Yes, it’s complicated. According to Calvinism, God has already decided who is elect. However, this doctrine is compatible with motivations for ethical behavior, in the case of the Protestant work ethic. Quoting Wikipedia:
Since it was impossible to know who was predestined, the notion developed that it might be possible to discern that a person was elect (predestined) by observing their way of life. Hard work and frugality were thought to be two important consequences of being one of the elect. Protestants were thus attracted to these qualities and supposed to strive for reaching them.
This seems like some pretty wonky decision theory (striving for reaching ethical qualities because they’re signs of already being elect). Similar to the smoking lesion problem. Perhaps Calvinists are evidential decision theorists :)
Perhaps evidential non-decision theorists. Fallen man is unable to choose between good and evil, for in his fallen state he will always and inevitably choose evil.
There is no greater mockery than to call a sinner a free man. Show me a convict toiling in the chain gang, and call him a free man if you will; point out to me the galley slave chained to the oar, and smarting under the taskmaster’s lash whenever he pauses to draw breath, and call him a free man if you will; but never call a sinner a free man, even in his will, so long as he is the slave of his own corruptions.
Man is totally depraved:
The fact is, that man is a reeking mass of corruption. His whole soul is by nature so debased and so depraved, that no description which can be given of him even by inspired tongues can fully tell how base and vile a thing he is.
Man is incapable of the slightest urge to do good, unless the Lord extend his divine grace; and then, such good as he may do is done not by him but by the Lord working in him. And then, such outer works may be seen as evidence of inward grace.
Quotes are from the 19th century Calvinist C.M. Spurgeon, here and here. He wrote thousands of sermons, and they’re all like this.
Yes, it’s complicated. According to Calvinism, God has already decided who is elect. However, this doctrine is compatible with motivations for ethical behavior, in the case of the Protestant work ethic. Quoting Wikipedia:
This seems like some pretty wonky decision theory (striving for reaching ethical qualities because they’re signs of already being elect). Similar to the smoking lesion problem. Perhaps Calvinists are evidential decision theorists :)
Perhaps evidential non-decision theorists. Fallen man is unable to choose between good and evil, for in his fallen state he will always and inevitably choose evil.
Man is totally depraved:
Man is incapable of the slightest urge to do good, unless the Lord extend his divine grace; and then, such good as he may do is done not by him but by the Lord working in him. And then, such outer works may be seen as evidence of inward grace.
Quotes are from the 19th century Calvinist C.M. Spurgeon, here and here. He wrote thousands of sermons, and they’re all like this.