Canons of Dort III/IV articles 11-13

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1 Canons of Dort III/IV articles Dear children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, and guests, there is within us humans a strong desire to have things make sense to us. Last week we paid attention to the thorny issue of God s providence and the existence of evil. It s a problem because we like it to make sense, and we have difficulty rhyming a good God with the existence of evil. Last week we learned, we can t make human sense of it. And so we confess with Belgic Confession article 13: As to God s actions surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire farther than our capacity allows us.... We content ourselves that we are pupils of Christ, who have only to learn those things which He teaches us in His Word, without transgressing these limits. Evil in God s world is a mystery: we can describe it but not explain it. The conversion of man from being an unbeliever to a believer is a mystery too. Notice how with Canons of Dort III/IV article 13 we say the same sort of thing about conversion or regeneration 1 as we confess concerning God s providence. We cannot fully understand the way in which God does this work. Conversion is also a mystery. The fact that conversion is a mystery is an important point in the context of the Canons of Dort and in the context of much of Christianity today, especially in North America. For Arminians were in part driven by a desire to make sense of things. And many Christians today, well-educated as people tend to be today, want things to make sense as well. Saying we can t understand it completely sounds like a cop out. However, the fathers at the Synod of Dort realized that the Arminians, in their drive to understand God s ways had in fact deviated from God s revelation. What Arminians taught was not in line with what Scripture teaches. And that s true for what many today teach as well. The attempt to have God s activity make human sense sees them hold views that are contrary to divine revelation. As we look at the doctrine of conversion this afternoon, we will see this. Trying to make sense of things is not wise. That s a point of similarity between the doctrine of God s Providence and the doctrine of Conversion. However, those two matters are more closely connected. You see, God s work of conversion is an act of God s providence. God s work of conversion is an act of God s providence. Just as both fruitful and barren years or both riches and poverty come not by chance but by God s Fatherly hand (HC q&a 27), so the opening or hardening of one s heart come not by chance but by God s Fatherly hand. 2 Conversion or its absence, just like crops or their absence and wealth or its absence, is directed by God. Just as providence proceeds from God s eternal decree, so conversion proceeds from God s eternal decree. As such the matter of conversion or its absence is as difficult and sensitive as the matter of God s Providence. Arminians seek to remove the sensitivity by making sense of things via the doctrine of co-operation. Calvinists acknowledge the sensitivity by humbly confessing the limitations of human understanding. We listen to God s instruction on the doctrine of conversion, summed up in this theme: God effectively changes those whom He has chosen unto eternal life. We consider (1) The manner of conversion (article 11); (2) The agent of conversion (article 12); and (3) The mystery of conversion (article 13). 1) The manner of conversion (article 11) In chapter III/IV the Synod of Dort reacted to two teachings of the Arminians that are so closely related, it is not really possible to separate them, in many ways they are two sides to the same coin. That s why the chapter has a combined number, 3-4. Arminians taught Partial Depravity and Resistible Grace. The teaching of Partial 1 Like the Canons of Dort I will be using the terms interchangeably in this sermon. In Reformed Dogmatics ( Systematic Theology ) the two are often distinguished. However, I didn t want to clutter the sermon with that (legitimate) distinction. 2 Opening: Acts 16:14. Hardening: Isaiah 63:17.

