It is difficult for us today, in the 21st. Century, to
imagine not only the religious but also the social world in which Calvin
lived. The Roman Catholic church
dominated both worlds, and in the early 16th. Century had reached
its most corrupt moment. Every religious
or spiritual need had its price in terms of money, or its equivalent, and there
seemed to be no-one, high or low, who could call a halt. There was no “whistle-blower”.
Calvin was especially offended and indignant at the
cult of saints, living and dead,
whose virtues were so numerous, and set off by no sins, so that they had merit
to spare; there were supererogatory
works available to ensure the forgiveness of the misdoings of others. This was not merely a doctrine within the
beliefs of a Roman Catholic and “high church” minority, as today, but an
essential part of the working system of the religious and socially dominant
majority of the day. It was an abusive gainful opportunity for so many. So that Calvin was determined to spare no
effort, in his Institutes, to make
perfectly clear, and with emphasis and repetition, that Scripture gives no
basis for believing that, in the present or the past, there has lived a human
being entirely free from sin (except in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ), nor
has there been performed a work that could have the function of being supererogatory. But in the event Calvin has overplayed
his hand, and there is a stretch of the Institutes
which makes melancholy reading for anyone who has recently become a
committed Christian; and does not seem to correspond to the tone of Scripture,
with its encouragements for those who are finding difficulty in the spiritual
battle of living the Christian life. The
passages concerned are the following.
“While we walk in the ways of the Lord, under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, lest we should become unduly elated, and forget
ourselves, we have still remains of imperfections which serve to keep us
humble: “There is no man that sinneth not” saith Scripture (I Kings 8:46). What righteousness then can men obtain by
their works? First, I say, that the best
thing that can be produced by them is always tainted and corrupted by the
impurity of the flesh, and has, as it were, some mixture of dross in it. Let the holy servant of God, I say, select
from the whole course of his life the action which he deems most excellent, and
let him ponder it in all its parts; he will doubtless find something in it
which savours of the rottenness of the flesh…Although we see that the stains by
which the works of the righteous are blemished are by no means unapparent,
still, granting that they are the minutest possible, will they give no offence
to the eye of God, before which even the stars are not clean? We thus see that even saints cannot perform
one work which, if judged on its own merits, is not deserving of condemnation.”
– Institutes III, 14, 9.
“We must strongly insist on two things: that no
believer ever performed one work which, if tested by the strict judgment of
God, could escape condemnation: and, moreover, that were this granted to be
possible (though it is not), yet the act being vitiated and polluted by the
sins by which it is certain that the author of it is guilty, it is deprived of
its merit.” – III, 14, 11.
“The saints are always conscious that any integrity
which they may possess is mingled with many remains of the flesh.” – III, 14,
19.
“What all our works can merit Scripture shows when it
declares that they cannot stand the view of God, because they are full of
impurity.” – III,15, 3.
“All we assign to man is that, by his impurity, he
pollutes and contaminates the very works which were good. The most perfect thing which proceeds from man
is always polluted by some stain.” – III, 15. 3.
Thus good works please God, and are not without fruit
to their authors, since, by way of recompense, they obtain more ample blessings
from God, not because they so deserve, but because the divine benignity is
pleased of itself to set this value upon them.” – III,15, 3.
“It is the doctrine of Scripture, moreover, that our
good works are constantly covered with
numerous stains by which God is justly offended and made angry against us;…and
yet because of His indulgence, He does not examine them with the utmost
strictness, he accepts them just as if they were most pure.” – III, 15, 4.
“God, turning His eye away from the works of His
servants which merit reproach more than praise embraces them in Christ…The
works not being estimated by their own worth, He by His fatherly kindness and
indulgence, honours so far as to give them some degree of value…He extends His
pardon to them, not imputing the imperfection by which they are all polluted,
and would deserve to be regarded as vices rather than virtues.”–III, 17, 3.
“A forgiveness necessary to cleanse even good works
from their stains.” – III, 17, 3
“And how are their actions deemed good as if there was
no deficiency in them, but just that their merciful Father indulgently pardons
the spots and blemishes which adhere to them?” – III, 17, 5.
“Forgiveness of sins has a value different from their
merit, because whatever is imperfect in them is covered by the perfection of
Christ, and all their blemishes and pollutions are wiped away by His purity, so
as never to come under the cognizance of the divine tribunal.” – III, 17, 8.
“If a price is to be put upon works according to their
own worth, we hold that they are unfit to appear in the presence of God.” -
III, 17, 8.
“The first time when a work appears to be acceptable
is when it is received with pardon.” – III, 17, 10.
“The works of those whom the Lord has accepted into
the covenant of grace, He tries not by their merit, but embraces with paternal
indulgence… I maintain that these works being sullied both by other
transgressions and by their own deficiencies have no other value than this,
that the Lord indulgently pardons them.” – III, 17,15.
“How could He impute righteousness to our works did
not his indulgence hide the unrighteousness that is in them? How could He deem them worthy of reward, did
He not with boundless goodness destroy what is unworthy in them?” – III, 18, 5.
“Scripture…tells us that they are always defiled by
some degrees of impurity, so that they cannot satisfy God when they are tested
by the standard of His justice; but that, lest our activity should be
destroyed, they please merely by pardon.” – III, 18, 5.
“The righteousness of good works depends on their
being approved by God in the way of pardon.” – III, 18, 5.
“Believers are never so divested of the sins of the
flesh as not to remain obnoxious to the justice of God.” – III, 20, 45.
Amongst all these passages stressing the negative
nature of the believer´s good works, there is one that says: “All their blemishes and pollutions are wiped
away by his purity, so as never to come under the cognizance of the divine
tribunal.” After this statement, and
indeed, before it, if Calvin gives full credit to his own statement, he should not take cognizance of the
imperfections of human practice “in Christ”. What he does, admittedly on the
basis of Scripture, is to build a logical structure which goes far beyond
anything which is explicitly expressed in Scripture.
It is a relief to turn to God´s Word, and read:
“May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father,
who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” – II
Tess. 2:17.
“For we are God´s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph. 2:16.
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that
you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked
and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” –
Phil. 2:14,15.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 1:6.
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that
in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every
good work.” – II Cor.9:8.
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life
worthy of the Lord, and may please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every
good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power
according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and
patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to
share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light.” – Col. 1:
10-12.
Bible citations are from the NIV version.
Henry
Bacon
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