3 Principles of Self-Denial for Every Christian

1. While self-denial especially concerns God, it also pertains to others.

Now, in these words we observe that the denial of ourselves has reference partly to other people and partly (and especially) to God. Thus, when Scripture directs us to act toward other people such that we show them preference in honor before ourselves, so that we genuinely devote ourselves to looking out for their interests (Rom. 12:10; Phil. 2:3[–4]), it gives us commandments that our minds are entirely incapable of keeping unless they are first emptied of their natural feelings. You see, the blindness with which we all rush into love of ourselves is such that it seems to each of us that we have good reason to elevate ourselves and to despise all others in comparison with ourselves. If God has given us anything that should please us, we rely on that and immediately puff up our minds, and we are not only inflated but nearly bursting with pride. We both carefully hide from others the vices with which we are brimming and flatter ourselves by pretending they are minor and insignificant—yes, sometimes we even prize them as virtues! If those same gifts that we admire in ourselves, or even superior ones, appear in others, we maliciously diminish and revile those gifts so that we are not forced to concede them any ground. If they have any vices, we are not content to remark on them with a stern and pointed censure but hatefully accentuate them. This gives rise to such arrogance that every one of us, as though we were exempt from the common condition, wishes to stand out above the rest and casually and savagely holds every mortal person in contempt, or at least looks down on them as inferior. The poor give way to the rich, the commoners to the nobles, servants to their masters, the unlearned to the educated. But there is no one who does not nurture some sense of superiority within.

On the Christian Life

John Calvin

This new translation of John Calvin’s classic work On the Christian Life helps pastors, students, scholars, and everyday Christians answer the fundamental question: What does it mean to live faithfully as a Christian?

So, all individuals, in flattering themselves, carry a sort of kingdom in their heart.¹ Unduly attributing to themselves the things that they find pleasing, they criticize the character and habits of others. And if they get into a conflict, then their venom bursts out. Yes, many people put on a show of some gentleness as long as they find everything pleasant and congenial, but how few of them will maintain that same tone of moderation when they are annoyed and irritated? There is no other cure than to tear out from our innermost guts this most toxic plague that is the love of rivalry and love of self (τῆς φιλονεικίας καὶ φιλαυτίας), just as the teaching of Scripture also tears it out. Thus, it instructs us to remember that those qualities that God has lavished on us are not our own goods but free gifts of God. If any persons are prideful about these qualities, they betray their ingratitude. “Who is it who makes you more remarkable?” Paul says. “But if you have received all things, why do you boast as if they had not been given to you?” (1 Cor. 4:7).

Let us, then, call ourselves back to humility through a continual examination of our faults. That way nothing will remain in us to inflate our egos, but there will be plenty of cause for self-abasement. Conversely, we are instructed to respect and admire the gifts of God that we observe in others such that we also honor the persons in whom they reside. After all, it would be tremendously shameless for us to deprive them of this honor that the Lord has granted them. On the contrary, we are taught to overlook their faults—not, of course, to encourage them with flattery but to refrain from despising people due to such faults, people whom we ought to cherish with kindness and respect. In this way, the result will be that, with whatever person we interact, we will conduct ourselves not only with moderation and self-discipline but also with goodwill and friendliness. Thus, you can never attain true gentleness by any other route than by possessing a heart infused with the demotion of yourself and respect for others.

2. We cannot fulfill our duties to others until we have first denied ourselves.

But now, it is so difficult to do your duty in seeking your neighbor’s benefit! You will accomplish nothing in this respect unless you abandon consideration of yourself and, in a way, divest yourself of yourself. For how can you produce those works that Paul teaches belong to love unless you have renounced yourself and devote yourself entirely to others? “Love,” he says, “is patient and kind, not insolent or disdainful; it does not envy; it is not conceited; it does not seek its own advantage; it is not irritable,” and so forth (1 Cor. 13:4[–5]). If this is the one thing that is required, that we do not seek our own advantage, it will nevertheless inflict considerable violence on our nature, which disposes us so much toward the exclusive love of ourselves that it does not easily tolerate our passing over ourselves and our possessions without concern in order to be mindful of the interests of others, or even more so, to willingly forgo our rights and hand them over to another.