2 Depravity points out that man is not totally or radically corrupt but only in part. According to Arminians, man is able to do good without God s involvement. The teaching of Resistible Grace points out that man is able to prevent God from converting them. According to Arminians, man is able to remain evil in spite of God s involvement. What is common to both teachings is the fact that man can act independently of God. For something good to happen, God and man have to partner together. Man has to give consent for God to accomplish good in their lives. And consenting to God, allowing God to do good in their lives, that s the good man can do without God. Here s that doctrine of co-operation. But this is contrary to what God teaches in Scripture. Man s corruption is complete, he is totally unable to do any good. And because he is totally unable to do any good, any good that exists must be the work of God, of God alone. God and man are not partners, not even in the slightest manner. For good to happen, man is entirely dependent on God. The truth of this is outlined in article 11. We find there an overview of five aspects to conversion and for each of them, a Biblical description of God s work on this score. We ll look at each of these separately. (1) The first is the preaching of the Gospel. We confess: [God] takes care that the gospel is preached to them. You see, people have become estranged from God. People don t go looking for God. We read in Romans 3(:10-12): There is... no one who seeks God. All have turned away. For people to be converted to God, they will have to, somewhere along the line, become acquainted with God. And because people don t go looking for God, God has to have the Gospel come to them. The Gospel: not just the facts of the Bible, but their significance. Our Scripture reading from John 3 makes that clear too. Nicodemus, a Pharisee well acquainted with the Bible, goes to speak with the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus then made clear to Nicodemus that, while he might know the Bible, he needs the Gospel. Nicodemus needs to hear Jesus speak of heavenly things, indeed, even of earthly things (John 3:12). And God ensured that Nicodemus did get to hear Jesus speak, did get to hear the Gospel. For Nicodemus becomes a follower of Jesus (John 19:39). On the fact that the Gospel needs to be preached for conversion to happen, Christians will not differ. What Christians may differ on, is whether having that Gospel preached is the responsibility of God and man. Arminians see it more as man s responsibility, hence their heavy emphasis on outreach, on evangelism and mission. Arminians often figure that Calvinists aren t into outreach because they figure its God s responsibility. Now it s true, some Calvinists do take that approach. But that s misguided. True Calvinists believe that God has the gospel go where He wants it to go, He makes sure it reaches those chosen to eternal life, and He uses people to that end. Calvinists are into outreach, for they know that it pleases God to use people to spread the Word (e.g. Acts 9:15). (2) The second aspect noted by article 11 is that God has people understand the Gospel. [God] powerfully enlightens their minds by the Holy Spirit, so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of God. Only by the Spirit of God can spiritual things be discerned (1Corinthians 2:14). Why is that? Well, our minds are controlled by our hearts. And our hearts, as we confess in the first three articles of chapter III/IV, are completely corrupt. A mind that is guided by a sinful heart will not think correctly. Instead of our minds being controlled by our sinful hearts Scripture often refers to this as being controlled by the flesh we need a new guide. That guide is the Spirit of God. Without the Spirit, we might find the Gospel interesting, but it would not be truly meaningful to us. Just think of Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, he knew his Bible. Yet the Lord Jesus is upset with Nicodemus. You are Israel s teacher and you do not understand these things? (John 3:10). Rather than seek to understand things guided by our human hearts, hearts which make us see things in a human way and try to make sense of things in a human way, we need to be guided by God s Spirit. That s also why during a worship service, prior to the preaching of the Gospel, before the sermon, we pray for the enlightenment of the Spirit. We don t only pray that the Gospel may be preached, that the minister may do

3 justice to God s Word. We also pray that the Spirit will work in our minds to have us understand the Word correctly. This matter also has me think of our current home-visit theme. The text is printed on the front of the liturgy sheet. We are called to think about whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, anything that is excellent or praiseworthy. We need to think about these things, thinking is an activity of the mind. But that s hard, to think these things. We need the Spirit to have us do so and understand things properly. (3) For sinful man, the mind is guided by the heart. The Spirit enlightens the mind. But the Spirit goes further. Sometimes it is argued that the mind will then change the heart. And if one simply goes by our experience, that would seem true. As we learn from the Bible what is proper, so the desires in our hearts will change. However, that change in our hearts is itself also done by none other than God the Holy Spirit. Article 11 has us confess: By the efficacious working of the same regenerating Spirit God also penetrates into the innermost recess of man. He opens the closed and softens the hard heart, [and] circumcises that which was uncircumcised. 