The Five Points of Calvinism

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The Five Points of Calvinism

The five points of Calvinism are Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. They are always mentioned in this order, as they are referred to as TULIP, by the first letter of each point. These five points make up the Calvinist view that has been taught for the last five centuries and is still taught today by a large majority of Christian Churches, to at least some degree. These five points have been the foundation of many Church groups for centuries, but Arminianism has begun to triumph over many of Calvin’s teachings, as most Christian Churches have drifted toward more of an Arminian view concerning at least the first four points. But to those who believe in them also believe as Charles Spurgeon said, that they “are the gospel”. I will attempt to show how ridiculous these points are according to the Word of God. The fifth point will be covered in much more detail throughout this book on the subject of “Eternal Security”.

There is always truth in almost every Christian doctrine we hear, but many are covered with a few lies, and scriptures are explained to mean something other than what they are really saying. But I believe that every person must seek God on these issues whether they are true or false, and simply believe what the scriptures say, and not only what men say alone. I have never asked anyone to believe what I say, but to search the scriptures for their selves to see what is true. Many are deceived because they believe what they are told without ever searching for truth in the scriptures and through prayer. But let’s look at the five points of Calvinism and what they mean.

1. Total Depravity
Total Depravity teaches that men and woman are “totally depraved”, and absolutely evil from birth. Every single baby coming into the world is born with an evil heart, totally depraved and completely inclined to wickedness. It teaches that men and women from birth are rotten to the core. A man or woman can do nothing whatsoever good or pleasing to God. It is impossible, for we are born absolutely and altogether sinful. Since we are born so sinfully inclined, we are therefore totally incapable of any good. Even little babies are absolutely sinful. Therefore Calvin believed that even babies who were not predestined to salvation went to hell if they were to die.

As a result of Adam's sin, people are born in a "depraved" state. According to Calvinists, this means that although people may do things that are good, they are unable to submit themselves to the gospel by their own will or choice.
Romans 3:11,12 . . . there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless . . .
John 6:44, 65 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day...And He was saying, For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father."

There is a lot of truth in this statement of Total Depravity. For on our own we cannot be good enough to be saved. And we are certainly born into a sinful state that is evil in nature, which can even be seen in children. But after we are saved we can please God. Many men throughout the Bible pleased God, so why can’t we? If we are living right, and placing our faith in Him, then we can please Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9 “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him:”

The fact that a man is Totally Depraved before salvation does not indicate that he will be so after salvation. With the Calvinist view of Total Depravity no man can choose to live for Christ. Their purpose in this doctrine is supposedly to give all credit to God in the saving work of a man. This would appear to be a good thing, since God is the one who does the saving of men. But, the work of God concerning salvation has been written and declared as a call to all men. Therefore, a man may choose to receive salvation, after that Christ has made the way and draws all men by his Spirit.

Total Depravity is not the reason for the fact that many will not be saved. It is because men’s hearts are hard and they reject the truth, after God has made a way around Total Depravity, that they will not be saved. It is for this cause that men will be eternally judged, since they have rejected the only way of salvation, rejected the drawing of the Spirit, and can therefore be held accountable for their actions. The Calvinist teaching of Total Depravity leaves a man helpless, hopeless, but yet with a great excuse for not receiving Christ; since they couldn’t do it anyway, having not been called to salvation. It also gives excuse to the Christian to continue in sin, remaining totally depraved after salvation. I f man is still totally depraved after salvation, then men have an excuse for sin in their lives. This is convenient for the “sinning Christian”. Total Depravity as taught by Calvinists teaches unjust judgment of the unrighteous. It judges the unrighteous for sins they could not help but to commit, while leaving no hope for salvation; and it gives excuse to those who have received Christ, but continue to sin. Sin and righteousness can take place in our lives by nature, but they are also both by “choice”.

If man could not make the choice to turn his life over to Christ then God would not have issued the call to come to Him and receive forgiveness of sins. Total depravity teaches that no man can choose to be saved; but a man must be called to be one of God’s elect, or salvation is not possible. Although there is some truth in this teaching, Calvinists miss the fact that God has called all men to salvation, not just a select few; and that a man receives a new nature after coming to Christ, no longer being totally depraved.

Most Christians today are far more Arminian in their view of people coming to salvation. Most of today's Christians believe that many unbelievers around them are really hungry for God deep inside. And through this hunger they may be drawn to salvation. Jesus said that they who “hunger and thirst” shall be filled (Matt. 5:6). It is like cooking a BBQ dinner and the aroma carries to where some very hungry people are. If those people are really hungry they will find out where the source is coming from (especially if they feel welcome to partake with us). God has already prepared the way of salvation for all who will hunger and thirst for righteousness. All are welcome! God will draw people if they are simply hungry enough. He is the aroma of life that will draw people that are hungry and searching for the way to fill the void in their lives. As He draws, each individual must make the choice to respond. This understanding is mostly an Arminian view through the teaching of the “free will” of man; but has been received by many Calvinist believing Churches and organizations.

