Calvin’s commentary on John 3:16

by Angus Harley

This article is part of a series that exegetes Calvin’s so-called ‘extent of the atonement’ comments. In previous articles, I have stated that although Calvin had a similar theology to Calvinism, his method or approach was different to that found in the Calvinistic doctrine of the extent of the atonement. We found, too, that Calvin’s salvific approach to the cross and its preaching placed an unbearable strain on Amyraldianism, and, to a lesser extent, on the current doctrine of the free offer of the Gospel. In particular, Calvin’s language was, what I called, ‘elasticated’, for it stretched terms and ideas, with many levels of meaning operating at the same time, quite unlike any modern account of the extent of the atonement that has a straightforward meaning, whether Arminian/Amyraldian or Calvinistic. We will see this salvific and elasticated method in action in his comment on John 3:16. The key for the reader is to let the entirety of Calvin’s view standout and not to latch onto aspects (there are quite a few!) that correspond with the modern models of the extent of the atonement.  In this article I will quote all of Calvin’s commentary on John 3:16, which will be in italics, breaking it down into sections to comment upon.

“For God so loved the world. Christ opens up the first cause, and, as it were, the source of our salvation, and he does so, that no doubt may remain; for our minds cannot find calm repose, until we arrive at the unmerited love of God.”

The first cause of our salvation is God’s unmerited love. The first cause is not, in this context, said to be the bare concept of eternal predestination or election. The mention of “our minds” is not denoting ‘every single person in the world’, for it is concerned with the assembly. How do we know? He refers to “our salvation”. If we insist that Calvin is speaking of Jesus dying for every single person on the cross, then we have to interpret this action as ‘salvation’, not as potential salvation, nor that Jesus made ‘atonement’. It is “salvation”. In that case, this would entail that Jesus’ death was the “salvation” of every single person, not merely that Jesus made ‘atonement’ for them. Instead of this errant view, “our salvation” is a reference to the actual salvation of the world, of men, which brings us to Calvin’s audience, the assembly; they were the “world” saved through Jesus’ death.

There is another clue in Calvin’s words: his reference to finding calm repose in the Son’s death. It indicates the matter of assurance. Faith in Christ’s death on the cross is the only way to find “calm repose” in the first cause of divine love. The assurance that faith looks for of the divine love is found only in the cross.

The final proof that it is not ‘every single person’ is that all of the above melds together God’s love in his Son’s historical death with our assurance of his love in his Son, through faith. In other words, the framework, from the outset of Calvin’s comment on John 3:16, is the two-sided coin of actual salvation: Jesus’ death which procures actual salvation for the “world”; and the application of actual salvation of the “world” through faith.

“As the whole matter of our salvation must not be sought anywhere else than in Christ, so we must see whence Christ came to us, and why he was offered to be our Savior. Both points are distinctly stated to us: namely, that faith in Christ brings life to all, and that Christ brought life, because the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.”

The Amyraldian reading interprets the above comment to mean that in coming to us, Jesus Christ died for every single person, and now each man must show faith in that death.

However, Calvin is expanding upon what he said before. There is no salvation outside of Christ, and this is for the assembly, “our salvation”. It is because of this salvific approach that Calvin naturally moves from the coming of Christ and the cross to the preaching of the Gospel of the cross. The coming of Christ unto the cross and its “offer” in the Gospel are relating to the same people who are saved.

We know that this “offer” is the preaching of the Gospel and not God offering up his Son on the cross, or the Son offering himself on the cross, because of what follows:

“Both points are distinctly stated to us: namely, that faith in Christ brings life to all”

By the Son’s historical advance to us in the cross, and through the preaching of the Gospel of that cross- its offer- our salvation (of the assembly) comes through faith in the cross.

Note Calvin’s order and logic:“faith in Christ brings life to all”. Are we really going to argue that “all” here denotes the entire human race, every single person? Given that we are looking at John 3:16, the universal “all” here is denoting the same group as the “world” and the “human race”. See how in explaining things at this point that the statement of faith qualifying “all” comes first, and then the reference to Jesus’ coming comes next. Why does Calvin do this? For Calvin’s method is to work from faith to the cross, as he is speaking about actual salvation.

