My studies in Calvin’s Institutes continue. Before I go on to look at the second chapter of Book II, please remember my format. I am basically summarizing and trying to think through Calvin’s main points.
Some time ago I jumped on a motocross dirt bike. I cranked on the gas and wow, this was a big bike to handle. Chapter 2 is really a big bike to handle. Calvin is very thorough in his explanation of man’s sin, free will, common grace, man’s blindness to God and so on. He is clearly Augustinian, and uses Scripture too. When I have the time I'm going to try and find out how medieval Calvin is in his theology.
Because this chapter is so big I will give six entries on it.
1. Man is fallen in sin. The disgrace of sin chains the entire man because in his nature, man the sinner is under the dominion of sin.
Note. Man as created by God was not a disgrace…the disgrace is the sin he disgraced himself with. Thankfully, wonderfully God by his grace became man to deliver us from disgrace.
2. The question of man’s freedom must be understood in due to sin. Since man is now under the dominion of sin has he been deprived of all freedom?
3. In answering this question two errors must be avoided.
a. Complacency and irresponsibility. In other words, if I am enslaved to sin and cannot help but sin, lets live it up; besides God can’t judge me if I can’t help myself!
b. Pride and glory. In other words, if I am responsible and have absolute freedom, I have the ability to do right by my own will; therefore I have something to glory in!
4. To avoid these errors lets remember this. “When man has been taught that no good thing remains in his power, and that he is hedged about on all sides by most miserable necessity, in spite of this he should nevertheless be instructed to aspire to a good of which he is empty, to a freedom of which he has been deprived” (Pg., 255). We are command to repent and believe but we cannot apart from God’s grace in Jesus.
5. “Nothing of his own ought to be taken away from man” (Pg., 255). Man is a free moral agent responsible to God even though he is enslaved to sin and unable to do good.
6. But, as Calvin warned, “It ought to be clearly evident how important it is for him to be barred from false boasting” (Pg., 255).
7. Even when man was upright (in innocence), nothing was attributed to man other than that he was created in the image of God. [Gen 1:27]
8. This teaches us, “That man was blessed, not because of his own good actions, but by participation in God” (Pg., 256).
9. It is advantageous for us that we remember God’s Word to us in Scripture and on the cross. Man in his fallen state, in the first Adam, lives in prison house of death devoid of good works and good wisdom. If God in his freedom had not come to save, man in his enslavement to sin would never be free.
10. To strengthen the biblical doctrine of “free will,” we must remember that man is responsible and obligated to obey God. Yet, he is stripped of all power to do so. If a man does begin to obey it is because of the power and mercy of God enabling him to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment