Third, Jonah 3[:10]: “God saw their works.”
Third, Jonah 3[:10]: “God saw their works.”
§ 88. (III) “ ‘God saw the works of those who turned from their evil way; and God took pity concerning the evil which He had said He would do to them’ (Jon. 3:10). This passage gives the cause why God had compassion on the people of Nineveh: because they turned from their evil way.”
We respond. The fruit of salutary repentance is reconciliation with God and the turning away or at least the easing of punishments, not by reason of contrition but with respect to faith in Christ, by which alone we who are justified have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). Therefore this passage is describing the quality of those whom the Lord pitied: that they were of a contrite and humble heart, that they turned from their evil way. It is describing the order which God observes in showing mercy and in healing but does not describe the merit or reason because of which God is merciful and forgives sin. “For if it is from grace, it is not by works; otherwise grace would not be grace” (Rom. 11:6). Nonetheless it must be added that one can receive an easing of temporal punishments through contrition even if it lacks faith, as the example of Ahab teaches (1 Kings 21:27). In the same way, God rewards the good works of those who have not been born again with temporal rewards, but no one receives the free forgiveness of sins and God-pleasing righteousness without true faith in Christ.