Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience and Faithfulness in the Christian Life by Bradley G. Green

Author:Bradley G. Green [Green, Bradley G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2014-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

Key historical figures

Having looked at the key biblical texts, let us turn to see what wisdom might be gleaned from some of the key figures in the history of Christian thought. In this section we will briefly look at some older figures: John Calvin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards and Geerhardus Vos. We will then turn to a few key contemporary scholars: Richard Gaffin, Simon Gathercole and Greg Beale. Before offering some summative comments, we will take an extended look at N. T. Wright on justification.

John Calvin, justification and works

Traditional evangelical theology has (rightly) affirmed the punctiliar and past tense nature of justification. We have been justified, and because of this justification can now stand in the presence of God. But there is also in the evangelical tradition a thorough wrestling with a future aspect of justification, and a judgment according to works. Given the shadow John Calvin casts over subsequent Protestant theology (including over what today is considered ‘biblical theology’), it is appropriate to turn to him for a moment. It is worth noting that this is no inconsequential issue. Calvin warns, ‘In the shady cloisters of the schools anyone can easily and readily prattle about the value of works in justifying men. But when we come before the presence of God we must put away such amusements!’188

As Calvin outlines his understanding of justification, there are two routes by which one might be justified: by faith or by works. Since no one can be justified by works, the only possible route to justification is justification by faith.189 And Calvin is adamant that one cannot forge some kind of faith–works amalgam that together would justify: ‘faith righteousness so differs from works righteousness that when one is established the other has to be overthrown’.190

Calvin writes, ‘Though works are highly esteemed, they have their value from God’s approval rather than from their own worth.’191 Here are the seeds of what Calvin explicates in following sections of the Institutes. Works are of value, but not in themselves. Similar to how Augustine could affirm that God ‘crowns His own gifts’, Calvin proceeds to argue that the value of works lies in God’s approval of them. Indeed, in this same section he writes, ‘it is from God’s beneficence that they are considered worthy both of the name of righteousness and of the reward thereof’.192 Calvin is more pointed a bit later: ‘all human works, if judged according to their own worth, are nothing but filth and defilement’.193

For Calvin, any works produced by the unconverted person spring from a sinful heart, and the works are in fact sins: ‘in men not yet truly sanctified works manifesting even the highest splendor are so far away from righteousness before the Lord that they are reckoned sins’.194 Indeed, ‘works please him only when the person has previously found favor in his sight’.195

For Calvin, any worth that can be ascribed to our works is linked to a person’s relationship to Christ. Thus, ‘surely, no works of ours can of themselves render

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