Paul's Passing Thoughts

A soteriological study of the Reformed gospel brings one to the following conclusion: the Reformers didn’t pass on being in error on any point. The apostle Paul wrote the following:

Romans 5:18 – Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

What was that one act of righteous obedience? Obedience to the cross:

Philippians 2:8 – And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The Reformers believed, as well as the Reformers of our day, that Christ’s perfect obedience to the law must be imputed to us in addition to His death. That’s a huge problem in and of itself, and plainly contradicts Romans 5:18, 19, but Calvin couldn’t pass on being on the wrong side of verses 20 and 21 as well:

Romans 5:20 – Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Before we were saved, death reigned through the one act of Adam, but for the believer, grace reigns. Righteousness was before the law, but when the law came and increased sin, Grace still reigned over sin and abounded. That prompted Paul to ask the following:

Romans 6:1 – What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means!

It is often stated that Christ’s death “covers” the believer’s sin. Not exactly, grace “reigns” over our sin. Paul then states what our mindset should be:

Romans 6:12 – Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Even if grace didn’t reign over sin, there isn’t any law to judge our justification—it has no authority over us in regard to our just standing. That prompts a second rhetorical question from Paul:

Romans 6:15 – What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

John Calvin taught that grace does not reign or abound in the Christian life. He taught that acts of sin in the Christian life separate us from grace. In other words, sin reigns over grace. In his commentary on the Catholic Epistles, volume 45, Calvin states the following:

Secondly, this passage shows that the gratuitous pardon of sins is given us not only once, but that it is a benefit perpetually residing in the Church, and daily offered to the faithful. For the Apostle here addresses the faithful; as doubtless no man has ever been, nor ever will be, who can otherwise please God, since all are guilty before him; for however strong a desire there may be in us of acting rightly, we always go haltingly to God. Yet what is half done obtains no approval with God. In the meantime, by new sins we continually separate ourselves, as far as we can, from the grace of God. Thus it is, that all the saints have need of the daily forgiveness of sins; for this alone keeps us in the family of God” (John Calvin: Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles. The Calvin Translation Society 1855. Editor: John Owen, p. 165 ¶4).

Calvin is clearly stating here that sin in sanctification separates us from grace:

by new sins we continually separate ourselves, as far as we can, from the grace of God.

Hence…

Thus it is, that all the saints have need of the daily forgiveness of sins; for this alone keeps us in the family of God.

paul