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The Beginning and Progress of Justification | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome seeker of insight to Reformed Thinking, the deep dive
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that cuts through the noise, distilling essential truths from
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foundational texts. Today we're taking a look at a
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foundational work in Christian thought, one that has shaped
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understanding for centuries by examining the mind of John
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Calvin. That's right, we're zeroing in
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on his insights into justification, righteousness,
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and, well, the often misunderstood role of human
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works. This deep dive really aims to
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clarify some core theological distinctions separating what we
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do from what God does. Our mission today, then, is to
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unpack how true righteousness is found not in human effort, but
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in God's freely given favor received through faith.
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We'll examine why our works, even our very best intentions
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and actions, fall short in securing our standing with God,
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and crucially, how they fit into the believer's life after
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salvation. We're really looking at what it
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means to be declared righteous in God's sight and how we
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actually arrive at that, that profound state.
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Yeah, how that declaration actually happens?
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So let's unpack this by starting with Calvin sweeping and frankly
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quite stark view of humanity itself.
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He lays out a powerful classification to make his
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points clear, sort of setting the stage for everything else he
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discusses about salvation. Absolutely.
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What's truly foundational here is Calvin's fourfold
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classification of individuals. This framework is vital because
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it establishes how he believes works should be viewed depending
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on a person's spiritual state. He starts with those who have
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absolutely no knowledge of God and are deeply immersed in
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idolatry. OK, so the first category.
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Right, these are people in their natural unregenerated state.
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And when you say natural state, what does Calvin mean by that in
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terms of humanity's condition? Is it just sort of neutral?
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Oh, not at all neutral. He is quite clear that in this
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natural state there was utterly no innate spark of good.
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He's talking about a fundamental corruption.
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You know, what theologians often call total depravity?
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Not that everyone is as bad as they could be, but that sin
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effects every part of our being. Every part.
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Yes. Scripture, he notes, describes
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such individuals as wicked and inflexible of heart, their
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imaginations evil from their first years and their thoughts
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vain. There's a profound lack of the
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fear of God, and he suggests that none of them truly
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understands or seeks after God on their own initiative.
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He often uses the term flesh to describe them, which in his view
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indicates a broad, pervasive inclination to sinful acts.
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This isn't just like a casual tendency, but deep seated
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orientation towards things like, well, the list is long.
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Fornication, impurity, immodesty, licentiousness,
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idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger,
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quarreling, dissension, party spirit, envy, murder, and, you
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know, other vile deeds. It's a complete picture of human
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nature without God's transforming grace.
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Wow, that sounds like a comprehensive condemnation.
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It's pretty bleak. But what about those who aren't
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outwardly engaged in such blatant acts?
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I mean, we all know people. We see many people in the world
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who live very moral, even honorable lives, contributing
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positively to society even if they wouldn't identify as
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believers. Does Calvin account for that
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kind of moral decency in people who don't know God?
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He absolutely does, and this is a crucial nuance.
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It stops his view from being simplistic.
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Calvin acknowledges that some individuals in this first
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category may indeed show what he terms decency of morals or
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notable endowments. Like what sort of endowments?
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Well, he even cites figures like Titus and Trajan who are Roman
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emperors known historically for their integrity and
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administrative skills. These qualities, things like
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justice, moderation, equity, continents, fortitude or
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prudence, he considers to be gifts of God.
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Gifts of God, even a non believer.
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Yes, their purpose in God. The broader plan is to help
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maintain order in the world and prevent society from just
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collapsing into utter chaos. He even points out that God
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gives temporal rewards for these outward displays, things like
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reputation, success, stability. Rewards.
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Which, he says, demonstrates how much God truly values and
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esteems righteousness, even when it's merely A superficial
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appearance. It's a form of what's often
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called common grace, God restraining evil and bestowing
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temporal good things, even on those who don't acknowledge Him.
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So outwardly, they can look good, be beneficial to society,
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and even receive earthly blessings.
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But then why does Calvin assert these aren't true virtues in
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God's eyes? What's the fundamental hidden
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problem if they're doing good things?
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The problem, in Calvin's view, lies entirely in the heart, the
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motivation. Despite outward appearances,
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these actions are mere images of virtues or external and feigned
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righteousness. They look right on the outside.
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But. But inside.
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Inside, they're defiled by the pollution of their hearts.
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God, he argues, cares nothing for outward splendor because he
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penetrates to the very source of actions.