3 The heart is here the seat of man s desires, the things that a person holds dear and motivates them to do one thing and not another. On account of our fallen nature, that heart is closed. It is closed to God and all that is good. On account of our fallen nature, that heart is hard. It remains stubbornly and firmly as is, refusing to change. On account of our fallen nature, that heart is uncircumcised, it does not belong to God and forms a blockage to eternal life. God has to open the heart, Acts 16:14. God has to soften the heart, cause the change of heart, Acts 9: God cuts away the blockage, thus marking the heart as belonging to Him, Deuteronomy 30:6. Thus Nicodemus was told, that only the Spirit can give birth to spirit (John 3:6). Only the Holy Spirit can make people spiritually alive unto God, can make people love God. God has poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). (4) God has the Gospel preached to the chosen. God has the Spirit give them understanding of that Gospel. God has the Spirit penetrate to the depth of the heart and give the right desire. There s more yet. And here, Arminians and Calvinists part ways most of all. God also changes man s will. We confess: [God] instils new qualities into the will. He makes the will, which was dead, alive; which was unwilling, willing; which was stubborn, obedient. He moves and strengthens it. This is not an easy matter to grasp. The mind is about knowledge, the heart is about desires. What is the will about? The will is man s ability to choose. An illustration is probably helpful here. Picture a man with a sweet tooth. We ll call him Fred. Fred knows the consequences of a high sugar diet. It s unhealthy, it can lead to all sorts of illnesses. But Fred has a sweet tooth. If he had his way, his breakfasts would swim in maple syrup, his lunches be liberally sprinkled with sugar and icing, and his dinners consist of meats marinated in brown sugar and sweet & sour rice. Now Fred can choose between his mind and his heart. He can be wise, and not give in to the desires of his heart. Or he can fulfil his desire, and ignore what he knows. It s that ability to choose that we call the will. God created humans with the ability to choose. And in their original state, in Paradise, man was able to choose freely. Originally, man, left to his own devices, had the capacity to choose between one thing and another, between good and evil. That s what we mean when we speak of man having a free will. According to Arminians, man still has that capacity. Man has the capacity to choose between good and evil (CoD III/IV RE 3). Arminians will argue, that when the gospel is preached to man, when man s mind has been 3 In the original Dutch version of the Canons, this was one sentence. The phrase about the will began a new sentence. 4 The expression soften a heart is not found in Scripture, while people or God hardening a heart is. However, when a person turns from hardening their hearts to following God, that is, in essence, a softening of heart. Hence the reference to Saul s conversion.

4 enlightened and his heart prepared (and each of this involves God in some way) it is man and only man who makes the choice. He is capable of doing so, for his will is free. Calvinists like ourselves confess that man s will is not free. It is true that man is presented with a choice. But man has lost the capacity to choose what is good. Man s will is not free, it has become incapable of choosing what is good. Man s will is dead, it does not function as it should. It is bad, it is evil, it is not functioning as it was originally created to. The will is stubborn, it only choses one thing, and that s whatever is in the interest of the person. The will is weak, succumbing when it is presented with temptations to do what is not good. And so man s will needs work done to it too. God needs to change man s will, make it capable of choosing what is good again. Philippians 2:13: God works in you to will... according to His good purpose. So that s also something God does in the work of conversion. He ensures that man again receives the capacity to choose for what is good. We ll look at this in more detail when we deal with article 16 in a future sermon. (5) With the gospel preached so that man can know God; with the mind enlightened so that the Gospel is understood properly; with the heart opened and softened so that the desires for serving God grows; and with the will changed and strengthened so that it again has the capacity to choose for good, the fruit of good works come into view. That s the fifth aspect of conversion, the fruit that consists of good works. There are two types of fruits of good work that we note. The first is the primary fruit of conversion, its first consequence. That s faith. In fact, we ll say conversion has happened, a person has been regenerated, when instead of unbelief there is faith. The other type of good work that we note is that which we generally understand by the term good works. The Heidelberg Catechism defines good works for us as all those things done out of true faith, in accordance with God s law, and to God s glory (q&a 91). The preaching of the Gospel combines with God enlightening the mind, opening the heart, and changing the will to produce the fruit of faith and of obedience to God s law. That s the manner of conversion, that s the way in which it happens. One final remark on this. Notice that Article 11 for most of these does not use words that indicate time or sequence. It doesn t say first this and then that. There are Christians who look at conversion like that. In fact, there are Christians who derive their name from this very fact: Methodists. 5 And there s a tendency among Puritans and the Experiential Reformed 6 to approach conversion in this way too. But the Canons, very wisely, do not speak of an order. And thus we should not pin it down that way either. There are these aspects, but as to whether God first enlightens the mind or first opens the heart of first changes the will, or whether God first has the Gospel preached or first has a person internally regenerated, that s not revealed to us. Of course, the good works of faith and obedience to God s law do come last, but that s a given with the word expression produce the fruit of. 2) Having seen how God brings about conversion let s now pay more attention to who does it. That s our second consideration: the agent of conversion. I did say, more attention. For in our first point it was already emphasized with each aspect how it is God who does the work. What we want to do now is look at the issue of God s role and man s role in a more general way, and the Scriptural grounds for the Calvinist position. 5 While most Methodists are Arminians, Calvinist Methodists do exist too. 6 E.g. Netherlands Reformed Congregations.

