An Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace

[Johnny_B]

“We only use the term “Calvinism” for shortness. That doctrine which is called “Calvinism” did not spring from Calvin; we believe that it sprang form the great founder of all truth. Perhaps Calvin himself derived it mainly from the writings of Augustine. Augustine obtained his views, without doubt, through the Holy Spirit of God, from diligent study of the writings of Paul, and Paul received them from the Holy Ghost and from Jesus Christ, the great founder of the Christian Church. We use the term then, not because we impute an extraordinary importance to Calvin’s having taught these doctrines. We should be just as willing to call them by any other name, if we could find one which would better understood, and which on the whole would be as consistent with fact.​

The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, is the truth that I must preach today, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as pairing off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox’s gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again.” -C. H. Spurgeon

Biblical Calvinism
by

Curt Daniel​

Who rules the universe, God or Man? That is the basic question of theology. The system of theology known as Calvinism answers without any apology or compromise, “God is King.” Virtually all other systems of theology may say they agree, but upon closer scrutiny they place Man on the throne with God, or even depose God completely and enthrone Man.

Perhaps you may have wondered just what this Calvinism is to make such a bold claim. Obviously it is associated with the name of John Calvin, but its theology is much older. It is taught in both testaments of the Bible. Many of the early church fathers taught it, especially the great Augustine. Most of the Protestant Reformers were either Calvinists or in basic agreement with its theology, such as Martin Luther. Then there were the English and American Puritans, such as John Bunyan and Matthew Henry, almost all of whom believed in Calvinism. Later Calvinist preachers and theologians include Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, Martin Lloyd-Jones and James I. Packer. Calvinism has especially thrived in Britain, Holland and America.

Most Protestant denominations that originated in the Reformation are founded on official confessions of faith that are clearly Calvinistic, such as the Westminister Confession (Presbyterianism), the Canons of Dort (Reformed), the Thirty-nine Articles (Episcopalianism), the Baptist Confession of 1689 (Baptists), the Savoy Declaration (Congregationalism) and many others. Historic Lutheranism is very close to Calvinism. So, the theology of Calvinism is quite old and has stood the test of time. It is not a theological fad.

Calvinism is a branch of Evangelical Christianity, holding to all the essentials of the faith, such as the full authority of Scripture and the deity of Christ. Since the time of the Reformation, Arminianism has been its chief rival within Evangelicalism. But while historic Calvinism has been a bulwark against the inroads of Rationalism and Liberalism, Arminianism tends to open the door to Liberal theology. This is because Arminianism weakens the Godness of God and exalts the humanity of Man, while Calvinism emphasizes over and over that God is God and Man is Man.

If one wanted to sum up the distinctives of Calvinism, then he need only learn the meaning of the words “Sovereign Grace.” All Evangelical theologies will agree that salvation is solely by God’s grace, but Calvinism alone says that it is sovereignly given to whomever God chooses to grant it. To fully understand the words, then, one must understand the Calvinist teaching on the sovereignty of God and what we call “the doctrines of grace.” These are usually summed up as the Five Points of Calvinism by the popular acronym TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistable grace, and Perseverance of the saints. But, as we shall see, it all gets back to the question of who rules the universe.

We might add that Calvinism stresses the five great doctrines rediscovered in the Protestant Reformation, namely Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Solo Christo (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the glory). Since we believe that all doctrines must be tested by Scripture (Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:21; Isa. 8:20), you are invited to search the Scriptures and see if Calvinism is indeed the teaching of the Word of God.

The Sovereignty of God

To begin, we must go back to eternity past to when God alone existed. “In the beginning, God”(Gen. 1:1). God has always existed and is self-existent (Rev. 1:8). God is therefore totally independent of everything else. He alone is totally free and self-sufficient. He does not need Man or anything in all Creation (Acts 17:25). He is perfect (Matt 5:48) and is therefore perfectly happy in Himself. God is so far above Man that we cannot even begin to comprehend Him of ourselves (Isa. 57:15). In sum, God is God (Ex.3:14).