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He looks to the hearts disposition, the underlying
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motive. So what's the motive then, if
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it's not genuine goodness? Well, Calvin argues that
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unbelievers, because they are estranged from the religion of
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the one God, are restrained from evil, doing not by genuine zeal
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for good, but either by mere ambition or by self love or some
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other perverse motive. It might be reputation or
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wanting to feel good about themselves or societal pressure.
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Not for God's glory. Exactly.
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Their actions, even if outwardly commendable, are corrupted as
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from their source, because they do not look to the goal that
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God's wisdom prescribes, which is to serve God.
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Therefore, even what seems good in the doing by its perverse
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intention is sin. Sin, even a seemingly virtuous
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act. In God's ultimate reckoning,
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yes, because the aim is wrong. He brings up historical examples
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like Fabricius, Sipio, and Cato. Men celebrated for their
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excellent deeds metaversue in the Roman world.
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Yet Calvin concludes they sinned because they lacked the light of
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faith and didn't direct their deeds towards God's intended and
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His glory. The core, in fact here is that
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God's evaluation of our deeds begins and ends with where our
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heart truly lies. Is it oriented towards Him or
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towards self? So the motivation and the
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ultimate purpose behind the ACT are what God truly looks at, and
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without faith, that motivation is inherently flawed, directed
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away from God, even if the action itself seems positive to
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us. What then is the ultimate status
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of such works if not true righteousness?
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Are they just neutral? No, not neutral for Calvin.
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Without communion with Christ, whatever a person thinks, plans,
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or carries out before he is reconciled to God through faith
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is a cursed. A curse that's incredibly strong
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language. It is.
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This means it's not only of no value for righteousness, it
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earns you nothing with God, but it is surely deserving
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condemnation. This is a strong statement
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emphasizing that the person must be right with God before their
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actions can be pleasing to Him. So the state of the person
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invalidates the work in a sense. In terms of earning God's favor,
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yes. Scripture confirms this, stating
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very clearly. Without faith, it is impossible
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for anyone to please God. He even cites Agustin, who
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similarly argued that what seemed good works are turned
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into sins for those outside true religion.
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This clarifies that even outwardly good deeds performed
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by unbelievers are not acceptable to God as a basis for
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righteousness or salvation. They might be socially useful,
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even rewarded temporarily, but they don't bridge the gap with
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God. OK, that's category one.
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Those without knowledge of God. But Calvin doesn't stop there in
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his classification of humanity, does he?
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He also discusses those initiated into sacraments, yet
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by impure life, denying God in action while confessing Him with
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lips belonging to Christ only in name.
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It sounds like, well, nominal Christians.
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People who identify culturally, perhaps.
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Precisely. That's his second category.
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And then he has a third category, hypocrites concealing
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wickedness of heart with empty pretenses.
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How does he view these two groups who on the surface might
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appear to be religious or even committed Christians?
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Are there works any different? That's a key distinction Calvin
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makes, but ultimately he puts them in a similar boat regarding
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their standing before God. He lumps both nominal
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Christians, category 2, and hypocrites, category 3 into a
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shared category of condemnation, at least in terms of their works
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being acceptable. Condemnation.
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Even if they're baptized. Go to church, say the right
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things. Yes, because the issue is still
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the heart. Their impurity of conscience, he
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argues, proves that both classes have not yet been regenerated by
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the Spirit of God. This means they haven't
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experienced that spiritual rebirth, that profound inward
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change that brings a new life and a new desire to truly follow
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God. It's an internal lack of genuine
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living faith. So no regeneration, no true
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faith. Right.
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And because they lack true regeneration and faith, they not
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yet been reconciled to God, not yet been justified in His sight.
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They might have the label, but they don't have the reality of a
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right relationship with God. So despite outward religious
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practice or seemingly good behavior, if the heart hasn't
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been genuinely transformed by God's spirit, their actions are
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still considered unacceptable. They don't count towards
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righteousness. Yes, that's it.
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Any well seeming works they perform are, in Calvin's words,
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hateful to his judgement and contaminated with impurity of
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heart. He states that God abominates
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their observance of His law and their sacrifices when true fear
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of His name is absent. You know, think of the prophets
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railing against sacrifices offered by people whose hearts
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were far from God. Right, like Isaiah or Amos.
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Exactly. Simply put, works from those not
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truly sanctified by the Spirit are reckon sins before the Lord.
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Their outward adherence to religious duties is seen as
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empty, even offensive. If the heart is not right with
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God, it's performance without reality.
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This brings up a crucial point, the relationship between the
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person and their works. It seems like a recurring theme.
