Latest / Reformed Thinking / Meditation on the Future Life | John Calvin

Transcript

Meditation on the Future Life | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome to the Deep Dive. We're the show that unpacks key
0:03
sources to help you get clarity and hopefully some real insight.
0:06
That's the goal. And today we're looking at
0:08
something pretty foundational and Reformed thinking.
0:11
It's John Calvin's ideas on how we as believers should think
0:15
about this life and the life to come.
0:18
We're drawing from his meditation on the future life.
0:22
Yeah, it's a really rich piece. We'll be thinking about how our
0:25
experience is here, especially, you know, the tough stuff to
0:27
trials, right? How they shape our view and
0:29
actually get us ready for eternity.
0:32
We want to pull out some really significant ideas for you from
0:36
Calvin's writing here. Not just what he thought, but
0:38
maybe why it still speaks to us now.
0:40
Exactly why it matters. OK, so let's start with God's
0:43
involvement. I think for many people the idea
0:46
that God is active even in hardship can be, well,
0:50
confusing. It definitely can be.
0:52
So what do these writings tell us about how God shows his
0:56
fatherly care, maybe even in ways that seem contradictory at
1:00
first glance? Right.
1:01
OK, so the sources we're looking at show God really actively
1:05
using all of our life experiences.
1:07
All like the good and the bad. Both, yes, the miseries and the
1:11
blessings and the purpose behind it all is consistent to draw
1:15
believers toward himself and to prepare them, to ready them for
1:20
eternal glory. It's like a divine strategy, you
1:24
could say. A strategy involving both
1:26
comfort and difficulty. Precisely before God fully
1:30
unveils the quote inheritance of eternal glory, he gives us what
1:34
Calvin calls lesser proofs of his fatherly carelesser.
1:38
Proofs. What does that look like
1:39
day-to-day? Think about the daily benefits
1:41
he provides. Just life itself, you know?
1:43
Even with all the struggles, Calvin sees life as a
1:45
fundamental blessing of God. Even with the hard parts.
1:48
Even with the hard parts, it's a testimony of divine benevolence.
1:51
Our existence, all its ups and downs, is actually meant to
1:54
steer us towards salvation. Even things like nature, you
1:57
know, the sunrise, the food we eat, the air we breathe, these
2:01
things are meant to stir up gratitude in US.
2:04
Gratitude for just being alive and provided for.
2:07
Yes, and these benefits, they might seem small sometimes, but
2:10
they, let us quote, taste the sweetness of the divine
2:13
generosity right now here on earth.
2:17
Like a little sample. Exactly.
2:19
It's an initial taste, and Calvin says this taste.
2:22
What's our hope and desire to seek after the full revelation
2:25
of this in the future? So even the ordinary stuff is
2:29
part of pointing us forward toward.
2:31
God, that's the idea. It's all part of directing our
2:34
hearts toward Him. OK, so these daily blessings,
2:37
they're like a foretaste, a little preview of something much
2:40
bigger. An appetizer, maybe.
2:42
That's a great way to put it, an appetizer for the feast to come.
2:45
But then, and this is where it gets maybe a bit more jarring
2:48
for us today, Calvin turns to the difficult parts of life.
2:51
The trials. Yeah, if God is really caring
2:54
for us like a father, how do hardships, tribulations, how do
2:58
they fit into that picture? It feels almost backwards,
3:00
right? Finding fatherly care and
3:02
struggle. It does feel backwards from our
3:04
usual perspective, yeah, but the sources are really clear here.
3:07
Calvin argues God uses the fittest means to draw us back.
3:11
Fittest means like the most suitable tools.
3:14
Right. The most effective ways to shake
3:17
off our sluggishness, lest we cleave too tenaciously to what
3:20
he calls this brutish love of this world.
3:23
OK, brutish love of this world, right?
3:25
That sounds pretty intense. What does he mean by that?
3:28
It's a really key phrase. He sees it as this sort of
3:32
unthinking, almost animal like attachment we have to immediate
3:36
comforts to earthly things. Like just wanting what feels
3:40
good right now. Exactly.
