John Calvin's Institutes in a Year

Podcast Description John Calvin guides believers to the proper assurance of their election by turning their eyes to Christ as the mirror of election, connecting calling with perseverance, and warning against the dangerous temptation of prying into God’s hidden decree apart from the Word—showing that true comfort comes from resting in God’s promises and the Shepherd’s unbreakable hold on his sheep....

Podcast Description John Calvin continues his profound treatment of divine election by showing how God’s eternal choice is confirmed through the effectual calling of the elect, while the reprobate are left in their blindness—emphasizing that salvation rests entirely on God’s free mercy, not human will or effort. Today’s Readings: John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 3, Chapter 2...

Podcast Description John Calvin concludes his refutation of the chief calumnies against predestination by defending the equity of God’s judgments, exposing how the doctrine actually promotes holiness rather than license, and carefully instructing how this high mystery should be taught—so that it humbles the believer, silences blasphemy, and directs all glory to God’s sovereign mercy. Today’s Readi...

Podcast Description John Calvin presses further into the heart of the controversy, dismantling claims that God did not ordain Adam’s fall, exposing the futility of distinguishing between divine will and permission, tracing condemnation to human corruption rather than hidden decree, and refuting the charge that predestination makes God a respecter of persons—all while upholding the righteous freedo...

Podcast Description Continuing through John Calvin’s robust defense of divine sovereignty, he dismantles the objections that God is unjust for predestinating humanity to corruption, that His judgments are incomprehensible to finite minds, and that predestination removes human responsibility for sin—affirming that all things, including the wicked, serve God’s sovereign purposes and that His will re...

Podcast Description John Calvin boldly refutes the common objections and calumnies raised against the doctrine of predestination and reprobation, demonstrating that God’s eternal will is the supreme rule of righteousness and that fallen humanity has no ground for complaint against the justice of the Creator. Today’s Readings: John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 3, Chapter 23 --...

Podcast Description In this powerful exploration of divine election, John Calvin directly confronts the tension between God’s universal gospel call and his particular choice of the elect, showing how Scripture upholds both without contradiction while grounding our faith in the unchanging mercy and justice of God. Today’s Readings: John Calvin — Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 3, Chapter...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description God’s election is not based on human merit or foreseen works, but on his sovereign mercy alone. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , Calvin shows that Christ’s words and Paul’s teaching in Romans 9 confirm that the Father gives certain ones to the Son, and that this gracious choice stands firm despite human unbelief. This doctrine humbles us and an...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description The doctrine of election is not based on human merit or foreseen works, but on God’s sovereign mercy alone. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , Calvin carefully examines Paul’s teaching in Romans 9, showing how God’s choice of Jacob over Esau and the remnant of Israel demonstrates that salvation rests entirely on the free and gracious will of God....

Today’s Readings Podcast Description God’s eternal election is a doctrine that humbles us and magnifies his grace. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , Calvin shows that God’s choice of some for salvation and his passing by of others is not based on foreseen merit, but on his own sovereign good pleasure. This truth removes all boasting and grounds our assurance in the unchanging mercy...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description God’s sovereign choice of some for salvation and others for judgment is a profound mystery that Calvin explores with care and reverence. In these sections from the Institutes , he shows how the election of Abraham’s family, and the distinction within it, reveals God’s free mercy rather than human merit. This truth humbles us, magnifies grace, and assures believ...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description The eternal counsel of God by which he chooses some for salvation and passes by others is one of the most profound and comforting doctrines in Scripture. In this section from John Calvin’s Institutes , we are invited to approach the mystery of divine election with humility and reverence, not with the curiosity that leads to presumption. Calvin shows us how this...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description The eternal counsel of God by which he chooses some for salvation and passes by others is one of the most profound and comforting doctrines in Scripture. In the opening sections of this chapter from John Calvin’s Institutes , we are invited to approach the mystery of divine election with humility and reverence, not with the curiosity that leads to presumption....

Today’s Readings Podcast Description God’s glory, his kingdom, and his will stand at the center of all true prayer. In these powerful sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , we learn how the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to seek God’s honor above all things, to submit our desires to his rule, and to persevere even when answers seem delayed. Calvin shows us that prayer is not about bending God to our w...

Calvin concludes his exposition of the Lord’s Prayer by turning to the believer’s ongoing battle against sin, Satan, and spiritual weakness. In “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” he explains that Christians do not ask to be spared every trial, but to be preserved through them. Temptations come through prosperity as well as adversity, through both the attractions of the world...

Calvin now turns from the God-centered petitions of the Lord’s Prayer to the needs of God’s people, showing that even our daily concerns must be viewed through the lens of God’s glory. In “Give us this day our daily bread,” he teaches that every provision—whether food, work, wealth, or health—comes from God’s fatherly hand and must never become a source of self-reliance or anxiety. He then moves t...

This portion of Calvin's exposition of the Lord's Prayer shifts from who God is to what believers should most deeply desire. Calvin explains that the first three petitions are entirely God-centered. To pray, “Hallowed be Thy name,” is to long for God's glory to be honored, His Word revered, and all blasphemy and irreverence extinguished. To pray, “Thy kingdom come,” is to ask that God rule more fu...

This section of Calvin's discussion of the Lord's Prayer centers on one great truth: Christians pray with confidence because God is truly their Father in Christ. Calvin explains that we approach God only through Christ, whose sonship becomes ours by adoption, giving us the right to call God “Father.” He then addresses the fear many believers feel because of their sin, reminding us that God's mercy...

Today's Readings Podcast Description Singing, public prayer in the common tongue, and heartfelt worship all belong to the true service of God. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , Calvin defends the edifying use of singing in church, insists that prayers must be understood by the people, and leads us to the Lord’s Prayer as the perfect pattern given by Christ himself—balancing God’s g...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description True prayer flows from the heart and is offered to God alone through Christ. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , we learn the importance of assiduous, sincere prayer—both private and public—while rejecting vain repetitions, ostentation, and any reliance on material temples or outward forms. Calvin emphasizes that the tongue should serve to glorify...

Podcast Description The experience of God’s past mercies strengthens our faith and fuels our prayers. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , Calvin shows how the answered prayers of the saints encourage us to pray with confidence, while thanksgiving and petition are inseparably joined in true worship. He powerfully warns against the sacrilege of invoking any other than God alone through...

Podcast Description Christ is the only Mediator and Intercessor. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , Calvin continues to dismantle the errors of those who seek the intercession of departed saints. He refutes misapplied Scripture passages, exposes the confusion between saints and angels, and shows how all true prayer and intercession must be through Christ alone. Calvin calls believer...

Podcast Description Christ alone is the one Mediator between God and man. In these powerful sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , we are warned against any deviation from this truth. Calvin refutes the errors of those who would make the saints co-mediators or intercessors, showing that all true prayer and intercession must flow through Christ. He exposes the superstitions of invoking departed s...

Podcast Description God does not demand perfect faith, zeal, or repentance before hearing our prayers. In these sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , we receive great comfort: even the prayers of the saints are imperfect—mixed with coldness, wandering thoughts, irregular emotions, and doubts—yet our heavenly Father indulges our weaknesses. Calvin shows why we must pray in the name of Christ our...

Today’s Readings Podcast Description God’s promises are rich and freely offered, yet we often respond with cold indifference—preferring broken cisterns to the fountain of living waters. In these powerful sections from John Calvin’s Institutes , we see how the Lord tenderly allures us to prayer through his Word while addressing honest objections: Why does God sometimes seem to answer passionate, im...