Horton on Calvin

At the end of March this year, the publisher Crossway released Michael Horton's contribution on Calvin to their "Theologians on the Christian Life" series.  You may also be interested in what Horton had to say about Calvin (and aforementioned book) in a Westminster Seminary California podcast. Also see Horton's talk on Calvin on Union with Christ at a February 2014 (Desiring God) conference.

Book 3, Chapter 2, Sections 14,15

Faith is Knowledge

Our faith is not to be confused with a human notion of “fact-finding,” scientific inquiry, or logical argumentation. We do not reason ourselves to faith, nor is faith an academic exercise. Faith is knowledge, but it is a belief in knowing that God has revealed himself to us in his Word and through creation.  

We acknowledge that our finite minds are incapable of fully appreciating the immeasurable “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the salvific work of Christ. We have an inescapable conviction of our sin and misery, but we know that God has called us out of our sin into a relationship with him through the redemptive work of his son, Jesus Christ.

That the object of our faith, that is salvation through Christ, is beyond our ability as humans to fully comprehend points to the immeasurable the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the salvific work of Christ and not to our own human abilities.

Our weakness and sinful nature betrays our ability to maintain proper standing before our Lord. Indeed, although we confess with our lips Jesus as Savior, our hearts fall prey to human doubt and worry about our individual salvation. True faith acknowledges this sinful human nature, but it demonstrates an unwavering knowledge and assurance of Christ’s efficacious grace. As believers, then, we may take full confidence that our salvation is not and will never be in jeopardy. “Such boldness,” says Calvin, “springs only from confidence in the divine favor and salvation. So true is this, that the term faith is often used as equivalent to confidence.”

Book 3, Chapter 2, Sections 8-13

“Since faith embraces Christ as he is offered by the Father, and he is offered not only for justification, for forgiveness of sins and peace, but also for sanctification, as the fountain of living waters, it is certain that no man will ever know him aright without at the same time receiving the sanctification of the Spirit; or, to express the matter more plainly, faith consists in the knowledge of Christ; Christ cannot be known without the sanctification of his Spirit: therefore faith cannot possibly be disjoined from pious affection” (3.2.8).

It is important to highlight here that, for Calvin, faith is not a “cold” mental exercise merely seeking to identify known facts that even the unbeliever could grasp. Nor can faith can be “formed” through acts of works or piety that add to an intellectual clasping at faith. Faith, Calvin argues, is a matter of the heart. The “heart” does not refer to simple subjective human emotion, such as love, empathy, or shame that inherently points to the individual. Instead, heart refers to the reconciliation of a relationship which points to Christ. As the Spirit causes our dead, sinful hearts to turn from stone to flesh, we are resuscitated into an obedient relationship with Christ that convicts us of our sin, confirms in us of our knowledge of God, and assures us to pursue salvation in him with confidence and trust. He cites Paul in Romans 10:10 saying, “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness.”

This faith that embraces Christ cannot be received without sanctification through the Spirit. To state it more positively: at the same time that we embrace Christ through faith so too are we sanctified through the Spirit. Although we can economically divide faith and sanctification, one is not possible without the other. The same Spirit that has sown this “seed of life” within the elect is the Spirit who works to sanctify us.

Calvin also reminds us that this seed sown into the hearts of the elect cannot be stolen away. Calvin writes in section 12 about the true faith of the believer versus the false faith of the reprobate. Compared to the reprobate, who may have “a taste of heavenly gifts” but does not “truly perceive the power of spiritual grace and the sure light of faith,” in the elect “he implants the living root of faith, so that they persevere even to the end.” When describing the assurance of true faith Calvin says, “We must remember that however feeble and slender the faith of the elect may be, yet as the Spirit of God is to them a sure earnest and seal of their adoption, the impression once engraven can never be effaced from their hearts, whereas the light which glimmers in the reprobate is afterwards quenched.” The Romanist position leaves a believer continually in doubt of his faith and questioning his salvation.

How encouraging it is for Calvinists to be assured of the believer’s salvation. Rather than rely on human achievement or individual piety, we are assured of our effectual calling in Christ.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Carl Trueman provides helpful commentary and context on the true faith versus false faith and “formed” faith versus “unformed” faith notions against which Calvin is arguing.

W. Robert Godfrey’s lecture “Calvin on Faith” provides a helpful summary going forward in Books 3. In it, Godfrey summarizes the Calvinist notion of faith as “knowledge, trust, confidence, and a fountain.” 

