Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Confirmation of This Doctrine from Scriptural Testimonies
Calvin's doctrine of election and reprobation posits that God's absolute sovereignty and independent will are the sole, unconditioned causes for both salvation and condemnation, entirely apart from any human merit or foreseen action.
Election is not based on God's foreknowledge of human virtues, good works, or worthiness. This "commonly accepted notion" is explicitly rejected as it obscures election's true origin. Instead, God chooses individuals "before the creation of the world" and "according to the good pleasure of his will." At this pre-existent stage, there was no human merit to foresee, highlighting the unconditional nature of His choice. The purpose of election is "that we should be holy," signifying that holiness and good works are the result of election, not its cause. God's grace "does not find but makes those fit to be chosen." Even Christ's unique status is presented as a "clearest mirror of free election," demonstrating that His honor was freely bestowed, not earned.
Reprobation, the divine act of passing over others, is similarly based solely on God's sovereign will, not on foreseen evil deeds. The example of Jacob and Esau is central: God chose Jacob and rejected Esau "though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad." This irrefutably shows God's distinction is independent of human actions. The ultimate purpose of reprobation is "that through them God’s glory may be revealed," with the world "left to its own destruction."
Calvin addresses objections by consistently appealing to the mystery and unsearchable nature of God's will. While the gospel is preached universally, faith is a "special gift" reserved for the elect, demonstrating that God does not equally call all with effectual grace. Augustine, a key authority, famously retracted his earlier view that election was based on foreseen merits, later affirming that "God’s grace does not find but makes those fit to be chosen." In essence, both salvation and condemnation are direct expressions of God's eternal, unchangeable, and free decision, independent of human will or worth, all for His ultimate glory.
Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian
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