Now we know that God created all things (Gen.1:1). But have you ever wondered why God created the universe? What moved Him to do that? Or even more, why does God do what He does? God himself tells us in His Word: : “Our God is in the Heavens. He does whatever He pleases” (Psa. 115:3; cf. Psa. 135:5-6; Job 23:13; Eph. 1:11; Dan.4:35). God does whatever He wants to. This is the mere pleasure of God (Matt. 11:26). God does as He pleases, always as He pleases, only as He pleases.

God willed to create a universe. But before He did the creating, He formed a “plan” (Jer. 49:20; 50:45). Scripture calls this His eternal “purpose” (Rom. 8:28, 9:11, Isa. 46:10-11; Eph. 3:11; Acts 4:28; 2 Tim. 1:9). It is a blueprint for everything, as it were (cf. Luke 14:28-30). It is not merely a wish or a command, but His decree that preprograms everything. He “works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11; cf. Psa. 33:11). Thus, it is absolutely essential to see that God foreordained everything that will come to pass. He predestined everything that will ever happen, down to the smallest detail. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Rom. 11:36).
Moreover, God will never change His mind on this eternal plan. His purpose shall stand forever because God never changes (Jer. 4:28; 23:20; 30:24; 1 Sam. 15:29). Therefore, His purpose shall most certainly come to pass exactly as He planned it. Nothing can prevent it (Psa. 33:11; 148:3; Tit. 1:2; Prov. 19:21; Isa. 14:27; Heb. 6:17; Job 42:1). Neither Man nor demon nor angel can frustrate God’s eternal purpose from being accomplished, for all of their thoughts and actions are included in that purpose. God did not consult with us, not even by foreseeing what we would do or say. He consulted only with Himself within the Trinity (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:34; Isa. 40:13-14). With all this in view, then, we see that there is no such thing as chance, luck or accidents. There are no coincidences; everything has been predestined. Why, God has even determined in advance the flipping of a coin (Prov. 16:33; Jonah 1:7; Acts 1:24-26).

“The Lord God omnipotent reigns” (Rev. 19:6). God is King over everything that is, was or ever shall be (Psa. 93:1; 99:1; 103:19). He is an absolute monarch, yes, the most absolute monarch of all because He is King of Kings (Rev. 19:16). This is what we mean by the sovereignty of God. He has 100% total authority over everything. The universe is not a democracy; it is a kingdom ruled by God. And not only did He predestine all that happens in time, but in time He sovereignly guides all things through providence (Rom. 8:28; 11:36; Eph. 1:11). Lest somebody object that this does not seem right, God reminds us that the universe is His property and He can do whatever He wants to with it (Matt. 20:15). And He does just that– whatever He wants to.

The question then arises, “What is the final purpose for which God does all things?” Though God has not told us all the details of His secret plans (Deut. 29:29), He has granted us the privilege of knowing the bottom line. What is it? The final goal of the whole universe is the glory of God. “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36). He foreordained and created all things to display His glory, and everything will give Him glory and praise at the end of time in eternity future (Prov. 16:4; Psa. 145:10; Phil. 2:11; Rev. 4:11). God is the First Cause and Last End of all things. There is neither chance nor fate. The universe has meaning, and so do we. We exist to give God glory.

This principle of the sovereignty of God must be clearly understood in order to grasp what Calvinism is all about."

Once we have discussed God Sovereignty which is the base of the Doctrines of Grace, we will move on to each one of the letters in T.U.L.I.P. or R.O.S.E.S or P.R.O.O.F. which are all about God's sovereign grace toward sinful man, that without there is no salvation.

 

[Johnny_B]

To understand the Doctrine of Grace we must understand God's sovereign nature, as well as man's nature, which will be the next thread.

