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faith. As a consequence, reason and the order of teaching demand that I begin to
discuss both at this point. However, our immediate transition will be from faith to
repentance. For when this topics is rightly understood it will better appear how man
is justified by faith alone, and simple pardon; nevertheless actual holiness of life, so
to speak, is not separated from free imputation of righteousness. Now it ought to be
a fact beyond controversy that repentance not only constantly follows faith, but is
born of faith. For since pardon and forgiveness are offered through the preaching of
the gospel in order that the sinner, freed from the tyranny of Satan, the yoke of sin,
and the miserable bondage of vices, may cross over into the Kingdom of God,
surely no one can embrace the grace of the gospel without betaking himself from the
errors of his past life into the right way, and applying his whole effort to the practice
of repentance. There are some, however, who suppose that repentance precedes
faith, rather than flows from it, or is produced by it as fruit from a tree. Such
persons have never known the power of repentance, and are moved to feel this way
by an unduly slight argument.
40
This statement of Calvin makes explicit a number of the important structures
or thoughts in Calvin's presentation of the way of salvation or the application of
redemption. Faith in Christ confers both repentance and forgiveness of sins. Repentance
is equated with "newness of life" and "actual holiness of life." Forgiveness of sins--"the
free imputation of righteousness"--is carefully distinguished from newness of life.
Calvin explicitly denies that repentance precedes faith, but affirms the opposite.
Repentance is the fruit of faith.
Repentance then faith in Calvin? It is true that Calvin elsewhere
occasionally makes statements that seem at variance with his teaching here. Specifically,
two difficulties may be noted. On the one hand, occasionally he seems to speak of
regeneration as producing faith. On the other hand, occasionally he speaks of repentance
as preceding faith.
One may see the first difficulty in Calvin's comments on John 1:13. Calvin's
exact words require quotation:
It may be thought that the Evangelist reverses the natural order by making
regeneration to precede faith, whereas, on the contrary, it is an effect of faith, and
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40
Inst. 3:3:1. For many more references to the distinction and relation between faith and
repentance see the rest of chapter Three: 3:3:2-43. Cf. also 3:11:14 where Calvin remarks, "From this it
follows that not even the spiritual works come into account when the power of justifying is ascribed to
faith."