Faith and Repentance: The Heart of Regeneration | John Calvin

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Our Regeneration by Faith: RepentanceBased on the sources, sin is understood as a turning away from God and His law, will, or control [Sources previously discussed]. It arises from a corrupted nature and manifests as inordinate desires, which are themselves deemed sinful [Sources previously discussed]. Sin involves both outward actions and the inner disposition, displeasing God, defrauding Him of honor, and leading to guilt [Sources previously discussed].Repentance is defined as the true turning of our life to God, arising from a pure and earnest fear of Him. This turning requires a transformation of the soul itself. It consists of two parts: mortification of the flesh and the old man (sorrow, dread from recognizing sin and judgment, hating sin, dying to self) and vivification of the Spirit (consolation from faith, a desire for holy living, rebirth to live to God). Repentance is interpreted as regeneration, a lifelong process aiming to restore God's image disfigured by sin.Crucially, repentance is born of faith and constantly follows it. Faith embraces God's grace and mercy in Christ, providing the hope and motivation for true turning. It is also a singular gift of God, empowered by the Spirit.The unpardonable sin, or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, is a specific offense. It is defined as knowing and willingly resisting God’s truth despite being convinced by its brightness. This is a deliberate rejection of the gospel and amounts to a complete turning away or apostasy. It is unpardonable because it rejects Christ's sacrifice, leaving no other remedy, and results in a God-given inability to repent due to just judgment.Even after regeneration, believers still face a necessary struggle with indwelling sin, a "smoldering cinder". This requires continual repentance and mortification throughout life.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed