{"id":2876,"date":"2011-07-01T12:54:27","date_gmt":"2011-07-01T12:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/owenstrachan.com\/?p=2876"},"modified":"2011-07-01T12:54:27","modified_gmt":"2011-07-01T12:54:27","slug":"john-calvin-and-sin-in-the-life-of-the-believer-the-gospel-coalition-and-evangelical-spirituality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thoughtlife\/2011\/07\/john-calvin-and-sin-in-the-life-of-the-believer-the-gospel-coalition-and-evangelical-spirituality\/","title":{"rendered":"John Calvin and Sin in the Life of the Believer: The Gospel Coalition and Evangelical Spirituality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>How should we who consider grace the central reality of our life think about God\u2019s response to our sin?\u00a0 This is a tricky question, one that defies some of the easy answers we offer to it.\u00a0 Today at The Gospel Coalition, I ask and seek to answer this question in a post entitled \u201cYou Can Anger God But Not Lose Him.\u201d\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a bit to chew on:<\/p>\n

The fact that our sins displease God motivates us in practical terms to put our unrighteousness to death through the power of the Spirit offered and given us in the gospel (Col. 3:1-10<\/a>). Pastor-theologian John Calvin said it best in his Institutes: \u201c[H]e who in the end profits by God\u2019s scourges is the man who considers God angry at his vices, but merciful and kindly toward himself\u201d (III:4:34). Like David, God is angry at our \u201cvices,\u201d but if we may inject some Lutheran paradox into our treatment of Calvin, this anger is also kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

God\u2019s response to the sin of believers is not vengeance, Calvin noted, but \u201cchastisement.\u201d The Frenchman pointed out that \u201cwhen a father quite severely corrects his son, he does not do this to take vengeance on him or to maltreat him, but rather to teach him and to render him more cautious therefore\u201d (III:4:31). The authors of the Westminster Confession concurred with Calvin when they noted that believers \u201cmay, by their sins, fall under God\u2019s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance\u201d (11.5).<\/em><\/p>\n

This short essay<\/a> is part of a series on evangelical spirituality that TGC has been running this week.\u00a0 Here are the other posts, all of which I commend to you.\u00a0 Each tackles an important issue in the spiritual life of the believer.<\/p>\n