[Presbytery of the West qa] T.U.L.I.P

[Presbytery of the West QA]

In 1610, the followers of Jacob Arminius drew up a petition to amend the official articles of faith for Holland and West Friesland. It was called the Remonstrance and the five changes they proposed were that predestination was conditional rather than absolute; the atonement was universal in intention; regeneration by the Holy Spirit is necessary for salvation; the divine grace of regeneration can be utterly resisted; and believers can fall from grace. What came to be known as the five points of Calvinism (or TULIP), actually started out as a response to those five articles. Calvinism had never been summarized in five points before. In response to their petition, a national Synod was convened at Dort where the views of the Remonstrance were considered and then sharply condemned. The most significant issue at stake in the debate had to do with the work of God in the process of a believer’s salvation.

The T in TULIP stands for the doctrine of Total Depravity. When I get a cold, I feel miserable. My body aches, my nose runs, I can’t think straight, and I want to be alone. Every part of me is affected. Total Depravity is like that. The sinful nature affects the total person. It does not mean that a person is completely evil or that they are devoid of goodness. They may, in fact, be very nice, however, the disease of sin has left every person totally incapable of achieving anything spiritual (John 8:34; Rom 3:12; 1 Cor 2:14; 2 Tim 2:26); dead (Eph 2:1, 5) and opposed to God (Rom 8:7). Because of that, God must act towards them first before they can respond. How a person understands the Bible on this point will make all the difference in the way he or she appreciates the rest.

The U in TULIP stands for the doctrine of Unconditional Election. Normally, when we make decisions we consider the characteristics of the product or service to determine which we prefer. Do we want cruise control, or a sun roof, or a better gas mileage? When God was choosing a people for himself, he did not consider anything about them when he made the decision (Deut 7:7-8). This is, perhaps, the most emotionally charged of the five points. After all, we like to think that we had something to contribute. But that is not how the Bible presents it (Rom 9:11; 11:5-6). That does not mean that God used no criteria. The Bible provides one insight into his reasoning. Ephesians 1:4b-5 says, “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (TNIV). For some reason outside of themselves, God has determined to love some with a special love, and it is them and them alone that he adopts as his children.

The L in TULIP stands for Limited Atonement. It may be better entitled Definite Atonement because Limited Atonement may incorrectly communicate that Christ’s death had limited value. Practically all Christians agree that the atonement has infinite value, that all people enjoy some benefits of God’s grace even if they are not saved, and that since not everyone is saved, there is some kind of limit on it. The limit is either in effect (Christ died for all but only some are saved), or in scope (Christ died for some and all of them are saved). Another way to approach this is to ask if Christ actually accomplished anything on the cross or if he just made something possible. For the Arminian, Jesus’ death only made salvation possible. It may still be rejected. The Calvinist affirms that Christ made full payment for all the sins of those he had chosen and that their salvation was actually accomplished (Isa 53:5-8; Matt 1:21; John 13:1; 17:1-2,9; Rom 8:28-32; Eph 5:25).

The I in TULIP stands for Irresistible Grace. By far the most popular hymn in the English speaking world is Amazing Grace. Every time a survey is done, it ranks far ahead of every other, even among those who are non-religious. Grace is an attractive concept, but the term irresistible grace may be confusing because grace can be resisted in many ways (Acts 7:51). For that reason, it is often referred to as Effectual Grace to emphasize that the grace of God can not be ultimately resisted, but will be effective to accomplish God’s saving purpose (Deut 30:6; Luke 8:10; John 5:21; 6:37, 44-45; Rom 9:16; Eph 2:1,5; Col 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3, 23). This doctrine teaches that God’s saving purpose will ultimately be fulfilled in the lives of those he has died for.

The P in TULIP stands for the Perseverance of the Saints. This is, perhaps, the least controversial of the five points. Most Christians hold to the idea that once someone is saved, they are always saved. Again, the term can be misleading in the sense that it sounds like the primary responsibility is on the part of the believer. Since God is the one who secures them, it is better to refer to this doctrine as the Preservation of the Saints. In no way does this deny the scriptures when it says that some will falsely claim to be believers or believers cannot fall into sin. Instead, it affirms that all who truly belong to Christ and have genuine faith will be preserved by God for salvation (Isa 43:1-3; Jer 32:40; John 10:27-30; Rom 8:29-30; Col 3:3-4; 1 John 2:19, 25).

One thing that must be appreciated by the Remonstrance is that they understood the essential connectedness of these doctrines. Like the knit sweater that my grandmother made me, when one stitch unravels the whole system eventually and inevitably comes apart. These five points form a system which best describe the way the Bible reveals the work of God and human beings in salvation.

--
Posted By Presbytery of the West QA to Presbytery of the West qa at 4/29/2009 04:52:00 AM