A Study of Calvinism Queen Way church of Christ April 2015

John Calvin Born in Noyon, France in 1509 to a Catholic family. Was gradually influenced by Luther and other Reformation leaders to the point that he became a Reformation leader himself. Luther brought passion and populism to the Reformation, but Calvin brought the theological underpinnings. Wrote “Institutes of the Christian Religion” in 1536 – articulated the tenets of Reformed theology (including what is now called “Calvinism”).

John Calvin He became a leader in Geneva in His govt punished impiety and dissent with execution. In his first five years, 58 were executed and 76 were exiled. He allowed no art but music (non- instrumental). Calvin’s theology inspired the Presbyterian movement in Scotland, the Puritan movement in England and the Reformed Church in the Netherlands. The Westminster Confession of Faith is one historic creed that argues the tenets of Calvinism.

Calvinistic/Reformed Theology Calvinism was a response to the extreme positions of the Catholic Church – a swing of one extreme to another. Didn’t originate with Calvin. Certain early church fathers like Augustine made many of the same arguments. Calvin merely formalized this theology in his “Institutes of the Christian Religion.”

T.U.L.I.P. T – Total Depravity U – Unconditional Election L – Limited Atonement I – Irresistible Grace P – Perseverance of the Saints

Total Depravity – Defined From the Westminster Confession of Faith (Ch. 6): (4) From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. (5) This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be, through Christ, pardoned, and mortified; yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin. (6) Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.

Total Depravity – Defined From the Philadelphia Confession of Faith (AKA 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith): “Ch. 6…(2) Our first parents by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them, whereby death came upon all; all becoming dead in sin, and wholly defiled, in all the faculties, and parts of soul, and body. (3) They being the root, and by God’s appointment, standing in the room, and stead of all mankind, the guilt of their sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, (the servants of sin, the subjects of death and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus sets them free…(4) From this original corruption whereby all are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions [Philadelphia Confession of Faith with Catechism, Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., p. 24 (also known as the London Baptist Confession of Faith)].

Total Depravity – Prooftexts Verses used to justify Total Depravity: – Genesis 6:5 – Psalm 51:5 – Jeremiah 17:9 – Mark 7:21-23 – Romans 3:10-18 – Romans 5:6 – Romans 6:17 – 1 Corinthians 2:14 – Ephesians 2:1, 3

Total Depravity – Responding A difference between total depravity (a state a man can reach) and inherited total depravity, or original sin. – A man can become totally depraved (2 Pet. 2:6; Prov. 1:28- 33; Gen. 6:5). – Some truth to Total Depravity! The question is: are we born in a state of sin, or with a “sin nature” that inhibits our free moral agency? A response to Romans 5: – Notice vs. 12, 14. – If Adam’s sin universally changed the nature of man for the worse, Jesus’ sacrifice universally changed the nature of man for the better (vs ). If not, why not?

Total Depravity – Responding Verses that deny inherited Total Depravity: – Deuteronomy 1:39 – Deuteronomy 30:19 – Joshua 24:15-16 – Ecclesiastes 7:29 – Matthew 18:1-5; 19:14 How does Hebrews 2:17 deny the Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravity?

Total Depravity – Notes Other false doctrines that spring from the doctrine of Total Depravity: – Original Sin – Infant Baptism – Jesus’ Immaculate Conception All of Calvinistic theology rests on the foundation of Total Depravity. If this doctrine falls, the rest of it falls. How so?

The Bridge: Between Total Depravity & Unconditional Election Total Depravity says that all men are so corrupt from birth that they cannot choose to love or serve God on their own. Therefore, God must choose for them. This is the doctrine of Unconditional Election. However, just as God chooses some to be saved, He chooses others to be damned.

Unconditional Election – Defined Westminster Confession of Faith: “God has predestined and foreordained some men and angels to everlasting life out of His free grace and love without any foresight of faith or works in man or perseverance in either of them, and others are foreordained to everlasting death and the number of either is so certain and definite that it cannot be increased or diminished.” (Chap. III, art. 3-5; Chapt X, art. 2)

Unconditional Election – Prooftexts Verses used to justify Unconditional Election: – Acts 4:28 – Acts 13:48 – Romans 8:28-30 – 1 Corinthians 2:7 – Ephesians 1:4-5, 11

Unconditional Election – Responding The Bible teaches predestination: – There is some truth to Predestination. – The question is: what is predestined? The man, or the plan? Is it individual or systemic? God is no respecter of persons: – Acts 10:34-35; Rom. 1:11; 1 Peter 1:17 – How does this deny Unconditional Election? God wills for all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4; 2 Pet. 3:9). Salvation is conditional. – John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; Hebrews 5:9, et al. – Man is not only capable of seeking God (denies Total Depravity), he is expected to do so.

The Bridge: Between Unconditional Election & Limited Atonement Unconditional Election says that God foreordained before the foundation of the world who would be saved and who would be lost. If Jesus died for those who would choose to reject Him, He is not truly sovereign and His blood was wasted. Limited Atonement contends, therefore, that Jesus died only for the elect and not the whole world.

Limited Atonement – Defined From the Canon of Dorts ( ): – “This death of God's Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world" (Section 2, Article 3). – Article 8 of the same section says, “For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son's costly death should work itself out in all his chosen ones, in order that he might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God's will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father.”

Limited Atonement – Defined Westminster Confession of Faith (Ch VIII, Sec. V):"The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him."