3:41
It's brutish because it lacks that higher spiritual focus the
3:45
believers are supposed to have. It keeps us sort of stuck to the
3:48
ground. Prevents us from looking up
3:50
towards heavenly. Thing, right?
3:51
It keeps our minds from ascending.
3:53
So this isn't just random suffering we experience.
3:55
It's what Calvin calls active instruction.
3:57
Instruction. How so?
3:59
Instruction in the vanity of the present life by continuing proof
4:02
of its miseries. It's like parental discipline,
4:05
really. Designed to shift our focus,
4:07
keep us from getting too settled here.
4:08
Yes, precisely. To reorient our deepest
4:11
affections and remind us this world isn't our permanent home.
4:15
That's a powerful thought, this brutish love holding us back.
4:19
So how does this, this paternal discipline, this shaking off of
4:23
sluggishness, actually show up in our lives?
4:25
What kind of trials are we talking about?
4:27
Will Calvin give several examples?
4:28
For one, he says, God allows believers to be troubled and
4:32
plagued, either with wars or tumults or robberies or other
4:35
injuries. Wow, that's pretty heavy stuff.
4:38
Wars. Robberies.
4:39
Yeah. And think about what those
4:41
things do. They completely shatter any
4:44
illusion we might have of finding deep and secure peace in
4:47
this life. Because you can't feel secure,
4:49
sure, when there's chaos or danger around.
4:51
Right. We naturally crave stability,
4:53
peace, predictability, but God sometimes introduces disruption.
4:57
To remind us that true peace isn't found here.
5:00
Exactly. A sudden job loss maybe, or
5:02
conflict in your community, even a personal set back.
5:05
These things can serve as stark reminders that are real.
5:08
Security isn't earthly. So they're not just random bad
5:12
luck. Calvin argues they're not
5:13
arbitrary punishments. They're deliberate interventions
5:16
to keep us from sinking too deep into worldly contentment.
5:19
Because He knows we forget how temporary this all is.
5:23
OK, that makes a certain kind of sense.
5:25
It's like saying don't get too comfy, this isn't the final
5:28
destination. But what about things that feel
5:30
more personal, like money that feels so basic to our security
5:36
here. How does that fit in?
5:37
That's a great question, and he addresses it head on, he says,
5:41
to counter our two great eagerness after fleeting and
5:44
transient riches. Which most of us probably have
5:46
to some degree. Yeah, he says, God sometimes
5:49
reduces people to poverty, or maybe just keeps them in a
5:52
moderate station, limits their wealth.
5:54
How might that happen? Calvin lists things like exile,
5:57
sometimes by barrenness of the earth, sometimes by fire,
6:01
sometimes by other means. It could be anything that shakes
6:03
up our financial stability. And the point is.
6:05
To loosen our grip on what's inherently unstable and
6:08
temporary anyway. To keep our ambitions from being
6:11
totally consumed by getting more stuff.
6:14
It's like stripping away the external stuff to show what
6:16
really lasts. Yes, exactly.
6:18
Forcing us to rethink where our actual security comes from.
6:22
If your identity is all wrapped up in your wealth or status,
6:25
losing it is jarring. Devastating, even.
6:28
It can be, but Calvin would say it can also be a corrective
6:32
experience redirecting your focus from earthly treasure to
6:35
heavenly treasure. OK.
6:36
What about our relationships, family, marriage?
6:40
Those are often where we find our greatest joy and sense of
6:43
belonging. Does this discipline touch those
6:46
two? That feels really sensitive.
6:48
It is sensitive, absolutely, and the sources say that to prevent
6:52
us from finding too much delight in, say, the goods of marriage
6:56
too. Much delight Can there be too
6:57
much delight in marriage? Well, perhaps delight that
7:00
becomes idolatrous, finding our ultimate meaning there, Calvin
7:03
suggests God might allow believers to be troubled by the
7:06
depravity of their wives, or humbles them by evil offspring,
7:10
or even afflicts them with bereavement.
7:12
Loss of a loved one that's incredibly painful.
7:15
Without a doubt, these are deeply painful things, but
7:18
they're presented as ways God prevents us from investing our
7:21
ultimate hope and satisfaction in human relationships.
