Calling upon God

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Found this on monergism .com​

No Man is Excluded From Calling Upon God​

"Therefore, forasmuch as no man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men; neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief" - John Calvin, Commentary of the Acts of the apostles 2:21

Those in the reformed community have always believed that the outward call of the gospel goes out to all people who hear without exception, but sadly they all resist this outward call, not because God coerces them, but because of their own stubborn unbelief. So the gates are open for all who want to come in but apart from the Holy Spirit, no one does. We declare to the world, "trust in Jesus Christ and you will be saved." But men love darkness and hate the light and will not come into the light (John 3:19-20). Man is stiff necked and will not come yet amazingly God IS STILL merciful. Through the call of the gospel He extends mercy to more ill-deserving sinners than any man can count in spite of themselves. If he left us to our own so called "free will" then no one would be saved since we all willfully run the other way... left to our own devices, we would all be hopelessly lost. Jesus declared, "the Spirit quickens, the flesh counts for nothing...that is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me grants it." John 6:63, 65.
Calvin himself said the following
"...we allow that man has choice and that it is self-determined, so that if he does anything evil, it should be imputed to him and to his own voluntary choosing. We do away with coercion and force, because this contradicts the nature of the 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. And from this it is possible to deduce what a great difference there is between necessity and coercion. 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 will 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. We locate the necessity to sin precisely in corruption of the will, from which follows that it is self-determined." - John Calvin from Bondage and Liberation of the Will, pg. 69-70

"... we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Cor 1:23-24

 

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Many are critical of Calvin , but have not read him too much

 

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As stated above many have not read much of Calvin. yet they all have things to say about him. Whatever he did ,good or bad, he did before God in His time. God is his judge as far as his soul and actions. What did he teach?
here is some writing on The Christian life thanks to monergism .com;
I will edit some of it to shorten the article as many are not used to reading more than a sentence or two

1. We have previously acknowledged that the purpose of regeneration is to harmonize the lives of believers with the righteousness of God, solidifying their status as adopted sons and daughters. While the law encompasses the new life within us, restoring the divine image, our inherent sluggishness often requires assistance and motivation.
Thus, it is beneficial to gather from Scripture a genuine understanding of this transformation so that those who sincerely yearn for repentance do not veer off course in their zeal.
Furthermore, I am well aware that attempting to describe the Christian life leads me into a vast and expansive realm, one that, when fully explored, could fill countless volumes.

 

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Just as philosophers offer definitions of rectitude and integrity, from which they derive specific duties and an array of virtues, so too Scripture is not devoid of order. In fact, it presents a most exquisite arrangement, far surpassing that of philosophers in its certainty. The only distinction lies in the fact that philosophers, driven by ambition, consistently pursue a pristine clarity of arrangement to showcase their genius. On the other hand, the Spirit of God, teaching without
pretense, does not always adhere to a strict structure. Yet, on occasions when the Spirit does employ such order, it is evident that it ought not to be disregarded.


2. The sacred Scriptures, which we now contemplate, are divinely fashioned to fulfill two noble purposes. Firstly, they aim to infuse and implant within our hearts a profound love for righteousness, a disposition that does not come naturally to us. Secondly, they serve as a guiding light, preventing us from straying off the path of righteousness while we earnestly pursue it. Indeed, the Scriptures abound with marvelous methods of promoting righteousness, and throughout this work, we have already explored many of them. Let us briefly revisit some of these treasures.

 

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What better foundation can be laid than the reminder that we are called to holiness because our God is holy? When we were scattered like wayward sheep, lost in the labyrinth of this world, He graciously gathered us back into His loving fold. Therefore, whenever our union with God is mentioned, let us remember that holiness must be the
binding force. It is not by the merit of our own holiness that we attain communion with Him; rather, we must first cleave to Him, allowing His holiness to permeate our being as we obediently follow His call. Yet, it is of utmost importance for His glory that He has no fellowship with wickedness and impurity.

Thus, He proclaims to us that this is the very purpose of our divine calling—a purpose that we should continually hold in reverence if we truly wish to respond to God's call. For what purpose were we rescued from the darkness and
defilement of the world in which we were once submerged, if we persist in indulging in them throughout our lives?

 

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Furthermore, we are reminded that if we desire to be recognized as the Lord's chosen people, we must dwell in the holy city of Jerusalem, a city consecrated to His name. It would be impious for its inhabitants to defile its sacred precincts with impurity. Therefore, the psalmist's words resound with wisdom and truth: "Who shall abide in your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in your holy hill? He who walks uprightly and works righteousness" (Psalm 15:1-2; Psalm 24:3-4). Surely, the sanctuary in which our God resides should never resemble an unclean stable; instead, it ought to reflect the splendor of purity and righteousness.

Since He has engrafted us into His body, we, as His cherished members, should vigilantly guard against any stain or contamination. Since our glorious Head ascended to heaven, it is fitting for us to detach our affections from earthly
matters and, with our entire being, aspire to the heavenly realm.