Weekend Quote: Predestination and Holiness

From _The Institutes of the Christian Religion _by John Calvin (Book 3, 23:12):

Another argument which they employ to overthrow predestination is that if it stand, all care and study of well doing must cease. For what man can hear (say they) that life and death are fixed by an eternal and immutable decree of God, without immediately concluding that it is of no consequence how he acts, since no work of his can either hinder or further the predestination of God?”
Calvin then responded to this charge of predestination leading to inactivity.  How?  He reminded those opposed to it what the predestinated are predestined to do!  He quoted from Ephesians 1:4, where Paul states believers are elected "that we should be holy, and without blame before him.”  Calvin then followed with this statement.
If the end of election is holiness of life, it ought to arouse and stimulate us strenuously to aspire to it, instead of serving as a pretext for sloth.