Institutes of Christian religion - Calvin - XI - Chapter 16 of Book 1

Required reading
Institutes of Christian religion by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 16 of Book 1.

My summary
This week Calvin begins to teach us about God's providence.

Calvin asserts that:
(i) God has not created the world and then left it;
(ii) the providence of God is against the ideas of fortune;
(iii) God's omnipotence is displayed in his providence;
(iv) God overrules all events;
(v) the laws of nature are God's work;
(vi) God's providence includes control of man;
(vii) particular events are evidences of the special providence of God;
(viii) the Stoic teaching about Fate is wrong;
(ix) nevertheless there is a sense that events are fortuitous, because we do not know the hidden will of God.

What grabbed me
I liked Calvin's denial of 'luck': '...we must consider that the Providence of God, as taught in Scripture, is opposed to fortune and fortuitous causes. By an erroneous opinion prevailing in all ages, an opinion almost universally prevailing in our own day—viz. that all things happen fortuitously, the true doctrine of Providence has not only been obscured, but almost buried. If one falls among robbers, or ravenous beasts; if a sudden gust of wind at sea causes shipwreck; if one is struck down by the fall of a house or a tree; if another, when wandering through desert paths, meets with deliverance; or, after being tossed by the waves, arrives in port, and makes some wondrous hair-breadth escape from death—all these occurrences, prosperous as well as adverse, carnal sense will attribute to fortune. But whose has learned from the mouth of Christ that all the hairs of his head are numbered (Mt. 10:30), will look farther for the cause, and hold that all events whatsoever are governed by the secret counsel of God.'

A belief in 'fortune' is still prevalent in our day to the detriment of God's glorious providence.  Even in Christian circles, it still amazes how often the words 'good luck' come out of the mouths of Christians.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 17 of Book 1.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.