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If the person isn't reconciled, if their heart isn't pure, how
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can their actions possibly be pleasing to God?
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This seems to be a foundational principle for Calvin.
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It's utterly foundational. It underpins everything else.
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Calvin highlights this with a poignant question.
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How can any act be pleasing to God if the person doing it is
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not? He turns to a familiar biblical
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account citing Genesis, where Moses says the Lord had regard
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for Abel and his offering. Or rather, the Lord had regard
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for Abel and his offering. Abel first, then the offering.
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Yes, he emphasizes the sequence. There God first accepted Abel as
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a person, then he accepted his offerings.
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This sequence indicates that purification of heart must
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precede for works to be favorably received.
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And how is this purification achieved?
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Is it by trying harder? No, not according to Calvin.
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He points the apostle Peter in Acts who states that God
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purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith, so this
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purification comes by faith alone.
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This principle is crucial. God looks at the person first,
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then the work. The state of the person's heart,
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transformed by faith in Christ, determines the acceptability of
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their works in God's sight. If we get that order wrong, we
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fundamentally misunderstand how God relates to us and how
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righteousness is truly attained. It's not works then acceptance.
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It's acceptance then works. OK, so having established
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humanity's universal spiritual inability even in religious
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people or outwardly moral people, and the fact that even
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our outwardly good virtues or religious practices fall short
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if the heart isn't right, the natural next question emerges.
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If humanity is truly incapable of earning favor, where does
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true righteousness originate? How does anyone get right with
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God? Exactly, if we can't do it, how
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does it happen? This is where Calvin introduces
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his brilliant framework of the four causes of salvation,
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charting a divine rescue mission that leaves no stone unturned.
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It sounds a bit philosophical, but it's actually very
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practical. That's right.
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This framework isn't just some academic exercise.
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It's Calvin leveraging a classical philosophical tool,
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Aristotle's four causes actually to structurally dismantle any
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notion of human contribution to salvation.
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It places God as the sole initiator and sustainer.
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It completely repositions where we look for our hope.
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Let's walk through these four causes.
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They really clarify things. OK, what's the first one?
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1st we have the efficient 'cause this is identified as the mercy
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of the Heavenly Father and His freely given love toward us.
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The efficient cause, like the primary actor, the 1 making it
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happen. Precisely.
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Think of this as the primary originating source of salvation.
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It's entirely God's initiative. He comes first to man in his
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free generosity and, crucially, finds nothing in man to arouse
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him, to do good to him. Nothing inherent in US attracts
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his saving grace. So it's completely unprompted by
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us. Utterly.
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This underscores humanity's lack of merit.
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God's initiative is demonstrated in his free generosity and rich
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in mercy. Love for humanity, even when we
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were dead through our sins, as Paul says in Ephesians.
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Salvation, Calvin insists. Quoting Paul again is not
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according to our works, but according to his purpose and
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grace. Grace given before the
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foundation of the world. Right.
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He even calls it a sort of resurrection from death into
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life, emphasizing its divine life giving nature.
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It's not just improvement, it's resurrection.
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Humanity in this framework brings nothing to the Lord but
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the sheer disgrace of need and emptiness as he puts a quake
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starkly. Oil will sooner be pressed from
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a stone than any good work from us by nature.
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Wow, that's blunt. It is, but it highlights the
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point, the sufficient 'cause God's unprompted mercy is a
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fundamental take away. Salvation originates solely from
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God's unmerited love, not from any human merit or potential
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within us. That paints such a clear picture
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of humanity's inability and God's absolute initiative.
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So if God is the initiator, the efficient cause, what then is
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the actual substance of this righteousness that God provides?
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What's the material cause? What's it made of?
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Good question. The material cause is Christ
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with his obedience through which he acquired righteousness for
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us. So Christ's work is the
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righteousness. Yes, this is the actual
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substance or means by which righteousness is brought about
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for us through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
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Calvin paints Christ's righteousness is the only
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perfect righteousness that alone can bear the sight of God.
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This means it's the only one flawless enough to stand before
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God's perfect judgement. Nothing else measures up.
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Nothing Christ, he says, must appear in court on our behalf
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and stand surety in judgement. Like a legal representative who
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takes our place. He ever remains the mediator to
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reconcile the Father to us, and His death has everlasting
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efficacy, Emily, cleansing, satisfaction, atonement, and
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finally perfect obedience with which all our iniquities are
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covered. In essence, Christ's perfect
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life and atoning death are the complete and sufficient
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substance of our righteousness. That's the material.
