God cannot, without the Mediator...

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 6 - Fallen Man Ought to Seek Redemption in Christ

Section 1 - Only the Mediator helps fallen man

We ought to know God through His theater of heaven and earth.

But we don't, so He provides Christ, in whom we are to believe.

"No knowledge apart from the Mediator has had power unto salvation."

John 17:3; 10:9; 4:22; Eph 2:12; John 1:4, 10, 12; 11:25; 14:6.

Section 2 - Even the Old Covenant declared that there is no faith in the gracious God apart from the Mediator

The sacrifices put Israel's hope in the atonement God provided.

Abraham's seed, which was the promise, became Christ

See Gen 17:4; Gal 3:14-16.

A Messiah from David was the hope - 1 Sam 2:10, 35; Ps 2:12; John 5:23; 1 Kings 11:13, 32, 39; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; Ps 78:60, 67-68, 70-71; Ps 28:8-9.

"God cannot without the Mediator be propitious toward the human race."

"Christ was always set before the holy fathers as the end to which they should direct their faith."

The heart steeped in the poison of sin

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 5 - Refuting objections that defend free will

Sections 12-19 - Answers to objections from Scripture

Section 12 - Deuteronomy 30:11ff

"This is commandment is not far off, but it is near you, so that you can do it."

The NT clarifies that this speaks of the Gospel, not just the Law (Rom 10:8).

Just a few verses earlier - Deut 30:6 - he said God has to circumcise us for us to love Him.

Section 13 - God's 'waiting' upon men's action is held to suppose freedom of the will.

"I shall go to My place, unil they lay it upon their hearts to seek My face" - Hosea 5:15.

This doesn't mean we can do good or evil on our own.

Only that God may withdraw His revelation for a time to show our helplessness without His grace.

Section 14 - Are these works then not "our" works?

Isn't it inconsistent to credit sin in us to us and good in us to God?

No, because the Spirit must first restrain our will before we can do any good.

Section 15 - The "works" are ours by God's gift, but God's by His prompting

We actually will the good, but can only do so with His help.

Section 16 - Genesis 4:7

"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Just because God tells Cain he SHOULD  rule over his sin,

doesn't mean that Cain CAN rule over his sin.

Section 17 - Romans 9:16; 1 Cor 3:9

"So it depends not upon him who wills or upon him who runs but upon God who shows mercy" (Rom 9:16).

This doesn't mean we have some contribution in willing or running.

Titus 3:4-5.

"We are God's co-workers" (1 Cor 3:9).

"Not because they bring anything of themselves, but because God uses their work afterhe has rendred them capable of it..."

Section 18 - Ecclesiasticus 15:14-17 - [apocrypha!]

No, we don't reject this author completely.

Yes, at creation we had the power to choose good or evil.

But we lost it through our own fault.

Section 19 - Luke 10:30

Our state is compared to the traveler, "half-dead."

I contest the allegory. Man is wholly dead, spiritually.

Eph 2:5; 5:14; John 5:25.

Conversion not shared by God and man...

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin
Book 2 - God the Redeemer
Chapter 5 - Refuting objections that defend free will

Sections 6-11
Answers to arguments for free will based on interpretation of Scripture

Section 6 - Are God's precepts "the measure of our strength"?
"Either God is mocking us (they say) when He enjoins holiness...
or He requires only what is within our power."
The law does not show our power, but our weakness.
Gal 3:19; Rom 3:20; 7:7-8; 5:20.

Section 7 - The law itself points our way to grace
It shows our need for God's help.

Section 8 - The several kinds of commandments clearly show that without grace we can do nothing
The law calls us to (1) turn to God, (2) obey its commands, and (3) persevere in received grace.
1. When the law calls us to turn to Him, it also shows that God must do this for us (Deut 30:6; Ezek 11:19; 36:26).
2. When the law calls us to obey, it also shows obedience is a gift.
3. When the laws calls us to persevere, it also shows perseverance to be a gift.
Eph 4:30; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Cor 8:16.

Section 9 - The work of conversion is not divided between God and man
The work of conversion is all God's.
Zech 1:3 says "Turn to Me, and I will turn to you."
This means He will favor us as we repent, not that our repentance merits God's favor.
The Spirit "disposes our hearts to obedience" (Jer 31:32-33).

Section 10 - Objection: Biblical promises suppose freedom of will
Examples: Amos 5:14; Isa 1:19-20; Jer 4:1; Deut 28:1; Lev 26:3.
Salvation promises are offered to elect and damned alike.
They "prick the consciences of the impious."
They "entice [believers] to love the precepts."