7:24
Because they're imperfect and temporary.
7:26
Exactly. Like all earthly things, they're
7:29
subject to brokenness and loss. Calvin isn't saying God causes
7:32
sin, like a spouse's depravity or a child's rebellion.
7:36
But he allows it allows the consequences of living in a
7:40
fallen world to be felt. Yes, He allows the reality of
7:44
this fallen world to touch even our closest bonds when
7:48
relationships struggle or when we lose someone dear.
7:51
It's a hard lesson that our hearts can't find perfect,
7:54
unchanging rest in anything created.
7:57
It pushes us towards the only perfect relationship with God
8:00
Himself. That's the idea where there's no
8:02
imperfection, no loss. OK, and what about things like
8:04
health or pride? We can easily feel self reliant
8:09
when we're healthy and things are going well.
8:10
Right. And Calvin says to stop
8:12
believers from getting puffed up with Vainglory or exalt in self
8:15
assurance, God sometimes sets diseases and perils right in
8:19
front of them. Illnesses.
8:20
Accidents. Yes, things that show us how
8:22
unstable and fleeting are all the goods that are subject to
8:25
mortality. Think about a sudden serious
8:27
diagnosis or a near miss accident.
8:29
It certainly reminds you of your fragility.
8:31
Instantly, these physical reminders aren't meant to crush
8:34
us, but to ensure we're sufficiently awakened to weigh
8:36
the misery of this life. They highlight our limits, our
8:40
finite nature. So all these different kinds of
8:42
trials, external conflicts, financial stress, relationship
8:46
troubles, health issues, they all serve this purpose.
8:49
According to Calvin, yes. They ensure we aren't captivated
8:53
by the world's attractions. This whole process sometimes
8:56
called the discipline of the cross.
8:58
It helps us learn that this life really is troubled, turbulent,
9:02
unhappy and countless ways, and that even it's good things are
9:06
uncertain, fleeting, vain, and vitiated by many intermingled
9:10
evils. Meaning even the best stuff here
9:12
has some flaw or shadow attached.
9:14
Yes, nothing is purely good or perfectly secure in this life.
9:18
It's all mixed. So if I'm hearing you right, the
9:21
idea is to see these struggles not as random bad luck or God
9:25
being angry. No, not primarily punitive.
9:27
But as intentional, maybe even loving acts from God meant to
9:31
redirect our deepest desires, adjust our focus.
9:34
That's it. It's a redirecting, A
9:36
compassionate the sometimes painful pointing towards what
9:38
truly lasts. OK, so this leads to Calvin's
9:41
view of life itself. You you mentioned it's described
9:44
as troubled, turbulent, unhappy. In countless ways and in no
9:48
respect. Clearly happy.
9:51
Yeah, that's the quote. That sounds incredibly
9:53
pessimistic to modern years. It does, doesn't it?
9:56
But it's intended as a sober theological assessment, not just
9:59
a complaint. A realistic view.
10:01
He would argue so that all the things we usually think of as
10:04
goods, riches, honors, marriage, health, they're all uncertain,
10:10
fleeting, vain, and vitiated by many intermingled evils.
10:14
So even the best parts are flawed, temporary, mixed with
10:18
bad. That's the claim which leads to
10:20
a pretty startling conclusion. Believers should seek and hope
10:24
for nothing but struggle in this life.
10:26
Whoa, hope for struggle. That sounds awful.
10:29
It sounds like a call to misery, I know, but it's not about
10:32
wanting pain for its own sake. It's about managing
10:35
expectations. Also, if you expect struggle, if
10:38
you know it's part of the landscape of this life, then
10:41
when it comes, you're not totally thrown off balance,
10:43
you're not crushed. You're prepared to face it with
10:45
faith rather than asking why me all the time.
10:48
Something like that. It shapes your response.
10:50
OK, so this view that life is inherently difficult and
10:53
unhappy, It might seem grim, but maybe it helps explain why we
10:58
still cling to it so tightly even though we see its problems.
