Luther & Calvin's Understanding of Justifying Faith

Justification

Pastor Martin expounds on the Reformers' understanding of justifying faith, focusing on Luther's emphasis on personal appropriation and Calvin's systematic treatment of faith, repentance, and justification within the *Ordo Salutis*. He highlights Calvin's unique terminology for regeneration and repentance, which he argues is designed to safeguard *sola fide*, and addresses common misunderstandings regarding Calvin's view on assurance of salvation and the relationship between faith and repentance. Martin concludes by emphasizing the inseparability of faith and repentance, advocating for a 'repenting faith and believing repentance' rather than establishing precedence.

4 illustrations in this sermon

Luther's Understanding of Justifying Faith: Personal Appropriation and Good Works

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Eating Christ and Drinking His Blood

Driving home: And it's because he sees faith as engaging in an act of personal appropriation that it's very easy to read Luther as including assurance of salvation in saving faith sometimes, because there is this element of personal a…

Luther's concept of faith as personal appropriation helped Martin understand John 6, where eating Christ and drinking his blood are acts of personal appropriation, mirroring saving faith.

Historical faith simply just sees something as true out there. Luther understands faith as appropriating truth to its personal good. It was thinking about this that finally helped me understand what in the world eating Christ and drinking his blood in John 6 had to do with faith. But it's...

0:33 - 0:56 Read in full sermon

Overview of Calvin's Systematic Presentation of Justification

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Calvin's Love for Luther

The point: Consider the centrality of the Protestant doctrine of justification in Calvin's theology in our day and age.

Calvin's statement that he would still love Luther even if Luther called him the devil illustrates Calvin's high regard for Luther and his role as Luther's systematizer.

All of this brings us, however, to Calvin's presentation of the subject. Now, Calvin is, and I think viewed himself as, as the systematizer of Luther's views. He was Luther's disciple. We've already seen that he thought so highly of him that he said that if Luther would call him the devil, he would still love him.

3:31 - 3:53 Read in full sermon

Excursus: Calvin, Faith, and Assurance of Salvation

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R.T. Kendall's Succession

In this part of the sermon: Martin dedicates an excursus to Calvin's view of faith and assurance, critiquing R.T. Kendall's claims and Paul Helm's response. He argues that Calvin believed assurance was of…

The mention of R.T. Kendall succeeding Martin Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel highlights the significance of Kendall's theological departures, particularly on faith and assurance.

He was the successor of Martin Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel. Okay?

35:59 - 36:03 Read in full sermon

Questions and Clarifications on Calvin's Terminology

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Faith and Repentance as Siamese Twins

The point: Do not try to create any kind of precedence between repentance and faith, as we are saved by a repenting faith and a believing repentance.

The metaphor of Siamese twins illustrates the inseparability of faith and repentance, emphasizing that they come together and one is never present without the other.

That they are coeval, is that the right word? They come together and one never is present. Without the other, logically or temporarily. Yeah, Siamese twins.

68:25 - 68:39 Read in full sermon

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