--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How can it be said that the weakness of…" description: "\"How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is aided so as to enable it to aspire effectually to the choice of good, when the fact is, that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg" --- # How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is… ![“How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is aided so as to enable it to aspire effectually to the choice of good, when the fact is, that it must be wholly transformed and renewed?” quote by John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg) > “How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is aided so as to enable it to aspire effectually to the choice of good, when the fact is, that it must be wholly transformed and renewed?” [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human will is weak and needs divine aid to choose good; it must be completely transformed and renewed by grace. **In simple terms:** The will is weak, needs God's help, and must be fully changed. Key Takeaway Seek divine transformation for true moral choice. Themes grace will transformation morality Mood reflective hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal moral decisions - spiritual counseling - ethical leadership - life changes Key Concepts theology free will salvation Questions to Reflect On - How can we recognize the need for transformation? - What role does personal effort play after renewal? A Different Perspective Human effort alone cannot achieve true moral renewal without divine intervention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Human will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-will/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [Human will does not by liberty obtain grace, but by grace obtains liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/human-will-does-not-by-liberty-obtain-grace-but-by-grace-obtains/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [They babble and talk absurdly who, in the place of God's providence, substitute bare permission - as if God sat in a watchtower awaiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/they-babble-and-talk-absurdly-who-in-the-place-of-god-s-providence/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/without-doubt-the-most-common-weakness-of-all-human-beings-is-the-2/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [He that can carp in the most eloquent or acute manner at the weakness of the human mind is held by his fellows as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/he-that-can-carp-in-the-most-eloquent-or-acute-manner-at-the-weakness/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Superstition is the weakness of the human mind; it is inherent in that mind; it has always been, and always will be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/superstition-is-the-weakness-of-the-human-mind-it-is-inherent-in-that/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [We hardly know an instance of the strength and weakness of human nature so striking and so grotesque as the character of this haughty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/we-hardly-know-an-instance-of-the-strength-and-weakness-of-human/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The weakness of human reason appears more evidently in those who know it not than in those who know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-weakness-of-human-reason-appears-more-evidently-in-those-who-know/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Being vulnerable, in my opinion, is not a weakness. It's being human. It is allowing yourself to not have all the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-mills-2/being-vulnerable-in-my-opinion-is-not-a-weakness-it-s-being-human-it/) [T. Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-mills-2/) > [“Herein lies the great difference between divine weakness and human weakness, the wounds of Christ and the wounds of man. Two human weaknesses only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/herein-lies-the-great-difference-between-divine-weakness-and-human/) [Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/) > [“Grieving is a weakness-too human, too mired in compassion, and we can't repeat that mistake, can we?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-dos-santos/grieving-is-a-weakness-too-human-too-mired-in-compassion-and-we-can-t/) [Steven dos Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-dos-santos/) > [“Equity bids us be merciful to the weakness of human nature; to think less about the laws than about the man who framed them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/equity-bids-us-be-merciful-to-the-weakness-of-human-nature-to-think/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“How many loves fail because, in an unconscious effort to make our weaknesses more strong, we link with others precisely at those points? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/how-many-loves-fail-because-in-an-unconscious-effort-to-make-our/) [Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/) > [That weakness in human nature which goes by the name of strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/that-weakness-in-human-nature-which-goes-by-the-name-of-strength/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) > [“Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-alexi/without-doubt-the-most-common-weakness-of-all-human-beings-is-the/) Ilya Alexi > [Mutability of temper and inconsistency with ourselves is the greatest weakness of human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/mutability-of-temper-and-inconsistency-with-ourselves-is-the-greatest/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) ## More by John Calvin > [I have never seen either a drop of piety or a grain of truth or ingenuousness - nay, I have never found common sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/i-have-never-seen-either-a-drop-of-piety-or-a-grain-of-truth-or/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [But a most pernicious error widely prevails that Scripture has only so much weight as is conceded to it by the consent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/but-a-most-pernicious-error-widely-prevails-that-scripture-has-only/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [For earthly princes lay aside their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy to be reckoned among the number of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-earthly-princes-lay-aside-their-power-when-they-rise-up-against/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [It is no small honour that God for our sake has so magnificently adorned the world, in order that we may not only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/it-is-no-small-honour-that-god-for-our-sake-has-so-magnificently/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [The