Compare And Contrast Calvin And Williamson

Systematic Theology Reading Journal 18 Calvin and Williamson have different points about faith and repentance, but they share one understanding which is that ‘faith and repentance never are inseparable.’ On the other hand, the Bible (1 John 1:9) says that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”; I believe that this verse shows the relationship between faith and repentance very well. The reason for the opinion is that the word, which is ‘sins’, has various meaning. Before reading these two books, when I read this verse, I usually digest the meaning of sins is that a variety of bad behavior or thinking which I did before. However, Calvin let me know that the most serious sin is what we are under the power of death; in other words, the reality which is what we are sinner is the most terrible sin. Thus, applying this point of view to the verse in John, the meaning of repentance is that we admit ourselves and confess to God what we are unforgiven sinner. …show more content…
Then, he says that ‘you can’t have strong faith in the Lord unless you are gloriously confident of being an heir to the heavenly kingdom.’ According to him, this confidence is invisible and coming from God. Through Holy Spirit, we can really believe that there is our living God who triumphs bravely over the death. From this light, we could understand that this faith is not experiential or emotional, rather God makes us understandable to believe through our mind. Thus, Calvin explains this supernatural presupposition of faith like this ‘our faith is not real unless it enables us to stand calmly in the presence of God.’ God made us to be able to confess He is our Lord and He is God who defeats the death, and we can repent our original sin based on God’s absolute