11:02
That's a very insightful connection, yes, despite knowing
11:06
intellectually that human life is like smoke or shadow, a
11:09
saying that's been around forever.
11:11
Right, we all know life is short.
11:12
We know it, but we often disregard it almost
11:15
instinctively. Humans are naturally drawn to
11:18
that brutish love of this world. We talked.
11:20
About that instinctual attachment.
11:22
Yes, and we act, Calvin says, as if we were establishing
11:26
immortality for ourselves on Earth.
11:29
We pour energy into things as if they'll last forever.
11:31
Building bigger barns, so to speak.
11:33
Exactly. Our minds get stunned, he says,
11:36
by the empty dazzlement of riches, power and honors.
11:38
Empty dazzlement. Like shiny, but ultimately
11:41
worthless. Pretty much.
11:43
And our hearts get occupied with avarice, ambition and lust.
11:47
These things fill up our attention, blocking our view of
11:49
anything beyond the earthly. They weigh us down spiritually,
11:52
make us sluggish. Dull our spiritual senses,
11:55
Definitely. And even when we're forced to
11:58
confront death, say at a funeral, it hits you.
12:01
For a moment. For a moment, yes, that
12:03
realization of life's vanity. But Calvin says it's often
12:06
momentary. It vanishes as soon as we turn
12:09
our backs and leaves not a trace of remembrance behind it.
12:12
Like it never happened. We just go back to chasing the
12:14
same stuff. It's like watching a show.
12:17
You might be moved, but then the lights come up and it
12:19
evaporates. We forget the lesson almost
12:21
immediately. So even with clear evidence like
12:25
death itself, our default setting pulls us back to this
12:30
thoughtless assurance of earthly immortality, like spiritual
12:33
amnesia. That's a great term for it,
12:35
spiritual amnesia. And because of this tendency,
12:37
Calvin presents a very stark choice.
12:39
He says there's no middle ground.
12:41
No middle ground. What's the choice?
12:43
Either the world must become worthless to us, or hold us
12:46
bound by intemperate love of it. Worthless or bound?
12:50
That sounds pretty extreme. No nuance there.
12:52
He argues there really isn't in terms of our ultimate affection.
12:55
You can't serve 2 masters. Essentially, your heart's
12:58
deepest loyalty has to lie somewhere.
13:00
And the world is constantly trying to win that loyalty.
13:02
Constantly, he says, the present life has very many allurements
13:06
with which to entice us, and much show of pleasantness, grace
13:10
and sweetness wherewith to wheedle us.
13:12
It looks appealing, feels good. It really does.
13:15
Worldly success, comfort, pleasure.
13:18
There are powerful draws, and because they're so tempting, God
13:22
has to step in. With those trials we discussed.
13:24
Yes, he calls us away now and again so as not to be captivated
13:29
by such panderings. The trials are meant to shake us
13:32
out of that captivation. To convince us, as you said
13:34
earlier, of the miserable condition of earthly life.
13:37
Exactly to wake us up from that spiritual slumber.
13:40
It's not just a helpful suggestion.
13:42
Calvin sees it as necessary for our spiritual health if our
13:45
hearts stay tied to what's fleeting.
13:47
We'll just keep being disappointed and distracted from
13:50
what really matters. Constantly distracted,
13:52
constantly chasing smoke. OK, so given this rather bleak
13:59
assessment of life's miseries and our tendency to ignore them,
14:03
how should a believer actually view their present life?
14:07
Is it something they hate? Should we just walk around
14:09
miserable until we die? No, definitely not hatred or
14:12
just being miserable. This is where the balance is
14:14
really crucial, Calvin says. Believers must accustom
14:17
themselves to contempt for the present life.
14:20
OK, there's that word again. Contempt.
14:22
It sounds so negative, almost nihilistic, like we should just
14:25
despise everything. It does sound harsh to our ears,
14:28
doesn't it? But we need to unpack what he
14:30
means by it. He's not advocating for
14:32
bitterness or rejecting all earthly joy.
14:34
So what is he getting at? The key insight, I think, is
14:37
that our capacity for deep affection, for desire, is
14:40
limited if we pour all our love, focus and hope into what is
14:44
ultimately fleeting and flawed. There's nothing left for God.