The Holy Spirit will draw all those who have a hunger for Him, even though they don’t know what they are looking for. Most Christians believe that there is a great hunger in the world today amongst many people. Although they are not sure of what they are hungry for, they know that they are empty inside and need to be filled. This is why we have been called to plant seeds in their lives. Then eventually someone else may water those seeds. And then after we have done what we can, God will do the rest, and will save them, set them free, and bring increase to their lives (1 Cor. 3:6). God will draw all men, but only those who hunger for Him will actually be drawn to Him. John 12:32 says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” God does not draw a select few, but all men! The Holy Spirit will draw men, but they will still have to make the decision to repent and receive Christ. It is a hunger for more than what they presently have in life that will cause them to be drawn to Him. Especially if they are around a true Christian that loves God; then they will begin to smell the aroma of God’s goodness. This scripture in John 6:44 is not talking about a hand picked people for salvation. But God will not draw those who have no desire for Him. Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” These are the ones who will be drawn by the Spirit. Some people have to lose everything they have in this life before they will begin to hunger for something other than what they had before. And if their hunger will be directed toward God, they may be filled. Although men are totally depraved in their fallen state, God chose to use Jesus as the means of drawing all men to salvation, not only a few. But the only ones who will be drawn are those who hunger; and they will receive His free gift of salvation, and forsake sin.

Through Gods gift and His ways man cannot claim total depravity as an excuse for not turning their lives over to Christ or for not forsaking sin. The simple choice of receiving or rejecting Jesus is given to men that they may have power over total depravity, with the God given ability to overcome sin and to live a righteous life. The main disagreements between Calvinists and Arminians on the issue of total depravity would be with mans ability to choose salvation and to keep from sinning. But since God draws all men, no man will have an excuse on the Day of Judgment.

A true Calvinist begins and ends his discussion of salvation with God, and God alone! For the true Calvinist, man has no ability to move toward God. He cannot even recognize his own sin. Salvation is something that happens completely as God's work. What man does or is makes no difference at all! Confession, repentance, or going to the altar does not make a difference, unless he is one of God’s elect. It is purely God's work done without man's participation in any way whatsoever. To them, everything that man does or experiences is a result of God’s drawing and His predestination of an individual. Anyone who is not drawn by God is without hope. These are true statements, except for the fact that God does draw all men who will hunger for Him. So therefore no man is without hope, unless he rejects God’s provision for salvation.

If what Calvinists believe is true, then what would be the purpose of the Church? We would not need to lead people to Christ, or even worry about how people live their lives, because we have nothing at all to do with it. But this idea is contrary to scripture. The great commission was to go into the world, preach and teach and make disciples. It would make no sense for us to evangelize the world with the gospel message if nothing we do and nothing the hearers of our message do could lead them to salvation. We would be guilty of leading many to a false hope for salvation, unless we could be sure that God had chosen them. It would be said that those who respond are the ones who are called. But according to scripture the call has gone out to all men, but only some respond. It is important to catch the difference in teachings here. The fact that any man could be saved is a total work of God in the beginning and the end. But since Christ made the way of salvation and has called all men to come; those who choose to answer the call are saved, and those who do not answer the call will not be saved. Those not saved will not be condemned because they were not called or elected to begin with, but because they refused the invitation. And those who are saved will not be saved because of works, but because of God’s provision and drawing in which we are enabled to respond to the call (if we so choose).

Calvinists may attempt to say that the Bible says, “many are called, but few are chosen”. Not only would they be taking this scripture out of context, it also makes no sense to call people to something that you have no intention of allowing them to partake in. This scripture is taken from the parable of the marriage feast (Matt. 22:1-14), where the king called many to come to the feast, but they would not answer the call (the Jews). So the king called anyone he could find that was willing to come (All men). Those who answered the call were not then rejected, unless they came unprepared. So those who are not chosen by God are those who would not answer the call or those who were not prepared (sinful); not people that God just decided He did not want.

While maintaining that God alone does the saving, the majority of the church figures that men and women have a part to play by confessing sins and receiving Christ. To today's average Christian, Christ's death on the cross provided completely for our salvation, but forgiveness is not effective until an individual receives God's forgiveness. In this, most Christians are practicing Arminians. Total depravity disagrees with this kind of theology. But yet many of today’s Calvinists are not real Calvinists in these views, while many others still claim to believe in all five points of Calvinism as Calvin taught.

Since a true Calvinist believes salvation is completely God's work without any partnership of man, he or she approaches evangelism non-aggressively. If any do evangelize aggressively it is because they have drifted towards Arminian views concerning the salvation of man. Calvinism teaches there is nothing whatsoever a person can do to be saved. We can't "receive Christ", enabling a person to become a Christian. To do this would give man a part in salvation. Because Calvinists teach that salvation is of God and “God alone”, to make salvation hinge on an individual's "receiving Christ" makes salvation partially a human endeavor. Therefore a true Calvinist believes that nothing whatsoever that a person does or is contributes anything at all to salvation. Salvation is God's work alone and we play no part in it. But the Bible does not agree with this kind of theology!

There are numerous scriptures that tell us that man certainly does have a part in receiving salvation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” The part of man is to call upon His name, humble himself, seek Him and pray, and to turn from his wicked ways. But according to Calvinists, this is not possible except as a total work of God. But this same call now goes out to all men every, to come to Christ, repent, and receive forgiveness of sins. It is only after man responds to God in such a way that He will hear man, forgive his sins, and begin to provide for him. Someone might say that this is Old Testament. But God has never changed His attitude toward sin, relationship with man, or His call for man to come to Him by his own free will.
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This very strongly suggests that there is an important role for man to play in salvation. Man must call upon the name of the Lord! This will happen after God has drawn him, because man has hungered for Him. In his search for forgiveness, hope, and love, man may call upon the name of the Lord; once he knows the way, and the hope he has in Christ. The preaching of the gospel will reveal this hope to mankind that they might be saved. The scripture does not say “whosoever the Lord Calls”, but rather “whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord”. The Lord has already called all men, but only draws those who hunger and thirst; whereby man may then “call upon the name of the Lord” and be saved. The fact that the Bible says that He called us first, and we did not choose Him, but He chose us, only refers to the fact that God made the way of salvation for all men, calling all to salvation before we even thought about the need of salvation. He also has chosen many to leadership in the Church, such as the disciples who became the Apostles of the first Church. But scripture does not say that some were chosen for salvation and others are simply out of luck. Salvation is for “whosoever shall call”. The responsibility has been given to man to make the decision, whereby he will be judged in the end if he will choose not to receive God’s gift of salvation.

