Calvinism Examined

John Calvin 1509-1564 Contemporary of Martin Luther during reformation movementRaised in France, but did most of his work in Switzerland.

Calvinism

Calvinism – a system of theology developed by him. “Institutes of Christian Religion.”

Calvinism - TULIP Total Hereditary Depravity

Unconditional Election

Limited Atonement

Irresistible Grace

Perseverance of the Saints

Total Hereditary Depravity "Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of the soul and body… Presbyterian Confession of Faith

Total Hereditary Depravity “…They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.”

Presbyterian Confession of Faith

Total Hereditary Depravity

Summary, God purposed Adam’s sin. Because of his sin, Adam and Eve fell. As descendants of Adam we inherit both his sinful nature and the guilt of his sin.

Total Hereditary Depravity We are NOT born sinners Exodus 32:31-33 Ecclesiastes 7:29Isaiah 59:1-2 – your sins have separated you from your God.Ezekiel 18:20 – the soul that sins shall die

Total Hereditary Depravity Matthew 18:2-3 – unless you are converted and become as little childrenJohn 9:2-3 – neither sinned to cause his blindness1 John 3:4 – whoever commits sins also commits lawlessness…

Unconditional Election

"God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass ..."

Confession of Faith, Presbyterian Church USA, Chapter 111, “Our God’s Eternal Decree”

Unconditional Election "... By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto life, and others foreordained to everlasting death. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished." Confession of Faith, Presbyterian Church USA, Chapter 111, “Our God’s Eternal Decree”

Unconditional Election

Summary, God predetermined (predestined, chose, elected) exactly who would be saved. Man has no choice in the matter.

Unconditional ElectionWhile God DID “elect” “choose” and “predestine” - it is about His plan and NOT specific persons Gen. 2:16,17; Josh 24:15 , Psa. 119:30 – Man has freedom of choiceActs 10:34-35, Rom. 2:11 – God is no respecter of persons

Unconditional Election

1 Tim. 2:3-4, 2 Pet. 3:9 – God desires all men to be saved

Matt. 28:18-20 – Why preach? Why the great commission?

Limited Atonement "The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him."Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap VIII, Section V

Limited Atonement "As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap III, Section VI

Limited Atonement

Summary, because God unconditionally elected who is saved, the sacrifice of Jesus is exclusively for the unconditionally elected.

Limited Atonement Salvation is available to all Mark 16:15 – the great commission John 3:16 – whoever believes in HimJohn 12:32, “I…will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Limited Atonement Romans 5:18 – “through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men…” 1 Timothy 4:10 – Savior of all men, especially those who believe.Heb. 2:9 - He tasted death for everyone 1 John 2:1-2 – the whole world

Irresistible Grace “All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ; …”Westminster Confession of Faith, Art X, Section I

Irresistible Grace “… enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ: yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.”Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap X, Section I

Irresistible Grace

Summary, God draws the unconditionally elected to Him through the Holy Spirit. He moves them to obedience. The chosen has no choice or will in the matter.

Irresistible Grace Titus 2:11 – God’s grace has appeared to all men (yet the majority reject it) John 12:47-48 – man who rejects His word will be judged by that word2 Thess. 2:14, - we are called by the Gospel

Irresistible Grace Acts 16:31, Col. 2:12-13 – belief BEFORE salvation Acts 7:51, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

Perseverance of the Saints They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved Westminster Confession of Faith, Art. XVII, Section I

Perseverance of the Saints This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof. Westminster Confession of Faith, Art. XVII, Section II

Perseverance of the Saints

Summary, those who are predestined and irresistibly drawn by the Holy Spirit are saved and so preserved they cannot sin so as to be lost.

Perseverance of the Saints“We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul. The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul... All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice,… Sam Morris, Baptist preacher, Do a Christian’s sins Damn His Soul?

Perseverance of the Saints“…all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger... The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul... The way I live has nothing whatsoever to do with the salvation of my soul." Sam Morris, Baptist preacher, Do a Christian’s sins Damn His Soul?

Perseverance of the Saints

"If I killed my wife and mother and debauched a thousand women I couldn't go to hell--in fact, I couldn't go to hell if I wanted to." Bill Foster, Baptist preacher, The Weekly Worker, 1959

Perseverance of the Saints John 15:1-2, 6 – unproductive branches taken away 1 Cor. 9:27 – Paul disciplined his body2 Thess. 2:14, - we are called by the Gospel

Perseverance of the Saints

Gal. 5:14 – you have fallen from grace

1 Tim. 4:1 – some would depart from the fait

Heb. 10:26-31

James 5:19

Perseverance of the Saints

2 Peter 2:20-22

2 Peter 3:17

The Fall of Calvinism Calvinism is a system carried to its logical conclusion, if man inherits the sin and depravity of Adam. The tenets are dependent on each otherDisprove ANY tenet and the whole system falls.

We have disproven

all 5 tenets!

Do not follow the doctrines of menFOLLOW GOD!