Calvyn se gebed

 “Christians don’t tell lies, they just go to church and sing them.” — AW Tozer

Calvyn se gebed

Calvyn het aan die einde van sy lesings gebid. Hier is sy gebed na ‘n lesing oor die kleiner profete:

Grant, Almighty God, that as almost the whole world give such loose reins to their licentiousness, that they hesitate not either to despise or to regard as of no value thy sacred word,—Grant, O Lord, that we may always retain such reverence as is justly due to it and to thy holy oracles, and be so moved, whenever thou deignest to address us, that being truly humbled, we may be raised up by faith to heaven, and by hope gradually attain that glory which is as yet hid from us. And may we at the same time so submissively restrain ourselves, as to make it our whole wisdom to obey thee and to do thee service, until thou gatherest us into thy kingdom, where we shall be partakers of thy glory, through Christ our Lord. Amen.  [Calvyn, J., Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets (Joe 1:1–4)].

Moeilik om te verstaan, want hy gebruik woorde wat ons nie meer elke dag gebruik nie. Wat wel van groot belang is, is dit waarop hy in hierdie gebed fokus:

(a) Dat sy hoorders waarde aan die Skrif moet heg.

(b)Dat hulle eerbied het vir God se woorde.

(c)Dat hulle nederig sal wees omdat God afbuig om met hulle te praat.

(d)Dat dit sal lei tot ware gehoorsaamheid.

Vir Calvyn was daar ‘n groot gevaar as mense nie God se woord respekteer nie. Calvyn was absoluut oortuig dat God se woord gehoor moet word.