Calvin s Institutes: What is Repentance? WEEK 15: BOOK 3, CHAPTERS 3-4
In Our Last Episode Beginning our survey of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer Discussed vital role of faith Given by the Holy Spirit More than simply a doctrinal agreement
Our Regeneration by Faith: Repentance HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE REPENTANCE? WHICH COMES FIRST: REPENTANCE OR FAITH?
Repentance the Fruit of Faith Repentance is a consequence of faith Gospel is summed as repentance and forgiveness of sins Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47 ESV) Both are conferred on us by Christ Both are attained by us through faith
Repentance is a Fruit of Faith For many evangelicals, repentance is a one-time event that occurs at a salvation experience But for Calvin, repentance pertains to actual holiness in life He is less concerned about recalling a dramatic experience and more concerned that we continue walking with Christ But cannot be separated from the free imputation of righteousness Thus, it flows from justification by faith alone And is born of faith Thus, who would repent if they lacked faith in God anyway? A man cannot apply himself seriously to repentance without knowing himself to belong to God.
The Two Aspects of Repentance Mortification sorrow of soul and dread conceived from the recognition of sin and the awareness of divine judgment. AKA contrition Vivification the desire to live in a holy and devoted manner. These helpful as a way of seeing (Puritans later used this language a lot) But Calvin goes in a little different direction
Defining Repentance Again, faith and repentance cannot be separated, But they can be distinguished Repentance encompasses the entire conversion to God Specifically, it is departing from ourselves, we turn to God, and having taken off our former mind, we put on a new. It is the true turning of our life to God, a turning that arises from a pure and earnest fear of him; and it consists in the mortification of our flesh and of the old man, and in the vivification of the Spirit.
Three Points on Repentance 1. By calling it a a turning of life to God, it means a transformation is required Both outwardly in works And in the soul itself 3. Composed of mortification and vivification Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; Putting off the works of the old nature leads to works as fruit of the Spirit 2. Repentance proceeds from an earnest fear of God. Thoughts of divine judgment incline the mind of the sinner to repentance cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. (Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV)
Rebirth in Christ! Repentance is regeneration And its sole end is to restore in us the image of God that had been disfigured and all but obliterated through Adam s transgression. Thus he sees regeneration as more than just a birth, being a process of returning us to a state of holiness as in the Garden Much like the regeneration of tissue returns an organ to an original state
Regeneration and Repentance a Process This restoration does not take place in one moment or one day or one year; but through continual and sometimes even slow advances God wipes out in his elect the corruptions of the flesh, cleanses them of guilt, consecrates them to himself as temples renewing all their minds to true purity that they may practice repentance throughout their lives and know that this warfare will end only at death. Thus, the image is recreated in true holiness and righteousness (Ephesians 4:24) For believers, then, life is a race of repentance in pursuit of holiness, lasting throughout our lives
Sanctification How would you define sanctification? How does it differ from repentance?
Believers Experience Sanctification in this Life but not Perfection The children of God [are] freed through regeneration from bondage to sin. Yet they do not obtain full possession of freedom so as to feel no more annoyance from their flesh, but there still remains in them a continuing occasion for struggle whereby they may be exercised. Thus, there remains in a regenerate man a smoldering cinder of evil. We are still inclined toward evil (Romans 7) because we have desires that contradict God s law. That state Calvin calls sin - again as the apple tree s nature is why it bears apples We are freed from the GUILT of sin, though not the substance of sin This is left in believers not to rule over them, but to humble them by the consciousness of their own weakness. Romans 6:12 thus say don t let sin REIGN, not don t let sin BE
Against Perfectionism Anabaptists of Calvin s day argued in regeneration you were returned to a state of innocence, so no impulse from the flesh John Wesley later also argued for perfection as a possibility for persons in this life
Growth in Repentance: Sanctification For Calvin, sanctification is in a way subsumed under his broad idea of repentance The Holy Spirit has been given to us for sanctification in order that he may bring us, purged of uncleanness and defilement, into obedience to God s righteousness. Involves taming the inordinate desires of indwelling sin Though besieged by many vices and much weakness so long as we are encumbered with our body, we must move steadily forward.