But Scripture, to lead us by the hand to this end, forewarns us that whatever instances of favor we have obtained from the Lord have been entrusted to us on this condition, that we direct them to the common good of the church. And so the legitimate use of all gracious benefits is the generous and kind sharing of them with others. We could come up with no more certain rule, and no exhortation more effective at helping us maintain it, than that all the gifts that we possess in abundance have been entrusted and committed to our trust on the condition that they be dispensed for the good of our neighbors. But Scripture goes even further when it compares those gifts to abilities with which the members of the human body are endowed (1 Cor. 12[:12–31]). No body part possesses its function for itself or puts it to its own private use. Rather, it transfers that ability to its fellow members. Nor does it derive any advantage from its function except that which results from the common benefit of the entire body. Thus, whatever a devout person is able to do, he should be able to do for his brethren, looking after his own personal interests only in such a way that his mind may be focused on the communal edification of the church. Let this, then, be our procedure² for kindness and doing good: We are God’s stewards of all the gifts he has conferred on us for helping our neighbor, and we are required to give an account of our stewardship. In addition, the only proper stewardship is that which is measured by the rule of love. In this way, it will come about that we will not only continually combine the pursuit of the advantage of other people with concern for our own benefit but even subordinate our advantage to that of the other person.

We are God’s stewards of all the gifts he has conferred on us for helping our neighbor . . .

And in case it has perhaps escaped our notice that this is the rule for the proper management of all the gifts we have received from God, he applied that rule in ancient times to even the smallest acts of his kindness. He commanded that the firstfruits of their yield be presented to him (Ex. 22:29; 23:19) so that in this way the people would bear witness to the fact that it was wrong for them to take the products of their prosperity for themselves if they were not first consecrated to God. But if God’s gifts are only sanctified to us in this way after we have dedicated them by our own hand to their very author, it is obvious that what is not suggestive of such dedication is a foul abuse. Yet it would be pointless to strive to enrich the Lord by sharing your possessions. Consequently, since your benevolence cannot reach him, as the prophet says, you must exercise it toward his saints who are on the earth (Ps. 16:[2–]3). And thus, alms are compared to sacred offerings such that they now correspond to those offerings prescribed in the law (Heb. 13:16; 2 Cor. 9:5).

3. The first part of self-denial is to depend wholly on God’s blessing.

Let us again describe more fully the principal part of self-denial, which, as we said, looks to God. And yes, we have said many things about this already that would be redundant to repeat. It will be enough to discuss it insofar as it forms us to be fair-minded and patient.

First, then, in seeking either due balance or calm in this present life, Scripture calls us to resign ourselves and all we have to the Lord’s will and to surrender the passions of our heart to him to be tamed and put into submission. Our lust is wild, and our craving endless in yearning for power and honors, in accumulating wealth, in amassing all those meaningless things that appear to make for magnificence and pomp. Conversely, our fear, our hatred of poverty, of low social status, of humiliation is astounding; we are impelled to rid ourselves of such things by every means. From this we can see how unsettled in mind are all those who organize their lives according to their own plan, how many schemes they attempt, with how many efforts they tire themselves to obtain the things the impulses of their ambition or greed demand and, on the other hand, to avoid poverty and humiliation.

To avoid being caught in such traps, then, devout people must maintain the following course. First, they should neither desire nor hope for nor think about any other means of prospering than by the Lord’s blessing, and they should safely and confidently fall back on and rest in this. No matter how the flesh regards itself as perfectly sufficient when it struggles for accolades and wealth through its own hard work, or when it exerts itself through its efforts, or when it is helped by the favor of other people, it is nonetheless certain that all these things are useless, nor will we accomplish anything by either our cleverness or our work except insofar as the Lord causes both to succeed. But conversely, it is his blessing alone that finds a way, even through all obstacles, to cause all things to result in a happy and favorable outcome for us. Further, even if we were most capable of obtaining some glory and wealth for ourselves without his blessing (just as we daily see the wicked accumulating great accolades and wealth), still, since those on whom God’s curse rests do not enjoy the slightest taste of happiness, without his blessing we will achieve nothing except what turns out badly for us. And at the same time, we should never desire that which makes people more miserable.

Notes:

That is, they have a desire to be in charge, to dominate, to be in control. Cf. Tibullus, Elegies 1.9.80 (LCL 6:242–43)
Lat. methodus; Fr. “rule.

This article is adapted from On the Christian Life: A New Translation by John Calvin and translated by Raymond A. Blacketer.

John Calvin (1509–1564) was one of the most influential theologians of the Reformation. Known best for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he also wrote landmark expositions on most of the books in the Bible.

4 Ways to Look for the Good in Others

Edward T. Welch

June 19, 2021

All of us can see the good in our friends. Scripture, however, authorizes us to see the good and enjoy it in all people, even when most of us are not always so good.