChristianReligion #Election #Predestination #SovereigntyOfGod #ReformedTheology

Calvin's Institutes: June 28

Today’s Readings Podcast Description God’s glory, his kingdom, and his will stand at the center of all true prayer. In these powerful sections from John Calvin’s Institutes, we learn how the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to seek God’s honor above all things, to submit our desires to his rule, and to persevere even when answers seem delayed. Calvin shows us that prayer is not about bending God to our will, but about being shaped by his. Whether we pray for daily bread, forgiveness, protection from temptation, or deliverance from evil, every request finds its true meaning when it flows from trust in the Father who knows and provides what is best. Readings: John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 20, Sections 36–48 Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com [https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com] Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton [https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton] Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com [https://www.credocourses.com] Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org [https://www.credoministries.org] #ThroughTheChurchFathers #JohnCalvin #InstitutesOfTheChristianReligion #LordsPrayer #Prayer #ReformedTheology #FaithAndPrayer

Calvin's Instittues: June 27

Calvin concludes his exposition of the Lord’s Prayer by turning to the believer’s ongoing battle against sin, Satan, and spiritual weakness. In “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” he explains that Christians do not ask to be spared every trial, but to be preserved through them. Temptations come through prosperity as well as adversity, through both the attractions of the world and the hardships of life. Yet God’s testing is never like Satan’s assaults: Satan seeks destruction, while God uses trials to strengthen faith, expose weakness, and train His children in perseverance. Calvin then highlights the closing doxology—“Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory”—as the foundation of Christian confidence, reminding believers that prayer rests not on their worthiness but entirely on God’s sovereign power and faithfulness. Finally, he declares the Lord’s Prayer to be the perfect model of prayer, containing everything God’s people truly need to ask and everything God delights to grant. In these closing sections, Calvin teaches that prayer is dependence, warfare, confidence, and worship all at once, directing believers away from self-reliance and into complete trust in the Father whose kingdom, power, and glory endure forever. Today's Readings John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 20, Sections 46–48 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 38 Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part, Questions 103–105 Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com [https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com] Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton [https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton] Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com [https://www.credocourses.com] Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org [https://www.credoministries.org] #ThroughTheChurchFathers #JohnCalvin #InstitutesOfTheChristianReligion #Augustine #Confessions #ThomasAquinas #SummaTheologica #LordsPrayer #SpiritualWarfare #Temptation #DeliverUsFromEvil #Prayer #ChristianTheology #ChurchHistory #HistoricalTheology #CredoHouse

Calvin's Institutes: June 26

Calvin now turns from the God-centered petitions of the Lord’s Prayer to the needs of God’s people, showing that even our daily concerns must be viewed through the lens of God’s glory. In “Give us this day our daily bread,” he teaches that every provision—whether food, work, wealth, or health—comes from God’s fatherly hand and must never become a source of self-reliance or anxiety. He then moves to the heart of the Christian life in “Forgive us our debts,” reminding believers that forgiveness rests entirely on God’s mercy in Christ, not on human merit, satisfaction, or spiritual achievement. At the same time, those who have received mercy must become merciful, extending forgiveness to others as evidence that they themselves understand grace. Throughout these sections Calvin confronts pride, self-sufficiency, greed, perfectionism, and unforgiveness, directing believers instead toward humble dependence upon God for both physical provision and spiritual pardon. The result is a vision of prayer that trains us to trust God for everything, confess our continual need of grace, and reflect toward others the mercy we ourselves have received. Today's Readings John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 20, Sections 44–45 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 37 Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part, Questions 100–102 Explore the Project: Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com [https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com] Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton [https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton] Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com [https://www.credocourses.com] Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org [https://www.credoministries.org] #ThroughTheChurchFathers #JohnCalvin #InstitutesOfTheChristianReligion #Augustine #Confessions #ThomasAquinas #SummaTheologica #LordsPrayer #DailyBread #Forgiveness #Grace #ChristianTheology #ChurchHistory #HistoricalTheology #ChristianFormation #CredoHouse