Section 11 - The reproofs in Scripture, they further object, lose their meaning if the will be not free
Examples: Num 14:43; Jer 7:13-14, 28-29; 19:15
"We are reproached for evils that it was not in our power to escape."
But the fault and guilt lies within man, not God.
1 John 5:18; John 17:15; Eph 6:13; 1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 3:9; 5:4.

But if there's no free will...

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin
Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 5 - Refuting objections that defend free will

Sections 1-5 - Answers to objections on grounds of common sense
Objection 1 - Necessary sin is not sin; voluntary sin is avoidable
Inability to avoid sin is not an excuse, because we only want sin.
Voluntary does not mean "free."

Objection 2 - Reward and punishment lose their meaning
"What difference does it make whether we sin out of free or servile [bound] judgment [will], provided it is by voluntary desire?"
Their objection that our reward crowns God's grace instead of our labor is exactly true; they seem to think it unthinkable!
Read 2 Tim 4:8 in light of Rom 8:30. 1 Cor 4:7, too.

Objection 3 - distinction between good & evil would be obliterated
But man IS all sin, without God's grace - Rom 3:10.
"Only those whom it pleases the Lord to touch with His healing hand will get well. The others, whom He, in His righteous judgment, passes over, waste away in their own rottenness until they are consumed.... For perseverance itself is indeed also a gift of God."

Objection 4 - all exhortation would be meaningless, if our will is not free
But Jesus says it is not free - John 15:5: "apart from Me you can do nothing." And He goes on to rebuke men.
Paul says the will is not free - Rom 9:16. Yet he rebukes the Corinthians - 1 Cor 3:3; 16:14.
1 Cor 3:7; Deut 30:19; Isa 5:24; 24:5; Jer 9:13; 16:11; 44:10; Dan 9:11; Amos 2:4; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4; Ezek 11:19; Jer 31:33; Ezek 36:26.

Section 5 - The meaning of exhortation
When the ungodly reject exhortation, they can't later evade guilt of it, saying God made me do it.
Receiving exhortation in righteousness rests entirely on God's grace.
God works outwardly with the Word; inwardly with the Spirit.
The Word arouses piety in the elect, and renders the damned inexcusable.
John 6:44-45; 2 Cor 2:15-16.

By God's prompting rather than by your freedom

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)
Book 2 - God the Redeemer
Chapter 4 - How God Works in Men's Hearts

Sections 6-8 - God's providence overrules men's wills in external matters

Section 6 - In actions of themslves neither good nor bad, we are not thrown on our own
God is still active in our will - Ex 11:2-3; Gen 43:14Ps 106:46; 1 Sam 17:14; 1 Kings 12:10, 14; Josh 2:9; Deut 28:65.

Section 7 - In each case God's dominion stands above our freedom
Prov 20:12; 21:1
"Your mind is guided by God's prompting rather than by your own freedom to choose."

Section 8 - the question of "free will" does not depend on whether we can accomplish what we will, but whether we can will freely
No one can carry out all they will.
We are free to choose what we want, but not to decide what we will want.

Not only by God's permission

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)
Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 4 - How God Works in Men's Hearts

Sections 1-5 - Man under Satan's control;

God makes use of Satan in hardening hearts


Section 1 - Man stands under the devil's power, willingly
He controls us, and we want it that way, without grace.
2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2.
We are like a horse; either God or Satan will direct us.


Section 2 - God, Satan, and man active in the same event
But they had different purposes, in Job's plundering, e.g. - Job 1:17.
God meant to work patience in Job.
Satan meant to drive him to despair of God.
The Chaldeans meant to rob Job for his stuff.


Section 3 - What does "hardness" mean?
It is more than foreknowledge or permission of a hard heart.
"Sins happen... by His might." Isaiah 6:10; Deut 2:30.


Section 4 - Scriptural examples of how God treats the godless
Job 12:20, 24; Isa 63:17; Ex 7:3-4; 4:21; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8.
Ps 105:25; Isa 5:26; 7:18; Ezek 12:13; 17:20; Jer 50:23; Isa 10:15.

Section 5 - Satan also must serve God
When Satan seeks to work in men, God makes his actions to serve His purposes.
1 Sam 16:14; 18:10; 19:9; 2 Thess 2:10-11.

