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  IT IS A FAITHFUL SAYING: FOR IF WE BE DEAD WITH HIM
  by John Calvin
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Summary: In order to live with Christ, we must die to the world and its
desires, and trust in his resurrection to make our trials sweet.

Topics: "Spiritual Renewal", "Daily Sanctification"
Scripture References: Romans 8:24, 1 Corinthians 15:31, Philippians 3:10, 2 Timothy 2:11, 1 Peter 2:21

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John Calvin preaches about the hidden life of the faithful in this
world, drawing parallels to trees in winter that appear dry and lifeless
but show strength in spring. He emphasizes the need for believers to die
daily to worldly desires and decay outwardly, embracing sickness,
poverty, and shame as reminders of life's transient nature. Calvin
stresses the importance of daily spiritual renewal and looking to the
resurrection of Jesus to find hope and sweetness in the face of death.

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CONTENT
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It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live
with him: --II Timothy 2:11

While we live in this world, our life is hidden, even as the life of
trees is hidden in winter. Behold, trees are dry, we see no strength in
them, a man would think it were but dead wood; but yet their strength
shows itself in the springtime. Even so it is with the faithful. For
while they are in this world, their life is shut up in hope. Now that
which we hope for is not seen, the eye of man cannot attain unto it.

It follows, then, that in dying we must live; not only with one kind of
death, but we must die daily, we must decay, as touching the outward
man; as he says, sickness, poverty, shame, and such things, serve us to
renounce this world and feel that our life is but a shadow, that it is
nothing, yes, and that we receive so many messages of death when things
do not go as we would have them.

And therefore let us note well that Paul meant here not simply that we
must die once, and then live; but while we live that we are daily buried
as it were; that we see death present as it were; that we are like sheep
that have the knife at their throats. For it is not enough for us to die
so, but we must follow the standard of the Son of God and look to his
resurrection, which is sufficient to make the bitterness of death sweet
to us. --Sermons

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-calvin/it-is-a-faithful-saying-for-if-we-be-dead-with-him/
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