John Calvin Commentary Luke 1:77

"To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins," — Luke 1:77 (ASV)

To give knowledge of salvation—Zacharias now touches the principal subject of the gospel when he says that the knowledge of salvation consists in the forgiveness of sins. As we are all by nature the children of wraths (Ephesians 2:3), it follows that we are by nature condemned and ruined, and the ground of our condemnation is that we are chargeable with unrighteousness. There is, therefore, no other provision for escaping eternal death⁸¹ but by God reconciling us to Himself, not imputing our trespasses to us, (2 Corinthians 5:19).

That this is the only righteousness which remains to us before God can be easily gathered from the words of Zacharias. For from where does salvation come, but from righteousness? If the children of God have no other way of obtaining the knowledge of salvation except through the forgiveness of sins, it follows that righteousness must not be sought elsewhere.

Proud men attempt to forge and manufacture a righteousness out of the merits of good works. True righteousness is nothing else than the imputation of righteousness, when God, out of free grace, acquits us from guilt.

Besides, it should be observed that Zacharias is not speaking of “strangers from the covenants of promise,” (Ephesians 2:12) but of the people of God. Hence it follows that not only does the commencement of righteousness depend on the forgiveness of sins, but it is by imputation⁸² that believers are righteous before God to the very end. For they cannot appear before His tribunal in any other way than by turning daily to a free reconciliation.

⁸¹ “Mortis;” —— “La mort mortelle.”.”

⁸² “Imputative, ut italoquar.” — “.” — “Par imputation, c'est a dire, d'autant que la justice de Christ laur est imputee.” — “By imputation, that is to say, in so far as the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to them”.” — “By imputation, that is to say, in so far as the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to them”