“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27)
John Calvin’s Description of the Gospel-Centred Life
[Part 2 of 3]
It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone.
For, He was
sold, to buy us back;
captive, to deliver us;
condemned, to absolve us;
He was
made a curse for our blessing,
[a] sin offering for our righteousness;
marred that we may be made fair;
He died for our life; so that by Him
fury is made gentle, wrath appeased,
darkness turned into light, fear reassured,
despisal despised, debt cancelled,
labour lightened, sadness made merry,
misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy,
disorder ordered, division united,
ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected,
intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered,
assaults assailed, force forced back,
combat combated, war warred against,
vengeance avenged, torment tormented,
damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss,
hell transfixed, death dead,
mortality made immortal.
In short,
mercy has swallowed up all misery, and
goodness all misfortune.
– from John Calvin’s preface to Pierre Robert Olivétan’s
French translation of the New Testament (1534)