Repentance Unto Life

John Calvin

1509 - 1564

"by repentance I understand regeneration"

"When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” (Acts 11: 18) 

I do not want to enter into a discussion of what is meant by God "granting" repentance, an issue between Calvinists and Arminians. Rather, I want to focus on how this text deals with the "ordo salutis." In the text "repentance" (which presupposes faith) is "unto life," which is all the same as "unto regeneration" or "unto quickening." It is not "life unto repentance" but "repentance unto life." 

The "life" of this text cannot be restricted to eschatological life, the life that will be given in the resurrection, chiefly to the body. I take the statement to be that the repentance that had been given to Gentile believers and the life produced by it are viewed as completed acts. The repentance is coextensive with the life. From the moment that there was genuine repentance there was spiritual life from spiritual death. Life is from faith and repentance. 

Repentance is a turning. It is both a turning away and a turning to. The sinner in faith turns away from sin, from unbelief, from belief in false gods, from a course of sin and disobedience. At the same time the sinner turns to God in faith, turns to righteousness, turns to Christ. Turning away from sin and unbelief involves dis-attaching (disunion or separation) oneself from what is false and attaching (union) oneself to what is true and right. It is a turning of the nature of the sinner, the conquering of his "bent" to sin. By union with sin we are dead spiritually. By union with righteousness, with Christ, we are alive spiritually.

In spite of the fact that the text plainly says that repentance precedes life, many will affirm that the text affirms that regeneration precedes repentance and life. I cannot but stand bewildered at this. If a man is regenerated before he repent then he is a dead regenerate, for life comes from repentance and faith.

Wrote Calvin in his Institutes (chapter three, titled "REGENERATION BY FAITH. OF REPENTANCE" - See here):

"Although we have already in some measure shown how faith possesses Christ, and gives us the enjoyment of his benefits, the subject would still be obscure were we not to add an exposition of the effects resulting from it. The sum of the Gospel is, not without good reason, made to consist in repentance and forgiveness of sins; and, therefore, where these two heads are omitted, any discussion concerning faith will be meager and defective, and indeed almost useless. Now, since Christ confers upon us, and we obtain by faith, both free reconciliation and newness of life, reason and order require that I should here begin to treat of both." 

What do we receive "by faith"? Both reconciliation (justification) and newness of life (regeneration). All comes from union with Christ and union is by faith.

Calvin continued:

"The shortest transition, however, will be from faith to repentance; for repentance being properly understood it will better appear how a man is justified freely by faith alone, and yet that holiness of life, real holiness, as it is called, is inseparable from the free imputation of righteousness. That repentance not only always follows faith, but is produced by it, ought to be without controversy (see Calvin in Joann. 1:13). For since pardon and forgiveness are offered by the preaching of the Gospel, in order that the sinner, delivered from the tyranny of Satan, the yoke of sin, and the miserable bondage of iniquity, may pass into the kingdom of God, it is certain that no man can embrace the grace of the Gospel without retaking himself from the errors of his former life into the right path, and making it his whole study to practice repentance. Those who think that repentance precedes faith instead of flowing from, or being produced by it, as the fruit by the tree, have never understood its nature, and are moved to adopt that view on very insufficient grounds."

With Calvin faith preceded justification and repentance, and with Calvin repentance and regeneration were virtually the same. He taught regeneration by faith, the very title of this chapter in his Institutes.

Wrote Calvin:

"Wherefore, it seems to me, that repentance may be not inappropriately defined thus: A real conversion of our life unto God, proceeding from sincere and serious fear of God; and consisting in the mortification of our flesh and the old man, and the quickening of the Spirit."

Notice how Calvin says that conversion consists in being quickened. All the first Calvinists and Reformers interpreted evangelical conversion to be regeneration. 

Wrote Calvin:

"We must now explain the third part of the definition, and show what is meant when we say that repentance consists of two parts—viz. the mortification of the flesh, and the quickening of the Spirit...Both of these we obtain by union with Christ. For if we have true fellowship in his death, our old man is crucified by his power, and the body of sin becomes dead, so that the corruption of our original nature is never again in full vigor (Rom. 6:5, 6). If we are partakers in his resurrection, we are raised up by means of it to newness of life, which conforms us to the righteousness of God. In one word, then, by repentance I understand regeneration, the only aim of which is to form in us anew the image of God, which was sullied, and all but effaced by the transgression of Adam." 

Repentance "consists" in being "quickened" (regenerated), and it results from union with Christ by faith. That is the original Calvinist and Reformed position.

Calvin wrote:

"Moreover if it is true, and nothing can be more certain, than that a complete summary of the Gospel is included under these two heads—viz. repentance and the remission of sins (justification and regeneration SG), do we not see that the Lord justifies his people freely, and at the same time renews them to true holiness by the sanctification of his Spirit? John, the messenger sent before the face of Christ to prepare his ways, proclaimed, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Mt. 11:10; 3:2). By inviting them to repentance, he urged them to acknowledge that they were sinners, and in all respects condemned before God, that thus they might be induced earnestly to seek the mortification of the flesh, and a new birth in the Spirit. By announcing the kingdom of God he called for faith, since by the kingdom of God which he declared to be at hand, he meant forgiveness of sins, salvation, life, and every other blessing which we obtain in Christ..."

Sinners are to be "induced" to "seek" a "new birth in the Spirit"? The first Calvinists, like Calvin, had no problem with believing this without being Arminian or Pelagian. I would that today's Calvinists would go back to what Calvin taught in this regard.

Calvin wrote:

"Repentance is preached in the name of Christ, when men learn, through the doctrines of the Gospel, that all their thoughts, affections, and pursuits, are corrupt and vicious; and that, therefore, if they would enter the kingdom of God they must be born again. Forgiveness of sins is preached when men are taught that Christ “is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” (1 Cor. 1:30), that on his account they are freely deemed righteous and innocent in the sight of God. Though both graces are obtained by faith (as has been shown elsewhere), yet as the goodness of God, by which sins are forgiven, is the proper object of faith, it was proper carefully to distinguish it from repentance."

That is my view and the view of many of the greatest Calvinist writers.

Calvin wrote:

"Wherefore, in regard to the whole process of regeneration, it is not without cause we are called God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them,” (Eph. 2:10)

Though most see regeneration as an instantaneous act, and certainly not a "process," yet Calvin did. Certainly the "renewing" is both initial (once for all) and continuous. So too we may speak of regeneration.

Acts 11: 18 uproots the born again before faith (or repentance) view.