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OK, so God's mercy is the source.
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Christ's obedience is the substance.
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How do we as individuals actually access or receive that
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perfect righteousness of Christ? What's the connecting point, the
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channel through which this divine work becomes ours
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personally? That's where the formal or
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instrumental cause comes in, and it's identified simply as faith.
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Faith. The instrument.
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Yes, this is the means whereby the righteousness of Christ is
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applied to us. It's the tool, the channel.
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He also links the Spirit's illumination to this cause
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because it's the Holy Spirit who enables us to truly see Christ
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and believe in Him. So faith itself isn't the
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righteousness, but how we receive it.
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Exactly. Calvin explicitly states that
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faith alone is what purifies hearts and that individuals
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attain these benefits, reconciliation and justification
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only by faith. He echoes Scripture stating that
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without faith it is impossible for anyone to please God.
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Thus, the first foundation lies in true and living faith.
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It is the means by which we begin to Passover from death
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into life. It's really important to
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understand that faith in this context is not a work we perform
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to earn salvation, but rather the empty hand that receives the
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gift that Christ provides. Like a beggar receiving a King's
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treasure. That's a good analogy.
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Faith receives, it doesn't produce the righteousness
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itself. OK, efficient 'cause God's
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mercy, material cause, Christ's work, instrumental cause, faith.
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What's the final piece? For what ultimate purpose does
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this entire divine architecture of salvation exist?
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What is the overarching goal, the final cause?
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The final cause, according to Calvin, consists both in the
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proof of divine justice and in the praise of God's goodness,
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and also in the glory of God's great generosity.
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So it's all about God in the end.
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Absolutely. This is the ultimate purpose or
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goal of salvation, to demonstrate God's perfect
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character, His justice and His mercy, and ultimately to give
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Him glory above all else. Calvin makes it clear that all
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things exist to the end, that the glory of divine goodness may
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fully shine forth. Salvation, therefore, is not
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primarily about us, although we benefit immeasurably.
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It's about God and the display of His magnificent character to
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all creation. It's a comprehensive theological
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system. You can see how the pieces fit
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together. But the main thread we're
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following here is about the role of human works.
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Having laid out these four causes, God's mercy, Christ's
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work, faith as the instrument, God's glory as the goal, it
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seems crucial to ask, where do human works fit into this
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framework? Do they contribute to any of
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these causes? This is a critical point that
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Calvin addresses with absolute clarity, and the answer is a
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resounding no. Human works are emphatically
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excluded from being any of these causes of salvation.
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Not even a little bit. Not even as like supporting
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actors. Nope.
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Regardless of how good human works may seem on the surface,
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they are not of any value for righteousness in terms of
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causing or contributing to it. In fact, as we discussed earlier
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before 1 is reconciled to God through faith.
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Much works are surely deserving condemnation.
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Right, because of the heart issue.
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Exactly. And even the works of believers,
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those who've been regenerated by the Spirit, are described as
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still always spotted and corrupted with some impurity of
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the flesh, and therefore cannot make compensation for a single
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sin. This framework really drives
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home this Salvation is entirely God's work from beginning to
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end, initiated by his mercy, accomplished by Christ, received
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by faith, and all for his glory. There's simply no room,
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structurally or theologically, for human merit to contribute to
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our standing before Him. Works have a place, but it's not
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here, not in the causes of our salvation.
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So this is a significant reorientation of our thinking.
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It really challenges how many people instinctively view
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religion or spirituality. If salvation is entirely God's
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work received by faith alone, what does this all mean for
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those who are true believers, those who've been regenerated by
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God's Spirit? Do their good intentions and
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efforts finally count in the sense of earning them something
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before God, or gaining them favor, or adding to their
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righteousness? That's a vital question for
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believers, and it's where we often need careful clarification
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because it sounds counterintuitive sometimes.
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Calvin is clear that even the good works of those who are
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regenerated by God's Spirit are not considered as contributing
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to their justification, their fundamental righteousness before
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God. This is not to devalue good
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works at all, but to properly situate them in the Christian
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life. OK, so why not?
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If they're genuinely trying to serve God out of a transformed
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heart, empowered by the Spirit, why wouldn't their best efforts
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contribute that they're standing with Him?
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We often think of doing good as something that pleases God and
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earns His approval, right? We do, and in a sense God is
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pleased with the obedience of his children.
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But the reason these works don't contribute to our justification
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lies in the inherent imperfection that remains in US
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even after regeneration. Calvin explains that even the
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best work of a godly person is still always spotted and
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corrupted with some impurity of the flesh.
