According to Calvin, what is the relationship between God's eternity and free will?

The correct answer highlights the theological concept that Calvin emphasizes regarding the nature of God's omniscience and human free will. According to Calvin, God's eternal nature means that He exists outside of time, seeing all events past, present, and future simultaneously. This leads to the implication that human actions are foreseen by God.

In this framework, free will can be understood as an illusion because, while humans may feel they are making choices freely, those choices are already known to God. The idea of omniscience suggests that God's knowledge encompasses all events and actions, which creates a tension with the notion of free will. This perspective aligns with the deterministic aspects of Calvin's theology, where God's sovereignty governs all aspects of existence, including human decisions.

The other options do not accurately capture Calvin’s view. The notion that free will is fully exercised by God misrepresents the complexities of agency and divine control in his theology. Similarly, the idea that God has free will but cannot exercise it contradicts the understanding of God's sovereignty and power. Lastly, suggesting that free will exists only outside of God's influence does not align with Calvin’s concept of divine sovereignty, where God's influence permeates all aspects of existence.