Five hundred years ago on July 10th, 1509, one of the most influential men of God in the protestant reformation was born, John Calvin. His name usually evokes some kind of emotion in people, normally negative feelings. However, he, along with others such as Luther and Zwingli, was used by God to bring reformation to the church and to bring the focus back to a true focus of the gospel of Christ and to bring individual access to the Word of God. Before the reformation, the people had to depend upon the clergy to preach the Word of God and trust that what they were being told lined up with what God had revealed to us in His Word. However, with the reformation, the Bible was translated into the common languages and people could read the Word for themselves. The Roman Catholic church had also manipulated the people into buying indulgences in order to earn favor with God or to help a loved one escape purgatory. The reformers, such as Calvin and Luther helped bring back the true message of the gospel that a person is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by works lest anyone should boast.
Whether or not you agree with all of his personal theology, and honestly, I do not think any two people agree on everything, we must thank God for men like Calvin who followed God in obedience and was thus used by Him to bring the truth of the gospel back to the people. Let us continue to pray for men like these to be raised up by God to lead His people in the truth of His Word.
