What kind of assurance does faith provide? Sadly, many believe faith assures prosperity in this life. John Calvin, in agreement with Scripture, emphasizes an entirely different understanding of assurance.
...Scripture establishes this as the sum of our salvation, that he [God] has abolished all enmities and received us into grace...
...For faith does not certainly promise itself either length of years or honor or riches in this life, since the Lord willed that none of these things be appointed to us. But it is content with this certainty: that, however many things fails us that have to do with the maintenance of this life, God will never fail. Rather, the chief assurance of faith rests in the expectation of the life to come, which has been placed beyond doubt through the Word of God. Yet whatever earthly miseries and calamities await those whom God has embraced in his love, these cannot hinder his benevolence from being their full happiness...
...In short, if all things flow unto us according to our wish, but we are uncertain of God's love or hatred, our happiness will be accursed and therefore miserable. But if in fatherly fashion God's countenance beams upon us, even our miseries will be blessed. For they will be turned into aids to salvation.
~from Calvin's Institutes, Book Three, chapter II, section 28 (emphasis mine)
...Scripture establishes this as the sum of our salvation, that he [God] has abolished all enmities and received us into grace...
...For faith does not certainly promise itself either length of years or honor or riches in this life, since the Lord willed that none of these things be appointed to us. But it is content with this certainty: that, however many things fails us that have to do with the maintenance of this life, God will never fail. Rather, the chief assurance of faith rests in the expectation of the life to come, which has been placed beyond doubt through the Word of God. Yet whatever earthly miseries and calamities await those whom God has embraced in his love, these cannot hinder his benevolence from being their full happiness...
...In short, if all things flow unto us according to our wish, but we are uncertain of God's love or hatred, our happiness will be accursed and therefore miserable. But if in fatherly fashion God's countenance beams upon us, even our miseries will be blessed. For they will be turned into aids to salvation.
~from Calvin's Institutes, Book Three, chapter II, section 28 (emphasis mine)
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