John Calvin wrote a short document with sermons on Genesis 25:12–27:36. These are – in Calvin’s own words — Thirteen Sermons on the undeserved election of Jacob and the reprobation of Esau.

Source: Wegwijs, 1993. 4 pages. Translated by Wim Kanis.

Preaching and Election

Under this heading Dr. S. van der Linde gave a [Dutch] translation (with a brief introduction and a short annotation) of a 1562 document by John Calvin that contains sermons on Genesis 25:12–27:36. These are – in Calvin’s own words — Thirteen Sermons on the undeserved election of Jacob and the reprobation of Esau.1 They contain precious reading. Scripture is listened to with great care. The Word of God is unfolded in a way that brings all the glory to the Lord and builds up faith. This is reformed spirituality at its best!

Disciples of Christ🔗

What is striking is the reverent way Calvin speaks of God’s election and reprobation. He is well aware of the danger of going beyond what the Lord has revealed to us. “Let us,” he writes, “receive what we are told in Scripture with moderation and not try to be wiser than we are permitted. Let us rest in what God tells us and be humble, so as not to contradict and not to arrive with our fabrications, as if we wanted to bring a lawsuit against God” (41).

 We should not intend to say more than God does in his Word — but also not less. That is why we cannot remain silent about “the source, in which the Holy Scriptures indicate that not all receive equal grace”. We need to be good students in God’s school. “And we will be such when we do not attempt to know something else than what he considers useful for our salvation.” We will abide by that. And we shall have to keep our senses in check and subdued. “I may say, therefore,” says Calvin, “that we shall not be confused, when it is said of God’s guaranteed election, whereby he has predestined to salvation as many as he willed and rejected others. Why? Because when we are informed about God’s will we must come to the conclusion that we have to abide by what he informs to us. This means we fully depend on what the Scriptures say, where God has given us satisfactory testimony, what he considers good for us. After all, there are so many testimonies in Scripture to assure us of this doctrine that all people who do not want to be satisfied with this must be poisoned by the devil. They would need to be possessed to such a degree by a spirit of contradiction, pride and rebellion that they do not and will not comply with God’s will. In short, they intend to despise all teaching and instruction and close their eyes and ears in the middle of the day” (59f).

A Foreseen Faith? (Cf. CoD I.9)🔗

Calvin emphatically rejects the idea of election on the basis of foreseen faith. They do not have the slightest fear of God who claim that although God did not see any merit in Jacob, he at least foresaw that there would be some. God would have chosen those of whom he had noted in advance that they would have a good disposition and mentality. He accepted the good that even if it was not yet there, it would come at a later point (46f).

Against this error Calvin argues that there is a continuous line in Scripture that we are all under God’s wrath. “It follows from this that between Jacob and Esau there was no difference at all, so that God did not distinguish one from the other for what he found in him, and that he did not foresee any good. For what else could he foresee but a degenerate mankind that came forth from Adam, bearing no other fruit than the curse? That is what God foresaw both in the one as well as in all others. That means that he gave to Jacob what was in him and left Esau as his birth brought him forth” (47; cf. CoD I.15).

Worshipping in Humility and Reverence🔗

With great emphasis Calvin calls upon us not to dispute with God about the justice of his judgment. We have to worship the Lord “simply and leave to him what he reserves for himself. That means that when he saves, it is only his free goodness, and when he condemns we should not senselessly reproach him for what he is doing. We should be silent except when it comes to making his Name great” (45).

When we “wonder why God, before he created the world and before Adam’s fall, hated and loved already, we should keep calm and quiet and not start contradicting him. For what will we gain when we start asking God questions in a dispute? The stones that we pick up will certainly come down on our own heads and nowhere else. They will not touch God’s majesty at all, but will return upon our own heads and they will break us. That is what happens when we talk back and malign God’s ways. We can pick up our arrows and stones, but they will not reach God. We ourselves will be hit and wounded by them, so that we get confused in our insolence and presumptions” (50).

