Calvin's Institutes: May 1

John Calvin's Institutes in a Year · May 1, 2026 · 13m

Free forgiveness or earned forgiveness—you can’t have both. In this reading, John Calvin dismantles the idea that confession, priestly absolution, or human “satisfaction” can contribute to the forgiveness of sins. He argues that these systems don’t just add to the Gospel—they distort it, replacing God’s free mercy with human effort and leaving consciences trapped in uncertainty (Isaiah 43:25). Calvin presses the core truth: forgiveness is not a payment but a gift, grounded entirely in Christ, who alone bears sin and secures reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:21). He then drives it deeper—Christ…