word "hope" I take for faith; and indeed hope is nothing else but the constancy of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/the-word-hope-i-take-for-faith-and-indeed-hope-is-nothing-else-but/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [No man can come to God but by an extraordinary revelation of the Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/no-man-can-come-to-god-but-by-an-extraordinary-revelation-of-the/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-nothing-in-afflictions-which-ought-to-disturb-our-joy/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [There cannot be a surer rule, nor a stronger exhortation to the observance of it, than when we are taught that all the endowments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-cannot-be-a-surer-rule-nor-a-stronger-exhortation-to-the/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [The surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/the-surest-source-of-destruction-to-men-is-to-obey-themselves/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [The whole gospel is contained in Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/the-whole-gospel-is-contained-in-christ/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [For Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit, in which, as nothing is omitted that is both necessary and useful to know, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-scripture-is-the-school-of-the-holy-spirit-in-which-as-nothing-is/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [“For earthly princes lay aside their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy to be reckoned among the number of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-earthly-princes-lay-aside-their-power-when-they-rise-up-against-2/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [If a preacher is not first preaching to himself, better that he falls on the steps of the pulpit and breaks his neck than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/if-a-preacher-is-not-first-preaching-to-himself-better-that-he-falls/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Again I ask whence it happened that the fall of Adam involved, without remedy, in eternal death so many nations, together with their infant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/again-i-ask-whence-it-happened-that-the-fall-of-adam-involved-without/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Unless God's Word illumine the way, the whole life of men is wrapped in darkness and mist, so that they cannot but miserably stray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/unless-god-s-word-illumine-the-way-the-whole-life-of-men-is-wrapped/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) [Explore all 520 John Calvin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) ## More Aspire quotes > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [At the end of the day, everyone knows what it is to be loved and to aspire to love someone, to want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/at-the-end-of-the-day-everyone-knows-what-it-is-to-be-loved-and-to/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [We should all aspire in life to do a multitude of things well - to be a great father, to be a good husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-modine/we-should-all-aspire-in-life-to-do-a-multitude-of-things-well-to-be-a/) [Matthew Modine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-modine/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I aspire my country eventually has a league where all players play 50 games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-chhetri/i-aspire-my-country-eventually-has-a-league-where-all-players-play-50/) [Sunil Chhetri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-chhetri/) > [I'm exceptional in everything that I do and I aspire to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omarosa-manigault-newman/i-m-exceptional-in-everything-that-i-do-and-i-aspire-to-do/) [Omarosa Manigault Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omarosa-manigault-newman/) > [One of the reasons you study at great institutions or aspire to work in great corporations is that you hope to acquire the values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/one-of-the-reasons-you-study-at-great-institutions-or-aspire-to-work/) [Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/) > [So if you aspire to be a good conversationali st, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/so-if-you-aspire-to-be-a-good-conversationali-st-be-an-attentive/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [... the majority of colored men do not yet think it worth while that women aspire to higher education… The three R's, a littlemusic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-julia-cooper/the-majority-of-colored-men-do-not-yet-think-it-worth-while-that/) [Anna Julia Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-julia-cooper/) > [For me, there has always been a disconnect with the sort of elitist structure of the high-art world - and my distaste for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shepard-fairey/for-me-there-has-always-been-a-disconnect-with-the-sort-of-elitist/) [Shepard Fairey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shepard-fairey/) > [There is not a right too long denied to which we do not aspire in order to achieve; there is not a wrong too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/there-is-not-a-right-too-long-denied-to-which-we-do-not-aspire-in/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) Browse all 650 Aspire quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is aided so as to enable it to aspire effectually to the choice of good, when the fact is, that it must be wholly transformed and renewed?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Calvin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of-the-human-will-is-aided-so-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aspire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of-the-human-will-is-aided-so-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/john-calvin-490_aspire_how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of_337479.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How can it be said that the weakness of the human will is aided so as to enable it to aspire effectually to…” — John Calvin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Calvin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How can it be said that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of-the-human-will-is-aided-so-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/how-can-it-be-said-that-the-weakness-of-the-human-will-is-aided-so-as/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```