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Spotted and corrupted even the best work, yes.
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He describes it as savoring of the rottenness of the flesh, and
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candidly states that our eagerness for well doing is
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never what it ought to be. We never love God or neighbor
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perfectly in any action. He uses vivid imagery, asking if
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the stains that be spat or the works of the Saints are plainly
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visible even to us. Will they offend God's eyes,
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before which not even the stars are pure?
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That's a high standard. It is, he concludes, that not a
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single work going forth from the Saints, if be judged in itself,
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deserves not shame, as it's just reward.
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This highlights the human imperfection, though battled and
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decreasing, remains even after spiritual rebirth.
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We are, as Luther famously put it, simo shustus epicatur,
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simultaneously justified and still sinners in this life.
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So if they're inherently imperfect mixed with sin, they
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simply can't justify us or earn merit.
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Is that the argument that God's standard is simply perfect
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righteousness and our works, even our best ones, don't meet
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it? Precisely.
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Calvin maintains that God recognizes no righteousness of
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works except in the perfect observance of His law, absolute
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perfection. And because no perfection can
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come to us so long as we are clothed in this flesh, our human
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works simply cannot meet God's standard for justification.
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Therefore, human works cannot make compensation for a single
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sin. Not even 1.
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Not even 1. He even emphasizes that the
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whole righteousness of men, meaning all the good deeds ever
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done by anyone gathered together in one heap, could not make
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compensation for a single sin. He goes further, stating that
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one sin is enough to wipe out and extinguish every memory of
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that previous righteousness. In terms of legal standing
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before God, this means that a perfect, flawless record is
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required by God's law for justification based on works, a
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standard that no human except Christ can achieve while living
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in this fallen world. This implies A continual, daily
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need for forgiveness, Then, even for believers who are actively
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seeking to obey God. How do our works fit into that
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ongoing process? Or, perhaps more accurately, how
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do they depend on it? That's a crucial point.
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Our works in themselves, because they're imperfect, can only
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arouse God's vengeance unless they be sustained by his
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merciful burden. They need to be covered by
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grace. He reiterates that works please
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him only when the person has previously found favor in his
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sight. Connecting back to that
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foundational principle we discussed earlier, God accepts
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the person in Christ before he accepts their works.
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The able principle again. Exactly this means that
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purification of heart must precede for works to be
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favorably received by God, and that purification is achieved by
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faith alone, which unites us to Christ.
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Consequently, believers need forgiveness of sins to supply
22:08
the defective works continually every day, because this mortal
22:12
life is never pure or devoid of sin.
22:14
Any righteousness we strive for is constantly corrupted,
22:17
oppressed, and destroyed by the sins that repeatedly follow,
22:20
requiring God's mercy and continual forgiveness to declare
22:23
us righteous based on Christ's work, not ours.
22:27
Justification for Calvin is therefore a continual
22:29
forgiveness of sins throughout life, not a one time declaration
22:33
that makes us perfectly righteous in ourselves.
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So this really drives us back to a posture of humility then,
22:37
doesn't it? And not boasting in anything we
22:39
do, but always looking away from ourselves to God's grace in
22:42
Christ. Absolutely.
22:43
It demolishes pride. Believers must not put any
22:47
confidence in the righteousness of works and must not ascribe to
22:51
works any glory when it comes to God's judgement.
22:54
Calvin argues that nothing remains to all mortals but to
22:57
keep silence regarding their own works as a basis for acceptance.
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All glory, all praise is to be given to God alone.
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That Augustine quote you mentioned earlier seems relevant
23:08
here too. It really sums it up perfectly,
23:11
Augustine Praise. I do not commend the works of my
23:13
hands, so I fear lest when they'll lookest upon them thou
23:16
mayest find more sins than merits.
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This only I say, this I ask, this I desire.
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Despise not the works of Thy hands.
23:24
See in me Thy work not mine. For if thou seest to mine, I
23:26
will to condemn it. If thou seest thine own, thou
23:29
wilt crown it. For whatever good works are mine
23:31
are from Thee. This captures the profound
23:33
understanding that even our best works are not truly our own
23:36
doing and their goodness, but God's work through US, making
23:40
humility independent the only proper response.
23:42
This leads to a fascinating point of dispute, particularly
23:46
with certain historical theological views.
