John Calvin (1509–1564) on the Gospel of God, Wherein He Wills, Urges, and Wishes Men to Repentance and Faith by Giving His Son

We are told, then, that because the kingdom of God is near we must be converted and believe the gospel. We have already explained, though rather briefly, what is meant by ‘the kingdom of God.’ It means that God has chosen to reveal himself to men from whom he was formerly estranged, and who were more or less cut off from him. We have all been banished from the heavenly life by Adam’s sin and fall. God therefore sends his only Son and, as it were, with outstretched arms asks us to turn back to him, for he is willing to receive us. Although we have strayed and are lost because of our demerits, he still wills to show us mercy. Because the kingdom of God is near, our Lord Jesus Christ urges men to repentance and faith.

Notice first of all that nothing should move or inflame us to yield to God more than his offer of infinite grace and goodness. When Paul, for example, seeks to pierce men’s stony hearts and to soften their hardness and obduracy, he appeals to ‘the bowels of God’s mercy’ (Phil. 2:1). In speaking thus, he is really saying: ‘Will you now continue in our madness? Must you be worse than the devils? And when God comes to you, displaying his mercy and opening his heart to welcome you as his own children—when he gives you his own Son, will you be so unfeeling as not to be softened or inflamed by love for his grace? Will you not allow him to lead you, and will you not delight in the goodness he shows you?’ It is in just this way that Jesus Christ urges men to repentance and faith. But on what does he base his appeal? On the fact that God wishes to draw near to those from whom he was once estranged. God, therefore, in receiving us in mercy, sets his goodness before us without waiting for us to seek him out; he forestalls us with such exceptional grace that we cannot grasp even a hundredth part of it. Since he is so kindly disposed toward us, we should be rightly and deeply touched, to the very core of thought and feeling.

John Calvin, “The Gospel of God (Matt. 4:12, 17; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 3:19–20; 4:14–15),” in In the Power of the Spirit: Sermons on Matthew, Mark & Luke, trans. Robert White (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2024), 154–55.

From his Sermons on Psalm 119 in Various Translations:

The original French:

Et ainsi, quand il est dit en l'Escriture saincte, Que c'est vne parole fidele, que Dieu a envoyé son Fils, pour rendre la vie à tous povres pecheurs: il nous faut enclorre en ce reng là: Ie dy qu'vn chacun le face en son particulier. Quand nous oyons ceste sentence generale, que Dieu est misericordieux: auons nous cela? Nous le pouuons hardiment invoquer, jusques à dire, Combien que ie soye vne povre creature desesperée, puis qu'il est dit que Dieu est misericordieux à ceux qui l'ont offensé: i'auray mon refuge à luy, & à sa misericorde, le priant qu'il me la vueille faire sentir: Puis qu'il est dit, Que Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il n'a point espargné son Fils unique, mais l'a livré à la mort pour nous: il faut que ie regarde là. Car il est bon besoin que Iesus Christ me tire de la damnation en laquelle ie suis. Puis qu'ainsi est, que l'amour & la bonté de Dieu s'est declarée au monde, en ce que Iesus Christ son Fils a souffert mort & passion: il faut que ie m'approprie cela, que ie cognoisse que c'est à moy que Dieu parle, qu'il veut que i'entre en possession d'une telle grace, & que i'en iouïsse.

Jean Calvin, Vingtdevx sermons de m. Iean Calvin, ausquels est exposé le Pseaume cent dixneufieme, contenant pareil nombre de huictains (Geneva : Jean Gerard, 1554), 86–87.

Stocker Translation:

So likewise, when it is said in the holy scripture, that this is a true and undoubted saying, that God hath sent his only begotten sonne, to save all miserable sinners: wee must include it within this same ranke I saye, that every of us apply the same particularly to himself: when as we heare this general sentence, that God is merciful. Have we heard this? Then may we boldly call upon him, and even say, although I am a miserable and forlorne creature, since it is saide that God is mercifull to those which have offended him: I will runne unto him and to his mercy, beseeching him that hee will make me to feele it. And since it is said, That God so loved the world; that he spared not his onely begotten sonne: but delivered him to death for us. It is meete I looke to that. For it is very needfull, that Jesus Christ should plucke mee out from that condemnation, wherein I am. Since it is so, that the love and goodness of God is declared unto the worlde, in that that his sonne Christe Jesus hath suffered death, I must appropriate the same to my selfe, that I may know that it is to me, that God hath spoke, that he would I should take the possession of such grace, and therein to rejoice me.

John Calvin, Two and twentie Sermons of Maister John Calvin. In which Sermons is most religiously handled, the hundredth and nineteenth Psalme of David, by eight verses aparte according to the Hebrew Alphabet, trans. Thomas Stocker (Imprinted at London for John Harison and Thomas Man, 1580), 56r–v; italics original.

Of Grace Edition:

So likewise, when it is said in the holy scripture, that this is a true and undoubted saying that God has sent his only begotten son, to save all miserable sinners: we must include it within this same rank I say, that every of us apply the same particularly to himself: when as we hear this general sentence, that God is merciful. Have we heard this? Then may we boldly call upon him, and even say, although I am a miserable and forlorn creature, since it is said that God is merciful to those who have offended him: I will run unto him and to his mercy, beseeching him that he will make me to feel it. And since it is said, That God so loved the world; that he spared not his only begotten son: but delivered him to death for us. It is meet I look to that. For it is very needful that Jesus Christ should pluck me out from that condemnation wherein I am. Since it is so, that the love and goodness of God is declared unto the world, in that his son Christ Jesus has suffered death, I must appropriate the same to myself, that I may know that it is to me, that God has spoken, that he would I should take the possession of such grace, and therein to rejoice.

John Calvin, Sermons on Psalm 119 (Of Grace Publishing House, 2021), 132–33.

Balserak Version:

So likewise, when it is said in the scriptures that this is a true and undoubted saying, that God has sent his only begotten son to save all miserable sinners … every one of us must apply this particularly to himself, whenever, that is, we hear this general sentence, that God is merciful. Have we heard this? Then we may boldly call upon him, and even say: although I am a miserable and forlorn creature, yet since it is said that God is merciful to those who have offended him, I will run to him and to his mercy, beseeching him that he will make me to feel it. And since it is said, that God so loved the world that he spared not his only begotten son, but delivered him up to death for us, it is right that I should look to that. For it is very necessary that Jesus Christ should pluck me from that condemnation in which I presently am, since it is true that the love and goodness of God is declared unto the world in that his son Jesus Christ has suffered death. I must appropriate this to myself, such that I may know that it is to me that God has spoken; he desires that I should take possession of such a grace, and rejoice in it within myself.

Jon Balserak, Calvinism: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd ed. (Oxford University Press, 2026), 14.

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