Book 3, Chapter 2, Sections 1-7

It's worth noting that Calvin often inveighs against the "Schoolmen" or scholastics, but is often referring specifically to (Romanist) theologians at the "College of Sorbonne" at the University of Paris. Later with Ramism, scholasticism in general to a greater degree earns a bad name among many Reformed scholars, despite the fact that Ramism was one Reformed effort (among others) at further revision of medieval Aristotelianism, and basically still a kind of Protestant scholasticism.

Among some of those reviving Protestant scholasticism in recent decades, it has been claimed that scholasticism is only method and involves no significant material content.  I don't agree, but that would take us too far afield. (As an aside, for more on Ramus, see F.P. Graves' excellent book).

It's not clear to me that Calvin's teaching on implicit faith, so far as he says there is such a thing and describes it, is significantly different from what Aquinas taught, if you sift out the chaff of the Romanist (erroneous) doctrine of the church's infallibility and/or nature of its authority. That requires further inquiry.

Calvin maintains that if we find ourselves ignorant about what the Word teaches on some matter, "in such cases the fittest course is to suspend our judgment, and resolve to maintain unity with the Church."  But this ignorance and suspension of judgment is not in any sense faith (implicit or otherwise). And saving faith "consists in the knowledge of God and Christ [John 17:3], not in reverence for the Church" (section 3). Calvin applies this to the true (Reformed) church of course.  This is something Romanists can't afford to do.

Book 3, Chapter 2, Sections 1-7

OF FAITH. THE DEFINITION OF IT. ITS PECULIAR PROPERTIES.

Calvin divides chapter 2 into three parts: I. A brief explanation of certain matters pertaining to the doctrine of Faith, sections 1-14.  II. A full exposition of the definition given in the seventh section, sec. 14-40. III. A brief confirmation of the definition by the authority of an Apostle. The mutual relation between faith, hope, and charity, sec. 41-43.

Calvin begins the first section of chapter 2 by summarizing the state of man before God.  Man in his fallen state cannot adhere to the demands of the Law and is therefore by divine judgment deserves punishment. Man, under his own strength and power, has no hope to overcome his sinful nature and therefore no ability to save himself. Out of the goodness and mercy of our Father we are spared the judgment we rightfully deserve. Through the redemption accomplished by our Lord, Jesus Christ we are saved. Salvation is not received by all, rather it is given as a free gift to those who confess their sins, call upon the Lord as Savior, and receive the gift of faith in Christ.  

This overview of the state of man, his need for salvation, and God as Creator and Redeemer is not simply a review of the Calvin’s previous two books, but it also leads us to the correct understanding that the only object of true faith is faith in Christ alone. Therefore this first section lays the foundation on which we can properly describe the object of faith (section 1), refute improper objects of faith (sections 2-6), define faith (section 7), and understand various meanings for the term faith (sections 8-13).

No earthly power has the authority and power to accomplish our salvation. Only the saving work of Christ is able to save man from God’s judgment. Faith in anything other than Christ’s redemptive work is misdirected and meaningless. Calvin rails against the medieval Schoolmen who taught that only the Church had sure understanding of God’s redemption and that man himself could never fully know his redemption. The Church therefore acted as man’s substitute for saving faith. Man only needed to believe in the power of the Church acting as God’s representative in order to seek his salvation. Not so, says Calvin in section 2. “Faith consists not in ignorance, but in knowledge—knowledge not of God merely, but of the divine will.” We do not forfeit our knowledge of God to the Church, but “By this knowledge, I say, not by the submission of our understanding, we obtain an entrance into the kingdom of heaven” (3.2.2).

Carl Trueman delivers an excellent summary of sections 7-10 and notes how this true object of faith delivers a firm and certain assurance of our salvation. By acknowledging Christ alone as our object of faith, we have no need to fear for our salvation. Victory has already been achieved and Christ alone can promise to sustain our salvation to the end (more on this in an upcoming post).

Calvin goes on to note how Scripture describes implicit faith. By implicit faith we understand Scripture to say that it can be as “…the seed of a hidden faith, which lay as it were dead in their hearts, then burst forth in vigor.” (3.2.4). Calvin wonderfully describes implicit faith using Biblical examples of the disciples (3.2.4) and the nobleman of John 4:53 (3.2.5). Calvin is correct in clarifying that this type of Biblical implicit faith always identifies Christ as Savior.

“With faith understanding is conjoined,” says Calvin (3.2.3). Faith, Calvin says in section 6, is not only a knowledge of God, but it is the pursuit and understanding of his revealed will toward us. As the Holy Spirit regenerates our hearts to follow God’s redemptive call, at the same time God reveals himself to us through his Word. Faith encompasses a pursuit of God through his revealed will to man in his Word.

