Tag Archives: Calvin

Recognition Instead of Rendering: Calvin on the Church and Canon

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Thus, while the church receives and gives its seal of approval to the Scriptures, it does not thereby render authentic what is otherwise doubtful or controversial. But because the church recognizes Scripture to be the truth of its own God, as a pious duty it unhesitatingly venerates Scripture. As to their question—How can we be assured that this has sprung from God unless we have recourse to the decree of the church?—it is as if someone asked: Whence will we learn to distinguish light from darkness, white from black, sweet from bitter? Indeed, Scripture exhibits fully as clear evidence of its own truth as while and black things do of their color, or sweet and bitter things do of their taste

John Calvin, Institutes I.VII.2

Being ‘In Christ’ and the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness

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Therefore, that joining together of Head and members, that indwelling of Christ in our hearts–in short, that mystical union–are accorded by us the highest degree of importance, so that Christ, having been made ours, makes us sharers with him in the gifts with which he has been endowed. We do not, therefore, contemplate him outside ourselves from afar in order that his righteousness may be imputed to us but because we put on Christ and are engrafted into his body–in short, because he deigns to make us one with him. For this reason, we glory that we have fellowship of righteousness with him.

John Calvin, Institutes, 3.XI.10

We should object to any notion of imputation that pictures God giving us something 0f Christ’s outside of Christ. The scene is not that Jesus Christ stands there in His righteousness and I stand here in my need and then God takes Christ’s righteousness there and gives it to me here. That is not how it happens and to contemplate it in that fashion is to undermine Christ Himself. This is the rigid individualism that raises valid concern.

The reality is not “there and here” but that we are there in Him. We are there in Him and being united with Him we share in the given righteousness of Himself to all those in Himself. Union with Christ and imputation are not two distinct categories. In Christ we are imputed with His righteousness. Being imputed with Christ’s righteousness means that we are in Him.

Faith is the Embrace, Not the Thing That Is Itself Embraced

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The good news of what it means to be “in Christ” must be combined with the good news of how one can be “in Christ.” It is by grace, not because of our works. It is by grace through faith. Spirit-granted faith is the means that brings us into the glorious reality of union with Christ. Faith is not the end and it is not our hope. Faith is the embrace, not the thing that is itself embraced.

Calvin writes,

We compare faith to a kind of vessel; for unless we come empty and with the mouth of our soul open to seek Christ’s grace, we are not capable of receiving Christ. From this it is to be inferred that, in teaching that before his righteousness is received Christ is received in faith, we do not take the power of justifying away from Christ.[1]

 

[1] Calvin, Jean, ed. John T. McNeill, and Ford Lewis Battles. Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol 1., III:XI:7, (Westminster: John Knox Press, 1960), 734.

 

On the Word and Spirit Together

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For by a kind of mutual bond the Lord has joined together the certainty of his Word and of his Spirit so that the perfect religion of the Word may abide in our minds when the Spirit, who causes us to contemplate God’s face, shines; and that we in turn may embrace the Spirit with no fear of being deceived when recognize him in his own image, namely, in the Word.

John Calvin, Institutes IX.3