calvin on prayer, cont.

Part 2.  A summary of Book 3, Chapter 20 of Calvin’s Institutes.  

 

4. Who to pray through: The importance of a Mediator

5. Different types of prayer: The importance of prayer with thanksgiving

6. Private and public prayer

7. Use of words and singing in prayer

 

 

4. Who to pray through

 

It is impossible for any human to approach God’s presence in his own name, without alarm and dread for God’s majesty.  But God in his graciousness has provided his Son Jesus to be our advocate and mediator, through whom we can approach God boldly, securely, and confidently (Hebrews 4:16), knowing that nothing will be denied to us because nothing is denied to him (1 Timothy 2:5, 1 John 2:1). 

calvin on prayer

Part 1.  A Summary of Book 3, Chapter 20 of Calvin’s Institutes. Surprisingly practical!

 

1. Why is it so important?

2. If he knows everything, why bother praying?

3. Rules of engagement

 

1. Why is it so important?

 

Man is utterly destitute and without hope, were it not for God’s intervention; but God has chosen to give us Christ, and so we call out to him, and the Spirit makes those requests possible. Prayer “digs up those treasures which the Gospel of our Lord discovers to the eye of faith”, and therefore is such a necessity because our only safety is in calling upon the name of our sovereign Father and resting in his omniscience. 

galatians 5:15-6:18. the community of the spirit

Part 3 of 3.  Taught by Dave Bish, Sept Team Days 2008, to the South West massive.  

Friends are important!  Not friends like we see on The X-Factor: friends of the contestants, of those who really can’t sing – if you have friends like that, who needs enemies?!  “My friends tell me I’m a brilliant singer.”  They’re not friends, they clearly hate you!

Yet we want people around us who will affirm us and help us to live. 

 

Often our gospel outlines are a bit too individualistic.  It’s not just about me and Jesus.  We’re born again into a new community.  Biblical Christianity isn’t just private piety but it is lived out in a gospel community; it is worked out with other people. 

So what does it look like to work out this Christian life?  So far, Paul has said it’s not about keeping rules and law; but what then is it instead?  Paul answers this in chapters 5&6. 

galatians 3:1-4:7. adopted as sons!

Part 2 of 3.  Taught by Dave Bish, Sept Team Days 2008, to the South West massive. 

If you want to get into 24, don’t start with Season 6.  You don’t start reading a book at the final chapter.  Yet we often approach the bible like this – we often think it only contains 27 books, the ones at the end.  Is this is what Paul is preaching to the Galatians?  Did he ignore the Old Testament?  In this section, Paul makes an 1800 year climb to get to the top, in his argument for justification by faith. 

galatians 2:11-3:1. to the cross!

Part 1 of 3.  Taught by Dave Bish, Sept Team Days 2008 to the South West Massive

Luther loved this book like his wife. It concerns a crucial doctrine: justification by faith.  Christianity is lost and flourishes on this doctrine – this gives us life. 

A distinctive letter: starts differently to Paul’s other letters: see 1v6.

A missional letter: concerned with mission.  It concerns the question: what is required of a Jew who becomes a Christian?  What must the world believe to become Christians? 

Similarly to Philippians, Paul uses lots of examples: his conversion, a visit to Jerusalem, a subsequent encounter with Peter.  This sets Paul up to teach the Galatians.