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I'm thinking medieval scholasticism here that
23:51
suggested someone could actually do more than God requires
23:54
perform extra good deeds. Indeed, and this understanding
23:58
of our ongoing imperfection and complete dependence on mercy
24:02
directly challenges what's historically known as works of
24:04
super irrigation. Super irrigation, meaning doing
24:07
more than is. Asked right?
24:08
Exactly. It's the concept that a person
24:11
could perform good works beyond what is strictly required by
24:14
God's law, thereby accumulating extra merit, like spiritual
24:18
bonus points that could perhaps even be stored in a treasury of
24:22
merit and applied to others. Calvin, however, offers an
24:25
absolute, unequivocal rejection of this entire idea.
24:28
Why does he argue that such work simply cannot exist?
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I mean, if someone dedicates their entire life to God,
24:34
becomes a monk or none fast, constantly gives everything
24:37
away, going above and beyond what might be considered normal
24:40
religious practice, surely that's doing more.
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The core reason, according to Calvin, goes back to God's
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absolute demand for perfect observance and the totality of
24:49
that demand. He pauses, that the Lord
24:52
recognizes no righteousness of works except in the perfect
24:55
observance of His law. He stresses that there is no
24:59
other righteousness than the complete observance of the Law
25:02
that will be allowed in heaven as a basis for merit, since no
25:05
human can achieve such perfection while in this life,
25:08
and indeed, even if they theoretically could reach
25:11
perfection, there is no room for exceeding the required standard.
25:15
How so? If you hit perfect, can't you go
25:17
beyond? Because the law demands
25:19
everything. If you can fulfill everything
25:21
perfectly, that's merely fulfilling the laws demand.
25:24
It's not going beyond it. The law demands perfect love for
25:27
God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and perfect
25:30
love for your neighbor as yourself at all times.
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There's nothing leftover to go beyond that total requirement.
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The standard is totality. And he uses a very powerful
25:38
image, a parable from Luke, to drive this point home,
25:41
describing us as servants. How's that work?
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Yes, that parable from Luke 17.10 is central to his
25:48
argument. Jesus tells his disciples that
25:50
when they have done whatever is commanded, they're to call
25:53
themselves unworthy servants and confess that we have done no
25:57
more than we ought to have done. Just doing our duty.
25:59
Precisely. Calvin expands on this, saying
26:01
that as servants, we are obligated to render so many
26:04
services that we cannot perform them even though all our
26:07
thoughts and all our members were turned to the duties of the
26:09
law. His point is that everything
26:11
that contributes to honoring God or loving one's neighbor, every
26:15
good thought, word, or deed, is already comprised within God's
26:19
law. It's already part of our duty.
26:21
This makes it logically impossible to perform anything
26:24
beyond what is due service. We simply cannot accumulate
26:28
something beyond the measure do because the measure do is
26:30
everything. So the very concept of super
26:33
irrigation seems to misunderstand the well, the
26:36
sheer weight and totality of God's claims on us as his
26:39
creatures, and also the pervasive nature of sin we were
26:41
just talking about. Absolutely.
26:43
The persistent gravity and pollution of sin are central to
26:46
this rejection. He reminds us again that even
26:49
the whole righteousness of men gathered together in one heap
26:52
could not make compensation for a single sin.
26:55
A single sin, in his view, is enough to wipe out and
26:58
extinguish every memory of that previous righteousness in terms
27:02
of meriting salvation. Sin always undercuts merit.
27:05
Always he reiterates that all works that come forth from
27:08
sinners are contaminated with impurity of heart.
27:11
Even the best works of a godly person are spotted and corrupted
27:14
with some impurity of the flesh. Such works, he argues, can only
27:17
arouse God's vengeance unless they be sustained by His
27:20
merciful pardon. And, as we discussed earlier,
27:23
works of unbelievers are defiled by the pollution of their hearts
27:26
and, due to perverse intentions, are considered sin.
27:29
Whatever a man thinks, plans, or carries out before he is
27:32
reconciled to God through faith is accursed, deserving
27:35
condemnation, because without faith it is impossible for
27:38
anyone to please God. Our inherent and remaining
27:41
sinfulness prevents any possibility of extra good
27:44
accumulating. And finally, his argument rests
27:47
on God's ultimate ownership of us, as you mentioned earlier
27:50
with the servant analogy. That seems like a clincher too.
27:53
Indeed, Calvin stresses that all our belongings have the same
27:57
status as the possessions of slaves, which by right belong to
28:01
their master himself. He argues that even if a servant
28:04
labored with greater industry than demanded, he did nothing
28:07
that was not required of the condition of servitude.
28:10
For he, with his whole capacity, is ours.