Today's evangelical church is far more Arminian in its approach to evangelism. Most Christians and even prominent Calvinistic churches emphasize our personally receiving Christ as Savior and invite people to "receive Christ" or "make a decision" to become a Christian. Many Calvinist theologians have stuck with their five-points, but most of the ordinary people have drifted from traditional Calvinism toward the Arminian position. The average Christian today might claim to be Calvinist or at least have their roots in Calvinism, but they function as a "practical Arminian" in this area. Not in all doctrine, but in leading people to salvation through Jesus. Total Depravity as Calvin taught is not only hard for most people to receive, but it is also not scriptural or practical.

Arminians agree that left to themselves, people are unable to respond to the gospel. However, God in His grace has enabled all people to respond to His convicting influence.
John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."
John 16:8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment . . . " This is speaking of the Holy Spirit, who has already come and is here now to convict the world. Not just a select few, but whosoever will receive.

Henry C. Thiessen stated, "Since mankind is hopelessly dead in trespasses and sins and can do nothing to obtain salvation, God graciously restores to all men sufficient ability to make a choice in the matter of submission to him. This is the salvation-bringing grace of God that has appeared to all men." (Henry C. Thiessen, Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949], pp. 344-345).

Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” We looked at these verses earlier, but now lets look at them a little closer. In this parable Jesus mentioned that many were called to come to a wedding feast, but they refused to come. So the King (God) sent out the servants (Christians) to bring in sinners to the wedding feast so that His house might be full. Jesus is bringing out that all men, both religious and sinners have been called, but only a few made the decision to come to the wedding feast prepared. It is those who made that choice to come prepared who were chosen of God. Being prepared is the laying down of our pride, our own ways, and submitting ourselves completely to Him; while being clothed in His righteousness, prepared to be in His presence. Through such humility a man may receive Gods grace, as he will go to Him.
The call of God to salvation was not given because of any good that is in man, but because God has extended His grace to sinners like us, and the rest of the world, with an invitation for salvation. Then because we reacted to His call, we were chosen to be part, in Christ. But in this parable the Kings armies (Angels) destroyed those who refused his invitation (Casting the unrighteous into the eternal hell). Not because they were predestined to go to hell, but because they refused the kings invitation. God calls all, but because they refused to answer the call they are not chosen.

In their doctrine of Limited Atonement, Calvinists teach that Christ died only for the elect of God, a limited few. No others have a chance for salvation outside of Gods handpicked few. But in this parable it is evident that the King had first called a limited few (the Jews). But because those few refused His call, He called for whosoever desired to come (All men). Anyone is now welcome, as long as they choose to come. The Jews were the only elect few that God ever had. When grace came, the call for salvation was then extended to all men everywhere.

Another man in this parable had come to the feast, after answering the call, but because he came unprepared he was cast out. It was not because he came to the feast without being called. He had been invited to come with everyone else that was there. But he came with dirty clothing and had not bathed, representing an unwillingness to change his sinful ways. He thought he could enter the kingdom without changing. This was disrespectful to the king, so he was cast out into outer darkness. He was called, but not chosen. He was cast out because he was not chosen (because of sin), but not because he was not called to begin with. Had he come to the feast in white garments, clean and prepared, he also would have been chosen. Those who did not come were also called by God, but not chosen, because they themselves chose not to come to Him after being invited.

Man certainly has a part in coming to Christ! It is because of God’s grace in inviting us all to come, that we have been given a choice in whether or not we will be one of His chosen few. Without that, we are totally depraved! Those who are not saved, and not chosen, will be condemned for their unrighteous lifestyles. Being in sin, they will have no part in salvation, because they refuse to accept Jesus offer and forsake sin. Man is totally depraved, but does not have to remain as such, if he will accept the only one who can make him whole. According to scripture we are made complete in Christ: whereas before salvation we were totally depraved. Colossians 2:10 “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” The Greek word for complete means to be “made full”. Sin had separated man from God, making him incomplete. Christ brought restoration to this broken relationship, making us complete in Him. In Christ, we are no longer totally depraved!
2. Unconditional Election

The Calvinist doctrine of Unconditional Election teaches that long before the beginning of time, God chose who would be saved. He "predestined" them or set their destiny before hand, to be saved and go to heaven. It is through this point that the doctrine of predestination is taught. It is a branch off of the first point (that man is totally depraved).
This teaching says that out of all the people who would ever live, God selected only certain individuals to be saved (Which will link to the next point of Limited Atonement). Some were picked and others were not picked. The chosen ones would be the only ones saved, and no one else. And if you happen to be one of His chosen, there are no conditions attached to salvation. This view comes out of the belief that man is totally depraved and unable to choose God, so God must choose him. True Calvinists believe that God did this election based on nothing whatsoever the individual might do or be in the future. In other words, God did not look down through history and pick those who would later choose Christ. Such a notion would make salvation based somewhat on man's later decision and not fully on “God alone”. Calvinists believe that God chose whom He wanted, based completely on His own criterion. Since God chose only some, those left out are predestined to go to hell. There is nothing at all persons can do to escape hell if they were not chosen by God long ago for salvation.

