WHAT
TULIP IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT
I
am less dogmatic about my Calvinistic beliefs than I used to be. Nonetheless, I
am as devoted to the doctrines of grace as ever. Perhaps, the reason so many
new Calvinists are annoyingly devout to such a doctrine is because it is
wonderful news, not bad news. I used to be someone who saw Calvinism as bad
news until I understood it. Certainly, it is a secondary issue, i.e. not
necessary for salvation; yet, it is a crucial one for people to understand no
matter on which side of the doctrine they stand. My purpose here is to walk
through the five points of Calvinism[1] and discuss each one
regarding what it is and what it is not.
Total
Depravity
What
It Is Not
Total
depravity is not synonymous with a lack of the Holy Spirit’s conviction. I was
recently asked, after a mass shooting, what makes people not commit mass
murders. I answered, “The Holy Spirit.” The person who asked the question then
responded by pointing out the fact that many people (in fact, the majority) are
not Christians but do not commit mass murders; therefore, it could not possibly
be the Holy Spirit so what makes them not commit mass murders? My response
again was, “The Holy Spirit.” Total depravity does not mean that God does not
move among and even guide people including those who are not Christians.
Remember that God used and even commanded the steps of wayward people in
Scripture. We are assured that the Holy Spirit is at work on this earth. Total
depravity, therefore, does not equate to a lack of God here, for he is
everywhere.
What
It Is
Total
depravity is exactly what it sounds like for humanity: the complete and utter
lostness and deadness of humanity. The doctrine of original sin teaches that
Adam’s race, i.e. humanity is infected with the stain of sin and is, therefore,
doomed to eternal punishment. One issue many have with Calvinism is what seems
to be unfair that God would send people to hell; the problem is that humanity
is already going there. Scripture says that we are dead in our trespasses apart
from Christ (Eph 2:1, Eph 2:5, Col 2:13). The issue with humanity is not that
we have sinned; rather, it is that we have never done anything but sin. Firmly
believing a difference in choice and free will, I attest that we certainly make
choices; yet, human choice will always be sin without Christ’s divine
intervention. Total depravity then is the complete and utter evil of every
single person who has ever lived and who will ever live. No one is worse than
another; we are all equally depraved.
Unconditional
Election
What
It Is Not
A
common misconception is that God elects some for heaven and some for hell.
Besides the fact, that heaven is not at all the point of salvation,[2] God does not elect some
for heaven and some for hell; rather, he sovereignly chooses some who are
already doomed for eternity. Unconditional election then has nothing to do with
privilege or what one has or has not done.
What
It Is
Unconditional
election should focus more not on election but rather on the fact that it is
unconditional, i.e. it is not based on anything someone has or has not done.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, which may only
occur at God’s sovereign awakening. If one believes salvation is given because
of a decision made, effectively, a belief of works is at play. Is it not a work
to ask Jesus into your heart? Certainly, I believe many people are saved
through salvation prayers so this is not to dismiss a mode of receiving but
rather to point to Christ’s ultimate will in election. No one knows who is
elect and who is not so we must obey Christ and his call to preach the gospel
to all people. For me, knowing that God’s election is unconditional takes a
great deal of pressure away. I am not responsible for anyone’s salvation; yet,
I am responsible to obey and preach.
Limited
Atonement
What
It Is Not
Limited
atonement is perhaps one of the five points of Calvinism which upsets and
confuses people the most. To clear one misconception, limited atonement does
not mean that God’s atonement is not enough for all or that God cannot save
all, for he certainly can. I do not know a single Calvinist who believes
otherwise. Limited atonement, furthermore, does not mean that some people are
without hope. God desires that all come to repentance and that not one would
perish (2 Pet 3:9).
What
It Is
Limited
atonement, as I once heard John MacArthur say, is the easiest of the five
points to believe. God’s atonement is not limited in scope but certainly is
limited in application, i.e. only the elect receive atonement. The reason
limited atonement should be the easiest point with which to agree is because
only those who receive Christ will receive atonement. It matters not whether
someone is a Calvinist or not, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, etc. but only
whether they have a lordship relationship with Jesus Christ. God’s atonement is
only limited to such people. This is limited atonement. Dr. Robert E. Webber
once said that everyone believes in limited atonement; the question, however,
is who does the limiting. A Calvinist would believe that God does the limiting.
No matter the view, limited atonement sees God’s forgiveness being applied only
to the church and no one else, although forgiveness is offered to all.
Irresistible
Grace
What
It Is Not
What
irresistible grace is not might be the most blatantly obvious of the five
points. Irresistible grace is not a view which excludes human rejection. In
fact, every human is, by nature, an enemy of God (Rom 5:10); we all, therefore,
would perpetually reject Christ without his sovereign awakening.
What
It Is
Irresistible
grace is the biblical concept that no one may ultimately resist the will of God
as much as we think we may (Rom 9:19). Even Pharaoh’s disobedience was guided,
planned, and executed by God to reveal his glory (Exod 14:4). People either
receive or reject Christ; God has a purpose in both: namely so that his glory
may be revealed.
Perseverance
of the Saints
What
It Is Not
Perseverance
of the saints is not a license to sin for those who are elect. In fact, those
who belong to God should find satisfaction in Christ to the point that they
become more like him, i.e. spiritual formation involves a decreasing of desires
of the flesh. Perseverance of the saints is also not a guarantee that life will
be nothing but happiness without troubles. Jesus assures Christians of the
opposite (John 16:33).
What
It Is
Perseverance
of the saints teaches that while troubles in this world and in this life are
guaranteed, God’s sovereign plans and purposes will be accomplished, nothing
will separate God’s people from his love (Rom 8:38-39), and all things
(including death itself) work together for the good of God’s people (Rom 8:28).
Therefore, the church ultimately perseveres, is preserved, and possess a rich
inheritance.
The
Purpose: God’s Glory
When
I was wrestling with Calvinism in college, I was angered because I could not
find anything satisfactory to argue against it. A friend of mine graciously met
with me and had heated discussions with me while I set out to prove Calvinism a
false heresy. In the process, however, I came to believe that against which I
was fighting; I had no argument. What a relief it was to finally realize and
understand that nothing is in my control no matter how much I think it is. I
remember sarcastically asking my friend if we are merely robots at God’s
disposal, a question most Calvinists have been asked. The responses was, “No,
not robots. It is actually worse,” followed by a reading of the following
scripture:
Romans 9:20-23 English
Standard Version (ESV)
20 But who are you, O man, to
answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made
me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay,
to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for
dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his
wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of
wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make
known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared
beforehand for glory—
This passage has been explained by people throughout the centuries
without a satisfactory response. I looked and believe I would have found it if
it existed. My solution then was to accept it as truth and trust God. This is
not a way out of serving God but rather a message of good news for those who
are his, for nothing can take us from his hand. The purpose in any doctrine,
primary or secondary, should be the glory of God alone. Let us, therefore, be
diligent servants to our master and people who preach the exceedingly good news
of Jesus Christ: the message of hope for a hopeless world.
