Calvin's Institutes: February 22

John Calvin's Institutes in a Year · Feb 22, 2026 · 12m

Human reason is not erased by the Fall, but neither is it trustworthy ground for hope, and Calvin presses us to hold both truths without flinching. In these sections, he shows how the human mind still shines in earthly matters—law, art, science, governance—yet collapses when it tries to rise toward God apart from grace. Whatever clarity remains is a gift, unevenly distributed, intentionally humbling, and constantly dependent on the Spirit who gives and withdraws insight at will. The lesson is sobering but freeing: reason is real, valuable, and useful, but it was never meant to be a refuge…