What about, then, the rest of the comment and its language “and that Christ brought life, because the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish”? Even if Calvin’s words here imply a dimension of divine love for the entire human race, the context, as we saw, implies that interpretive primacy is given to the human race as indicating those of faith.

In a previous article, it was argued that Calvin used universal terms in an elasticated fashion, with “world”, for example, being used with different levels of meaning all operating at the same time:

“Levels of definition: background, middle ground, and foreground. Calvin’s view of the meaning of “whole world” and “world” is somewhat elastic, possessing various aspects. However, all are not equal. The primary, controlling, idea is that “world” refers to the church, the faithful, to believers, even to the elect. This is the foreground, the proper focus. Even this foreground perspective is in itself rather elasticated, ranging from believers in the present, to the elect, unto believers to come.

In the middle ground is the geographical extent of this earth, for it is the arena in which believers live, and it is within this arena that the Gospel goes forth to call out the elect who believe. Another aspect of the middle ground is that the Gospel message comes to all who hear it. As the Gospel of reconciliation/expiation goes forth into the world, it, in strict terms, comes to those who hear the Gospel. It does not come to ‘every single person’ in the world, but is ‘offered’ to all who hear it.

In the background is the negative aspect of the reprobate: they are mixed in with the elect who are scattered throughout the earth.

It is plain that, Calvin’s view of “world” does not submit to the theological definitions of either Amyraldianism or Calvinism. He has his own elasticated style. Even so, the true value and meaning of “world” is its foreground aspect, the salvation of believers. The reader will have noticed, too, that unbelievers are not spoken of favorably but are invariably cast as the reprobates.” [Angus Harley, “Calvin’ comments on 1 John 2:2”, All Things New Covenant, January 18, 2025, https://allthingsnewcovenant.com/2025/01/18/calvins-comments-on-1-john-22/]

By the way, a similar elasticated process is used in Calvin’s terms “offer” and “invite”. In the above section of Calvin’s comment, the Gospel “offer” was spoken of in an efficacious manner, but implying, too, God reaching to the human race that hears it. Yet, the consequence is that sinful humanity through this Gospel will be split into believers (the elect) and reprobate. This is to say that the “offer” of the Gospel, in Calvin’s writings, is not mere good will, or mere desire or longing, but is good will and desire that inevitably brings salvation. It is the efficaciousness of this offer that represents the true value of Calvin’s ‘offer theology’, just as his view of “world” is that its primary import is in regard to the actual salvation of the world. God is not through his preachers merely calling upon men, desiring for their salvation, for God’s “call”, “invite”, and “offer” are the going forth of actual salvation to bring redemption to those who believe (the elect).

Nor must we ever lose sight, in the thick of Calvin’s extended comment, that he is always melding the two dimensions of salvation together, so that he never speaks of the cross as an event existing in and of itself, or unto itself. Calvin never once, in his commentary on John 3:16, concerns himself with the abstracted question of, “for whom did Jesus die on the cross two thousand years ago”, or with the formula of, “sufficient for all, efficient for some”. Calvin’s proper understanding of the cross is its efficacious and salvific nature as fulfilled through faith. As before, a similar restriction must be placed on Calvin’s teaching on the offer of the Gospel: true preaching is not offering a Christ of a theory, of a potential to save. Theories of the potential of the cross or Gospel to save are not in Calvin’s theological vocabulary.

“And this order ought to be carefully observed; for such is the wicked ambition which belongs to our nature, that when the question relates to the origin of our salvation, we quickly form diabolical imaginations about our own merits. Accordingly, we imagine that God is reconciled to us, because he has reckoned us worthy that he should look upon us. But Scripture everywhere extols his pure and unmingled mercy, which sets aside all merits.”

