The Doctrines of Grace

The Doctrines of Grace

The Doctrines of Grace, also known as The Five Points of Calvinism, or simply the acronym T.U.L.I.P., are what many people consider to be the basis of Calvinism, or Reformed Theology. And while it is true that Reformed Theology does contain these doctrines, there is so much more to it than just T.U.L.I.P. But for the purposes of this article, we are only concerned with those five particular doctrines.
Many people have an profound hatred of these five doctrines, primarily because they hate "Calvinism." Such hatred is actually quite irrational since all five of these doctrines are clearly taught in Scripture, as we will soon see.
The five doctrines, which we will examine here, are, 1 Total Depravity (or Total Inability), 2. Unconditional Election, 3. Limited Atonement (or Particular Redemption), 4. Irresistible Grace, 5. Perseverance/Preservation of the Saints.

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Total Depravity / Total Inability

Total Depravity does not mean that all human beings are as wicked as they can possibly be. It also does not mean that human beings are incapable of doing something good. It means that the fall was so serious that it affects the whole person. It means that everything we say, think, and do is tainted with sin and so we are incapable of producing one completely pure, wholesome, and good thing that will be acceptable to God. Nothing coming from us will ever meet God’s standard of goodness. This is the result of original sin, the sin of Adam. Although there are some who contend that original sin was covered at the cross for all of mankind, the simple fact that everything degrades, decays, and dies is proof positive that original sin is still inherent in everything. Scripture reiterates this over and over again.

Genesis 6:5
Psalm 14:2-3
Psalm 51:5,10
Psalm 58:3
Isaiah 48:8
Isaiah 64:6
Isaiah 65:12
Jeremiah 12:23
Jeremiah 13:23
Jeremiah 17:9
Mark 7:21-23
John 8:31-38

John 14:17
John 15:5
Romans 1:18-21
Romans 3:9-18, 23-24
Romans 5:6,14-19
Romans 6:16-20
Romans 7:14-19
Romans 8:7-8
Ephesians 2:1-6
Colossians 2:13-14
Titus 1:15
1 John 1:8

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Unconditional Election

Unconditional Election is the decision God freely makes, based on His own sovereign will, for His glory and for no other reason, to save us from eternal damnation in hell, which is what our sin demands. It is not based on anything we do, or are able to do, or will do at some point in the future. God does not “look down the corridor of time and see that we will accept the gospel” and thus based on our future decision choose to elect us to salvation. Our election to salvation is completely unmerited, and was determined by God before the foundation of the world.

Exodus 6:7
Deuteronomy 7:6
Deuteronomy 10:14-15
Psalms 65:4
Isaiah 43:10-11, 20-21
Malachi 3:16-18
Matthew 22:14
John 6:37-40
John 10:14-16,26-29
John 10:26-29, cf John 6:37-40
John 17:1-3,9,24
John 15:16
Acts 2:38-39
Acts 13:48
Romans 8:29-30, 33-34
Romans 9:11-12,15-18

Romans 11:5-7 (8-10)1 Corinthians 1:18,24
1 Corinthians 2:7,14
2 Corinthians 2:15
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 cf 3:14-15
Galatians 1:15
Ephesians 1:4-5,11
2 Thessalonians 2:13
2 Timothy 1:9
Titus 1:1-2
Titus 2:14
James 1:18
Hebrews 2:13
1 Peter 2:6-9
2 Peter 1:3-4
Revelation 13:8
Revelation 17:8

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Limited Atonement / Particular Redemption

Limited atonement, also known as particular redemption, is the biblical teaching that Jesus died a propitiatory death and atoned only for the elect (those chosen for salvation by God) and not for every person that has ever lived or will live. For if Jesus atoned for everyone, then no one would be in hell and everyone goes to heaven (Universalism). If He atoned for everyone, and any are in hell being punished for, or “working off” their sins (as some Universalists and Romanists believe), then His atonement is insufficient and He failed.

