Introduction: In 1536, John Calvin developed the Calvinism theology. He presented this theology in his Institutes of Christian Religion which later became the reformed theology. At a later time, the acronym TULIP was created in order to easily summarize his teaching. We are not Calvinist, we are Bible Believers.
- Total Depravity– “Man’s will is so corrupt he can’t possibly chose God. A person is lost and totally incapable to seek and choose God”. (Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation, so as a natural man being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.- Westminster Confession). I Corinthians 2:14 “natural man…spiritually discerned”.
- The person’s depravity extends to his will, making him “totally deprived” and that is unscriptural”. We know as Bible Believers that a lost person can do nothing spiritually good that God will accept for salvation. However, a lost person can do what God said to do in His Word, to obtain salvation.
- Man has a choice and free will, as seen in these three passages- Matthew 23:27 “as a hen gatherers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
- Exodus 35:29 here they brought a willing sacrifice, they didn’t have to but they chose to do so. John 3:36 -if you believe, you have everlasting life, if you don’t believe, you don’t. Man has a free will, and is not totally deprived. Man can accept or reject Jesus Christ.
- Unconditional Election– The teaching here is that God chooses some people go to heaven and some people go to hell and that we have no say in the matter. Ephesians 1:4-5. There is not a case in the Bible where God elected anybody until they did something He told them to do. The believer is “elect” or chosen by God as one of his children when that person believes. Election is a salvation doctrine that applies to any believer at the very moment he or she believes in Christ as their Saviour. God has made the decision that he will choose as his children all who choose his Son as Saviour.Vs 4 “According as he (God) hath chosen us in him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world”. God did his electing or choosing before the foundation of the world, but notice where His choice was. It was “in Christ”. God chose us NOT to salvation but to be without blame IF you are in Christ- Romans 8:29 “predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son”. II Timothy 1:9 given to us in Christ before the world began. You were not in Christ until you received him as your savior. Predestinate in Ephesians 1:5 and Romans 8:29 simply means that what God before determined is brought to pass. (If I am predestinated to go to Houston from Kingsville, and you get in the car with me, you’re going too). I Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God”. God knows who will accept and who will reject the Lord Jesus Christ. However, your salvation had to do with you receiving Jesus Christ. II Peter 3:9 God is “not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.” The choice is on the person, free will.
- Limited Atonement– Jesus died only for the elect. Some are elected and others are not. Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins”. (They say for many not all). I Timothy 2:4, 6 “a ransom for all”. Jesus Christ died for all, the whole world according to John 3:16. II Peter 3:9 “not willing that any should perish”. God’s desire is for everyone to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
- Irresistible Grace- When God calls, a person cannot resist the Holy Ghost”. Acts 13:48 “and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed”. They were “ordained”/“elected”, then they believed. Notice “And when the Gentiles HEARD this”. A person must be willing to hear the word of God. If they are not willing, it won’t happen. Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Romans 2:7 a person must seek for eternal life. A person is not automatically called that he can’t resist, it must be sought. Acts 10:4, 22 Cornelious, a centurion was a good person who was looking, but didn’t believed until verse 43-44. Acts 7:51 “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your father did, so do ye”. The Holy Ghost can be resisted, it takes time.
- Perseverance of the Saints- “Once saved always saved”. You cannot loose your salvation. John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that beliveth on me hath everlasting life”. Romans 8:38 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, not life…call be able to separate us from the love of God, which is non Christ Jesus our Lord”. This last point is biblical.
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