20
of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our
hearts through the Holy Spirit."
46
Calvin everywhere describes faith in relation to and as formed by the freely
given promise in Christ. To add to the evidence already cited in this essay, one may
point to several things. Though faith respects the whole Word of God, it is not the Word
of God in its undifferentiated entirety that creates faith. It is the promise of mercy.
"Accordingly we need the promise of grace, which can testify to us that the Father is
merciful, since we can approach him in no other way, and upon grace alone the heart of
man can rest."
47
Faith is an empty vessel. "We compare faith to a kind of vessel; for
unless we come empty with the mouth of our vessel open to seek Christ's grace, we are
not capable of receiving Christ."
48
As we have seen, faith is therefore passive. It is
"something merely passive, bringing nothing of ours to the recovering of God's favour
but receiving from Christ that which we lack."
49
Faith justifies as receiving and
embracing the promise in Christ. "For faith is said to justify because it receives and
embraces the righteousness offered in the gospel."
50
Faith, then, is only the instrumental
cause of justification--not its efficient, material, or meritorious cause.
51
Gracious and legal promises. The above is certainly an impressive array of
evidence for faith being the response to the freely given promise in Christ. Yet the
presentation of this subject would be wholly inadequate in bringing out the nature of
justifying faith as response to grace in Calvin, if it did not also bring out the contrast
_______________________
46
Inst. 3:2:7.
47
Inst. 3:2:7.
48
Inst. 3:11:7; 3:11:10.
49
Inst. 3:13:5.
50
Inst. 3:11:17. Comm. Gen. 15:6.
51
Comm. Rom. 3:22.