Calvin’s Institutes: Doctrine of Justification Pt 4. Jesus Gives Us His Righteousness

If you read this blog you are obviously aware that I am writing again.  I had stopped blogging near the end of 2011.  I was working on other projects.

I am continuing my summaries of Calvin’s Institutes.  This work still continues to bless the church of Jesus Christ even after all these years.  Every time I read it I learn something new or I learn something that I already know more deeply.  God the Spirit gives to the church pastors and teachers for the edifying of the body of Christ.  John Calvin was and still is one of God’s gifts to us. 

Our last entry on Calvin’s Institutes was from Book 3, chapter 11 on “Justification by Faith” (You will find it in volume 1 of the Library of Christian Classics edition.  Edited by McNeill and Battles). 

Because this chapter is so tightly packed I divided my summary into 4 parts.  Below is part 4.  Parts 1-3 are in the previous postings.  You can check them out by clicking the label “Calvin’s Institutes.”  Here is the summary.  Enjoy God!

1.         There is an axiom to know:  “The wrath of God rests upon all so long as they continue to be sinners.    Isaiah has says that sin is division between man and God, the turning of God’s face away from the sinner; and it cannot happen otherwise, seeing that it is foreign to his righteousness to have any dealings with sin.”  (Pg., 751)

2.         The only hope for the sinner is to be “restored to grace through Christ.”  (Pg., 751)

3.         We are not righteous (holy & good) in and of ourselves.  God is of course, and so is Christ because he is God.  So then how do we become holy before God?  “We are justified before God solely by the intercession (gift) of Christ’s righteousness.”  (Pg., 753)

4.         Let’s explain how we are saved and made righteous solely by Jesus Christ.  “God was in Christ reconciling the world...that the elect might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Cor. 5:19-21)  Righteousness is obtained by us “When our sins are not counted against us (Rom. 4:6-8; Ps. 32:1-2; Lk. 1:77; Acts 13:38-39), and Christ's righteousness is counted to us.  And our sins are not counted to us, and Christ's righteousness is counted to us when and only when Jesus Christ has paid for the penalty of our sin and given us His righteousness.

5.         As Calvin says, “You see that our righteousness is not in us but in Christ, that we possess it only because we are partakers in Christ; indeed, with him we possess all its riches.”  (Pg., 753)

6.         And how do we get His righteousness?  Christ shares this righteousness with the elect through imputation.  That means he gives it to us freely.  He charges to our account His righteousness.  And when we have His righteous, by his grace, we are not judged by God as a sinner, but are deemed to be His sons!  “For in such a way does the Lord Christ share his righteousness with us that, in some wonderful manner, he pours into us enough of his power to meet the judgment of God.”  (Pg., 753)

7.         This gift of salvation from God is received by us through faith alone!  Praise God that He through Christ has wrought our salvation.  We are declared righteous by faith alone, which is truly righteousness by Christ alone.  Hence foul sinners (like you and me) “Hide under the precious purity of our first-born brother, Christ, so that we may be attested righteous in God’s sight.”  (Pg., 753)