Strange and Monstrous

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)
Book 2 - God the Redeemer
Chapter 3
Only Damnable Things Come from Man's Corrupt Nature

Sections 6-14 Conversion of the will is of divine grace

Section 9 - Scripture's prayers show our blessedness comes from God alone
1 Kings 8:58; Ps 119:36; 51:10; 86:11; 119:133.
Our hearts are drawn to disobey, and are corrected by God to obey.
Our pride is strange and monstrous.
We can do nothing good without Him.
John 15:4-5; Matt 15:13; Phil 2:13; 1 Cor 12:6.

Section 10 - God doesn't make a possibility we can exhaust,
but an actuality to which we cannot add
God's grace doesn't give us a chance to be good, but makes us good.
Ezek 11:19-20; 36:27; John 6:44-45.
We can't claim to have found righteousness ourselves.

Section 11 - Perseverance is exclusively God's work;
it is neither a reward nor a complement of our individual act
We do not co-operate on our own merit with God's grace;
He begins a work in us, and we continue it.

Section 12 - Man cannot ascribe to himself even one single good work apart from God's grace
1 Cor 15:10 can't be used to say we work as equal partners with grace.
It means God's grace causes our labor.
Bernard: "Draw me, however unwilling, to make me willing;
draw me, slow-footed, to make me run."
Augustine: "Grace anticipates unwilling man that he may will."
Ps 59:10a; Ps 23:6.

Section 13 - Augustine also recognizes no independent activity of the human will
The Holy Spirit graciously moves our will to will the good.

Section 14 - Augustine does not eliminate man's will,
but makes it wholly dependent upon grace
"The human will does not obtain grace by freedom, but obtains freedom by grace."

Bending our hearts to righteousness

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 3

Only Damnable Things Come from Man's Corrupt Nature

Sections 6-14 Conversion of the will is of divine grace

Section 6 - Men's inability to do good in redemption,

which God does quite alone

God must begin the good work of conversion in us - Phil 1:6.

Our hearts can't be bent to do good any more than a stone can be bent.

Ezek 36:26-27. 2 Cor 3:5; Phil 2:13; 1 Cor 12:6.

We may not share the credit with God for our salvation.

Eph 2:5, 10; Ps 100:3.

Section 7 - It is not a case of the believer's co-operation with grace

the will is first actuated through grace

Grace makes the will to good possible, so will gets no credit.

Section 8 - Scripture imputes to God all that is for our benefit

Calvin quotes Augustine because he reads Scripture rightly.

Scripture tells us faith is a gift of God.

Ezek 36:26; Jer 32:39-40; 11:19.

The unvarying corruption of our nature

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 3

Only Damnable Things Come from Man's Corrupt Nature

Sections 1-5

Our corruption requires total renewal of mind and will

Section 1 - the whole man is flesh

John 3:3, 6; Rom 8:6-7.

Our minds need renewal, too. Eph 4:17-18, 22-23.

Whatever we have from nature is fleshly corruption.

We need light, or remain in foolish vanity. Isa 60:2, 19; Ps 61:10.

Section 2 - Romans 3, as witness for man's corruption

This is not limited to the corruption of one generation, but all men.

We are sinful not only by custom, but by nature.

Section 3 - God's grace sometimes restrains where it does not cleanse

Some men seem quite upright, without God.

This is grace, restraining our unbridled lust for corruption as described in Romans 3.

Section 4 - Uprightness is God's gift; but man's nature remains corrupt

The outwardly noble are not as base as the wholly corrupt.

But they didn't cultivate it themselves; God gave it.

A Biblical example of this is Saul - 1 Sam 10:6.

But they still don't intend to glorify God, so remain guilty before God.

Isaiah 11:2; Psalm 111:10.

Section 5 - Man sins of necessity, but without compulsion

To will the good is the beginning of conversion, which is all of grace.

Jer 31:18.

Our corrupt nature drives our evil will; grace drives any good will.

Have to distinguish necessity from compulsion.

If they are the same, God deserves little praise for being good: He has to.

It is not that we have to sin, and thus aren't guilty.

We always want to sin and so ARE guilty.

Nothing is ours but sin

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 2 - Man deprived of freedom of choice

Sections 26-27 - Man's inability to will the good

Section 26 - Natural instinct seeking the good is not freedom of will

Even animals have this instinct, but it isn't free will.

The good is pleasing to us, yet we don't will or work toward it.

Section 27 - Our will cannot long for the good without the Holy Spirit

Romans 7:18-23; 2 Cor 3:5; Gen 8:21; John 8:34; Phil 2:13; Ps 51:10.