The primary import is again the assembly, “our salvation”. Calvin is, one more time, concerned about assurance of God’s love: how can we be sure of God’s divine love for us? In this way alone: through faith in Christ and not by relying for salvation on our own merits. That is why we read Calvin writing about the “origin of our salvation”. It is actual salvation that is detaining Calvin here, not its potential.

“And the words of Christ mean nothing else, when he declares the cause to be in the love of God. For if we wish to ascend higher, the Spirit shuts the door by the mouth of Paul, when he informs us that this love was founded on the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:5.) And, indeed, it is very evident that Christ spoke in this manner, in order to draw away men from the contemplation of themselves to look at the mercy of God alone. Nor does he say that God was moved to deliver us, because he perceived in us something that was worthy of so excellent a blessing, but ascribes the glory of our deliverance entirely to his love. And this is still more clear from what follows; for he adds, that God gave his Son to men, that they may not perish. Hence it follows that, until Christ bestow his aid in rescuing the lost, all are destinedto eternal destruction.”

The Amyraldian reading writes that because Calvin refers to the “lost” and to “men” seeking to be right with God, he does not have in mind the assembly as such, whether visible or invisible, but he is implying ‘every single person in the world’.

Sadly, the Amyraldian method is to do a kind of word search for key universal-atonement terms, and when it sees them in Calvin’s comments to immediately read in the entire doctrine of universal atonement. Exegesis, not a word-search method, must characterize our evaluation of Calvin.

Calvin roots the cross of Christ in the eternal purpose of the Father’s will in him. This is the divine purpose to actually save, not potentially. See how Calvin is still in the mode of the going forth of the Gospel of life and its doctrine as taught by Christ himself and the great apostle. There is no salvation outside of the going forth of the Gospel, which (i.e., the Gospel) is the Christ of the cross extending his mercy and grace to the wicked world (in the sense of it hearing the Gospel). As said before, it is implied that this is a salvific act, for it is only in Christ that men are saved by faith, but those who do not receive his aid are “destined for destruction”.

We see some teaching, here, of a Calvinistic chain of salvation. There is the eternal purpose of the divine will that is behind the divine love of God in giving his Son on the cross. Which is preached to the “world” to bring salvation by faith and to demarcate the wicked’s destiny by their refusal of the Gospel. This is all the eternal will and purpose in action, of course.

Conversely, any kind of Arminian chain of salvation is utterly destroyed, for Calvin repudiates the attempt to root man’s salvation in an act of man, such as the divine foresight of man’s faith.

Having conceded this Calvinistic-like chain of salvation, Calvin’s comment is operating with a different ‘hermeneutic’, or interpretive model, one that is retrospective and of faith. What do I mean? Calvin’s system of interpretation never begins with eternity as such, even though his theology of salvation does anchor itself in eternity past. It is the difference between Calvin’s hermeneutic, or model of interpretive control, and the order of salvation that is derived from it. His interpretive control or model, as demonstrated in his whole exegesis of John 3:16, is about God’s love revealed in time and applied in time. Why? Because he is teaching about the actual salvific work of Jesus Christ’s historical atonement in time but always and only through faith in him. It is from this work of God in time that Calvin looks back, through faith in the crucified Christ, to the halls of eternity and the doctrine of divine election and God’s eternal will.

The same hermeneutical method is brought out by Calvin declaring that “all” of the wicked “are destined to eternal destruction.” The movement is from now (time) unto eternity. Admittedly, this is eternity as future facing, yet it does indicate Calvin’s habit of going from the present, from earth, into eternity (whether past or future). What happens in time marks out one’s eternal destiny, whether in its predestined capacity or its future condition.

Thus, Calvin goes onto write about the importance of God’s salvation in time, as we now see:

“This is also demonstrated by Paul from a consideration of the time;

for he loved us while we were still enemies by sin,

(Romans 5:18.) And, indeed, where sin reigns, we shall find nothing but the wrath of God, which draws death along with it. It is mercy, therefore, that reconciles us to God, that he may likewise restore us to life.”

