Calvin’s Institutes: Repentance, Pt.1. Gospel repentance.

In the summaries so far we have not come specifically to the doctrine of justification, so why did Calvin put repentance here after faith? A thorough explanation of justification does not come until chapter 11. It comes only after he has discussed, 1) the fruit of repentance, 2) the error of the Roman Catholic doctrine of confession, indulgences and purgatory in relation to repentance, 3) the Christian life of self-denial, 5) the Christian’s future life with God, and 4) how we must use this present life for holiness. Wow, all this before justification by faith.

Why? McNeill in his note on page 593 asks, “Why this surprising order?” Well, as he explains what holiness and the Christian life consists of we realize that our only hope of salvation is Jesus Christ. “For when this topic (repentance and holiness of life) is rightly understood it will better appear how man is justified by faith alone, and simple pardon; nevertheless actual holiness of life, so to speak, is not separated from free imputation of righteousness” (Pg., 593).


At first I thought we turn the order around today, but then I realized we don’t. Rather, we leave out one or the other. We either preach a holiness without the gospel, or we preach a gospel without holiness.


Let’s begin with Calvin on repentance in Chapter 3, Book 3. Again I will make a number of entries here.


1. Faith and repentance go together like husband and wife because both are in the gospel. [Lk. 24:47; Acts 5:31] True faith is accompanied by repentance and repentance, as saving grace, is executed due to the presence of faith.


2. Calvin writes, "Now it ought to be a fact beyond controversy that repentance not only constantly follows faith, but is also born of faith. ...surely no one can embrace the grace of the gospel without betaking himself from the errors of his past life into the right way, and applying his whole effort to the practice of repentance" (Pg., 593).


3. Before Calvin dives into the definition and movement of repentance, he makes some important particulars concerning repentance.


4. First the origin of repentance. Understanding it to be a saving grace springing up from faith, one concludes that, "a man cannot apply himself seriously to repentance without knowing himself to belong to God. But no one is truly persuaded that he belongs to God unless he has first recognized God=s grace" (Pg., 594). This work the Spirit must do, and it comes when he reveals Jesus Christ as the answer for man’s sin.


5. Second, repentance and mortification. By mortification, we mean a sorrow in the soul and mind, which has resulted from a true awareness and knowledge of sin. This knowledge and sorrow over sin brings with it a hate for sin, displeasure of self, and confusion of the miserable state of the sinner.


6. Third, repentance and vivification. By vivification is meant the comfort which comes from faith. "That is, when a man is laid low by the consciousness of sin and stricken by the fear of God, and afterward looks to the goodness of God 'to his mercy, grace, salvation, which is through Christ' he raises himself up, he takes heart, he recovers courage, and as it were, returns from death to life" (Pg., 595).


7. Fourthly, we must understand the term "repentance of the law." By this Calvin refers to the convicting work of God's law. That is, the sinner gets caught by his sin, feels the wickedness of his sin, and realizes its reigning power; all because the law reveals it to him.


8. Fifth, the term "repentance of the gospel." Those who have been wounded and destroyed of self righteousness by the law, through the "repentance unto the gospel" turns, grasps, and rests upon Christ alone to heal his wounds, comfort his fear, and be the haven of his misery” (Pg., 596).


9. "We see ‘gospel repentance’ in all those who, made sore by the sting of sin but aroused and refreshed by trust in God's mercy, have turned to the Lord" (Pg., 596). [2 Kings 20:2; Isa. 38:2; Jonah 3:5,9; 2 Sam. 24:10; 12:13,16; Acts 2:37, Matt. 26:75; Luke 22:62]