In this quote Calvin speaks a bit about sin in the life of the believer. He says there is a spring of evil inside every person that will continue in them until they are freed from the body. I found his understanding one-sided, generally ignoring scriptures to the contrary.
This is part of my series on Calvin’s Institutes.
Quote
All writers of sound judgment agree in this, that, in the regenerate man, there is still a spring of evil which is perpetually sending forth desires that allure and stimulate him to sin. They also acknowledge that the saints are still so liable to the disease of concupiscence, that, though opposing it, they cannot avoid being ever and anon prompted and incited to lust, avarice, ambition, or other vices. … It is unnecessary to spend much time in investigating the sentiments of ancient writers.
Augustine alone may suffice, as he has collected all their opinions with great care and fidelity. Any reader who is desirous to know the sense of antiquity may obtain it from him. There is this difference apparently between him and us, that while he admits that believers, so long as they are in the body, are so liable to concupiscence that they cannot but feel it, he does not venture to give this disease the name of sin. He is contented with giving it the name of infirmity, and says, that it only becomes sin when either external act or consent is added to conception or apprehension; that is, when the will yields to the first desire.
We again regard it as sin whenever man is influenced in any degree by any desire contrary to the law of God; nay, we maintain that the very gravity which begets in us such desires is sin. Accordingly, we hold that there is always sin in the saints until they are freed from their mortal frame, because depraved concupiscence resides in their flesh, and is at variance with rectitude. (Calvin, Instit. 3.3.10)
Comment
Calvin shares some of his understanding of sin in the life of the believer. He says in the regenerate (believers, Christians) there is a spring of evil. He says sin always resides in the believer and they won’t be freed from this until they leave their mortal frame. That is, sin is part of our physical bodies.
Calvin doesn’t quote any scripture to support his position.
The only passage which speaks of a spring in the believer, refers to the Holy Spirit (Jn 4.14). The passages which refer to being set free from sin are mentioned in Rom 6.7,18; 8.2 and Paul says of believers this has already occurred. Calvin most assuredly has the flesh-spirit relationship in Paul. But Paul says believers are not in the flesh, they are in the Spirit (Rom 8.9). Calvin does not acknowledge these scriptures, depicting the regenerate in a one sided negative view.
I’m sure Calvin has Romans 7.7-25 is in mind as well. Augustine, Luther and Calvin all believed that Paul in Romans 7.7-25 was speaking about his struggle as a believer with sin. I disagree, finding this interpretation does not take into account the rhetorical device Paul uses or the contradictions with scripture this interpretation introduces. See my post on Romans 7 here.
I’m not here denying believers sin. They do. Rather I think we should take into account the whole believer and what Christ and the Spirit have accomplished in them, both the good and evil when we describe believers. Calvin doesn’t do this.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2017. All Rights Reserved.
