December 9 Daily Devotional

Bible Text:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. —Isaiah 53:5

Devotional:

When we consider the works of God throughout the world, they tell us that he ought to be praised for his majesty and greatness; but when we come to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must learn to glorify God in his abasement. So there is a twofold way of praising God. On the one hand, we must exalt him because he shows us his goodness, righteousness and infinite power in all that he has created and done, and by ordaining and disposing everything. (I say "exalt him," not because we can add to his greatness, but because the Scripture speaks in this way to teach men that they must lift up their minds above all the world if they want to glorify God as he deserves.)

And on the other hand, since our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead, was not only degraded for our salvation but was willing to be brought to the lowest depths—more, did not refuse to suffer the pangs of death, as if he had entered into hell—God deserves to be glorified more than for his greatness apparent throughout the world. But as the Prophet continues his argument, we must always keep this object in view: that whereas unbelievers are surprised that Jesus Christ was afflicted at the hand of God his Father and make it an occasion of stumbling to alienate themselves from him, we ought to be the more stirred to seek him; and we ought to be completely carried away by his love, seeing that he did not spare himself but was willing to bear all our burdens and relieve us of them.

So when we see that our Lord Jesus Christ made such an exchange for us, and was willing to make complete payment of all our debts so that we might be cleared of them; that he was willing to be condemned in our name and, as it were, in our person so that we might be absolved—all this ought to draw us to him, indeed, set us on fire to find our rest in him. —Sermons

John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation, but also a pious and godly Christian pastor who endeavored throughout his life to point men and women to Christ. We are grateful to Reformation Heritage Books for permission to use John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart as our daily devotional for 2013 on the OPC Web site. You can currently obtain a printed copy of that book from Reformation Heritage Books.

Dr. Joel Beeke, who is editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, has this to say:

"Calvin shows us the piety of a Reformed theologian who speaks from the heart. Having tasted the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ, he pursued piety by seeking to know and do God’s will every day. He communed with Christ, practicing repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing. Moreover, his theology worked itself out in heart-felt, Christ-honoring piety. The selections of this devotional bear this out, and hopefully will be used by God to direct pious hearts in our own day."

These devotional readings from John Calvin were compiled by John H. Kromminga. Be sure to read his "Introduction" to John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart.