John Calvin Quotes

178 Sourced Quotes

A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.

John Calvin
Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.

John Calvin
There is not one little blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make men rejoice.

John Calvin
The more we are oppressed by the cross, the fuller will be our spiritual joy.

John Calvin
The whole comes to this, that Christ, when he produces faith in us by the agency of his Spirit, at the same time ingrafts us into his body, that we may become partakers of all spiritual blessings.

John Calvin
The world was no doubt made, that it might be a theatre of the divine glory.

John Calvin
Now we shall possess a right definition of faith if we call it a firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence toward 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.

John Calvin
It must be plain also that we should not anxiously strive for riches and honors by relying on our own diligence or cleverness or by depending on the favor of men or by trusting in the notion of good luck, but that we should always expect the Lord to direct us to the lot he has provided for us.

John Calvin
A soul, therefore, when deprived of the Word of God, is given up unarmed to the devil for destruction

John Calvin
The excellence of the Church does not consist in multitude but in purity.

John Calvin
Moreover, a true Christian will not ascribe any prosperity to his own diligence, industry, or good fortune, but he will acknowledge that God is the author of it.

John Calvin
But as a heathen tells us, there is no nation so barbarous, no race so brutish as not to be imbued with the conviction that there is a God.

John Calvin
We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ except we first know assuredly that we have no righteousness of our own.

John Calvin
Scripture points out this difference between believers and unbelievers; the latter, as old slaves of their incurable perversity, cannot endure the rod; but the former, like children of noble birth, profit by repentance and correction.

John Calvin
It having been said above that God bends all the reprobate, and even Satan himself, at his will, three objections are started. First, that this happens by the permission, not by the will of God. To this objection there is a twofold reply, the one, that angels and men, good and bad, do nothing but what is appointed by God; the second, that all movements are secretly directed to their end by the hidden inspiration of God...

John Calvin
The Lord commands us to do good unto all men without exception, though the majority are very undeserving when judged according to their own merits... [The Scripture] teaches us that we must not think of man's real value, but only of his creation in the image of God to which we owe all possible honor and love.

John Calvin
If everything proceeded according to their wishes, they would not understand what it means to follow God.

John Calvin
The one condition for spiritual progress is that we remain sincere and humble.

John Calvin
When God designs to forgive us he changes our hearts and turns us to obedience by His Spirit.

John Calvin
Christ is the most perfect image of God, into which we are so renewed as to bear the image of God, in knowledge, purity, righteousness, and true holiness.

John Calvin
We are not to look to what men in themselves deserve but to attend to the image of God which exists in all and to which we owe all honor and love.

John Calvin
The flesh is willing to flatter itself, and many who now give themselves every indulgence, promise to themselves an easy entrance into life. THus men practice mutual deception on each other and fall asleep in wicked indifference.

John Calvin
There is also an old proverb, that they who pay much attention to the body generally neglect the soul.

John Calvin
Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment-the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the second prohibits the transferring of the worship which God claims for Himself alone, to any of these phantoms or delusive shows.

John Calvin
We shall never be fit for the service of God, if we look not beyond this fleeting life.

John Calvin
By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which He determined with Himself whatever He wished to happen with regard to every man

John Calvin
Men are indeed to be taught that the favour of God is offered, without exception, to all who ask it; but since those only begin to ask whom heaven by grace inspires, even this minute portion of praise must not be withheld from Him. It is the privilege of the elect to be regenerated by the Spirit of God, and then placed under His guidance and government.

John Calvin
There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.

John Calvin
When we hear any mention of our mystical union with Christ, we should remember that holiness is the channel to do it.

John Calvin
Indeed, a Christian ought to be disposed and prepared to keep in mind that he has to reckon with God every moment of his life.

John Calvin