All kinds of questions may arise in us: how is it possible that one has been elected and the other rejected? How is it possible that the majority are headed for destruction and God only keeps a handful — a remnant — for himself? If we are tormented by these questions, says Calvin, “then let us go to God, that is, go and listen to what he lets us know in the Holy Scriptures... There we must truly stop by and remain quiet” (57). Then we are not pitiful wretches. In Scripture we are shown the way to salvation. The Lord shows us the good and the life in his Word. In Scripture we have the gospel of Christ that enlightens us abundantly. Should we then still have to ask, with this gospel, that the angels will come down from heaven and that God will reveal to us what is hidden from us (58)? When we allow ourselves to be taught by God, he answers us according to our need, and then as far as our salvation is concerned (59).

Pastoral and Practical🔗

Up to this point I have quoted exclusively from Calvin’s second and third sermons. These deal very directly with God’s election and rejection. The others proceed from this. What struck me throughout the collection of sermons was the pastoral tone of Calvin. He knows life. He is well aware of our uncertainty and vulnerability. Nowhere does he gloss over the seriousness of our trials and the difficulty of waiting on God. He uncovers our deep guilt before God. How often do you, as a reader, come face to face with yourself!

But how great it is to be confronted time and again with the liberating gospel of God’s eternal love. Here people are not talked into guilty complexes; instead, the gospel of the forgiveness of guilt is proclaimed and served here. The gospel of God’s election offers such an important anchor in a world in which believers so often seem to go under.

Calvin is sometimes blamed for the fact that with his teaching about God’s election and reprobation he does not do justice to the factor of human responsibility and to the preaching of the promise of the gospel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The volume even opens with a powerful sermon on the reliability of God’s promise! And that sets the tone throughout the volume. When the Lord comes to you with his gospel, then you can depend on what he says. Even if it takes you a long time to see it, God’s promises do not fail. Time and again the promise of the gospel is presented to all people with the command of repentance and faith. The confession of our electing God does not take the zest out of our faith life. On the contrary, it offers comfort. And gives strength to live in service to God. Each time Calvin continues to point this out in an extremely practical manner.

Calvin points out two kinds of people who are enemies of the scriptural doctrine of God’s predestination. The one group are like dogs. These are those who bark against the Lord and bare their teeth, asking God their wicked questions. The others are like pigs. They do not oppose God’s predestination so fiercely. They use this doctrine to wallow in the mud. They say: if I am elected, I can do all the evil I want, because I cannot be lost. And if I am rejected, why should I torment myself in trying to do good; after all, I cannot be saved (51).

Topicality🔗

Calvin’s sermons strongly emphasize how believers who may know themselves to be chosen in Christ are totally different from those who are trapped in a life that revolves around consumption and entertainment. In this respect, this collection of sermons is also very current for our time. After all, we live in an age when for many enjoyment and living according to your own desires is the great ideal. It is precisely in this direction that Calvin’s sermons hone in on our current situation.

Those who believe that God elects for reasons that are in himself, see immediately the relativity of all wealth and pleasure. Such things can never be a reason to make you respectable to God or to give you an advantage with him.

Nor can power and prestige sustain you. They offer no security. One day you will go down with all your pomp and circumstance. There is only one solid foundation: God’s electing love. That gives certainty!

God’s love and faithfulness are more than anything we might be able to acquire in this life. Without God’s grace and love, all your comforts and conveniences are useless. But those who are deeply convinced that God loves us and shows us his goodness have enough — even in the most bitter hardships. Such a person is rich.

A collection such as the one highlighted here makes it clear once again how much the deep contempt for Calvinism and the unrestrained pursuit of amusement and consumption are linked together (cf. CoD V,15).

As you can imagine, we are pleased to see that these sermons have become available to us. And we heartily recommend perusing and reading them. You will have to take some time for it — but it will be most rewarding!

Endnotes🔗

  1. ^ Available in English under the title “Sermons on Election & Reprobation”, trl. David C. Engelsma, Old Path Publications Inc., 1996. [Note: page numbers in the article refer to the Dutch edition].

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