Calvin’s Institutes: Repentance, Pt.5. Repentance and reprobation.

The majesty of God is a reoccurring phrase in Calvin’s Institutes. By it he means to describe the super abounding grace and gifts of God, and honest awesome authority of God. In his discussion on repentance this concept of God’s majesty is not lost. Repentance comes to mankind in their sinfulness from his grace and command.

However, what about those not chosen by God? Calvin calls them the reprobate. Calvin’s whole discussion on election and predestination in connection with those who will and will not be saved comes in full later on in chapters 21 to 24, but he brings it up here in connection to repentance and the unpardonable sin.

It would be good to understand what Calvin means by the reprobate. They are the non-elect, those whom God does not chose to give his saving grace to, those whom God passes by in mercy but visits in just judgement. To Calvin all mankind, the elect and reprobate deserve God’s justice; not his gift of repentance. The reprobates are not treated unfairly because they are given their justice. The elect are not treated fairly either because they should deserve justice, but are given grace.

1. The repentance which brings forgiveness and eternal life is a grace, a gift of God. (Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim 2:25-26; Ps. 80:3,17,19; Jer. 31:18; Acts 5:31)

2. Yes, God commands all to repent but the gift of repentance is given only to the elect. The hard hearted will not turn to God that they might be saved. (Isa. 63:17; Heb. 6:4-6)

3. However, those whom God has predestined will turn from their sin unto God, due to God graciously turning them. Calvin writes, “For obviously God, renewing those he wills not to perish, shows the sign of his fatherly favour and, so to speak, draws them to himself with the rays of his calm and joyous countenance” (Pg., 616). It is this connection of repentance as a gift of God to the elect, that Calvin discusses the unpardonable sin.

4. Can we pardon the unpardonable sin as though it were nothing? What is it, if anything? Augustine says it is “persistent stubbornness even to death, with distrust of pardon” (Pg., 617). Others have said it consists in envy, which is coveting the grace bestowed upon his brother. This was Bede’s understanding.

5. Calvin proclaims it to be a striving against the illumination of the Holy Spirit. He says, “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. Such resistance alone constitutes this sin” (Pg., 617).

6. This striving and resistance is practiced universally by the reprobate. They sinfully, blindly and hatefully resist God and His Son. (1 John 2:19; Heb. 6:6, 10:26)