Relationship of Repentance and Sanctification For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV) Seven causes/effects/parts of repentance here, encompassing sanctification Earnestness Eagerness to clear ourselves (purification) Indignation at sin Fear (considering what we deserve) Longing to do what we should Zeal to do what we should Punishment such as shame, groaning, displeasure with self Sorrow for sins is needed but should not be unremitting
Outward and Inward Repentance The fruits of repentance include duties of piety toward God, charity toward men, and in the whole of life, holiness and purity. The more a person earnestly measures his or her life by God s law, the surer that person shows repentance (and progress in sanctification) This is an inside-out process: when we have to deal with God nothing is achieved unless we begin from the inner disposition of the heart. The outward practice of penance must not be the primary thing Reflects an inward change to hating sin prior to repentance For no one ever hates sin unless he has previously been seized with a love of righteousness Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13 ESV) Purify your hearts James 4:8
What of the Unpardonable Sin? I say that they sin against the Holy Spirit who, with evil intention, resist God s truth, although by its brightness they are so touched that they cannot claim ignorance. Thus, they strive against the illumination that is the work of the Holy Spirit. Augustine would add that this continues till death. Thus in the Five Points, irresistible grace is not exactly the best term Rather, we can resist grace; just in the elect we are inwardly changed so as not to resist any more
A Difficult Text For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV) Those who reject it are not those who with dissolute and uncontrolled life simply transgress the Word of the Lord, but those who deliberately reject its entire teaching. That falling is a complete turning away from God and, so to speak, apostasy of the whole man. So, a complete rejection after a taste not losing salvation For man s mind is not truly changed without the Holy Spirit
Calvin Takes on The Catholics: Confession They require compunction of heart, confession of mouth, and satisfaction of works to be repentant Though Calvin says repentance is not the cause of forgiveness of sins Confession to priest as keeper of the keys Yet, since it is the Lord who forgives, forgets, and wipes out sins, let us confess our sins to him in order to obtain pardon Ministers may announce God s forgiveness, but not grant it Though private confession to a pastor may be useful in providing consolation and assurance
Calvin Takes on the Catholics: Satisfaction/Purgatory Forgiveness is removal of guilt AND satisfaction for the penalty for what was done fulfilling the temporal consequences of sin Thus, Catholics claim that is is not enough for the penitent to abstain from past evils, and change his behavior for the better, unless he makes satisfaction to God for those things which he has committed. This leads to idea of doing penance And thus to the idea of purgatory And idea that superabundant satisfaction of Christ/martyrs creates a treasure trove of merit Eliminate the doctrine of satisfaction, and purgatory is a moot point Scripture, Calvin points out, teaches forgiveness is a gift of sheer liberality and Christ alone makes satisfaction for sin
Though There are Two Judgments One is a judgment of vengeance, God acting as Judge God punishing evildoers for their sins to protect His Righteousness A second is the judgment of chastisement, God acting as Father Disciplining his children in order to teach His children Quotes Augustine, What you suffer, what you complain about, is your medicine, not your penalty. Leading us to be brought low and repent as individuals and as a Church He who feels that God still intends to punish him can never be persuaded that he is loved by God. But he who in the end profits by God s scourges is the man who considers God angry at his vices, but merciful and kindly toward himself.
Bringing It Home Calvin s view of repentance may differ from ours An ongoing turning Mortification Vivification Inward as well as outward Contrasts with Catholic beliefs Part of it is God s discipline
Application and Prayer Reflect on your life What are you consciously doing to mortify sin And in what areas do you need vivification by the Spirit How does your inside life compare to your outside? Do you take your salvation for granted? Praying for vivification: Where do I need work? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)
Next Time The Life of the Christian Book 3, chapters 6-10