The elect (those the Calvinists consider to be the ones chosen for salvation), are chosen for salvation no matter what they do. Their election is “unconditional”. So therefore they teach that because there was nothing at all that we could do to receive salvation, there is equally nothing at all that we can do to lose our salvation. And while there are many sects who will not claim Calvinism at all, they still hold to these same roots of the Five Points of Calvinism, which is one reason why I have chosen to call them all Calvinists. To them, Christians are those who were predestined to heaven, while all others are predestined to hell; and nothing at all can change this eternal predestination. The belief that some are predestined to heaven, and that others are predestined to hell is known as double predestination. It is not hard to see how all five points of Calvinism link together. If man is predestined in such a way then the following points would also have to be true, as well as the former point. This is why Wesley had said that the question of whether or not predestination was conditional or not was an important issue. If predestination is “unconditional” as Calvinists have taught, then it would make sense to teach all five points. But if it is “conditional”, then all five points must contain error.

Those who have drifted from Calvinism unto Arminian views have created for themselves the dilemma of mixing points that cannot be mixed and still be accurate with scripture. Unless they are able to work a miracle with the scriptures like Jesus’ turning the water into wine, they will have a problem with contradictions in their doctrines. Calvinists are clearly “wrong” in their interpretation of the Scriptures, whereas those who have drifted away some have even greater contradictions to deal with. Both will be the focus in this book as one and the same, since they all hold strong to the fifth point of Calvinism.

Calvinism says that because of total depravity, salvation is completely dependent on God's choice to bestow it. For his own good reasons, God sovereignly chooses which individuals He will save. "Unconditional" in this case means that there are no conditions that humans must meet, including faith. Faith is a gift of God (Rom. 12:3; Eph. 2:8 ). They will say that if human-generated faith plays a part in salvation, then salvation would not be entirely by grace, but by human effort or works. But we read in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The scriptures give instructions to believers to have faith and to build up the faith that they have. God has certainly placed a responsibility on mankind to have faith. Jude instructed in Jude 20-21 “…building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God…”

Arminians agree that the Bible teaches God's election of the believer to salvation. But this election is not limited to certain chosen individuals, but to all who will receive Him. And it certainly is not unconditional! It is received upon the condition of repentance and receiving Christ, while keeping it is based upon the same faith. God's plan of salvation for mankind was something that He knew He would do before the foundation of the world. And in knowing He would save mankind from their sins, He chose to give His own Son so that all who will receive the gift of salvation may be saved. It was this plan of salvation that was chosen before the foundation of the world, and we are a part of that plan. The plan of God was that men might be "in Him", one of His “elect”, by accepting His offer of salvation. He chose man to be "in Him" long ago, but extends an invitation to all mankind to be "in Him" through his plan of salvation.

Predestination is not an individual predestination as many teach, but of the body of Christ. He calls all men to be part of the body of Christ, which are the elect. They are “elect” because they are “in Him”, which is to be part of the body of Christ. All men may choose to be part of this elect body, thus becoming one of His elect. Elect does not refer to one who was chosen for salvation, but one who has answered the call to come to salvation, therefore becoming one of His chosen.

Although God did know who would get saved and who would not, He did not predestine men as Calvinists define predestination. The fact that scripture says we were chosen for salvation from the beginning is to say that all men who will have faith and receive the gift of God were predestined as a people. This is not individual predestination, but predestination of the body of Christ, the Church. There is no picking and choosing who will be saved and who will not in the scriptures! It is for whosoever will!

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” This scripture does not teach unconditional election, as the Calvinists believe. But the same applies here, that God's plan was chosen long ago, and those who will believe are drawn by God to be a part of that destiny. All men were called from the beginning, and those who answered the call were chosen. Because God knew who would answer the call, Paul could say “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation”. God had predestined His plan for the Church, knowing who would answer the call. But we were not elected unconditionally! All men were chosen for salvation. Every man is the creation of God, whom He loves unconditionally. But every man must have faith and be sanctified by the Spirit in order to be saved.

The Bible concludes that all men are called, in which all men would have the same opportunity to become one of His elect. The elect of God are therefore those who will choose God’s provision, and not those who are predestined without any choice. It is then upon this basis that men will be judged, in that they refuse the call to the salvation that was prepared for them. For them there will be no excuse! The Bible clearly states that, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Romans 10:13

Most Christians today take a far more Arminian approach to "election" as well. They suspect that God has not limited salvation to a "select few" chosen long ago. Most people today believe God has chosen all men and women to be saved, but many reject this offer of salvation and thus exclude themselves from heaven. Many today believe that according to God's foreknowledge, God elected us to salvation. That is, because He knew beforehand who would accept His salvation, He elected those who would later repent and receive Christ. Although this theory is more acceptable than the Calvinist teaching of predestination, it is more likely that “individuals” are not predestined, but only the body of Christ as a whole. The elect of God have always been those who “are” saved, and never those who will be saved. A person becomes “elect” through coming to Christ, by answering the call of salvation that is extended to all men.

When it gets "real practical", such as the funeral for a baby, most folk have a strong belief that God's grace extends to innocent babies. Few Christians today really believe that a dead baby will go to hell because it is not "on God's list". But even God’s foreknowledge of election does not change our call and responsibility to teach and preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. We must plant and water, and God will give the increase to those who hunger for Him. God chooses those who have a heart after Him. A hungry heart is good soil for seeds of the gospel. After one will plant, another may water, and God will give increase.