Matthew 1:21
Matthew 11:27
John 3:16-18
John 10:11,14-18,26-29
John 14:21-24
John 17:6,9
Acts 3:48
Titus 2:14
Psalm 85:2
John 5:21
Mark 14:24
Acts 20:28

John 17:2,9-10
Acts 15:14
Hebrews 7:25-16
Isaiah 53:8
John 6:35-40
John 1:12
John 12:37-40
Acts 10:40-41
Romans 11:7
Revelation 5:9
Ephesians 5:25-26

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Irresistible Grace / Effectual Grace / Effectual Call

Irresistible grace does not mean that God’s grace is incapable of being resisted. Indeed, we are capable of resisting God’s grace, and we do resist it. The idea is that God’s grace is so powerful that it has the capacity to overcome our natural resistance to it. It is not that the Holy Spirit drags people kicking and screaming to Christ against their wills. The Holy Spirit changes the inclination and disposition of our wills, so that whereas we were previously unwilling to embrace Christ, now we are willing, and more than willing. Indeed, we aren’t dragged to Christ, we run to Christ, and we embrace Him joyfully because the Spirit has changed our hearts.

Psalm 65:4
John 6:37-39,44-46,65
Romans 11:5-6
Romans 8:14,28,30
Ephesians 2:1-5,8-10
1 Corinthians 6:11
1 Peter 1:2-3
2 Timothy 1:9-10
Ezekiel 36:26-27
John 3:6
John 5:21
Galatians 1:15-16

Philippians 1:6,29
Isaiah 55:11
John 1:12-13
Romans 9:15-18
Hebrews 9:15
Philippians 2:13
Acts 11:17-18
Acts 13:48
Acts 18:27
Colossians 2:13
Luke 14:23

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Perseverance / Preservation of the Saints

There are two aspects of this doctrine. The first is that God preserves His children. He will ensure that each one of them endures till the end and enters heaven. The other is that each true believer must persevere until the end. They cannot simply sit by and wait on God to deliver them into the Kingdom of Heaven. They must each endure through loving obedience to God. He will preserve, we must persevere.

Psalm 20:6
Psalm 34:22
Psalm 37:23-24,28
Psalm 94:14
Psalm 121:1-8
Ecclesiastes 3:14
Isaiah 46:3-4
Jeremiah 32:39-40 (cf 2 Sam. 23:5; Luke 22:20)
Jeremiah 50:20
Matthew 24:24
Mark 13:22
John 3:18
John 3:36
John 5:24
John 6:35-40,44,51
John 10:27-29
John 14:19
John 17:2,6,9,11-12,24
Romans 4:8
Romans 5:9
Romans 6:14
Romans 8:1, 28-39
Romans 9:6-8
Romans 9:22-23
Romans 11:29
Romans 14:4
Romans 16:25
1 Corinthians 1:6-8

1 Corinthians 10:13
1 Corinthians 15:10
2 Corinthians 1:22
2 Corinthians 5:5
Ephesians 1:13-14
Ephesians 2:4-6
Ephesians 4:30
Ephesians 5:25
Philippians 1:6 (cf Psalm 138:8)
Philippians 3:20-21
Colossians 1:13
1 Thessalonians 5:9
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
2 Thessalonians 3:3
2 Timothy 1:9,12
2 Timothy 4:18
Hebrews 6:17-19
Hebrews 7:25
Hebrews 10:10,14
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 13:5
Hebrews 13:20-21
1 Peter 1:3-5
1 John 3:9
1 John 5:4-5
1 John 5:11-13
Jude 1:1,24

Ephesians 5:23, “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” If the Christian can be lost, then Christ would be without His wife. Does Christ then authorize divorce, so that He can divorce His bride?

Ephesians 5:30, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” If the Christian can be lost, then Christ would be in eternity with a mutilated body.

John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” Does God abide with the Christian who becomes lost and thus an unbeliever? Does God abide with an unbeliever?