5 Arminians argue that man, in some way, plays a role in conversion. Here we have a version of the doctrine of co-operation, that we looked at last week. Classic Arminianism, that s the type the Canons were written against, taught that God gently advises people to believe in Him, and then people have to choose (See CoD III/IV RE 7). There s a wide scale of Arminian views, though. The closest to the Calvinist stance pictures the unbeliever as a dying man in a hospital, without the strength even to bring life-saving medicine to his mouth. God comes with the medicine, puts it on a spoon, and holds it in front of the man s mouth. But the man will still have to open his mouth to receive the medicine. It s not much, but man does have to do something himself. Or man is pictured as someone who is drowning. He has gone under twice and the third time will be the last time. God throws him a life preserver and it falls within reach of the man. All he needs to do is to grab hold. God has to do almost everything. Almost everything. But there s a tiny, tiny bit that man has to do too. 7 To this Calvinists will say no. Fallen man is not a dying man but a dead man. Fallen man is not a drowning man but a drowned man. Offering medicine to a person who has died will never save him. Throwing a life preserver to someone who has drowned will never save him. Man cannot contribute to his salvation, not even a single sigh. Conversion is entirely God s work. God works this in us without us (CoD III/IV.12). Why do Calvinists hold this? Article 12 presents us with the Biblical defense. Regeneration is a work not inferior in power to creation or the raising of the dead. Think for a moment of the creation of Adam. Adam was created from the dust of the earth, we are told in Genesis 2:7. And once the body was formed, then God breathed life into it, so that Adam became a living soul. Adam as a person had a conscious existence only once his body had become a living soul. Did Adam consent to his creation? Boys and girls, did God first ask Adam: Adam, is it okay if I create you? and get Adam s permission? No. The very thought is ridiculous. Well, said Calvinists. Our conversion is referred to by Scripture as a new creation. If there is no need for God to have our permission before creating us, there is no need for God to have our permission before re-creating us. This doesn t quite clinch it. After all, when we are being recreated, we already do exist. There s a difference between Adam s creation and our re-creation. Hence, the next illustration is important. Think for a moment of the resurrection of Lazarus. Do we read in the Bible that Jesus asked Lazarus permission to raise him from the dead? No. We read in John 11(:43) that Jesus issued a command: Lazarus, come out! And Lazarus came out. The very thought that Jesus needed the permission of Lazarus to raise him from the dead is ridiculous. Now regeneration is called, by Jesus, a resurrection. But that s not all. For we read the following in John 5:25: I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear it will live. The people who are raised to a new life don t go from one spiritual life to another spiritual life, just as one might say, the people who are re-created go from an old creation to a new creation. No, the people who are raised to a new life go from death to life. From spiritual death to spiritual life, just like Lazarus went from physical death to physical life. Can the dead give permission for their resurrection? No. If they could, I m sure all who died in unbelief and disobedience would refuse to be part of the resurrection on the last day. But they ll have no choice. Likewise, when God works conversion in people, people don t choose. Do you think the Pharisee Saul wanted to be converted to Jesus on the road to Damascus? No, he did not. But he was. And later in life he was ever so thankful to God for granting him this change of heart (1Timothy 1:12-17). Just as Adam did not give God permission to create him but it was entirely God s doing; and just as Lazarus did not give the Christ permission to raise him to life, but it was entirely Christ s doing; so every regeneration does not have those converted give God permission to act, it is entirely God s doing. Regeneration is indeed God s work in us without us. 7 See R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God, pp

6 Does man play no role whatsoever? Yes, man does. The close of article 12 makes that clear. The will so renewed is not only acted upon and moved by God but, acted upon by God, the will itself also acts. Therefore man himself is rightly said to believe and repent through the grace he has received. To grasp this, one needs to remember that the will is not something like the heart, which desires, or the mind, which knows. The will is an ability or skill, the skill or ability to choose between good and evil. Following the fall into sin, our will became so corrupt that in and of itself it can only choose for evil. Through conversion or regeneration, God instills new qualities in the will, so that it can choose for good again. And with that renewed will, and the desire to seek God, and the