There always is, and always has been our part and God’s part in coming to salvation. Only because God made it that way! He wants mankind to want Him, love Him, and to choose Him over sin. So therefore, He has given that choice to us to serve Him unto salvation, or to serve sin unto death. God has proclaimed His desire for man to come to Him in Deuteronomy 5:29 “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”

Another popular predestination verse is in Ephesians 1:4,5 "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will . . ." As mentioned, the choosing and predestination is for the Church, which includes those who will respond to the call for salvation. But not unconditionally! We must be holy and blameless before Him! There is no indication here that this predestination is only for a select few rather than for all mankind to come to salvation through answering the call. It is because we are part of God’s great plan of salvation in choosing to answer His call that we are part of His predestination of the Church, so that we can also say “we have been predestined”.

It is like a Christian calling a Church “My Church”. We know that they do not own the Church building. But because they are part of that body of believers who worship in that building, they can call it their Church. And so also, because we are part of the predestination of God’s plan of salvation (the body of Christ) and the building of His Church, we can say as Paul did, that we have been predestined. “Our” predestination is the same as speaking of “our” Church. We are part in both, but have complete ownership of neither. The thing that makes us predestined to salvation is not that we have been chosen for salvation while others were chosen to spend eternity in hell. Every man has been given the right by God to choose his eternal destiny by accepting or rejecting salvation through Christ.

I don’t believe that there are too many Christians who do not believe that God has foreknowledge, and knew us before we were born and even before the foundation of the world. It is a simple truth that the Bible declares. He knew whether or not we would choose to serve Him. This scripture is different from those that say “from” the foundation of the world, which means from that time until the present. But this scripture says “before” the foundation of the world. The one thing that most people misunderstand, is when the scripture says that He had chosen us “in Him” before the foundation of the world. Calvinists will say that this means that God had predestinated only certain people to salvation before the world began. And because it has been predetermined, nothing can change what God has predestined. But if this were true there would be little need for reaching out to the lost to share the gospel so that they may be saved. This scripture is not saying that certain individuals are predestined to be saved while others are predestined to be lost forever. As the previous scriptures, it is saying that God has predestined the Church, salvation by grace, and salvation for all who will receive Him. We are part of that predestination only because we made the choice to receive Him and His gift of salvation, in response to His grace. It is because of this that we are “in Him”.

God had chosen from the beginning that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”, thus being “in Him”, holy and without blame, and therefore predestined unto the adoption of children. In order for God to judge mankind in a righteous way, then every man must have the opportunity to receive salvation in some way. God would not just send people to hell without first giving them a chance to escape judgment. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is, “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

It is God’s will that all men repent and be saved! Of course, if predestination is true as the Calvinists teach, then nothing can change what God has predestinated for their lives, and repentance would do no good for those “predestined” to hell. In this doctrine man has no choice. If a person is predestined to salvation, then it doesn’t matter what happens in life or what we do with our lives, because we cannot change anything in order to change our eternal destiny. The same goes for the sinner that is predestined to hell. They may as well not bother with the gospel because they have no chance anyway, unless they are blessed enough to be one of the chosen of God for predestination to salvation and just don’t realize it.
This kind of doctrine can be very damaging to people. The Christian may become overly secure in their salvation to the point of carelessness, while the struggling Christian may battle with the idea that they may not be predestined to be saved. Maybe they are just predestined to hell and are uselessly trying to serve God. Although it is “whosoever will believe” that has been predestined and not certain chosen individuals, we are as “individuals” presently destined to eternal life because we made the choice to follow Him. But every individual must work out their own salvation or else they risk blowing their destiny. Salvation is worked out through simple faith in Jesus, and all that will follow such faith.

God’s plan of salvation for mankind was something that He knew He would do before the foundation of the world. And in knowing He would save mankind from their sins, He chose to give His own Son so that all who will receive the gift of salvation may be saved. It was this plan of salvation that was chosen before the foundation of the world, and we are a part of that plan. God chose “men” to be “in Him”, but not certain men only. His plan and His will is for all men to be “in Him”. But only a few will choose to be “in Him”. He chose man to be “in Him” long ago, but extends an invitation to all mankind to be “in Him” through His plan of salvation. This is the true grace of God that many Calvinists have misunderstood.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth”. This scripture does not teach unconditional election, as the Calvinists believe. But the same applies here, that God’s plan was chosen long ago, and those who will believe are drawn to be a part of that destiny; All men being chosen to be “in Him”. Many might argue that because these scriptures say that “God has chosen you”, that this is individual predestination by to the word “you”, making it personal. Salvation is personal: predestination is not! It is important to notice how God chose us for salvation.

Before Christ came, only Jews were saved, and gentiles were lost: none having the opportunity to be saved by grace, through faith. In this scripture we can see that God chose us from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in truth. This could not happen until after Christ resurrected. What changed? It was God’s plan of salvation through a new covenant.

A covenant is an agreement between two parties or individual’s, and not something that is done only by one. God did not say who would be saved and who would not by His own choice, but made a covenant with men. If we will agree by choice to partake in this covenant then we can be saved. To say that God has chosen “you” is saying that you have agreed to what He has designed, since He chose “whosoever will come unto Him” to be saved. Also, this choosing is much like the invitations by the king at the marriage feast mentioned earlier. Those chosen are those who will come and be “sanctified by the Spirit and faith in the truth”, as these Thessalonians obviously had done. Being “chosen by God” is therefore conditional, based on our willingness to agree to His terms listed in these scriptures.

A person being saved or unsaved does not prove or disprove their predestination. For we ourselves are not predestined. But we do have the call and opportunity to be a part of God’s predestination of the brethren, the Church. John Calvin and many others have taught double predestination for all mankind.

