Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - The Beginning of Justification and Its Continual ProgressSalvation, according to the sources, is understood through a framework of distinct causes, all originating from God and entirely independent of human merit or works. This comprehensive view clarifies how humanity receives the ultimate gift of eternal life.The Efficient Cause of salvation is the boundless mercy of the Heavenly Father and His freely given love. God initiates salvation solely out of His inherent generosity, finding nothing in humanity to compel Him to act. Humans are described as dead in sins, utterly incapable of stirring God to do good for them.The Material Cause is Christ, through His perfect obedience, which acquired righteousness for humanity. Christ's righteousness is presented as the sole perfect righteousness, capable of standing before God and serving as the substance through which redemption is brought about.The Formal or Instrumental Cause is faith. This is the vital means by which Christ's righteousness is applied to individuals. It is emphasized that faith alone purifies hearts and enables reconciliation and justification with God, making it impossible to please God without it.The Final Cause encompasses the proof of divine justice and the praise of God’s goodness and great generosity. The ultimate purpose of salvation is to fully display God's glory and righteousness.Crucially, human works are explicitly excluded from being any of these causes of salvation. Regardless of how outwardly good they may seem, works of unbelievers are deemed unacceptable due to their impure motives and lack of faith, being "surely deserving condemnation." Even the good works of believers, though regenerated, are inherently imperfect, "spotted and corrupted with some impurity of the flesh," and cannot compensate for a single sin. While believers' good works are important as "fruits of their calling" and "testimonies of God dwelling and ruling" within them, they represent sequence more than cause in God's plan. Salvation is entirely by God's grace and mercy, apprehended by faith, with works following as a result, not a contributing factor.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

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