 

[wattie]

I am no calvinist.. but I do believe in once saved always saved. The biblical position as far as I have looked into it is that it is 'whosoever believes' in Jesus is delivered eternally.. not predestined to believe or not..

But also that whosoever believes.. can't have their salvation undone. Not my themselves or God.

This is based on Romans 10, John 3:16, 5:24, 10:28.. etc etc..

This is neither calvinism nor arminianism.

Whosover believes... Whosever believes.. WHOSOEVER BELIEVES.

Total depravity-- yes.. but that doesn't mean a person is unable to call out for salvation.. to believe in Jesus as their Saviour.

Irresistable grace-- no--- the Holy Spirit convicting someone of their need for salvation.. that person can say they don't want salvation. God doesn't over ride free will to be saved in the first place.

Perseverance of the Saints-- I think this means that whosoever is saved.. WILL do good works.

It should be-- Preservation of the Saved-- that there will be fruit from someone being saved.. but that if they do slip up being sinners.. they are preserved by God's keeping power.

 

[MattforJesus]

2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

But not everyone that confesses Jesus as Lord shall be saved,for they were workers of iniquity,not understanding that they have to hate sin,not want sin,represent goodness,and be like Christ,for by the Spirit it is possible.

You will know them by their fruits.If they like sin,and live worldly,they are not trying to abstain from sin,and be Christlike,and if they do not correct themselves they will not dwell with Jesus,for they were workers of iniquity.

Many are called but few are chosen.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

But some did not even receive the Spirit when they confessed Jesus as Lord,for they did not have the right perspective of the Christian faith.

 

[Desertsrose]

Do we really need another Calvinism thread? Can't we have some peace for a while in the BDF?

 

[SovereignGrace]

Do we really need another Calvinism thread?

Yes.

Can't we have some peace for a while in the BDF?

No.

 

[Johnny_B]

I am no calvinist.. but I do believe in once saved always saved. The biblical position as far as I have looked into it is that it is 'whosoever believes' in Jesus is delivered eternally.. not predestined to believe or not..

But also that whosoever believes.. can't have their salvation undone. Not my themselves or God.

This is based on Romans 10, John 3:16, 5:24, 10:28.. etc etc..

This is neither calvinism nor arminianism.

Whosover believes... Whosever believes.. WHOSOEVER BELIEVES.

Total depravity-- yes.. but that doesn't mean a person is unable to call out for salvation.. to believe in Jesus as their Saviour.

Irresistable grace-- no--- the Holy Spirit convicting someone of their need for salvation.. that person can say they don't want salvation. God doesn't over ride free will to be saved in the first place.

Perseverance of the Saints-- I think this means that whosoever is saved.. WILL do good works.

It should be-- Preservation of the Saved-- that there will be fruit from someone being saved.. but that if they do slip up being sinners.. they are preserved by God's keeping power.

Brother I have to ask, did you read what was posted or did you just respond to the Doctrines of Grace? Because the OP says nothing of any of the Doctrines of Grace this is simply dealing with the sovereign nature of God and mentioned nothing about that. We are going to get to all of that, as the author stated to understand the Doctrines of Grace we must understand the sovereign nature of God which involves more then Him being a God of love, He is a God go wrath, judgement, holiness as well. Focusing of the love of God and it alone as the base of ones doctrine, is forming god of your own understanding. Here is a quick overview of the Doctrines of Grace with Scriptural reference.
The reality is that the Reformed or Calvinist belief has 10 points, the five solas and the Doctrines of Grace. So if you do not understand the five solas you will not understand the Doctrines of Grace because they glorify God alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone and the Scriptures alone.

Total Depravity. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Proverbs 21:2, 4 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. 3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.”

Matthew 7:11 “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Ephesians 2:3 “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Is man as wicked as he could be, no, can he do good, yes, can man change himself, no, all his good does not please God and man does not seek God. Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.”