(John Calvin) "…(God) does not create everyone in the same condition, but ordains eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others." (Alister McGrath, Christian Theology, p. 396)

Calvinists amazingly accuse Arminians of lacking grace and love. But Arminians believe that Gods grace is extended to all men in that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). Such grace did not exist in Calvin’s theology.
1 Peter 2:8 “. . . they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed”. The Calvinist interpretation of this scripture is that God appointed certain people to "doom" and therefore they rejected Christ. But they have it all backwards. It is because people reject Christ that they are appointed to doom. It is important to point out that the specific cause for their stumbling is not “God”, but that "they are disobedient to the word." Peter is not saying that God made them disobey, or that they cannot repent. He is simply saying that God has ordained judgment for those who reject the gospel and refuse to live in obedience to Christ.

Man is appointed unto eternity in the torments of hell because of their own disobedience, not because they were predestined to hell. These in this scripture were appointed unto this doom because of their choice to live in sin, not because God decided to send them to hell for eternity. This does not fit with the numerous scriptures that share God’s love for mankind, His creation. As the scriptures say that, “God is love”. How could “love” send His creation to an eternal hell if they have no chance to choose salvation?

Calvinists find support for double predestination in the following scripture:
Romans 9:16,18,22-24 “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy . . . So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires . . . What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles”.

It is the belief of Calvinists that these scriptures teach "double predestination", which means that God predestines the elect to heaven, and that He predestines the non-elect to hell. But these scriptures only show that God will use whom He wishes to bring glory to Himself. And that if a man rejects salvation and hardens his heart toward God; then God may use his hardness against him, as he did with Pharaoh. In this passage of scripture it says that God “endured with much patience vessels of wrath”, showing that before they were “prepared for destruction” they were first given opportunity to repent, else God would not be able to judge them righteously. These people were not “predestined” for destruction as individuals, but rather all men who rebel against God will be judged according to their evil deeds and spend eternity in hell. Not because God chose them for hell, but because He has declared that all unrighteousness will be judged. Any man who chooses sin over salvation has chosen to be a part of this destruction, the predestination of all evil and sinfulness. Eternal Judgment has been predestined for all the unrighteous!

Then again, Calvinists will turn to Jude 4 “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Calvinists hold that this passage also teaches double-predestination. The New King James Version says the false teachers were “long ago marked out [by God] for . . .condemnation.” The Greek word for ordained in this scripture, used here as “marked out” is prographo (prog-raf'-o); to write previously; figuratively, to announce, prescribe: The phrase used here, "of old ordained" is properly translated "previously written about." For an example of this usage, see Rom. 15:4. Since Jude goes on to cite several recorded examples of the destruction of ungodly persons (vss. 5-18 ), this translation makes more sense. Those mentioned in Jude 4 were not predestined to hell, but it was written long ago that they would come. And because they do live their lives in an ungodly way, they will be condemned because they deny Jesus as Lord. They are ordained for condemnation, not fore-ordained, because of their sinfulness and unwillingness to repent. The judgment of sinfulness is foreordained, not the individual. As Jesus put it, they are condemned already because they do not believe in the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18 ) The individual is not foreordained, but the judgment of all sin is! Because these lived in sin, they were foreordained for judgment. If they would turn from their wicked ways they could have been spared judgment, having sin destroyed under the blood of Christ. Christ’s death on the cross changes everything, having conquered sin and the judgment thereof!

Not all Calvinists believe in double predestination. Instead, they follow Augustine's teaching that God is active only in the salvation of the elect, while He is passive with regard to the non-elect.
John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you."

Some Calvinists view this passage as a proof text for unconditional election, emphasizing the irrelevance of human choice. But this statement was made to the disciples with reference to their apostleship, not to their salvation. This interpretation accords well with the next phrase "that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain . . ." Earlier in John 6:70 “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” They were chosen as disciples, later to be Apostles. Even Judas was chosen! Although he gave into mammon and betrayed Jesus, he was still chosen. If he had not fallen into his lustful passion, he could have continued as an Apostle as well. But instead he betrayed Jesus, fell under great condemnation and hung himself on a tree. Judas was chosen, but he was not saved. There were also many followers of Jesus who believed in him greatly. But they were not called or chosen to be disciples as the twelve were. This “choosing” was for those who would eventually lead the new coming Church into revival, not a choosing for those who would be saved.

Then Calvinists will also turn to Acts 13:48 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
Calvinists hold that this teaches unconditional election.

The Greek word for ordained here in this scripture is tasso (tas'-so); to arrange in an orderly manner. This is not the same as the Greek word for foreordained, proginosko (prog-in-oce'-ko), to know beforehand. In this passage, those who got saved had heard the preaching of the gospel, seen signs and wonders, and had been convinced that God was doing the work. All these things, from the signs and wonders to the preaching of Peter and the Apostles arranged the hearers (their hearts) in an orderly manner, preparing them to receive the truth about Jesus. Because of what they had seen, heard and then received, they were being “orderly arranged” unto eternal life. In other words, their hearts were prepared to receive salvation, and all who received these things then chose also to believe.
Calvinists will hold that ordination came before belief. But ordination to salvation is not predestination, and cannot be drawn from these words at all. These people chose to believe because they were convinced of the truth, which led them to believe in Christ. This is the ordination spoken of here. The convincing of these people came before they could believe. The fact that some are not convinced is not because God has first rejected them; in which they are therefore predestined to hell. This would not fit in with the righteous justice of God. It is only when man can choose to accept or reject truth that God may judge him righteously.

