Final answer:
Paul emphasizes understanding God's initiative in salvation, as taught by John Calvin. Calvin's doctrine of predestination holds that God has predetermined who is saved, not influenced by human action or free will. This belief profoundly influenced the behavior and mentality of believers, particularly among Puritans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Paul really cared that we recognize God's initiative in salvation. This statement captures a core aspect of Christian theology as it pertains to the teachings of John Calvin. Calvin, continuing on from Martin Luther's ideas, articulated the doctrine of predestination, which posits that because God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He has already determined who will receive salvation. Human actions or free will cannot influence this divine decision. This view stems from the recognition of God's sovereignty over all aspects of existence, including the fate of every individual's soul. Calvin observed that not all churchgoers understood or were moved by scripture in the same way, which led him to conclude that some people—the 'elect'—are chosen by God for salvation from the outset, and this cannot be altered by human effort or merit.
This perspective was closely associated with the Puritan work ethic, where success and hard work in life were often interpreted as signs of being among the 'elect.' Although there was no sure way to know one's status before God, this did not stop Puritans from seeking signs of divine favor in their everyday lives. John Calvin's influential teaching on predestination thus had a profound impact on believers' understanding of God's role in salvation and how they lived their lives in adherence to such a belief.