Calvin: Institutes Chapters 3.12.6. to 3.13.3.

INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION

By
John Calvin

BOOK THIRD.
THE MODE OF OBTAINING THE GRACE OF CHRIST. THE
BENEFITS IT CONFERS, AND THE
EFFECTS RESULTING FROM IT.

CHAPTER 12. NECESSITY OF CONTEMPLATING THE JUDGMENT-SEAT OF GOD, IN ORDER TO BE SERIOUSLY CONVINCED OF THE DOCTRINE OF GRATUITOUS JUSTIFICATION

3.12.6.

Calvin identifies what true humility is. He rightly argues that one cannot be humble and at the same time hold on to some degree of righteousness. Salvation only comes to the humble. Why? "First, that there is no access to salvation unless all pride is laid aside and true humility embraced; secondly, that that humility is not a kind of moderation by which you yield to God some article of your right . . . but that it is the unfeigned submission of a mind overwhelmed by a serious conviction of its want and misery."

" . . . But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." (Isaiah 66:2)

3.12.7.

Calvin expounds the story of the publican and sinner and the truth contained therein. Indeed it is the repentant humble heart that the Lord saves. That was the mission of Christ. "In fulfillment of that mission, the only persons whom he invites to share in his beneficence are the "weary and heavy laden." In another passage he says, " I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," (Mt. 11:28; 9:13)."

3.12.8.

"Therefore if we would make way for the call of Christ, we must put far from us all arrogance and confidence. The former is produced by a foolish persuasion of self-righteousness, when a man thinks that he has something in himself which deservedly recommends him to God; the latter may exist without any confidence in works."

CHAPTER 13.
TWO THINGS TO BE OBSERVED IN GRATUITOUS JUSTIFICATION.

3.13.1.

Calvin calls us to focus on two things: One that the glory of God must be always preeminent in our lives and that our consciences kept clean in view of the coming judgment. In Romans 3:25 Paul teaches that the reason God conferred righteousness upon us was to substantiate His own righteousness. To hold to any personal merit, is, by reason of logic, to rob God of His glory. It glorifies God to acknowledge our own lack of merit.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB95)
23 Thus says the Lord, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the Lord.

3.13.2.

It is impossible, so Calvin clearly articulates, to properly glorify God if we are unwilling to discard our own glowing self-assessment! "Let us remember, therefore, that in the whole discussion concerning justification the great thing to be attended to is, that God's glory be maintained entire and unimpaired; since as the Apostle declares, it was in demonstration of his own righteousness that he shed his favor upon us; it was "that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus," (Rom. 3:26)."

"The sum is, that man cannot claim a single particle of righteousness to himself, without at the same time detracting from the glory of the divine righteousness."

3.13.3.

All boasting and bragging is quieted when we come to the place of acknowledging that only the righteousness of God can make us clean. "Conscience, when it beholds God, must either have sure peace with his justice, or be beset by the terrors of hell."

Questions to Consider:

1. What must you do if you want to be exalted with the humble?

2. Calvin seeks to promote the glory of God at every possible point in his theology, but never more so than in his doctrine of free justification. As long as we insist on saying something in our own defense--giving some credit to our own righteousness--we detract from God's glory. "Whoever glories in himself," Calvin insists, "glories against God." Can you not see how many shallow and fictitious confessions of faith there are when people are don't called to truly repent in humility?