Ephesians 1:11 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

The first thing to take note of here is that Paul said, “We have obtained an inheritance”. It is something that we did not have before, and we had to receive it in order to obtain it. It was then that we were predestined according to God’s purpose. God would not predestinate some to salvation and others to damnation before they have the chance to choose right or wrong. Even those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel message before they died had a conscience that would let them know right from wrong. God will be the judge of their eternal destiny. But He had purposed to establish the Church so that all men could be saved. God predestined the Church so that all could have the opportunity to believe unto salvation, but the individual must make the choice to be a part of that predestination.

God did not program us to do things His way, but commanded us and gave us a free will. Calvin denied free will, as many other Calvinist teachers do as well. It is true that sinners are predestined to hell. For the wages of sin is death. Hell will certainly be full of sinners, as heaven will be full of those who believe unto salvation. It is predestined that all who have faith in Christ will be saved, and all who do not will be damned. But this in no way indicates individual predestination! There is hope for the individual to change their destiny if they will choose to receive God’s way of salvation. Some have said that they serve God because they have no choice. They are bound to their destiny. So do they say that sinners and backsliders are bound to their destiny and have no choice but to go to hell? Some may believe this doctrine, but most do not believe the old Calvinist way any longer. We must choose which “predestination” we will be a part of: the predestination of sinners, or the predestination of saints.

If we agree with Calvin then why preach the gospel, why correction, rebuke, etc.? The doctrine of unconditional election and predestination do not fit God’s character, they do not line up with the rest of the Bible, and they do not make sense logically. To teach that these scriptures teach these doctrines would require us to change or reject the clear teachings of God’s Word. If our election is unconditional, then we do not have to be holy in order to be saved (the result being Eternal security), we do not need to evangelize (since all men are predestined no matter what they do or say), and there is no real need for us to change, overcome, be obedient to God’s commands, etc. (unless we want to get some rewards when we get to heaven); because once we are saved nothing can change our predestination to salvation. This is theological fiction! But yet many believe it and refuse to be moved from their position, no matter what anyone or even what scripture might say. It is a convenient doctrine! They can be saved and have their sin also. Or they can comfort a sinning Christian’s family who have lost backslidden loved ones, or keep from offending many by not preaching the uncompromising truth of the Word of God. This teaching is completely contrary to what God’s Word teaches, as we will soon see in much more depth.

Another very commonly quoted scripture to prove predestination, unconditional election, limited atonement, and Eternal Security is in Romans 8:29-30 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

It is the belief of many that this is saying that those who were to become Christians were predestinated to salvation by God’s foreknowledge. Although there could be some truth in this statement, we must be careful not to eliminate the free will of man when drawing this out of the scriptures. If we say that according to these few scriptures that Christians are predestined to eternal life, then we have no choice but to accept that all others have been predestined to hell. But this is neither the will of God nor what so many other scriptures declare. The explanation for this scripture is the same as for the previous scriptures mentioned. God has predestined the Church and the plan of salvation, but all men must make the choice in order to receive what He has predestined, and be conformed to His image. Although we can say that God certainly has predestined salvation for those who would choose Him, we cannot conclude that others are predestined to hell, else the call would have never been given to whosoever will. Therefore the salvation of men must be based on free will and not on unconditional election and predestination.

If we are predestined to salvation then that would leave us no choice at all, since God has already predetermined that we are going to be saved no matter what. But all throughout the Bible we can read about the call, the answering the call, the following, and even the falling away of many people of God. We can also read many, many warnings concerning our living in obedience to God’s commands, and the judgment that will follow if we choose not to obey. But God could never really judge one who is predestined to salvation, so why give the warnings? This is exactly what Calvinist’s teach, that God will never judge His own people, except concerning rewards. But if this is true, then God has falsely warned His people many times of eternal judgment throughout the Bible. Those who cling to this doctrine can become very careless in their Christian walk, since they can never be judged. I will show many scriptures in many of the following chapters of this danger and the scriptures that warn us of such.

Every man is foreknown by God, since it is God who has created every man. And every man is predestined for salvation. This is the plan and the will of God, since He died for all men. 1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” But every man still has the free will to choose whether or not he will be a part of that predestination or not. If a Christian is predestined before he or she was ever born, but yet he or she must repent and receive Christ in order to be saved, then predestination is based upon the foreknowledge of God of who would receive Him and not upon Gods election before time began on His own criterion. He gives every man the free will to choose. If every man has not been predestined for salvation, then not every man has the same opportunity to receive grace. But every man is predestined for salvation, much like a son of a rich man would be predestined to be an heir of his father’s fortune. But even the son of a rich man can go astray like the prodigal son and lose or waste his inheritance. Men are not predestined for hell, but if they live in sin they will be destined for hell, being part of the predestination of the judgment of sin. We who are presently saved have our inheritance through Christ, having received His free gift, becoming part of the predestined Church of Christ.

God has a destiny for every Christian, and by His foreknowledge He already knows what will happen. God knows who will make the choice to follow Him, remain faithful to the end, and exactly how He will use them. It is because of the pure hearts of Christians and being made righteous by His Holy Spirit that we can be predestined, or part of His predestination of the “righteous”. All men are innocent before birth, and God would not judge man before there is cause to judge. If he did things that way then why not just take us all right now, even those who are not yet born, and judge us all right now. But our destiny is not predetermined without doing according to Gods plan of salvation unto the end.