Some mistakenly read into Calvin here the modern notion that we died with Christ on the cross two thousand years ago. That view states that, we were enemies in the making, or in the divine decree, even although we did not exist, and Christ died for us then, even though we were mere enemies to be.

This view, like the others, profoundly misunderstands Calvin’s approach to Jesus’ death. As said again and again, Calvin’s view of the cross does not make it a stand-alone doctrine that is abstracted from the actual salvation of those who believe in him. The cross is not a potential to save in the future. John 3:16 is, to Calvin, about believing in the Christ of the cross sent by the Father. Reconciliation takes place in the experience of the believer. Our own testimony is that, before faith, we were God’s enemies, for we hated him and his Christ. Yet, God still loved us in time in his crucified Son. In mercy executed through the Gospel’s ‘offer’, the sinner comes to faith in the crucified Son. This is to say that, as before, Calvin is working back from our experience as believers, in faith, to pre-faith, and from there back to the cross.

We will state matters a little more deeply. Calvin’s system, because it moves from faith, then onto Christ, from there to God’s love and its eternal foundation, ensures that God’s love and eternal will can never be understood or interpreted as being outside of his Son who was given for the world in order to save it by faith. God’s love for the world is Son-love; his eternal will for the world is Son-will; and we may extend this to say that, his love for the world is faith-love and his eternal will for the world is faith-will. For all these blessings to the world are links- faith, Christ, divine love, and eternal will- in the inseparable chain of the immovable, inexorable, salvation of the world. The “world” or “human race” cannot, in this system of actual salvation, be ‘every single person’, but is the world understood as bowing to God’s love in his Son’s cross.

As before, from this we see that, to Calvin, it is not election per se, nor the cross by itself, that bring eternal life and mercy. We did not receive eternal life in eternity, nor receive it upon the cross, for we were not alive at either time. Eternal life arising from the eternal will, God’s love, and divine mercy, all came to us in time and in our experience, only by faith, even though we were enemies. This is the outworking of the faith/crucified-Christ union that is central to Calvin’s soteriology.

“This mode of expression, however, may appear to be at variance with many passages of Scripture, which lay in Christ the first foundation of the love of God to us, and show that out of him we are hated by God. But we ought to remember — what I have already stated — that the secret love with which the Heavenly Father loved us in himself is higher than all other causes; but that the grace which he wishes to be made known to us, and by which we are excited to the hope of salvation, commences with the reconciliation which was procured through Christ. For since he necessarily hates sin, how shall we believe that we are loved by him, until atonement has been made for those sins on account of which he is justly offended at us? Thus, the love of Christ must intervene for the purpose of reconciling God to us, before we have any experience of his fatherly kindness. But as we are first informed that God, because he loved us, gave his Son to die for us, so it is immediately added, that it is Christ alone on whom, strictly speaking, faith ought to look.”

Some Calvinists take this extended comment to conclude that Calvin is here quite intensely teaching that God’s will of eternal predestination was not just the starting point but the framework for the cross and for faith in Christ.

Even if the Calvinists are correct that Calvin held to this theological framework, it is not his point in the above quote. From the outset of this comment on John 3:16, the eternal will of God has barely been mentioned, although it is there. The same is true of the above quote. For, the foundation of God’s divine love in the eternal will may be implied, yet, it is revelation of this divine love in the cross that is defended. Its secret nature arises not from it being eternally hidden or from it being mysterious, for God’s love in his Son was a clear demonstration in time of God’s love. Yet, the divine love was hidden to the wicked world due to their unbelief, and this condition was enforced by God’s divine wrath upon mankind.

Calvin’s comment is, therefore, trying to resolve the tension that God was angry with us, the assembly, until we repented, yet before we repented, he loved us in “secret” through the cross. The “we” being the assembly only. For the giving of the Son in time was love, a love that, in our sin, we had no ‘assurance’ of, and was hidden from us due to our wickedness. This love came alive in the cross and its atonement when we experienced his kindness in his Son through faith. The cross and God’s love are not separated, here, from active grace or from faith looking to Jesus’ death.

