"We do away with coercion and force, because this contradicts
6. "Our will, broken as it is, cannot freely choose God until His grace acts upon it. Even the desire for good is granted by God's grace, not human merit."
7. "Through divine mercy, believers attain to good works they neither desired nor sought on their own. Whatever a man wills or does comes from the Lord."
8. "Augustine's words resonate: 'If our merits are of ourselves, they are evil; for them to be good, they must be gifts from God.' Thus, God crowns His own work in us, recognizing the goodness He Himself has brought to life in our hearts."
These quotes illustrate Calvin's view that God's mercy is entirely unearned and flows from His own goodness, underpinning the very foundation of faith and obedience in the believer's life.
Necessity Vs. Coersion
1. On Voluntary Bondage to Sin "We do away with coercion and force, because this contradicts the nature of will and cannot coexist with it. We deny that choice is free, because through man's innate wickedness it is of necessity driven to what is evil and cannot seek anything but evil."
2. Bondage as Voluntary, Not Forced "For we do not say that man is dragged unwillingly into sinning, but that because his will is corrupt he is held captive under the yoke of sin and therefore of necessity wills in an evil way. For where there is bondage, there is necessity. But it makes a great difference whether the bondage is voluntary or coerced."