14:47
For eternity. Exactly.
14:49
There's no room left to truly desire the perfect, lasting
14:52
reality of God's Kingdom. So this contempt isn't about
14:55
hating the gift of life itself. It's about it's about re
14:57
evaluating its ultimate worth compared to eternity.
15:01
It's like clearing out the clutter in our hearts to make
15:03
space for something infinitely greater.
15:06
A kind of strategic detachment, maybe not bitter rejection.
15:09
That's a much better way to think of it, yeah.
15:11
Strategic detachment. And this attitude is needed
15:15
because, as he says, the mind is never seriously aroused to
15:18
desire and ponder the life to come unless it be previously
15:22
imbued with contempt for the present life.
15:25
So seeing this life's limits actually frees us up to desire
15:28
the next one more. Yes, it frees believers from
15:31
being captivated by the allurements, the show of
15:34
pleasantness that this life offers.
15:36
But, and this is vital, this contempt must not engender
15:40
hatred of it or ingratitude against God.
15:43
So you can hold this life loosely without hating it.
15:45
Precisely. Life, even though it's crammed
15:48
with infinite mises, is still rightly to be counted among
15:50
those blessings of God which are not to be spurned.
15:53
It's still a gift, even if it's a difficult one sometimes.
15:55
Yes, to deny its divine origin or benefit, to just reject the
15:59
gift entirely, would be grave and gratitude toward God
16:02
Himself. OK.
16:03
So it's a very careful balance then, recognizing the struggles,
16:07
the fleeting nature of the vanity, without dismissing that
16:11
it comes from God and serves His purpose.
16:13
How else should believers think about this life?
16:16
It can't just be about seeing its flaws, right?
16:18
We're not just waiting around. Absolutely not just waiting
16:21
around. Life is also framed as a
16:23
testimony of divine benevolence. A sign of God's goodness.
16:26
Yes, and a gift of God's kindness.
16:29
Remember those lesser proofs and daily benefits?
16:32
Yeah, the taste of generosity. Through those God shows Himself
16:35
to be, we are Father even now, before the full inheritance is
16:38
revealed. We begin to taste the sweetness
16:42
now, and that taste wets our hope and desire for the full
16:46
meal later. Building anticipation.
16:48
Exactly. And beyond that, Calvin uses
16:50
another powerful image. This life is like a century post
16:53
at which the Lord has posted us. A century post like a soldier on
16:57
duty. Yes, and it's one which we must
16:59
hold until he recalls us. This implies we have a job to do
17:03
here. It's not passive waiting at all.
17:05
Not at all. It suggests a divine purpose, an
17:08
appointment for our time on earth.
17:10
We're meant to abide in it at the Lord's pleasure.
17:13
Living faithfully in the place God put us.
17:15
Right vigilant, carrying out our duties, whatever they may be,
17:19
while we wait for the commanders call to come home.
17:22
That framing really makes life sound like a period of
17:24
preparation, doesn't it? A training ground for something
17:27
more. Precisely.
17:28
That's exactly how Calvin sees it.
17:30
The present life functions as a preparation, so to speak, for
17:34
the glory of the heavenly Kingdom.
17:36
Preparation through struggle. Often, yes, God has ordained, He
17:39
says, that those who are one day to be crowned in heaven should
17:43
first undergo struggles on earth to attain victory.
17:46
Like athletes training for the prize or soldiers for battle.
17:50
Good analogies. It's not that we earn the crown
17:53
through struggling. That's crucial and reformed.
17:55
Thought right, salvation is by grace.
17:57
Exactly. But God uses the process of
18:00
struggle, the experience of overcoming through faith, to
18:03
refine us and make us ready to receive that glory.
18:06
So the miseries have a purpose in that preparation.
18:09
Yes, they serve to wean us. That's the word he uses.
18:12
Wean us from excessive love of this present life.
18:16
Like weaning a baby off milk, it can be uncomfortable, but it's
18:19
necessary for growth. That's the idea idea.