The above extensive quote gives us more room to comment further upon the ‘when’ of our enmity. Formerly we were enemies, not at the time of the cross, nor ‘on the cross’, nor at any time in eternity; we were enemies in our time, by our radical and real hatred of God.

This will be disputed because Calvin refers to reconciliation that “was procured through Christ”. It patently refers to God’s action in Christ upon the cross and not to our experience. The implication of this, it will be said, is that our enmity was also dealt with on the cross two thousand years ago.

Certainly, we can agree that Christ did procure full reconciliation with God, for his enemies, two thousand years ago. Yet, it is artificial to separate this fact from the wider comment of Calvin’s. Jesus’ historical death is, to Calvin, the time of the procurement of the whole of salvation. Salvation was accomplished then only, a one-and-done deal. But salvation must be actualized, realized, and let loose to actually save. Calvin has no time for the mere idea of Christ procuring salvation ‘for the world’, or for the mere belief that his death on the cross was an atonement ‘for the world’. The cross of Jesus was a saving work, for it was done to secure full salvation for those who come to God through faith. Their faith, which for most came after the event of the cross, derives salvation from the historical cross itself, for Christ of heaven, as high priest, applies the victory of his death and salvation to them in the present. Salvation was fully procured on the cross for those of faith, and then fully executed in their experience.

For that reason, even though the reconciliation was “procured” on the cross, Calvin does not think of ‘reconciliation’ ever as being a mere category of the cross. For reconciliation procured on the cross must be realized by faith. It is the one act of reconciliation that has two stages, for both stages reveal actual reconciliation in action, actual salvation at work: one stage pays the price; the other brings the actual deliverance of sinners.

“He gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him may not perish. This, he says, is the proper look of faith, to be fixed on Christ, in whom it beholds the breast of God filled with love: this is a firm and enduring support, to rely on the death of Christ as the only pledge of that love. The word only-begotten is emphatic, (ἐμφατικὸν) to magnify the fervor of the love of God towards us. For as men are not easily convinced that God loves them, in order to remove all doubt, he has expressly stated that we are so very dear to God that, on our account, he did not even spare his only-begotten Son. Since, therefore, God has most abundantly testified his love towards us, whoever is not satisfied with this testimony, and still remains in doubt, offers a high insult to Christ, as if he had been an ordinary man given up at random to death. But we ought rather to consider that, in proportion to the estimation in which God holds his only-begotten Son, so much the more precious did our salvation appear to him, for the ransom of which he chose that his only-begotten Son should die. To this name Christ has a right, because he is by nature the only Son of God; and he communicates this honor to us by adoption, when we are engrafted into his body.”

Amyraldians assert their reading here due to Calvin’s references to “men” and to the wicked refusing the cross of Christ.

However, Calvin’s use of “testified” and “testimony” as denoting God’s love toward us reveals something different. This testimony is in the form of: 1) Jesus’ historical death; and, 2) the proclamation, or testimony, of the Gospel itself. Both together, as one, form the divine testimony to “men” of God’s love. God’s love that is testified to is not merely that of Jesus’ death but includes the preaching of the Gospel, and must not be extended, therefore, to ‘every single person’, for not all hear the Gospel. More pointedly, the doctrine of God’s love is one of assurance, thus the references to “doubt” being removed and challenged. Anyone who claims to be a true ‘Christian’ will have no doubt of the divine love to them if only he or she comes into this source through faith in the cross of Christ. It is that type of “men” that Calvin is denoting: those who have doubt that is removed through faith in the Son. Yet, not just any old son, but the “only begotten Son”!

See how the death of Christ is referred to as a ransom price, and that it is its application that must be apprehended by faith to fully take hold of the divine love in the Father. This reveals, yet again, how the cross and faith are one salvifically and are never to be separated.

That some fall away from the knowledge of the Gospel and the cross is not referring to every single person but to the context of those in the visible assembly who lack sufficient faith in Christ.

