The Calvinistic acrostic of TULIP only works in the English as the flower tulip in Dutch is tulp. Therefore this acrostic is one that is created in the English.
The five points of Calvinism was created as a response to the Five Articles of Remonstrance (protest) against the Calvinist teachings in the Dutch Reformed Church; signed by 40 Dutch Pastors, called Remonstrants (protestors) followers of Jacobus Arminius and later came to be more commonly known as Armenians.
They presented their five articles of protest against the Calvinistic teachings adopted by the Dutch Reformed Church to the States of Holland and Friesland in 1610. A year after the death of Jacobus Aminius. Jacobus Arminius born Oct 10 1560 – died Oct 19 1609.
At the Synod of Dordrecht, (the Synod of Dort), over a six month period from Nov 1618 to May 1619, the five remonstrance were rejected and the response to the five articles of remonstrance later became the five points of Calvinism known by the acrostic TULIP but also known as the Doctrines of Grace. These doctrines are named after John Calvin, although they are largely based on the teachings of Augustine, Bishop of Hippo from the 4th and 5th century. John Calven born July 10 1509 – died May 27 1564.
The Five Articles of Remonstrance (Wikipedia)
Article 1 – Conditional election
This article asserts that election is conditional upon faith in Christ, and that God elects to salvation those He knows beforehand will have faith in Him. It rejects the concept that election into Christ is unconditional.
Article 2 – Unlimited atonement
This article asserts that Christ died for all, but that salvation is limited to those who believe in Christ. It rejects the concept of limited atonement, which asserts that Christ only died for those God chooses to be saved.
Article 3 – Total depravity
This article affirms the total depravity of man, that man is unable to do the will of God, and cannot save himself, unless free will being spiritually enabled by the prevenient grace of God.
Article 4 – Prevenient grace and resistible grace
This article asserts that once God’s prevenient grace has enabled a man to believe, man can resist God’s grace by exercising his free will. It rejects the idea that justifying grace is irresistible.
Article 5 – Conditional preservation of the saints
This article rather than outright rejecting the notion of perseverance of the saints, argues that it may be conditional upon the believer remaining in Christ. The writers explicitly stated that they were not sure on this point, and that further study was needed.
Sometime between 1610, and the official proceeding of the Synod of Dort (1618), the Remonstrants became fully persuaded in their minds that the Scriptures taught that a true believer was capable of falling away from faith and perishing eternally as an unbeliever. They formalized their views in “The Opinion of the Remonstrants” (1618), which was their official position during the Synod of Dort. They later expressed this same view in the Remonstrant Confession (1621).
The response of the Dutch Reformed Church at the Synod of Dort was to reject the five articles of remonstrance and responded with five points of their own which became the acrostic TULIP.
T – TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
U – UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
L – LIMITED ATONEMENT
I – IRRISISTIBLE GRACE
P – PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
A DEFINITION
For Calvinists, Total Depravity means that because of the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve, sin has passed down to all humanity and affects every part of a persons being and therefore a person is incapable of saving themselves or responding to the gospel message without divine intervention. However, this does not mean that a person is as evil as he can be but rather that sin has permeated the persons entire nature.
Now, we believe that we are depraved in that we will all sin but we do not believe that we are born with sin but rather that our first parents passed the consequence of sin to us which is death because eventually we all sin Rom 5:12.
The problem with the passing down of the sin nature through our parents is that, this would mean Miriam (Mary) would have passed the sin nature down to her first born Yeshua which would mean Jesus was not sinless and could not fulfil the role as a sinless offering.
This understanding of the sin nature being passed down from our first parents Adam and Eve was introduced by Augustine of Hippo in the 4th Century and is called the doctrine of Original Sin. This was based on Augustine’s misinterpretation of Romans 5:12: from the Latin Vulgate as he did not read Greek. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The words “for that,” in the Greek means because, but in the Latin translation it can also mean because or “in whom,” which is how Augustine translated it and therefore he understood it as in Adam all have sinned, meaning the sin of Adam and Eve has been passed on to their prodigy.
However, the text only says that it is death that has passed upon all men because eventually all humans will sin and the wages of sin is death, Rom 6:23.
We are not born with sin otherwise Jesus would inherit a sin nature, resulting in Him not being sinless and therefore cannot meet the conditions to be an offering without spot or blemish, but as we grow from infants all humans will eventually sin. David said when his infant son died that, I shall go to him but he shall not return to me, meaning that David will see his infant son again when David leaves this life, since David is saved then he will see his son in paradise. 2 Samuel 12:23.
Although Total Depravity is based on Augustine’s doctrine of Original Sin it is also connected to another of Augustine’s teachings – Predestination which is also connected to the “U,” and “L,” in the acrostic TULIP. This is the belief that God has predestined or chosen or elected from before the foundations of the world whom He would save, and therefore naturally whom He would not save. So, if God has not predestined, elected or chosen you to be saved from the foundation of the world, you cannot be saved, no matter how much you believe or want to be saved.
Augustine borrowed this understanding from the Manichean cult he was in before his conversion. This is a pagan understanding called fate, fatalism or determinism meaning that our lives are fated by the gods and we cannot escape our fate.
Scripture clearly states in Jeremiah 31:30 but everyone shall die for their own sins: 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Then Ezekiel 18:20 tells us that the soul that sins shall die: 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Here it clearly states that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father nor the father bear the iniquity of the son.
Also in Romans 14:12 it tells us that everyone will give an account of themselves before God: 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Obviously, Scripture disagrees that we inherit the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve. Unfortunately, this teaching has permeated throughout most of Christendom and most people believe in the original sin concept.