Limited Atonement – Prooftexts Matthew 1:21 John 10:14-16, John 15:13 John 17:9 Acts 20:28 Ephesians 5:25

Limited Atonement – Arguments for… “A major problem with unlimited atonement is that is makes redemption merely a potential or hypothetical act…In this view, the sinner’s faith is the determining factor as to whether Christ’s atonement actually accomplishes anything.” – A misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty. – Read John 1:12-13; Acts 2:36-38, et al. “An important aspect of a believer’s assurance is that God is righteous and that He will not nor cannot punish sin twice. Therefore, the sin that is covered by Christ’s blood can never be charged to the sinner’s account. Yet that is what a universal atonement leads to. Christ is punished for the sins of those that are not saved, and then they are also punished in hell for the same sins.” – The mistake here is in assuming that Jesus died for particular sins rather than for sin in general.

Limited Atonement – Responding Christ died for all men: – John 1:29; 1 John 2:1-2 – The verse that best clarifies the atoning work of Jesus’ death is 1 Timothy 4:10. God desires for all to be saved: – 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9 – All are invited: Matt. 11:28; John 3:16; Rev. 22:17 Two final (and important) reminders: – Jesus died for sin in general, not sins in particular. – His death made salvation available, but did not automatically secure it for anyone.

The Bridge: Between Limited Atonement & Irresistible Grace Calvinism denies the free-will of man. None of us can choose on our own to put our trust in Jesus for salvation. We’re too depraved for that. Jesus died only for those whom God predestined for election. But even the elect are unable to lift themselves out of their depravity. To save the elect, God bestows His Spirit and grace upon them in such a way that they cannot resist it. This is the doctrine of Irresistible Grace.

Irresistible Grace - Defined Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch. X, Sec. I: "All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by his word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace."

Irresistible Grace - Defined From Book One of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion: “(There are) those who attribute … a government (to God) which consists in giving an impulse and general movement to the machine of the globe and each of its parts, but does not specially direct the action of every creature. It is impossible, however, to tolerate this error. For, according to its abettors, there is nothing in this providence, which they call universal, to prevent all the creatures from being moved contingently, or to prevent man from turning himself in this direction or in that, according to the mere freedom of his own will.”

Irresistible Grace - Prooftexts John 6:43-45 John 10:16 Acts 16:14 Romans 8:7 Romans 8: Corinthians 12:3

Irresistible Grace - Prooftexts It takes the miraculous intervention of God to change our hearts: – Jer. 13:23; Ezek. 36:26-27; Eph. 2:1 – We do not doubt the following: God can and often does open hearts to salvation. We need God to save us; we cannot save ourselves. – None of this negates that we still must choose to accept and obey the gospel to be saved. Faith and repentance are gifts from God: – Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29 – These things are granted through the gospel – God gives us the tools we need to believe and repent in His word.

Irresistible Grace - Responding Irresistible Grace contradicts the Scriptural principles of free agency (something we have discussed at length in this series). God’s grace can be refused (Matthew 23:37). Irresistible Grace changes the order of belief and salvation. A Calvinist, Loraine Boettner, says, "A man is not saved because he believes in Christ; he believes in Christ because he is saved." (The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination) But in the Bible, salvation always follows belief, i.e., faith always precedes salvation. – John 3:16. Belief then salvation. John 3:16 – Acts 16:31. Belief then salvation. Acts 16:31 – Mark 16:16. Belief, baptism, then salvation. Mark 16:16 – Hebrews11:6. One cannot be saved without faith, thus making it a condition of salvation and causing it to have to precede the salvation of one's soul. Hebrews11:6

The Bridge Between Irresistible Grace & Perseverance of the Saints The previous four doctrines of Calvinism argue that God has predestined only a select few to be saved and has uniquely bestowed upon them the gift of Christ’s blood as well as the Holy Spirit. It follows that those who have been predestined unto salvation and have received the Spirit will be preserved by God for heaven. The elect cannot sin so as to be eternally lost.

Perseverance of the Saints - Defined From the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XVII: – I. They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. – II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof. – III. Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and, for a time, continue therein, whereby they incur God’s, displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.

Perseverance of the Saints - Defined It’s important to note that there is a difference between the doctrine of “Perseverance of the Saints” and the doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved.” – Perseverance of the Saints argues that those who are truly “chosen” will remain faithful. Those who fall away were never saved to begin with. – Once Saved, Always Saved argues that once a person is saved, there is nothing they can do to lose their salvation. Even if they totally abandon their faith, they will be saved. There are many who reject Calvinism but affirm the doctrine of Once Saved, Always Saved.

Perseverance of the Saints - Prooftexts John 6:37-39 John 10:27-30 Romans 8:28-29 Ephesians 1:13-14 Philippians 1:6 1 John 2:19; 3:6

Perseverance of the Saints - Responding If people who are willed by God to be saved are automatically saved (John 6:39), then we must conclude that all are saved (Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9). Salvation is conditioned on our faithfulness: 1 Cor. 15:2; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:5-6; Rev. 2:10, et al Verses: Ezekiel 18; Romans 11:22; 1 Cor. 9:27; Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 6:4-8; James 5:19-20; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Revelation 3:5, et al People who lost their salvation in the N.T.: – Simon (Acts 8:12-13, 18-23) – Hymenaeus & Alexander (1 Timothy 1:18-20)