Examining Patrick’s definition of Metanoia, and Calvin’s Calvinistic/Gnostic answer to the question, “how do I know if I truly believed?”
There is a persistent danger in the church: the subtle redefinition of biblical terms in ways that undermine the gospel itself. When teachers like Patrick redefine “metanoia” as a “change of heart” and Calvin insists that assurance comes only through some inward mystical experience, they do not merely introduce confusion—they fundamentally shift the ground of our assurance from Christ’s finished work to our own internal state. This is not a secondary matter. It strikes at the heart of justification, inheritance, and sonship.
The Folly of Human Wisdom: Redefining “Metanoia”
Patrick, in his teaching on “True Metanoia,” abandons biblical exegesis for cultural and Latin-influenced definitions, claiming that “metanoia” means a “heart change.” He even appeals to Webster’s dictionary, which reflects a post-16th-century, culturally loaded understanding shaped by Catholic penance. This is not how we are to handle the word of God. To consult human dictionaries and Google rather than comparing Scripture with Scripture is to trade God’s wisdom for man’s.
The result is predictable: repentance becomes a nebulous, works-based ordeal. If “repentance” is a “heart change” or “spiritual conversion” that must be felt or proven, then no one can ever be sure they have truly repented. This is precisely the bondage of Catholic penance—an endless striving for an elusive, inward state, always wondering if you’ve done enough, felt enough, changed enough. The gospel is thus obscured, and assurance is lost.
Calvin’s Gnostic Turn: Assurance by Inward Mysticism
Calvin, for his part, offers a definition of assurance that is no less destructive. He claims that only the “regenerated spirit” enters heaven, excluding the soul and body, in direct contradiction to the plain teaching of Scripture:
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5:23)
“We groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:23)
God’s salvation is not partial. It is not a rescue of some inward “divine spark” while the rest of you is discarded. This is Gnostic, not Christian.
But Calvin goes further. He asserts that you only know you have “truly believed” if you have moved beyond “mere mental acceptance” to an inward, mystical knowing—a “rock steady assurance” of your regenerated spirit. The object of faith, then, is no longer Christ and His finished work, but your own internal experience of regeneration. This is a disastrous shift. It is not faith in Christ, but faith in your own feelings. It is not justification by faith, but justification by introspection.
The Perpetual Struggle: Repentance as an Unattainable State
Calvin’s system demands that you reach the “end of your self-righteousness” before you can truly believe. This is nothing but a repackaged version of “repenting of all your sins” before being saved—a standard no one has ever met. Even Paul, who counted all things loss for Christ, said he had not attained perfection in this. If Paul himself had not reached the “end of self-righteousness,” then by Calvin’s standard, he had not “truly” believed the gospel. This is not just error; it is a collapse of the gospel itself.
The Pauline Gospel: Faith as Persuasion in God’s Promise
Scripture is clear. Faith is not a mystical leap beyond the mind. It is being fully persuaded of what God has promised in Christ. Paul says:
“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim. 1:12)
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Rom. 4:20-22)
Abraham was justified—not by an inward mystical experience, but by trusting God’s word. He believed the promise, and righteousness was credited to him while he was yet ungodly, apart from works. This is the pattern: faith in God’s promise, justification, and then the reception of the Spirit. The moment you believe the gospel—that Christ died for your sins and was raised for your justification—you are justified and sealed with the Spirit. This is the simplicity and power of the gospel.
What Is Lost If We Accept These Errors?
If we accept Patrick’s and Calvin’s redefinitions, we lose the very foundation of Christian assurance. The gospel becomes a quest for inward transformation and mystical experience, rather than a proclamation of Christ’s finished work. Justification by faith alone is replaced by a treadmill of self-examination and doubt. Inheritance and sonship are no longer the birthright of those who believe, but the uncertain reward of those who can prove to themselves that they have “truly” believed. The conscience is never cleansed, and the believer is left outside the joy and rest of the new covenant.
The Non-Negotiable: Faith Precedes Regeneration
Calvinism’s insistence that regeneration precedes faith turns the gospel upside down. Scripture teaches the opposite: “After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” (Eph. 1:13) Faith comes by hearing, and upon believing the gospel, we are justified and receive the Spirit. To reverse this order is to undermine the very message that saves.
Let us not be seduced by the wisdom of men, whether it comes dressed in the robes of tradition or the language of mystical experience. The gospel is not found in the depths of our hearts or the heights of our feelings, but in the objective, finished work of Christ. To be “fully persuaded” of God’s promise is enough. Anything less is not the gospel. Anything more is a denial of grace. If you are not challenged by this, you have not yet reckoned with the seriousness of what is at stake.