28:13
Every breath we take, every talent we possess, every
28:15
opportunity we have comes from God and is therefore owed back
28:19
to Him in service. We own nothing independently.
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Exactly. So the very idea of going above
28:24
and beyond is meaningless when everything we are and have
28:27
already belongs entirely to God. He concludes that these quote
28:32
sort of super irrigations that such persons wish to display
28:34
before God are trifles that he never either commanded or
28:38
approves, nor will he accept them when account of them is to
28:41
be rendered before him. End Quote.
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He poses the rhetorical question from Isaiah, Who has required
28:47
this of your hands to challenge the very idea of self invented
28:51
works or works done apart from God's explicit command and
28:53
approval. Trying to impress God with
28:56
things He never asked for is futile.
28:58
OK, this is making sense. If good works do not 'cause our
29:01
salvation cannot gain us merit before God, and can't even super
29:04
arrogate or go beyond our duty, then the big practical question
29:07
remains, why do them at all? What is their proper place,
29:10
their purpose in the life of someone who has received this
29:12
free salvation entirely by grace through faith?
29:15
This seems to be the logical next question, maybe the most
29:17
important one for Christian living.
29:19
It's a hugely important question for the practical Christian
29:21
life. Absolutely, and Calvin addresses
29:24
it head on to avoid any misunderstanding that his
29:27
emphasis on grace leads to antinomianism.
29:30
You know, the idea that law or good works don't matter anymore.
29:33
That's not his point at all. So he's not saying just believe
29:36
and do whatever you want. Definitely not for those
29:39
regenerated by God's Spirit and who make true holiness their
29:43
concern. Good works are distinct from
29:46
their role in salvation, yes, but they are absolutely
29:49
indispensable to the Christian life.
29:51
They are never the origin or cause of salvation or
29:54
righteousness. However, they are the necessary
29:56
fruit and evidence of it. OK, fruit and evidence.
29:59
So if they don't earn anything, what is their purpose then?
30:02
What are believers to do with this new life in Christ?
30:06
Well, first and foremost, the ultimate end of a regenerated
30:09
individual's will is to serve his God's will, and by every
30:12
means to advance his glory alone.
30:14
That's the new orientation of the heart.
30:16
Good works flow from that. Serving God's will, advancing
30:19
his glory. Right and practically good works
30:22
are seen as testimonies of God dwelling and ruling in us.
30:26
They are the outward manifestations, the observable
30:29
evidence that God's Spirit resides within believers,
30:32
fundamentally changing their desires and direction.
30:35
They show that regeneration is real.
30:37
Like proof of life. In a way, yes.
30:40
Proof of spiritual life. They're also described as signs
30:43
of divine benevolence, indicating God's favor and
30:46
goodness towards the believer, showing that God is actively
30:49
working in their life. Think of them as the natural
30:52
spirit produced fruit of a tree that has been made good by the
30:55
gardener. The fruit doesn't make the tree
30:57
alive or good, but it shows that it is alive and good.
31:01
That's helpful. The fruit shows the nature of
31:03
the tree. And can good works have any
31:05
positive effect on the believer themselves beyond simply being
31:08
evidence to others or demonstrating God's work?
31:11
Yes, definitely. This is also key.
31:13
While faith is the instrumental cause of righteousness, the
31:16
grace of good works, meaning God's grace enabling us to do
31:19
them, can help to undergird and strengthen this faith.
31:22
How does that work? How to work Strengthen faith?
31:25
Well, Kalman suggests they can act as raise the divine
31:28
countenance that illuminate God's goodness to the believer.
31:31
They are the natural outcome of God's calling and proof of the
31:34
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They allow believers to
31:37
recognize God's goodness and as signs of the calling by which
31:40
they realize their election. So as a believer sees the Holy
31:44
Spirit genuinely working through them to produce Lovejoy, peace,
31:49
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
31:52
self-control, it reinforces their faith and assurance that
31:56
God saving work in their life is real.
31:58
It's a confirmation. So doing good helps confirm to
32:01
me that God is actually working in me.
32:03
Exactly. It's a reciprocal relationship,
32:05
not one of cause and effect for salvation, but a flow and
32:08
affirmation. Grace produces works and works
32:11
confirm grace to the believers heart, strengthening their
32:14
assurance. But even with these positive
32:16
effects, this whole discussion seems to consistently bring us
32:19
back to a place of humility. It's not about patting ourselves
32:22
on the back for our efforts, even when they confirm God's
32:24
grace. That's spot on.
