We must take our definition from the etymology of the word. When men grasp the conception of things with the mind and the understanding they are said “to know,†from which the word “knowledge†is derived. In like manner, when men have an awareness of divine judgment adjoined to them as a witness which does not let them hide their sins but arraigns them as guilty before the judgment seat – this awareness is called “conscience.†It is a certain mean between God and man, for it does not allow man to suppress within himself what he knows, but pursues him to the point of making him acknowledge his guilt. This is what Paul means when he teaches that conscience testifies to men, while their thoughts accuse or excuse them in God’s judgment (Rom. 2:15-16). A simple awareness could repose in man, bottled up, as it were. Therefore, this feeling, which draws men to God’s judgment, is like a keeper assigned to man, that watches and observes all his secrets so that nothing may remain buried in darkness. Hence that ancient proverb: conscience is a thousand witnesses. By like reasoning, Peter also put “the response of a good conscience to God†(1 Peter 3:21) as equivalent to peace of mind, when, convinced of Christ’s grace, we fearlessly present ourselves before God. And when the author of of The Letter to the Hebrews states that we “no longer have any consciousness of sin†(Heb. 10:2), he means that we are freed or absolved so that sin can no longer accuse us.
Therefore, just as works concern men, so the conscience relates to God in such a way that a good conscience is nothing but an inward uprightness of heart. In this sense, Paul writes that “the fulfillment of the law is love, out of a pure . . . conscience and faith unfeigned†(1 Tim. 1:5 p.). Afterward, in the same chapter, he shows how much it differs from understanding, saying that certain ones “made shipwreck of faith†because they had “forsaken a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:19). For by these words he indicates that is a lively longing to worship God and a sincere intent to live a godly and holy life. (Institutes, IV. x. 3-4.)
A couple of points are worth noting. One is the importance (there goes that squishy word) of justification to a clean conscience. Since justification is precisely a verdict of not guilty, that benefit alone can give the wounded and grieved conscience what it so desperately needs. I am not saying the doctrine does this logocentrically – as if propositions have consequences – or that this happens apart from the work of the Spirit. I am saying that a guilty conscience is important for all people because of the reality and pressing demands of the law. To have that burden lifted because of the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us by faith alone is an amazingly liberating moment and life.
The second point is how much Calvin sees love and holy living springing from this forensic reality of a clear conscience. Conscience goes far down in all of us thanks to being created in the image of God. So to change that legal torments that goes to the core of our being as sinners may also involve something truly renovative. At least, it is responsible to say that the significance of conscience in the life of every person means that justification can in no way be merely a book keeping matter, as if our account is credited with Christ’s righteousness way over there but then we need to have a moral transformation way deep down over here inside us for salvation to play out. Justification solves the guilty conscience problem. It’s a remedy for what is basic and deep down in each human being.
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Fisher addresses this question also in the commentary on the WSC , Q30.
Q. 16. Is Christ united to us before we become united to him?
A. The union is mutual, but it begins first on his side, 1 John 4:19.
Q. 17. How does it begin first on his side?
A. By unition, which is before union.
Q. 18. What do you understand by unition?
A. It is the Spirit of Christ uniting himself first to us, according to the promise, “I will put my Spirit within you,” Ezek. 36:27.
Q. 19. How does the Spirit of Christ unite himself first to us?
A. By coming into the soul, at the happy moment appointed for the spiritual marriage with Christ, and quickening it, so that it is no more morally dead, but alive, having new spiritual powers put into it, Eph. 2:5 — “Even when we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us.”
Q. 20. Is the Spirit of Christ, upon his first entrance, actively or passively received?
A. The soul, morally dead in sin, can be no more than a mere passive recipient, Ezek. 37:14 — “And shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live.”
Q. 21. What is the immediate effect of quickening the dead soul, by the Spirit of Christ passively received?
A. The immediate effect of it is actual believing: Christ being come in by his Spirit, the dead soul is thereby quickened, and the immediate effect of this is, the embracing him by faith, by which the union is completed, John 5:25.
Jeff,
WSC 30: The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (the order, faith results in effectual calling). They could have said by effectually calling us, thereby working faith in us etc.
WSC 31: Effectual calling is the work of God’s spirit whereby, . . . he persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. (the order: effectual calling then embracing [united with] Christ)
Again, I’m not offering a definitive reading. I am suggesting that WSC is not as clear as you suggest.
Darryl is fine. dgh is easier.
It’s the “thereby” that is the sticking point, I think. I take it to be a synonym for “thus” or “by this”
So:
(1) The Spirit applies redemption by working faith
(2) by this action of creating faith, He unites us to Christ in our effectual calling.
So the creating faith is synonymous with the effectual calling.
This would accord well with 31, which clarifies that effectual calling is the action of creating faith.
Jeff, I do not disagree. But would you agree that the Divines may not have been engaging in the most precise discussion of order in this?
Jeff, I do not disagree.
Yipeee!
But would you agree that the Divines may not have been engaging in the most precise discussion of order in this?
I do agree, if we’re talking about “logical order.”
If however we are talking about temporal order, then I think the picture laid out is fairly clear. Election is the ground of our effectual calling which creates faith which unites us to Christ, from whom flow benefits of His mediation, all moving towards the eschaton and our final judgment and glorification.
What’s undefined here, mostly, is a relationship between the various “benefits”, which is where a logical ordo comes into play.
Yes? No?
Jeff,
I’m not sure what order conclusions to draw from the Standards. I mean, the chapters on faith, repentance, good works and perseverance come AFTER just., adopt., and sanctification. Not trying to be disagreeable (mainly), but I’m still not sure why we need to micromanage the Holy Spirit.