true knowledge of the Gospel that one needs Christ, man himself chooses to have faith in God and repent from evil to do good. Just like Adam, upon being created, began to live and just like Lazarus, upon being resurrected, came out of the tomb. So man does play a role. God doesn t believe, we do. The agent of regeneration is God: He is the one working conversion in us without us. And a good thing that is too. For not a single fallen human being would ever want to be saved. If God did not change our will, our desire, and our knowledge, none would ever want to be saved. The reverse is true as well: those who want to be truly, saved, have had their wills changed by God, have had their desires remoulded by God, have received and understood God s instruction. No one is dragged into God s Kingdom against their will. No one is denied access to God s Kingdom against their will. 3) Finally, the mystery of conversion. There are still some things we will delve into further in a future sermon. How faith is a gift of God (article 14). Why we ought not to be upset with God (article 15). How God respects the integrity of the choosing human being (article 16). And how conversion is not a mystical happening but is worked by God through the means of the preaching and the sacraments (article 17). Nevertheless, the Canons at this point insert the comment that God s work of regeneration cannot be completely understood. Of course, a believer will experience conversion happen in them. For they notice within themselves a desire to hear the Gospel, to know the Word, to love the Lord, and find themselves doing the unimaginable: choosing to be a true Christian. In all likelihood this conversion was no way near as dramatic or spectacular as that of the apostle Paul. But it is there, and the converted will know it. And true, there may be doubts along the way of faith. There are moments of weakness we ll be dealing with that in the last chapter of the Canons. But those converted to God will always find themselves seeking reconnection with God and with His people. For in the process of conversion God has put knowledge of the truth in the mind of His child, a desire for God in the heart of His child, and has renewed the will so that it is capable of choosing for God again. The believer will know and experience his conversion. But he will not understand it. Just like a person does not understand conception and birth. Oh yes, we know much about the physical sides to it. But do we know how the spirit comes into a person, the human spirit that distinguishes us from animals and angels? The coming into existence of a new human being remains a mystery. Conversion is a mystery too. And we are to resist every attempt to make it make sense to our human minds. Take good note of the words the Lord Jesus spoke to Nicodemus: The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (John 3:8). You know the wind is blowing, but you cannot trace its path. Same with the Spirit. There is no need to understand how the Spirit operates. It s sufficient to know He does. And to have confidence in His work. For God s work is effective.

7 Effective. Arminians argue that God s grace is resistible. Man is able to resist God s work. They point to Acts 7:51, where Stephen accuses the Israelites of resisting the Holy Spirit. And other texts, indicating people resisting God s work in them. Initially the Reformed reacted with the doctrine of irresistible grace. As God is sovereign, God s grace will always win out. Irresistible is the i in the acronym TULIP for the so-called Five Points of Calvinism. You ll find the term in the old Blue Book of Praise. However, the term irresistible is not a good one. For people can indeed resist the Spirit of God. A good example of that is the patriarch Jacob, who did not come to fully trust God until his battle with God at Pniel. What Scripture teaches us is that God s grace will always win out. No matter what resistance there is, God will win. We can resist God s grace, but God`s grace cannot be conquered. And hence we now speak of God s invincible grace. God effectively changes those whom He has chosen unto eternal life. We need changing, we need regeneration, we need conversion. Thank God He works conversion in us. But our original condition is not just bad, our original condition is the worst it can be. We re not just sick, extremely sick, close to death. We are dead, spiritually dead. There s nothing we can contribute to our conversion. Adam could not consent to his creation, Lazarus did not consent to his resurrection. Nothing within us would consent to our conversion. For by nature we are inclined to hate God (HC q&a 5). Thanks be to God that He, He alone, works conversion in us, works conversion in us without us. It might not make sense. It may hurt our human pride to have to admit that only God can do it. But this is the truth, revealed to us by none other than the very same Spirit who works conversion in us. Do not resist the Spirit of God. Do not deny God s revelation. And do not prevent the Spirit from working change in your life. Rather, be filled then with [God s] Spirit, live out God s will and Word. Amen.