20 Calvin and Reformed Theology

Reformed theology, whose greatest representative is John Calvin, joined the Lutherans in teaching the three solas of Protestantism. Sola fide (“faith alone”) means we are never justified by works. Sola gratia (“grace alone”) means we never do anything to merit God’s acceptance. And sola scriptura (“scripture alone”) means that no beliefs are necessary to accept unless they are in the Bible. At the center of Calvin’s theology is “adoption,” which means God elects to make some people his children by the grace of Christ. What is new in Calvin’s doctrine of predestination is that believers can and should know they are among the elect, predestined for salvation, so they can be certain even in this life that they are already saved for all eternity.