Quote has nothing to do with salvation, which is through Christ alone.
Discussion
Yes, and Calvin's quote has nothing to do with salvation and thus has no importance.
I'll have to study this better. I think we're pointing at the same squirrel disagreeing about his crew cut and wife beater.
Which makes NOSTR the best.
Meanwhile...
We agree that salvation can only be obtained through Christ and that that is enough to be saved, only that, and no amount of works without that will constitute one's salvation.
Where it sounds like we differ is on antinomianism, the belief that once one tells themself they accept Christ they have no reason or need to be reborn to Christ and to live in Christ, struggling to obtain a Christ like example on earth, a process called sanctification.
The big problem is as I see it is that humans regularly lie to themselves and their actions betray the things they've told themselves for mere assurance.
There is a real danger in Christians doing a "one and done" with Christ, and not living like they truly fear God.
If one accepts Christ is God, it logically follows that they will take up their cross and (however poorly) attempt to make their own Christ like example on this earth.
That process, sanctification, is what happens when a Christian orients his life forcefully towards Christ as a result of his beliefs, thus (however poorly) disciplining his wordly example in light of his salvation, becoming soil for God's works.
A tree saved by Christ should start to bear different fruit than a tree that refuses Christ.
The above should worry casual Christians into living like earnest Christians, ensuring they leave a good example behind.
To put it plainly, there are people who attempt to "collect" salvation, proclaiming Christ, and then presume to return wholly to the world unaffected by that process.
To those people, who do not turn a leaf and continue to grow in Christ, rejecting the process of sanctification, I suspect that Matthew 7:21-23 warns about it -
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
To return to the original post, Calvin's wisdom here is important because households living in Christ will attempt to live in a way that pleases God, progressively improving their example on earth even as they will never reach Christ's example.
I agree. I was playing devil's advocate but maybe I should qualify that I'm recognizing that men also are responsible as you well state many times.
If we are saved we immediately change so being filled with Christ makes us change our behavior. If we haven't changed then we are pretending. Plenty of Christians in hell with everyone else because they did not fully believe and this change immediately.
I was baptized in 1981 by immersion. I was 11 and I proceeded to get further and further away from Christ. I had no choice in January this year. I saw everything that was wrong and Christ removed several bad habits as well as I didn't have to intellectualize things any more.
I keep up maintenance by praying, reading and serving daily. It's not my actions that save me. It's my acceptance daily that Christ has saved me. Jesus is fully with me and I know this. Nothing intellectual about it. Being far from perfect I also know that I have to keep in constant contact in order to enjoy his grace.