Desires that gently tickle the mind

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 2 - Man deprived of freedom of choice

Sections 22-25 - Sin is distinct from ignorance, vs. Plato

Section 22 - The evidence of God's will that man possesses makes him inexcusable but procures for him no right knowledge.

Men know better how to behave properly than they know about God.

Romans 2:14-15.

Without revealed law, we still have our conscience to condemn us.

We do not sin out of ignorance, but knowing it is wrong.

Section 23 - Our judgment of good and evil is unclear

We may condemn sin generally, while still approving our specific sin.

Or we are upset that we continue falling into a sin, knowing it is wrong.

Or we aren't even disturbed by our stubborn persistence in sin.

Section 24 - knowledge wholly fails as regards the 1st 4 commandments

Knowledge is better regarding the last 6, but still fails.

We don't account for our desires, which overwhelm our minds.

Section 25 - Every day we need the Holy Spirit that we may not mistake our way

We don't always sin by evil intent.

We have only evil intent, without the Spirit.

Gen 6:5; 8:21; 1 Cor 3:20; Ps 94:11.

We need help to think rightly.

Psalm 119:10, 12, 18, 19, 26, 33, 34, 64, 68, 73, 124, 125, 135, 169.

Col 1:9-10; Phil 1:9; Ps 51:10.

Without the Spirit, all is darkness in us

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 2 - Man deprived of freedom of choice

Sections 18-21 - Spiritual discernment wholly lost until we are regenerated

Section 18 - the Limits of our understanding

Without grace, we only see the truth about God, our sin, and His salvation, as we see the landscape for an instant when lightning strikes. Then we are blind again.

Section 19 - Man's spiritual blindness shown from John 1:4-5

The darkness that is man has not understood the light.

Also John 1:13; Matt 16:17.

Section 20 - Man's knowledge of God is God's own work

"One cannot become wise in God's mysteries except by His gift."

"Man's mind can become spiritually wise only in so far as God illumines it."

Titus 3:5; Ps 36:9; 1 Cor 12:3; John 3:27; Deut 29:3-4; Jer 24:7; John 6:44; 1 Cor 2:14

Section 21 - Without the light of the Spirit, all is darkness

Positively, the Spirit must illumine our minds.

Eph 1:17-18; Ps 119:18; James 1:17; John 14:26; Acts 1:4.

Ascribe what good is left in us to God's kindness

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 2 - Man deprived of freedom of choice

Section 12-17 - Man's natural gifts not wholly extinguished:

the understanding

Section 12 - Supernatural gifts destroyed, natural gifts corrupted;

enough of reason remains to distinguish man from beast

Our reason is partly corrupted: able to function, but not to complete its search for truth, because of "dullness."

Section 13 - Reason, regarding earthly things

"Some seed of political order, household management, all mechanical ability, and the liberal arts has been implanted in all men."

Section 14 - Understanding as regards art and science

Knowledge of various arts is so universal, without regard to the piety of each, it must be "the peculiar grace of God."

[Common grace]

Section 15 - Science as God's gift

All truth comes from God: rhetoric, medicine, math, etc.

Section 16 - Human competence in art and science from God's Spirit

Exodus 31:2-11; 35:30-35.

The Spirit only dwells in believers (Rom 8:9) but also moves men to excel in science and art for our benefit, too.

Section 17 - Summary

Only God's grace sustains our reason , and makes it excel.

What do you have of your own but sin?

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559)

Book 2 - God the Redeemer

Chapter 2 - Man deprived of freedom of choice

Sections 10-11 - Abandon all self-approval

Section 10 - Free will is always in danger of robbing God of His honor

We are impoverished and unable to do good.

Gen 3:5; Jer 17:5; Ps 147:10-11.

It is Satan who teaches us otherwise - Gen 3:5.

We need God to give strength and goodness.

Isa 40:29-31; Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5; Isa 44:3; 55:1; 60:19.

Section 11 - True humility gives God alone the honor

We have only sin; God alone has righteousness to grant us.

We need not deny natural abilities or skills we have,

but must see ourselves rightly. Gal 6:3; Jas 1:22-25.

What God's grace has not freed will not be free

Calvin's Institutes

Book Two - The Knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ

Chapter Two - Man deprived of freedom of choice & bound in servitude

Sections 4-5 - Free will in the church fathers

Section 4 - They aren't clear, but tend to give men more credit than his will deserves.

