Calvin's Institutes: February 13

John Calvin's Institutes in a Year · Feb 13, 2026 · 8m

God’s providence does not excuse sin, erase responsibility, or render human action meaningless—it orders all things without becoming the author of evil. In Book 1, Chapter 17, Sections 5–9, Calvin presses this balance with pastoral force, insisting that while God sovereignly governs even wicked acts for righteous ends, guilt remains wholly with the sinner, not with God (Genesis 50:20). Properly understood, providence becomes a source not of fatalism but of clarity: it teaches believers to look beyond chance, to give thanks in prosperity, to exercise patience in suffering, and to resist…