18:22
It's uncomfortable, but it helps us mature so that the cross of
18:25
Christ will at last triumph over the devil, flesh, sin, and
18:29
wicked men in our hearts. So it's all part of this bigger
18:32
plan to purify us, to make us fit for that future state.
18:36
Yes, the discomfort is ultimately for our greater good,
18:39
helping us find our deepest satisfaction in God alone, not
18:43
in the temporary things of this world.
18:45
And flowing from that understanding of life's purpose,
18:47
The real shift, the core change in perspective for believers,
18:51
becomes clear. OK, what's the shift?
18:54
It's this. Whatever is taken away from the
18:56
perverse love of this life ought to be added to the desire for a
18:59
better one. So every bit of affection we
19:01
detach from the temporary should be reinvested in the eternal.
19:04
Exactly. It's a fundamental redirection
19:07
of our hearts, energy, our deepest longings.
19:09
And when you make that comparison, when you really hold
19:12
up this life against the life to come.
19:13
How does this life look then? Calvin says it must be utterly
19:16
despised and loathed and even trampled under foot.
19:20
Wow, despised and loathed. That sounds even stronger than
19:23
contempt. It does, but again, context is
19:26
key. It's a comparative statement.
19:28
Think about someone desperately homesick for a beautiful
19:31
homeland. OK, How might they view the
19:33
difficult journey, the uncomfortable temporary
19:36
shelters? As just obstacles to endure,
19:39
things to get past. Right.
19:40
They don't love the dusty Rd. they love the destination.
19:43
In that light, Calvin uses metaphors like the earth being
19:47
in exile. A place we don't believe the.
19:49
World being a sepulchre like a tomb.
19:52
Confining. Lifeless.
19:53
And the body being a prism. Holding us back.
19:57
These are strong images meant to convey a sense of spiritual
20:00
longing, a desire for liberation from the limitations and
20:03
brokenness here. The goal is to get believers to
20:06
betake themselves wholly, to meditate upon that eternal life
20:10
to come. To really focus their minds and
20:12
hearts on eternity. Yes, not as an escape from
20:15
responsibility here, but as a way of properly valuing what's
20:18
truly real, truly lasting, truly good.
20:22
Keeping that spiritual compass pointed firmly towards home.
20:25
This definitely presents a very different view of death than
20:28
most people have. Yeah, we tend to dread it, fear
20:31
it, avoid even talking about it. Absolutely.
20:33
But the sources use that word monstrous to describe a certain
20:36
kind of fear of death in Christians.
20:38
Yes, monstrous. It's considered unnatural,
20:41
spiritually speaking, for Christians to be so gripped by
20:44
fear that they tremble at the least mention of it.
20:47
Why monstrous? Isn't some fear natural?
20:49
Well, Calvin acknowledges a natural human aversion to
20:52
dissolution. Our bodies are made for life,
20:54
after all. But he argues it's wholly
20:56
unbearable that there is not in Christian hearts any light of
20:59
piety to overcome and suppress that fear by a greater
21:03
consolation. Meaning our faith, our hope
21:06
should be stronger than the natural fear.
21:08
It should provide a comfort that outweighs it.
21:10
In fact, he goes further. Faith should compel believers
21:13
ardently to seek what nature dreads.
21:16
Seek death. That sounds extreme again.
21:18
Not seek it in a self-destructive way, but to
21:20
view it positively as a transition.
21:24
Death is seen not as the end, but as being recalled from exile
21:28
to dwell in the Fatherland. Going home.
21:31
Exactly. A release into perfect freedom.
21:35
Imagine being LED out of prison or finally reaching home after a
21:38
long, hard journey abroad. Liberation.
21:40
Emancipation. Those are the kinds of terms
21:42
used, a glorious release from the limits and miseries of this
21:46
current life into something far better.
21:49
OK, and what about the body itself?
21:51
We tend to identify so strongly with our physical selves.
21:54
What happens to this prison, as Calvin called?
21:56
It right, we do care about our bodies.
21:58
But Calvin describes our current body as an unstable, defective,
22:02
corruptible, fleeting, wasting, rotting Tabernacle.
22:05
Not exactly flattering a temporary tent.
