A major emphasis in this blog has been to convey to Christians the necessity of delving into sin, such that it is owned; its motives examined; confessed to God and to the appropriate humans….
This morning, as I was listening to Calvin’s Institutes, I came to chapter 4 of book 3, wherein he is comparing the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine with that of the Bible.
In the following quotation from Calvin’s work, he made several statements about true contrition that support many posts in this blog, and which may provide additional understanding to anyone who has been following that conversation: (all emboldening, and square brackets are mine)
“3. If they say that this is calumny [slander…] on my part, let them come forward and point out a single individual who, by this doctrine of contrition [RCC], has not either been driven to despair, or has not, instead of true, opposed pretended fear to the justice of God. We elsewhere observed, that forgiveness of sins never can be obtained without repentance, because none but the afflicted, and those wounded by a consciousness of sins, can sincerely implore the mercy of God; but we, at the same time, added, that repentance cannot be the cause of the forgiveness of sins: and we also did away with that torment of souls–the dogma that it must be performed as due. Our doctrine was, [Bible doctrine] that the soul looked not to its own compunction [anxiety of conscience caused by regret] or its own tears, but fixed both eyes on the mercy of God alone. Only we observed, that those who labor and are heavy laden are called by Christ, seeing he was sent”to preach good tidings to the meek“; “to bind up the broken-hearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound”; “to comfort all that mourn” (Matt 11:28; Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18). Hence, the Pharisees were excluded, because, full of their own righteousness, they acknowledged not their own poverty; and despisers, because, regardless of the divine anger, they sought no remedy for their wickedness. Such persons, neither labor nor are heavy laden, are not broken-hearted, bound, nor in prison. But there is a great difference between teaching that forgiveness of sins is merited by a full and complete contrition (which the sinner never can give), and instructing him to hunger and thirst after the mercy of God, that recognizing his wretchedness, his turmoil, weariness, and captivity, you may show him where he should seek refreshment, rest, and liberty; in fine, teach him in his humility to give glory to God.”
In my words, one must come to understand that he cannot fix himself; earn any righteousness with which he might be approved by God; must be broken, humbled; must know that he is wretched and as in Jeremiah 17:9, know that his heart is incurably evil; and come to God as the Publican did in Luke 18, looking only for God’s mercy — undeserved forgiveness from God.
To do that, one must have been crushed by the providential experiences that God brings into his life (see, categories, Calvin’s Institutes, the section on Providence) via complete honesty regarding his sinfulness, vileness….
In the course of his explanation, Calvin referred to Christ’s beatitude statements, note the words above: poverty; mourn; meek; hunger and thirst — those are the first 4 beatitudes wherein Christ stated that His kingdom citizens would first of all be “poor in spirit” which means spiritually bankrupt; mourn their sin and find comfort; be meeked by such realizations of their wretchedness; then hunger and thirst for the remedy — Christ’s righteousness freely given in the gospel. Their captivity, must refer to being stuck helplessly in sin without the grace of God in the gospel.
These states cannot be conjured up in an instant when one comes before God, but seem to me, to be the fruit of poverty of spirit, mourning sin and solemn self-examination; wherein one has weighed his life against the standards put forth by God in the doctrines of the Bible.
To do that, one must first know those doctrines, that requires an abiding in the means of grace and wilful, honest self-examination. (The means of grace are: Bible reading; hearing of preaching; prayer; taking the Lord’s supper; and fellowship with other believers around the word of God — see Acts 2:42.)