You have probably heard of “Calvinism” or “the tulip doctrine.” TULIP is an acronym for a doctrine that was taught by John Calvin during the reformation, and continues to be taught in some form by many in the religious world today. As such, it may be useful to take a very quick look at this teaching, and compare it with what scripture says.
T – Total Depravity
Calvinism teaches that because of Adam and Eve's sin in the garden, man has been inclined, totally, toward evil and that man cannot accomplish good. It is often also taught as a doctrine identical to that of original sin: that because Adam sinned, we are all guilty of that sin until the point of salvation.
Yet the Bible Says:
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)
Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.(Ecclesiastes 7:29)
U – Unconditional Election
This doctrine teaches that God chooses which individuals will be saved in advance: that salvation is not based on human merit or action, but rather on God's predestined decisions. In other words, God has chosen and individuals have no say in their salvation.
Yet the Bible Says:
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: (I Peter 1:17)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)
L – Limited Atonement
Limited Atonement is the teaching, based off the previous point, that only those who God has chosen to save can be saved, because it was only for those individuals that God sent Christ to earth to die for.
Yet the Bible Says:
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.(I John 2:2)
I – Irresistible Grace
This teaches that man cannot resist the Holy Spirit.
Yet the Bible Says:
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.(Acts 17:51)
P – Perseverance of the Saints
This doctrine teaches that once a person is in a saved condition, they cannot lose that salvation: there is no way to “fall away.” And, if someone falls away, well, they must not have been saved to begin with.
Yet the Bible Says:
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.(Galatians 5:4)
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (II Peter 3:17)
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12)
Calvinism, the TULIP doctrine, is a false doctrine from start to finish, teaching error. It is something we must be careful not to fall into. It can be easy to think there may be truth in it, as it is taught by so many. But remember, few are those who walk the straight and narrow path! (Matthew 7:14)
2 comments:
It is OK to disagree with Calvinism; but you should quote their views instead of paraphrasing them. For example, Calvinists do not define irresistable grace as the resisting of the Holy Spirit per se; they see it as one's inability to resist their election (which is an act of grace).
Additionally, you are offering verses to rebut Calvinism in a way that boils down to prooftexting. Calvinists could do the same thing, and leave both your positions poorly defined to the uninformed reader.
It is OK to reject TULIP if that is your conviction. But it seems to me the topic is worth greater consideration and diligence.
BEN
I appreciate your comment.
This article in the bulletin was the wrap-up for a series of discussions, in which we went more in depth on each of these points. As those discussions were not in bulletin for sermon form, they have not made an appearance on the blogs.
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