22:07
A temporary tent, yes, but through death and resurrection
22:11
this worn out tent will be renewed unto a firm, perfect,
22:14
incorruptible, and finally heavenly glory.
22:17
Renewed, not just discarded. Renewed and transformed, it's
22:20
not annihilation but glorification.
22:22
The body isn't just thrown away, it's made perfect, permanent,
22:25
free from decay. So shedding the temporary
22:27
dwelling for a permanent glorious 1.
22:29
That's the picture. A massive upgrade, you could
22:32
say. And that's a key reason death
22:34
shouldn't hold terror for believers.
22:36
It leads to this amazing resurrection.
22:39
This transformation is definitely a compelling reason
22:41
not to fear. So if we're really getting this,
22:44
if we're living according to these ideas, what's the sign of
22:47
real progress? How do we know if we're actually
22:50
learning in this school of Christ, as Calvin puts it?
22:53
He gives a pretty clear and maybe challenging benchmark.
22:56
He says no one has made progress in the school of Christ who does
23:00
not joyfully await the day of death and final resurrection.
23:03
Joyfully await it, not just accept it, but look forward to
23:07
it with joy. With joy, yes.
23:09
Not a morbid fascination, but a happy anticipation of a glorious
23:13
beginning. That day, the day of death or
23:15
Christ's return, shouldn't cause dread.
23:17
But rejoicing. Yes, rejoicing in good cheer,
23:20
because, as Luke's Gospel says, our redemption is drawing near.
23:24
So we should actually long for it.
23:26
Calvin says believers should anticipate the Lord's coming not
23:29
only with longing but also with groaning and sighs as the
23:33
happiest thing of all. Groaning and sighs sound less
23:36
like joy. It's the groaning of intense
23:38
longing like Paul describes in Romans 8, longing for the final
23:42
liberation, the ultimate inheritance.
23:44
It's the sign that your heart is truly set on God's promises.
23:47
So that joyful waiting is the fruit of having really
23:51
reoriented your heart away from this world.
23:53
It's the mark of real progress in this school.
23:55
OK, so this hope, this longing for the life to come, it becomes
24:00
the believer's anchor. The source is even called the
24:02
soul comfort. How does that actually work?
24:05
How does Looking Forward help us deal with the really tough stuff
24:09
now when things seem to be falling apart or we face real
24:12
injustice? It provides deep comfort,
24:15
especially for believers who often feel, as Calvin puts it,
24:18
as sheep destined for the slaughter.
24:20
That's vivid, vulnerable, facing danger.
24:23
Yes, capturing that reality of suffering, believers often
24:27
endure Infinite Viserys, he says, and injustices from the
24:30
wicked. Without this heavenly focus,
24:32
they truly would be desperately unhappy.
24:35
But because their minds are intent upon heaven.
24:38
They can surmount whatever is in this world.
24:41
They can look beyond the present aspect of affairs.
24:44
This hope, this future reality, allows them to, without
24:47
difficulty, bear up under such evils.
24:50
Without difficulty, that seems strong.
24:52
Surely it's still hard. Perhaps without being crushed is
24:56
a better sense. It doesn't mean the suffering
24:58
isn't real or painful, but the hope gives it context.
25:02
It frames the suffering as temporary and part of a larger
25:05
redemptive story. So they can endure, because
25:07
their ultimate hope isn't tied to things getting better here.
25:10
Exactly. Their true reward, their
25:12
vindication, lies beyond this fleeting world.
25:15
The hope of eternity outweighs and reframes the impact of
25:19
present troubles. That's a powerful perspective on
25:21
perseverance. And what does that future state,
25:23
that piece of his Kingdom, actually look like for
25:25
believers? What are the promises?
25:27
The sources paint a beautiful picture when the Lord finally
25:30
will receive His faithful people into the peace of His Kingdom,
25:34
First He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
25:37
An end to all sorrow, all pain, all grief.
25:40
Completely, every hint from this life undone.
25:43
Then he will clothe them with a robe of glory and rejoicing.
25:47
Signifying honor. Yes, ultimate dignity and
25:52
unending joy. He will feed them with
25:54
unspeakable sweetness of his delights.