Free will is the power to choose good with grace - to choose evil without grace

Section 5 - Different kinds of "will" and of "freedom" in the fathers

We are free from necessity, but not from sin and misery

Section 6 - Operating and co-operating grace?

Scholastics try to insert a cooperating grace, to give some merit to our desire for good - but we have no such desire or merit.

Section 7 - Man is necessarily, but without compulsion, a sinner.

This does not establish free will.

We don't have to choose evil; we just always want to.

Call it freedom if you like!

Section 8 - Augustine's doctrine of "free will"

Our will is overcome by sinful desires.

Without God's grace we are not free - 2 Cor 3.17; John 15:5.

Section 9 - Voices of truth among the church fathers

They spoke variously, but consistently downplayed our will and magnified God's grace.

Free to choose?

Calvin's Institutes

Book Two - The Knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ

Chapter Two - Man deprived of freedom of choice & bound in servitude

Section 1 - Perils of this topic: point of view established

If we have no good in ourselves, we get apathetic about holiness.

If we credit ourselves with any good, we take glory from God.

We must aspire to a good we don't have, to a freedom beyond us.

Sections 2-3 - The philosophers on free will

They trust in the power of reason to control the will over desire.

The will follows either the rational or sensual.

Thus, they assert freedom of will over all. We obtain our own virtue.

Original sin

Calvin's Institutes

Book Two - The Knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ

Chapter 1 - By the Fall of Adam the whole human race was delivered to the curse, and degenerated from its original condition; the doctrine of original sin

Sections 8-11 - Original sin as depravity of nature deserving punishment, but not created by nature

Section 8 - The nature of original sin

A corruption of our nature in all parts of us which God justly may punish, even before this nature brings forth sin - Gal 5:19-21.

We are not guilty for Adam's sin: the offense is our own - Rom 5:12.

This nature is "fertile and fruitful of every evil" and "cannot be idle."

Section 9 - Sin overturns the whole man

Not only our flesh, but our minds are overwhelmed with sin.

Rom 3:1-20; Eph 4:23; Rom 12:2; Rom 8:6-7.

Section 10 - Sin is not our nature, but its derangement

If it were in our nature we could accuse God for making us this way.

Ecc 7:29 - "God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices."

Section 11 - Natural corruption of the nature created by God

It isn't part of our essential being, which God made good.

Yet we are by nature children of wrath - Eph 2:3.

God naturally abhors us in this "natural" state.

Rotten fruit from rotten branches

Calvin's Institutes

Book Two - The Knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ

Chapter 1 - By the Fall of Adam the whole human race was delivered to the curse, and degenerated from its original condition; the doctrine of original sin

Sections 4-7 - Adam's sin entailed loss of man's original endowment and ruin of the whole human race

Section 4 - The history of the Fall shows us what sin is: unfaithfulness

Not just desire for the fruit, but first not believing God's word, assenting to Satan's slander against God, and thus disobeying God's clear test of love. Rom 5:19

Section 5 - The first sin as original sin

Adam cut himself off from union with God, forfeiting life and perverting all things - Rom 8:20, 22. Pelagius tried to say we only imitate Adam, not that we are actually sinful because of Adam. But this was Satan trying to "cover up the disease and thus to render it incurable." Rom 5:12; Ps 51:5; Job 14:4.

Section 6 - Original sin does not rest upon imitation

Adam plunged all his race into his destruction.

Rom 5:12, 17, 19; 1 Cor 15:22; Eph 2:3; John 3:5-6.

Section 7 - The transmission of sin from one generation to another...

...doesn't come "from the substance of the soul or flesh," ultimately.

"Rotten branches come forth from a rotten root."

Though children partially partake of their parents' holiness -1 Cor 7:14,

they were sinful by nature even before that, from conception.

No self-confidence

Calvin's Institutes

Book Two - The Knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ,

First Disclosed to the Fathers under the Law,

and then to us in the Gospel

Chapter 1 - By the Fall of revolt of Adam the whole human race was delivered to the curse, and degenerated from its original condition; the doctrine of original sin

Sections 1-3 - A true knowledge of ourselves destroys self-confidence

Section 1 - Wrong and right knowledge of self

Gen 1:27 - we are made in God's image.

Section 2 - Man by nature inclines to deluded self-admiration

We don't want to believe ourselves inherently sinful.

Section 3 - The two chief problems of self-knowledge

We think we're just fine, compared with our own standard.

But our original design and purpose by God shows us lacking.