32:26
Good works, paradoxically, perhaps also provide an occasion
32:30
for profound humility. Even the best works of
32:33
believers, as we've noted multiple times because Calvin
32:36
hammers this point, are spotted and corrupted with some impurity
32:40
of the flesh, and traces of our imperfection remain.
32:43
We never quite get it perfectly right.
32:45
Never this persistent imperfection.
32:47
Rather than disheartening us, though it can feel that way
32:50
sometimes, should foster humility, reminding us that no
32:53
single work, if it be judged in itself, deserves not shame as
32:57
it's just reward. It constantly reminds believers
33:01
that their best efforts still fall far short of God's perfect
33:04
standard, driving them back again and again to rely solely
33:07
on Christ's perfect righteousness imputed to them
33:10
and on God's continual forgiveness.
33:12
Works point us back to grace. OK, this is where it can get a
33:15
bit nuanced for some people reading scripture.
33:17
What about when scripture talks about God rewarding good works?
33:20
Or passages that seem to suggest people enter eternal life
33:23
through or because of good works?
33:26
How does that fit in with this understanding that works aren't
33:28
A cause for salvation or merit? That's a really important
33:30
question, and Calvin addresses it carefully, but introducing
33:33
the vital distinction of sequence, not cause.
33:36
Sequence not cause explain that OK.
33:39
Well, Scripture indeed shows that the good works of believers
33:42
are reasons why the Lord benefits them and even rewards
33:45
them. Like the Parable of the Talents,
33:47
for instance. This is understood as denoting
33:49
sequence more than cause. In other words, works follow
33:53
salvation and lead to rewards, but they don't cause the
33:56
salvation itself. So A leads to B, which leads to
33:59
C, but B didn't cause A. Something like that.
34:03
God, in his ordinary dispensation, His usual way of
34:06
working, uses good works which flow from prior grace as a step,
34:09
as it were, to the blessings and rewards that follow.
34:12
So the prior grace is, as it were, the cause for those
34:16
subsequent passings which are connected to works.
34:18
So grace causes works, and God chooses to reward the works that
34:21
grace produced. You can put it that way.
34:24
However, Calvin insists that when the true 'cause it to be
34:26
assigned for our righteousness or eternal life itself, one must
34:31
not enjoin us to take refuge in works, but keeps us solely to
34:34
the contemplation of His mercy. He clarifies quitting Augustine
34:38
again. I believe that death is owing to
34:40
men's deserts, but life rests solely upon God's mercy.
34:44
So good works are the necessary path.
34:46
God has ordained for believers to walk on a path of obedience
34:50
and gratitude, but they are never the reason for their
34:52
salvation or their acceptance before God.
34:54
They flow from it. They don't 'cause it.
34:56
The good works are simply the evidence and the fruit and the
34:58
pathway of a life already transformed and secured by grace
35:01
alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
35:04
So to bring this deep dive to a close, we've seen how, according
35:08
to Kelvin, true righteousness is a gift freely given by God out
35:11
of his mercy, grounded in the work of Christ, apprehended by
35:14
faith alone. It's a striking vision, isn't
35:16
it? A complete reorientation of how
35:18
we often instinctively think about our relationship with God.
35:21
It truly is. It redirects our entire thinking
35:24
away from anxiety about our performance, away from trying to
35:27
achieve something for God, towards resting in what God has
35:30
already achieved for us through Christ, and then understanding
35:34
how our subsequent actions are meant to be.
35:36
A grateful, joyful response to that finished work is not a
35:39
desperate attempt to earn or maintain favor.
35:42
It means our standing with God is secure based on His promise
35:45
and Christ's work, not dependent on our fluctuating efforts.
35:49
And perhaps that's the greatest take away for you listening
35:51
today, a careful consideration of where you place your
35:54
confidence. Does your hope for standing
35:56
before a holy God rest even partly on your deeds, your moral
35:59
efforts, your religious observance?
36:01
Or does it rest entirely on the finished, perfect work of
36:04
Christ, received by faith alone? And how does that understanding
36:08
shape your daily walk, your motivation for pursuing good?
36:11
It's a question that compels us to examine the ultimate source
36:14
of our hope and the magnificent character of God's perfect plan
36:17
of salvation. It challenges us, I think, to
36:20
live not for acceptance, but from a position of already being
36:23
accepted in Christ. That changes everything.
36:25
That's all for this deep dive into Calvin's understanding of
36:28
justification and works. Join us again next time on
36:31
Reformed Thinking.