“That whosoever believeth on him may not perish. It is a remarkable commendation of faith, that it frees us from everlasting destruction. For he intended expressly to state that, though we appear to have been born to death, undoubted deliverance is offered to us by the faith of Christ; and, therefore, that we ought not to fear death, which otherwise hangs over us. And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term World, which he formerly used; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life.”

The above quote, arguably more than any other in Calvin’s commentary on John 3:16, is used by neo-Calvinists as unequivocal proof of Calvin’s supposed Amyraldian conviction. It is maintained that the entire world is denoted, ‘every single person’, and that Jesus died for ‘every single person’ on the cross, but each one is obliged, now, to believe.

Except, Calvin’s thought in the above quote does not convey these conclusions. At all times, we must retain the discipline- for it does become a matter of strenuously keeping our focus upon Calvin’s system and not being distracted by our own- of recognizing that Calvin is working from earth to heaven, from the believer’s experience unto the cross, then from there to the divine love in sending the Son. How do we know this? I will now break down the answer into chunk-sized bites.

First, see how the quote ends, “which is nothing else than an entrance into life.” This is referring to believers receiving eternal life. Yet, what is this quote, in its own turn, referencing? It is referencing the previous sentence, “he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ”. In other words, that entire sentence is explained by the final/subsequent sentence that refers to men entering into eternal life. For reconciliation and the invitation are not ‘potentials’, as if to say that, God might be reconciled to man, or that the Gospel ‘invites’ every person to believe in Jesus to be saved. This is not Calvin’s meaning. It is true and real reconciliation, that is, salvation by faith, or an entrance into life that is meant by this invitation. It is not in any way an invite the may or may not be accepted. This invite is in itself compelling, for it is God showing himself to the whole world that he is reconciled to it by faith. In other words, the going forth of the Gospel is God going forth to invite, and invariably save, all who believe, which is an entrance into eternal life. Thus, Calvin also said, “For he intended expressly to state that, though we appear to have been born to death, undoubted deliverance is offered to us by the faith of Christ”, for this refers to the assembly. Note, here, that the offer is unto believers (“by the faith”) and is concerning Christ (“of Christ”), and is a message of “undoubted deliverance” not potential deliverance. The historical death of Christ is appropriated by faith. All of the above is the salvific offer of deliverance.

What, then, about Calvin’s words, “And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers”? Do these not tell us, very plainly, that Calvin was putting forth a doctrine of unlimited atonement, it is argued by some?

Not at all! For one thing, Calvin is contrasting the invite to indiscriminately save all with cutting off every excuse from unbelievers. He is, in other words, referring to the effects of the going forth of the Gospel: on the one hand, its invite saves all men indiscriminately; on the other, it reveals that the wicked hate the Gospel and are destined for darkness.

The invite to “all indiscriminately” is to be understood not as ‘every single person’ in the world, therefore, nor to ‘every single person’ who hears the Gospel, but to all kinds of people who hear the Gospel and who respond to it by faith.

This is to underscore, yet again, that it is not the modern notion of the free offer of the Gospel that Calvin promotes, but an efficacious and true ‘offer’ of salvation to those who repent and belief.

Thus, Calvin’s universal terminology- “all”, “world”, “men”, etc.- is operating on different level (see above). There is the ‘world’ comprising believers. This is the primary meaning. Then there is the ‘world’ meaning this world as containing unbelievers and believers. On top of this there is the ‘world’ of unbelievers. Calvin feels no need to justify this rather elasticated interpretation of “world”, and anyone of these dimensions, or all of them, are in play at any time.

“Let us remember, on the other hand, that while life is promised universally to all who believe in Christ, still faith is not common to all. For Christ is made known and held out to the view of all, but the elect alone are they whose eyes God opens, that they may seek him by faith. Here, too, is displayed a wonderful effect of faith; for by it we receive Christ such as he is given to us by the Father — that is, as having freed us from the condemnation of eternal death, and made us heirs of eternal life, because, by the sacrifice of his death, he has atoned for our sins, that nothing may prevent God from acknowledging us as his sons. Since, therefore, faith embraces Christ, with the efficacy of his death and the fruit of his resurrection, we need not wonder if by it we obtain likewise the life of Christ.”

