1. <click to start>
Promise to
FINISH

2. Calvinism’s
Tulip Acrostic

3. the Calvinist TULIP acrostic,
In this lesson we present the 5 doctrines of
the Calvinist
TULIP acrostic,
and then examine what the scriptures say about them.

4. Five Points of Calvinism
(via Wikipedia)

5. Calvinist theology is sometimes identified with the five points of Calvinism, also called the doctrines of grace, which are a point-by-point response to the five points of the Arminian Remonstrance (see History of Calvinist-Arminian debate) and which serve as a summation of the judgments rendered by the Synod of Dort in Calvin himself never used such a model and never combated Arminianism directly. The
Wikipedia

6. points therefore function as a summary of the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, but not as a complete summation of Calvin's writings or of the theology of the Reformed churches in general. In English, the points are sometimes referred to by the acronym TULIP (see below), though this puts the points in a different order than the Canons of Dort. The central assertion of these canons is that God is able to
Wikipedia

7. save every person upon whom he has mercy and that his efforts are not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of humans.
Wikipedia

8. Unconditional election Limited atonement Irresistible grace
Total depravity
Unconditional election
Limited atonement
Irresistible grace
Perseverance (preservation) of the saints
TULIP Acrostic

9. Total Depravity

10. The doctrine of total depravity (also called "total inability") asserts that, as a consequence of the fall of humanity into sin, every person born into the world is enslaved to the service of sin. People are not by nature inclined to love God with their whole heart, mind, or strength, but rather all are inclined to serve their own interests over those of their neighbor and to reject the rule of God. Thus, all people by their own faculties are morally unable to choose to follow God and be
Wikipedia

11. saved because they are unwilling to do so out of the necessity of their own natures. (The term "total" in this context refers to sin affecting every part of a person, not that every person is as evil as possible.) Jacob Arminius himself and some of his later followers, such as John Wesley, also affirmed total depravity.
Wikipedia

12. What the Scripture Says

13. What shall we say then. Is the law sin. God forbid
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the command-ment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the com-mandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Romans 7:7-9

14. until his first sin, at which point he died spiritually.
Paul was spiritually alive from birth
until his first sin,
at which point he died spiritually.

15. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3

16. If little children are depraved and lost,
this passage doesn’t make sense.

17. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psalm 51:5

18. David was conceived out of wedlock.
This may explain why his family would exclude him, and why some of his brothers seemed to despise and hate him.
David was conceived
out of wedlock.

19. Unconditional Election

20. The doctrine of unconditional election asserts that God's choice from eternity of those whom he will bring to himself is not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in those people. Rather, it is unconditionally grounded in God's mercy alone. The doctrine of unconditional election is sometimes made to stand for all Reformed doctrine, sometimes even by its adherents, as the chief article of
Wikipedia

21. Reformed Christianity
Reformed Christianity. However, according to the doctrinal statements of these churches, it is not a balanced view to single out this doctrine to stand on its own as representative of all that is taught. Unconditional election, and its corollary in the doctrine of predestination are never properly taught, according to Calvinists, except as an assurance to those who seek forgiveness and salvation through Christ, that their
Wikipedia

22. faith is not in vain, because God is able to bring to completion all whom He intends to save. Nevertheless, non-Calvinists object that these doctrines discourage the world from seeking salvation.
Wikipedia

23. What the Scripture Says

24. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

25. Because they did not receive
not because they were pre-selected to reject it.
Because they did not receive
the love of the truth

26. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:17

27. “Whosoever will,”
whosoever is pre-selected.
NOT

28. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:24,25

29. “Whoever determines” to lose his life… shall find it.
“If any man will…” (θελω απολλυμι) is literally
“Whoever determines”
to lose his life… shall find it.

30. Limited Atonement

31. Also called "particular redemption" or "definite atonement", the doctrine of limited atonement is the teaching that Jesus' substitutionary atonement was definite and certain in its design and accomplishment. The doctrine is driven by the concept of the sovereignty of God in salvation and the Calvinistic understanding of the nature of the atonement. Namely, Calvinists view the atonement as a penal substitution (that is, Jesus was
Wikipedia

32. punished in the place of sinners), and since, Calvinists argue, it would be unjust for God to pay the penalty for some people's sins and then still condemn them for those sins, all those whose sins were atoned for must necessarily be saved. Moreover, since in this scheme God knows precisely who the elect are and since only the elect will be saved, there is no requirement that Christ atone for sins in general, only for those of the elect.
Wikipedia

33. Calvinists do not believe, however, that the atonement is limited in its value or power (in other words, God could have elected everyone and used it to atone for them all), but rather that the atonement is limited in the sense that it is designed for some and not all. Hence, Calvinists hold that the atonement is sufficient for all and efficient for the elect.
Wikipedia

34. What the Scriptures Say

35. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:6

36. a select few.
“Ransom for all”
is not the same as

37. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:14,15

38. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Hebrews 2:9

39. “Every man,”
just a pre-selected few.
NOT

40. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these
2 Peter 1:5-11

41. things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-11

42. “Sure” (βεβαιος) is the same as
“steadfast”
in Hebrews 6:19.

43. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.
“sure” here is ασφαλης: secure
Hebrews 11:19

44. “Sure” election requires
“…if you do these things, you shall never fall!”
“Sure” election requires
diligence,
not pre-selection!

45. Irresistible Grace

46. The doctrine of irresistible grace (also called "efficacious grace") asserts that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and, in God's timing, overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to a saving faith. The doctrine does not hold that every influence of God's Holy Spirit cannot be resisted, but that the Holy Spirit is able to
Wikipedia

47. overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible and effective. Thus, when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved.
Wikipedia

48. What the Scripture Says

49. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

50. are always saved how could anybody be lost?
If God is not willing for anyone to be lost, and all people that God wants saved
are always saved
how could anybody be lost?

51. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:12,13

52. You can’t depart from somewhere you never were,
or from Someone you were never with.
You can’t depart
from somewhere you never were,

53. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
1 Corinthians 9:27

54. failing to subdue his body,
Being rejected here is caused by
failing to subdue his body,
not by pre-”un-election.”

55. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
Hebrews 12:15

56. Avoid “[failing] of the grace of God, by
diligently avoiding bitterness.
among other things

57. Grace
is not just an on/off thing…

58. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

59. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Luke 2:52

60. “Grow” and “increased”
that grace is something you can have a little of or a lot of.
IMPLY

61. Perseverance or Preservation of the Saints

62. Perseverance (or preservation) of the saints is also known as "eternal security." The word saints is used in the Biblical sense to refer to all who are set apart by God, not in the technical sense of one who is exceptionally holy, canonized, or in heaven (see Saint). The doctrine asserts that, since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with
Wikipedia

63. himself will continue in faith until the end
himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or will return. This doctrine is slightly different from the Free Grace or "once saved, always saved" view advocated by some evangelicals in which, despite apostasy or unrepentant and habitual sin, the individual is truly saved if they accepted Christ at any point in the past; in traditional Calvinist teaching,
Wikipedia

64. apostasy by such a person may prove that they were never saved.
Wikipedia

65. What the Scripture Says

66. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Galatians 5:4

67. was written to Christians.
“…ye are fallen from grace”
was written to Christians.
You can’t fall from a place you never were.

68. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Galatians 4:9

69. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6

70. partaking the Holy Ghost can only happen to a saved person.
Calvinists believe that
partaking
the Holy Ghost
can only happen to a saved person.

71. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath
Hebrews 10:26-29

72. counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:26-29

73. being sanctified can only happen to a saved person.
Calvinists believe that
being sanctified
can only happen to a saved person.

74. The End