On the other hand, there are many nowadays who seek a pretext to excuse intemperance in the use of external things, and who desire to indulge the lusts of the flesh. Such people take for granted that liberty should not be restricted by any limitations at all; but to this we can never agree. They clamor that it ought to be left to the conscience of every individual to use as much as he thinks fit for himself. 

 
John Calvin’s Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life is not a book in and of itself, but rather an excerpt of the second edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1539). Instead of reflecting on otherworldliness, Golden Booklet focuses on the importance of living today as an active and devoted Christian. The selection that follows comes from Chapter 5, “The Right Use of the Present Life.”

Just as Scripture points us to heaven as our goal, so it fully instructs us in the right use of earthly blessings, and this ought not to be overlooked in a discussion of the rules of life.

[A]s we run the danger of falling into two opposite errors, let us try to proceed on safe ground, so that we may avoid both extremes. For there have been some people, otherwise good and holy, who saw that intemperance and luxury time and again drive man to throw off all restraints unless he is curbed by the utmost severity. And in their desire to correct such a pernicious evil, they have adopted the only method that they saw fit, namely to permit earthly blessings only insofar as they were an absolute necessity. This advice showed the best of intentions but was far too rigid. For they committed the dangerous error of imposing on the conscience of others stricter rules than those laid down in the Word by the Lord.

On the other hand, there are many nowadays who seek a pretext to excuse intemperance in the use of external things, and who desire to indulge the lusts of the flesh. Such people take for granted that liberty should not be restricted by any limitations at all; but to this we can never agree. They clamor that it ought to be left to the conscience of every individual to use as much as he thinks fit for himself.

We must grant, indeed, that it is not right or possible to bind the consciences of others with hard and fast rules. But since Scripture lays down some general principles for the lawful use of earthly things, we certainly ought to follow them in our conduct (1 Cor. 7:30-31).

Earthly Things Are Gifts of God 

The first principle we should consider is that the use of gifts of God cannot be wrong, if they are directed to the same purpose for which the Creator himself has created and destined them. For he has made the earthly blessings for our benefit, and not for our harm. No one, therefore, will observe a more proper rule than he who will faithfully observe this purpose.

If we study, for instance, why he has created the various kinds of food, we shall find that it was his intention not only to provide for our needs, but likewise for our pleasure and for our delight. If this were not true, the psalmist would not enumerate among the divine blessings “the wine that makes glad the heart of man, and the oil that makes his face to shine” (Ps. 104:15).

Even natural properties of things sufficiently point out to what purpose and to what extent we are allowed to use them. Should the Lord have attracted our eyes to the beauty of the flowers and our sense of smell to pleasant odors, and should it then be sin to drink them in?

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