The first clause confirms everything stated up to this point about the offer of the Gospel being efficacious through faith, “Let us remember, on the other hand, that while life is promised universally to all who believe in Christ”. And also confirmed is Calvin’s habit of using elasticated terminology, for the use of “all” in the second clause denotes ‘everyone who hears the Gospel’. Two uses of “all”: one efficacious, the other concerned with unbelievers. The next sentence reverses the counterbalance, this time beginning with the general idea first (all who hear the Gospel), and then moves to the elect alone, who, presumably through God’s work by the Gospel, seek Christ by faith.

Election is openly referred to, but see how Calvin does naturally, as it were, tie it to faith. Election is not a stand-alone doctrine, nor stated as the first cause in a chain of salvation (even if, to Calvin, this is theologically true).

Moreover, it is not just faith abstracted and on its own, as if talking merely in a generic way about faith; for it is the faith of the assembly. Thus, Calvin presses on to talk about the assurance of having believed in Jesus and his atoning death. See how this assurance comes in the form of spiritual adoption through faith.

Calvin then summarizes his two stages of salvation for us, “Since, therefore, faith embraces Christ, with the efficacy of his death and the fruit of his resurrection, we need not wonder if by it we obtain likewise the life of Christ.” The death and resurrection of Christ are not floating in theological mid-air, not operating by themselves in a theological capacity. Instead, both function in a truly salvific manner and not merely potentially so, “efficacy of his death and the fruit of his resurrection”. In believing in Jesus’ historical death and resurrection, in all their power and efficacy, the believer is then assured of God’s love for them in the cross, and this assurance is but a form of the life of Christ in action. The implication of all of this is that, it is, for Calvin, not just about the cross, nor even merely about believing in it, but it all comes down to the deeper assurance of God’s love in adoption. Divine recognition of our ‘sonship’ is what it is all about!

“Still it is not yet very evident why and how faith bestows life upon us. Is it because Christ renews us by his Spirit, that the righteousness of God may live and be vigorous in us; or is it because, having been cleansed by his blood, we are accounted righteous before God by a free pardon? It is indeed certain, that these two things are always joined together; but as the certainty of salvation is the subject now in hand, we ought chiefly to hold by this reason, that we live, because God loves us freely by not imputing to us our sins. For this reason sacrifice is expressly mentioned, by which, together with sins, the curse and death are destroyed. I have already explained the object of these two clauses, which is, to inform us that in Christ we regain the possession of life, of which we are destitute in ourselves; for in this wretched condition of mankind, redemption, in the order of time, goes before salvation.”

Calvin is concerned to pin down the exact manner in which faith is unto righteousness. Even though faith in Christ invariably brings with it the renewal of Christ by the Spirit (and we could add the life of the Spirit), Calvin maintains that it is the cleansing of the blood of Christ (aka, justification by faith) unto the reckoning of righteousness by God that John is speaking about.

The reader should not forget that all of this is aiming to underscore how assurance of divine love comes to us through faith in Christ. This assurance is sealed in justification by faith. Is Calvin contradicting himself? Did he not just put the emphasis on adoption? To Calvin, justification by faith and adoption are so very closely related that it is, at times, nigh impossible to separate them.

The above statement by Calvin confirms that it is only through faith that life is conferred on sinners. Note how “mankind” (aka, “all”, “world”) is to “regain the possession of life” by seeking redemption and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Nothing is said here about Jesus dying for every single person ever, or for every single person in the world at a given moment. For the “world” or “mankind” experiences atonement, redemption, and justification when it puts its faith in Christ, and in this it sees the love of God through Christ’s sacrifice.

Finally, the reader will have caught how Calvin’s mind works by the very last comment: “redemption, in the order of time, goes before our salvation”. How so? Because the cross was the price of redemption, the place where it was procured; whereas, it is in the time of our experience that the victory of the cross is worked out efficaciously in us, via the Gospel, to bring our actual  salvation.