II Peter 2:19 “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”

Romans 3:10-12 “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Romans 8:8 “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Unconditional Election. Ephesians 1:4-6 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

He chose us, He predestined us, He loved us, all by the purpose of His will before the foundations of the world and before we do good or evil, all we contribute is our sins, we bring nothing to the table of salvation.

Romans 9:11 “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—” Notice what is said between the dashes, the dashes put an emphasis on what is being said, it’s not us it’s all Him, if you say that God is unjust because He elects some and not other.

Romans 9:20 “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?”

Limited Atonement. John 10:11, 15 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

I John 2:2 “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

I Timothy 4:10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

Christ is the propitiation and ransom for our sins and the world’s sins as well, in His atoning death He died for the sheep, the saints, the elect, whosoever believes however you want to classify them. This is all limited atonement is, it is that the death of Christ in it’s atoning benefits are to those that believe, which are those He called according to the purpose of His will. After viewing total depravity we need grace in our salvation. This is why the Gospel is offered to all creation, because His death paid for the sins of the world, yet in their depravity they do not seek God, they do not understand, seek, non are righteous, we have all gone astray, non do good (pleasing God), no not one.

Irresistible Grace. Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

II Timothy 1:9 “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”

Galatians 1:15-16 “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;”

Jeremiah 31:2-3 “Thus says the Lord: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, 3 the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Psalm 65:4 “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!”

Proverbs 21:1-2 “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Is man a robot, no, man must respond to what God is doing and that response is faith. We need God’s gift of grace to understand, to see the kingdom of God, to be born again or of God, to have faith.

John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I John 5:1 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”

II Peter 1:1 “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”

John 3:27, 6:63, 65 “John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven…6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life…65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Perseverance of the Saints. Psalms 94:14-15 “For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.”

Deuteronomy 33:26-27 ““There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. 27 The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’”

Psalm 37:23-24 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”

John 6:39 “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory…4:30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

In all the Biblical text that is called Calvinism, we see that the Scriptures reveal the truth of God’s nature and His glory in the salvation of man, not Calvin he is but a man. With all these Scriptures we see that the five solas are the base of all salvation, in Christ alone, from Grace alone, by Faith alone, through the Scripture alone, to the Glory of God alone. If ones salvation is not to the glory of God, then his salvation is in vein, because he serves the creature and not the creator, it is a self serving view of Salvation which is an attempt to rob God of His glory, which can not be done, but the heart is deceitfully wicked who can know it, the Lord can. Salvation is a gift from God to sinners. We contribute nothing but our sin to our salvation. Even our response to God in faith is a gift from Him, because we are blind to the kingdom of God and need to be born again to see it, born of Spirit and water to enter it. What is the water? John 6:63 “t is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” The water is the Word of God, that sanctifies and washes. John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” and Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”


Those that say the water is speaking of baptism do not understand the Word of God and His grace, which is not by works of righteousness which baptism is.


Titus 3:-4-7 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”


Peter further tells us that baptism is of the Spirit that saves us not the water baptism. I Peter 3:20-21 “because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”


Corresponds or an anti-type as the NKJV puts it, the baptism of the Spirit corresponds or is an anti-type to the water, that now saves us. I Corinthians 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

 

[Johnny_B]

Do we really need another Calvinism thread? Can't we have some peace for a while in the BDF?

Sis the reason I posted it is because it starts with the sovereignty of God to understand them. The reality is that the 5 solas and God's sovereignty are the bases of the Doctrines of Grace and this OP and the ones to come have Scriptural reference to all the a fore mentioned doctrines, which someone asked for, the Scripture references. For me I realized that this is how I came to understand the Doctrines of Grace is a study on "The Beauty of God's Holiness" while still trying to figure out how that 10 Commandments fit into the Christian walk. Seeing that they are the embodiment of truth and knowledge and that they brought the knowledge of sin, I understood how the Doctrines of Grace fit with God's nature.