Institutes of Christian religion - Calvin - LII - Chapter 21 of Book 3

Required reading
Institutes of Christian religion by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 21 of Book 3.

My summary
Today Calvin teaches us the doctrine he is famous (infamous) for teaching so powerfully: election.

Calvin gives us a nice summary at the end of the chapter of his understanding of election: 'We say, then, that Scripture clearly proves this much, that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was his pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was his pleasure to doom to destruction. We maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on his free mercy, without any respect to human worth, while those whom he dooms to destruction are excluded from 2211access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time incomprehensible judgment.'

The chapter also deals with some objections to the doctrine and encourages us to understand that election is ultimately beyond our understanding: ' First, then, when they inquire into predestination, let then remember that they are penetrating into the recesses of the divine wisdom, where he who rushes forward securely and confidently, instead of satisfying his curiosity will enter in inextricable labyrinth.'

What grabbed me
Calvin made a great comment about what is at stake in the doctrine of predestination: 'To many this seems a perplexing subject, because they deem it most incongruous that of the great body of mankind some should be predestinated to salvation, and others to destruction. How ceaselessly they entangle themselves will appear as we proceed. We may add, that in the very obscurity which deters them, we may see not only the utility of this doctrine, but also its most pleasant fruits. We shall never feel persuaded as we ought that our salvation flows from the free mercy of God as its fountain, until we are made acquainted with his eternal election, the grace of God being illustrated by the contrast—viz. that he does not adopt all promiscuously to the hope of salvation, but gives to some what he denies to others. It is plain how greatly ignorance of this principle detracts from the glory of God, and impairs true humility.'

Our humility and God's glory are tied up in election.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 22 of Book 3.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.