My God is So Great

Roland H. Bainton says of Calvinism in his work, The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, "The drive of Calvinism stems from optimism as to God despite pessimism as to man."

Yes, we Calvinists "put no confidence in princes nor for help on man depend." But yet we hold a bright view of the future due to the utter supremacy of God and the outworking of his plan. We Calvinists are often put forth as the gloomy ones. But not so. We are the most optimistic bunch because our God cannot be thwarted in anything that he does--and he does all things well!

Bainton later notes the difference between Lutheranism and the Reformed camp by saying,

The great text for Luther was "Thy sins are forgiven," but for Calvin it was "If God is for us who can be against us?" Both Calvin and Luther had an overwhelming sense of the majesty of God, but whereas for Luther this served to point up the miracle of forgiveness, for Calvin it gave rather the assurance of the impregnability of God's purpose.

Of course we Calvinists are big on the forgiveness of sins, but the ultimate objective is still prominent: The sovereign God whose eternal purpose will not fail will be glorified for all eternity!

But allow me another accurate quote that does put us in the dust. Regarding Calvin's view of the so called "virtuous pagans" Bainton says,

From the point of view of divine truth the philosophers, apart from God's revelation, are blinder than bats and moles, and apart from God's grace the virtues of the pagans are but splendid vices.