Friday, March 13, 2009

Bending our hearts to righteousness

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)
Book 2 - God the Redeemer
Chapter 3
Only Damnable Things Come from Man's Corrupt Nature

Sections 6-14 Conversion of the will is of divine grace

Section 6 - Men's inability to do good in redemption,
which God does quite alone

God must begin the good work of conversion in us - Phil 1:6.
Our hearts can't be bent to do good any more than a stone can be bent.
Ezek 36:26-27. 2 Cor 3:5; Phil 2:13; 1 Cor 12:6.
We may not share the credit with God for our salvation.
Eph 2:5, 10; Ps 100:3.

Section 7 - It is not a case of the believer's co-operation with grace
the will is first actuated through grace
Grace makes the will to good possible, so will gets no credit.

Section 8 - Scripture imputes to God all that is for our benefit
Calvin quotes Augustine because he reads Scripture rightly.
Scripture tells us faith is a gift of God.
Ezek 36:26; Jer 32:39-40; 11:19.

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