PLUCKING THE PETALS OF CALVINISM'S "TULIP"


John Calvin was born in 1509 and died in 1564. At the age of 27, he wrote The Institutes of the Christian Religion. This monumental work continues to influence nearly every denomination in the world today, as well as for the new wave of non-denominational churches. Calvin was somewhat of a protégé of Martin Luther, who began the Protestant reformation movement in the early 1500's.

The doctrine commonly known as Calvinism has five major points, which may be remembered by using the word TULIP as an acronym. In the "TULIP" acronym, the following words are represented: T- total depravity; U- unconditional election; L- limited atonement; I-Irresistible grace; P- perseverance of the saints. (All quotes of the Canon of Dordt, Billy Graham, etc. taken from Contending for the Faith, September, 1989, by Tommy J. Hicks)

  1. Total Depravity
    1. Man, since the fall in the garden, has inherited the sin of Adam down through the ages, and, being born with Adamic sin, is totally depraved. That is, man is totally incapable of any good thing, whether in thought or deed. (Canon of Dordt)
      1. Originally a Catholic doctrine--Augustine
      2. Difference b/w Catholicism and Calvinism = baptismal regeneration (Catholicism affirms, Calvinism denies)
    2. Total Depravity is a false doctrine! Little children are innocent = sinless.
      1. Ezekiel 18:20 "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity..."
      2. Matthew 18:2-3; 19:13-15
      3. I John 3:4 "Whosoever sins transgresses the law, for sin is a transgression of the law."
    3. One cannot sin until one can be tempted to choose evil over good
      1. Isaiah 7:16 "Before the child shall know to refuse evil, and choose the good, the land..."
      2. James 1:12-16
      3. I Corinthians 10:13 "There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man..."


  2. Unconditional Election
    1. God has predestined some men to be saved and some to be condemned to hell without regard to man's desires, words or deeds.
      1. These saved ones are known as the elect.
      2. They had no choice whatsoever in being saved, thus the term unconditional election.
      3. (Quote Canon of Dordt)
    2. This doctrine makes God a respecter of persons!
      1. Acts 10:34-35 "God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation that feareth him..."
      2. I Timothy 2:4 (God) "would have all men to be saved and come to a knowledge. . ."
      3. II Peter 3:9 "God is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count. . ."


  3. Limited Atonement
    1. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was only for those predestined to eternal life, thus it was limited in its scope. Hence the term "limited atonement."
    2. (Canon of Dordt)
    3. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ died for all men:
      1. John 3:16-17 "For God did not send His Son to the world to condemn the world. . ."
      2. I Timothy 2:5-6 "There is one God. . . who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified"
      3. Hebrews 2:9 "that he (Jesus) by the grace of God might taste of death for every man."
      4. I John 2:2 "and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for . . ."


  4. Irresistible Grace
    1. Since man is totally depraved from birth and incapable thinking, desiring, or doing any good thing, he cannot even desire to be saved by God. Thus, God must give His grace to man, and as a man is not stronger than God, he is powerless to resist God's grace. (Cf. Acts 7:53; 2 Corinthians 6:1).
    2. Any gift which cannot be refused is no gift at all-- it is coercion!
    3. This is the origin of the false doctrine of salvation by faith only.
      1. Man, as totally depraved, must be made to receive God's grace;
      2. God directly operates on the sinner through divine illumination of the Holy Spirit;
      3. This divine illumination can neither be requested nor refused;
      4. As such, this never fails to bring the individual into a true faith in Jesus Christ.
      5. Some quote John 6:44 in defense, but fail to read verse 45.
    4. The Bible teaches that men are drawn to God through the preaching of the Gospel:
      1. I Corinthians 1:21 "it pleased God thru the foolishness of the message preached. . ."
      2. Day of Pentecost- Acts 2:37 "and when they heard this, they were pricked. . ."
      3. Acts 4:4 "many of them which heard the word believed. . ."
      4. Acts 15:7 Peter- "Men and brethren, ye know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe."
      5. Acts 18:8 "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized."
      6. Acts 26:16 Paul- 'my preaching was the means of opening the eyes of the Gentiles.'
    5. Question: If man could pass sin to his descendants, why couldn't he pass on his righteousness after the irresistable grace of God completely saved him, making him a partaker of the Divine nature, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (II Peter 1:4)?


  5. Perseverance of the Saints
    1. a.k.a. Once saved, always saved; the impossibility of apostasy / falling from grace
    2. Once one is saved by a direct act of God, he is incapable of "undoing" what God has done.
    3. This is a necessary conclusion to the entire process--man had nothing to do with it to start, he can have no part after the fact. (Quote The Five Points of Calvinism)
    4. The Bible teaches that one once saved, can so sin as to be eternally lost:
      1. Matthew 10:22 "He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved."
        1. Judas was present; why admonish the saved to be faithful 'till death if they can't fall?
        2. Was Judas ever saved? If not,
          1. what did Jesus mean in John 17:6, 12?
          2. who gave Judas his powers in the limited commission of Matt. 10:5-8?
          3. what does Acts 1:17 mean? "he was numbered w/us, and obtained a part. . ."
      2. If one, once saved, can never fall:
        1. Why the warnings of false teachers and apostasy given to the saints? Acts 20:28-30
          1. Galatians 5:4 "ye have become estranged from Christ, yewho seek to be justified by the law, ye have fallen from grace."
          2. I Timothy 4:1 "some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits"
          3. II Timothy 2:16-18
        2. What did the Hebrew writer mean in Hebrews 6:4-5
        3. What did Peter mean in II Peter 2:20-22?
        4. What did Jesus mean about removing one's candlestick in Revelation 2:5?
    5. We must continue to walk in the light, and confess our sins as they occur- I John 1:5-10