Predestination is like an invitation to an elite celebration such as the kings wedding feast. All are now called (Predestined) to come to Christ. Although this would seem to only be an invitation, it was an invitation that was predetermined long ago, before the foundation of the world. This invitation was not limited, and it was not unconditional. It was for whosoever would choose to come, and do so according to the righteous standards set before them. Predestination to salvation is God’s will for every man, but it must also be the choice of each man, as he will live in obedience to God’s commands. God will not violate man’s own free will. Every man must choose to live in obedience to God’s commands, or to enter judgment through disobedience. For this cause, many are called, but few are chosen.

3. Limited Atonement
Much of this point was covered under Unconditional Election, because of them being so closely linked together. But unlike previously covered, this point does not only teach that only a select few are called for salvation, but that Christ’s atonement for sin through His death on the cross was for these select few only, and nobody else. Christ died for the purpose of saving only the elect that were predestined for salvation. Calvinists draw this from the passages that say that Christ died "for his people". Since God, by His sovereignty elected some to salvation, he sent Christ to die only for them.

Not all who believe in Eternal security today hold to the point of limited atonement. But this teaching is linked to the points on unconditional election and the perseverance of the saints (Eternal security), because if he died for those who would definitely be saved only, then certainly nothing could possibly change that! Not only have scriptures been misused to prove this point, many scriptures are pulled out of context to prove that salvation cannot be lost. To the Calvinist, if Christ died for only a few, it would then be ridiculous to think that those few could lose their salvation. With this thought in mind Calvinists have misused scriptures such as Romans 8:35-39, teaching that nothing can separate us from salvation. But this is not at all what these scriptures teach, as will be covered in another chapter.

These are the scriptures used to support this doctrine of limited atonement.
Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Calvinist’s have wrongly assumed that this refers to everyone who God has predestined for salvation. But “His people” are the Jews who have always been called God’s people. This scripture is not referring to Christians. Salvation for the gentiles has not been mentioned as of yet. This prophecy was for the people of God, the Jews, and not for gentile sinners that would one day come to salvation. Although we are now God’s people, this scripture has no reference to gentile Christians, but only those under the old covenant. It is not talking about a limited for salvation, but that sins will be removed from those who will become “His people”. The new covenant ends the limitation of the Jews being the only ones that will be “His people”, but opens the door for whosoever shall call upon His name.

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” And He did exactly that when He died on the cross. But Jesus had died for all who would receive Him and become His sheep, and not just those who were already His sheep. We have not all been saved all of our lives. We had to repent and receive forgiveness for our sins. It is then that we became the sheep of Jesus, and not before. Jesus died for sinners so that they may become His sheep through receiving Him. If Limited Atonement were true, then only the Jews could be saved. But grace is, that salvation has been extended to all men, to whosoever will answer the call. Christ did not give His life only for those who were already His sheep, but for all those who would come to salvation and become His sheep.

John 10:26-27 “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” His sheep are those who will first believe. Then they will hear His voice (His call) and follow him. Calvinists would infer that if a person is hard against the gospel or has a hard time overcoming, then they must not be one of Christ’s chosen sheep, since they do not answer His call. This is because they assume that all men have been predestined to even salvation or damnation. But there are many good Christians today who were extremely hard against the gospel before they got saved or even had times in their life that they struggled greatly in order to overcome. Someone had to spent time with them, sharing Christ continuously until they could see the truth clearly.
If Limited Atonement is true then we would have to assume that all those who are Christ’s sheep belonged to Him even before salvation and nothing would hinder them from coming to Him. But this is not the case. We were something else before becoming one of His sheep, and had to be convinced that He is the only way of salvation. Whether we refer to the unsaved as goats, dogs, pigs, or something else, the fact is that we did not belong to Christ. We had to make the choice to follow Him and to become one of His sheep. We were not one of the lucky chosen ones to be His sheep. We simply answered His call, which made us one of His sheep. Because of this we had begun a relationship with Him, whereby He says, “I know them”, and then we naturally followed Him. Christ did not die for those He chose beforehand; but He died for all men, while only those who receive Him have atonement for their sins.

John 15:13-14 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you”. This does not prove that Jesus died only for the elect. This scripture only proves that Jesus laid down his life so that whosoever will receive him may become “His friends”, if they will choose to follow Him. Calvinist’s would believe that Jesus’ friends are the select few that He has chosen, and nobody else. This scripture in no way teaches such a doctrine!

Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” This scripture also proves the same; that Jesus died for those who will receive Him. The only ones who have been purchased are those who have received the provision that Jesus made for them. Sinners do not belong to Christ until they turn from their sinful ways and turn to Jesus. To infer that Christ only died for those in the Church is contrary to other scriptures. Every man has the equal opportunity to receive salvation, but only a few actually respond. But regardless their response, Christ still died for them.

Christ died for the whole human race. Christ's atonement is therefore sufficient for all people, but effective only for those who believe.
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
1 John 2:2 “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
2 Corinthians 5:19 “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation”.

Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
1 Timothy 4:10 “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers”.

Because the Calvinist doctrine of a "limited atonement" teaches that Christ died only for a limited number of people, and that God chose beforehand exactly who would be saved, they must assume that there is no need to "waste" Christ's blood on those not chosen. Why waist time sharing the gospel with those predestined to hell? Christ did not die for all men and woman, but only for the elect, so don’t waist your breath. But these scriptures tell us otherwise. It is very evident that He is the savior of “all men” and died for “the whole world”. All sinful man needs to do is

[Guest]

By the picture above I can see the two on his head and one on the chin the other two must be his ears!

[Guest]

"The fifth point will be covered in much more detail throughout this book on the subject of “Eternal Security”. "

What book?