Therefore, a definition of true faith, says Calvin, “is a firm and sure knowledge of the divine favor toward us, founded on the truth of a free promise in Christ, and revealed to our minds, and sealed on our hearts, by the Holy Spirit” (3.2.7).

In the following part, Calvin will give a full exposition of this definition of faith.

Book 3, Chapter 1

Calvin begins by describing our bond in Christ through the Holy Spirit. For as long as we are separated from Christ we are without the benefits of salvation, which he conferred through the work given to him by the Father and fully accomplished through his life, death, and resurrection. “To communicate to us the blessings which he received from the Father, he must become ours and dwell in us” (3.1.1).

The redemptive accomplishment of Christ is, in a sense, not at work until the Spirit works in us. “[U]ntil our minds are intent on the Spirit, Christ is in a manner unemployed, because we view him coldly without us, and so at a distance from us” (3.1.3). And the Gospel itself will fall on our deaf ears until the Spirit turns our hearts and minds to hear the God’s call. 

“To the same effect Paul says to the Ephesians, ‘Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,’ (Eph. 1:13); thus showing that he is the internal teacher, by whose agency the promise of salvation, which would otherwise only strike the air or our ears, penetrates into our minds” (3.1.4). Thus, it becomes apparent that the perverse heart of any believer who has faith in Christ must first experience the regenerative work of the Spirit and is therefore brought into relation with Christ. 

Modern Evangelical vernacular unfortunately at times limits the beauty of this Gospel truth by incorrectly placing the emphasis on the will of the unbeliever to “make a decision” and “invite the Holy Spirit into their heart.” We are reminded here in this first chapter that it is wholly the work of God through the Holy Spirit to ignite faith in our hearts so that we may know and have union with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, at the outset of this Book, the believer should be reminded that all faith should point, not to the individual, but to the work of the Spirit and the employment of Christ in the believer’s heart (about which we will learn more in Chapter 2). A discussion will be raised later during the reading of Book 3 on the nature and priority of receiving the benefits of Christ (see previous post by Baus). 

Argument of Book 3

In the Argument, Calvin simply outlines his plan for the third book.

He styles his discussion, as he does the entire Institutes, as an exposition of the Apostle's Creed. So, in the third book he is elaborating on the work of the Holy Spirit in redemption applied.

It's interesting that he seems to move from a general consideration of saving faith and repentance, to the Christian Life or Sanctification as the life of repentance in mortification (of the flesh/sin) and vivification (in the Spirit), to prior Justification, to prayer as the "principal exercise of faith" and daily means of grace, to Election, to the Resurrection.

The logic of his discourse might not be immediately obvious.  But, there is a discernible flow that becomes more apparent as you go in the way these topics are inter-related elements of God's application of salvation to sinners.

Other People Reading It

Our friend Lee Irons has some thoughts on his reading through Book 3 of Calvin's Institutes (and other readings).

C. Matthew McMahon has a nice overview (and a more condensed version).

And having looked around a bit for reviews of the Institutes, a lot of people recommend this one-year reading plan.  Also, the reader guides by Battles, Lane, and the one edited by Hall/Lillback receive frequent mention.

Apparently, the writers at Ref21, blog of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, have commented on the whole work (though parts from Book 3 aren't online), and have published it in book form (oddly, only hard cover).

Covenant Theological Seminary has David Calhoun's lectures on the Institutes online for free.  Check out the CTS website, or download on itunes.  His Book 3 lectures are lessons 12 - 19.

Something Of An Introduction

In the course of our usual theology-laden discussions, Cady and I came on the idea of reading Calvin's Golden Booklet (Of The True Christian Life) together. You might think of that small book as a Reformed version of a monk's 'rule' or guide to monastic living.

One of the outstanding differences, of course, is that we Reformed folk confess that true Christians can't live in a more holy way than the Scriptures --the Word of God and only infallible rule of faith and obedience-- require.  The universal standard for all Christians can hardly be met, let alone surpassed by some special club of spiritual elites.

The Golden Booklet may be used as a help to understanding what the Bible teaches about the Christian life, and it happens to be chapters 6-10 of book 3 of Calvin's larger work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion.  So, Cady and I decided to read the entire third book together and to make comments about our readings here.

Nothing elaborate or super-insightful is intended. We're just charting our progress and jotting down anything we might have say about what we've read. Feel free to follow along. There are free audio recordings here.

We begin our endeavor with this prayer. Amen.