25:56
Satisfaction beyond imagining. A deep, pure satisfaction that
26:00
surpasses anything earthly. He'll elevate them to his
26:03
sublime fellowship. Close intimate communion with
26:06
God. Unhindered communion with the
26:07
source of all goodness. And finally, He will deign to
26:11
make them sharers in His happiness.
26:13
We actually get to participate in God's own joy.
26:16
Wow, Complete blessedness, eternal satisfaction, unending
26:20
closeness with God, free from all the messiness of here.
26:23
That's the video, That's the hope.
26:25
It's certainly something to look forward to.
26:27
But what about justice? What about those who caused the
26:29
suffering now the wicked who seemed to prosper while
26:32
believers struggle? Does this future hope address
26:34
that imbalance? Yes, that's a really crucial
26:37
part of the comfort. The assurance of future justice
26:40
is huge, while wicked people might flourish and wealth and
26:44
honors now and seem to enjoy deep peace.
26:47
Getting away with it, basically. Seemingly, yes, but Calvin says
26:50
they will ultimately be cast into utter disgrace.
26:54
Their current delights will turn into tortures.
26:57
A complete reversal A. Complete reversal, their
26:59
laughter and mirth into weeping and gnashing of teeth, their
27:03
seeming peace replaced by dire torment of conscience, their
27:07
indulgence punished with unquenchable fire.
27:10
This sounds like the biblical descriptions of Hell It.
27:12
Aligns with those Yes. This future judgement is
27:14
presented as God's righteousness and action, settling all
27:18
accounts. It provides rest to the unhappy
27:20
and unjustly afflicted. And consequences for the
27:23
oppressors and. Repays with affliction the
27:25
wicked who afflict the godly. When Christ returns, it's a just
27:29
vindication for those who suffered and a righteous
27:32
reckoning for those who caused it.
27:34
So the comfort isn't just about personal future bliss, but also
27:37
about seeing God's justice prevail universally.
27:40
Exactly. It's confidence in God's
27:42
ultimate righteous rule over all things.
27:45
It seems like this future focus, this hope, isn't just about
27:49
waiting passively then. It actually fuels a kind of
27:52
spiritual victory even now. Absolutely.
27:55
It's not just hope for tomorrow, it's a dynamic for today.
27:58
By turning their eyes to the power of the resurrection,
28:01
believers find that the cross of Christ will at last triumph over
28:04
the devil, flesh, sin, and wicked men even now in their own
28:08
hearts and lives. How does that work?
28:10
This perspective is motivating. It's active.
28:12
Knowing the temporary nature of this life and the solid reality
28:15
of the next shapes how we live. It pushes believers to meditate
28:19
upon the future life more eagerly.
28:21
Makes eternity feel more real. More real, more desirable.
28:24
It helps them reject the empty allurements of the world and
28:27
live their daily lives with more and eternity in view.
28:30
So that principle comes back, whatever affection you take away
28:34
from misplaced love for this life.
28:36
Ought to be added to the desire for the better one, the eternal
28:39
one. It's a constant redirection of
28:41
heart, mind and energy, providing strength for today.
28:44
Well, this has been a fascinating deep dive into
28:46
Calvin's meditation on the future life.
28:49
It really does offer a challenging, but maybe
28:52
ultimately comforting way to look at our lives right now.
28:55
It does. It pushes us to think about how
28:56
we react to everything, the good days, the hard days, and how
28:59
those reactions can either tie us more tightly to this world or
29:03
cultivate A deeper longing for what truly lasts.
29:06
And it challenges our idea of progress, doesn't it?
29:09
Suggesting real growth is seen in that joyful looking forward
29:13
to the day we're finally called home.
29:14
A day that should change how we see every moment leading up to
29:17
it. So maybe something for all of us
29:19
to think about. How might really embracing the
29:24
temporary nature of this world change how you go about your
29:27
day, your goals, your relationships?
29:29
What if you lived as though your deepest desires were already
29:32
aligned with that perfect, incorruptible glory that awaits?
29:35
That's the question, isn't it? Something to chew on until our
29:38
next deep dive.