Today’s post in our Gospel Jump-Start Series comes from John Calvin. He reminds us that the cross of Christ teaches Christians to despair in self-trust and instead trust completely in God. Calvin said it this way:
The cross destroys the false notion of our own strength that we’ve dared to entertain, and it destroys that hypocrisy in which we have taken refuge and pleasure. It strips us of carnal self-confidence, and thus humbling us, instructs us to cast ourselves on God alone so that we won’t be crushed or defeated…It’s no little thing to be stripped of our blind self-love and thus to be made aware of our own weakness. Moreover, having been impressed with our own weakness, we learn to despair of ourselves. Then, having despaired of ourselves, we transfer our trust to God. (A Little Book on the Christian Life, pgs. 63-4)
Remember, not only does this transfer of trust happen at our conversion (justification), but we are to continue to live the Christian life completely trusting in the Lord (as we are sanctified). In short, as I heard a pastor once say; “The way in is the way on in the Christian life.” As we begin a new week, I hope we will be reminded of the pitfall of self-trust and that we will, “trust in the Lord with all of our heart and lean not on our own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).
“When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.” -Isaac Watts
Written by Matt Baker