In regard to the Total Depravity, the canon of Dort records:
Therefore, all people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin. Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform (Canons of Dort, III/IV.3)
Steel and Thomas in their book – Five Points of Calvinism record:
Inasmuch as Adam’s offspring are born with sinful natures, they do not have the ability to choose spiritual good over evil. Consequently, man’s will is no longer free (i.e., free from the dominion of sin) as Adam’s will was free before the fall. Instead, man’s will, as the result of inherited depravity, is in bondage to his sinful nature (Steele & Thomas, Five Points of Calvinism, 19).
Although we believe in total depravity because we all will eventually sin and be enslaved to sin, the Calvinist’s believe that we inherit the sin nature from our first parents and not only are we totally depraved but we are incapable of responding to the gospel message without God intervening for those He has predestined to be saved.
Because of this belief that we cannot respond or are incapable of responding to the gospel message, Calvinists have had to come up with a different sequence for salvation then what the Bible says.
First Calvinists believe that salvation is predestined by God before the foundation of the world and that only the elect can be saved. So then the elect is regenerated first (born again, saved), before God can give them the faith they need to believe in the gospel message. This sequence is nowhere found in the Scriptures.
Regeneration only occurs at the point of salvation, when one has believed in the gospel message, not before. John 3:1-7 Nicodemus comes to Jesus privately basically to ask Jesus how he can get into the Kingdom of God and Jesus explains to him that you must be born again, you must be born of water and the spirit, that which is born of flesh is flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, then Jesus explains how one must be born again in verses 14-15 and then 16.
Jesus said in John 3:14-15: 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The text says whosoever not, only the elect believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Verse 16 states: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Once again, it is whosoever believeth shall be saved. The biblical sequence is you must believe in the gospel and then God saves you and you are immediately regenerated or born again and instantly baptized into the Body of Christ.
The biblical sequence is seen more clearly in Romans 10:13-17: 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Here it says that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord is saved. But how can you call upon the name of the Lord that you have not heard of and how can they hear unless a preacher is sent to preach the gospel and then when you hear the gospel and believe, you are saved, born again.
Calvinists are constantly having to reinterpret the text to fit their doctrinal presuppositions or understandings, e.g. When the text says: 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. They have to reinterpret it as For whosoever is elected and calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So Total Depravity, as a Calvinist understands it, means that the unelected are incapable of responding to the gospel message in order to be saved…this is not biblical.
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
A DEFINITION
This is the belief that God has chosen unconditionally from before the foundation of the world whom He would save based solely on His own mercy and not on any condition or foreseen goodness of a person. This is called Predestination.
Conversely, this also means that God has chosen whom He has damned to the eternal Lake of Fire also unconditionally or arbitrarily meaning that no matter how much you want to be saved, if you are not the Elect, you cannot be saved. Just like those predestined for salvation, those predestined to damnation can never be saved.
However, those who are predestined to damnation are somehow judged guilty of their sin and are damned to the Lake of Fire even though they had no choice in the matter since this was predetermined by God according to Calvinist beliefs. However, one can clearly see that this is not just and is not of the God of the bible.
The problem with predestination to salvation is that, this is not found in Scripture. Let’s go through a couple of the proof texts that Calvinists use to back up this belief.
First, Ephesians 1:1-14: 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 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: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The verses we need to look at carefully is 4 & 5: : 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
When reading the text carefully, you can see that nowhere does the text state that we are predestined or chosen to be saved before the foundation of the world. What it says is that He has chosen us in Him, meaning those of us who are already saved, already in Christ, already in Him, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, Calvinists always quote the first part of this verse but never the second part. It should be noted that whenever the words, chosen or elect is used in Scripture it never refers to you are predestined for salvation, but that you are chosen for service or a purpose. This could apply to believers, non-believers, or nations to do God’s will and to fulfill his purposes.
Verse 5 then states that we are predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. The adoption here also does not mean salvation, but Paul is referring to the fact that those of us in Christ Jesus, those already saved are predestined to be adopted as Children of God at the resurrection.
Paul confirms what he means by adoption in Romans 8:23: And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
So the whole passage in Ephesians 1:1-14 is Paul writing to the believers, saying that those in Christ, have been chosen for a purpose and also to receive an inheritance which God had predestined for those in Christ to receive as per verses 13-14: 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
So, nothing that is chosen or predestinated in this passage is for salvation, but for those who are in Christ have been chosen for a purpose and to receive an inheritance which God predestined from before the foundation of the earth.
The second passage we will look at is Romans 8:28-30, more specifically verses 29-30: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 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. 30 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.
Verse 29 says that whom God foreknew, meaning those whom God already knows and are in a relationship with Him, are already saved, and those whom are already saved and in a relationship with the Living God are predestinated, not to be saved as the Calvinists believe, but the text says, to be conformed to the image of His Son. This is something that can only happen to those who are already saved.
Verses 29-30 has the words, foreknew, predestinate, called, justified and glorified. Calvinists call this the Golden Chain of Salvation.
Calvinists believe that this is the chain of events that outlines the process of salvation. Their understanding of foreknow is that God knows whom He is going to save and therefore He predestinates those He has chosen from before the foundation of the world to be regenerated (born again) and then he called them to believe in the gospel message and then once they believe they are justified and the saved will also be glorified. Obviously, this is Calvinists imposing on the text their doctrinal understanding which is eisegesis. None of these links in the Golden Chain is speaking of the process of salvation.
Foreknow means those whom God already knows, meaning those who are already in a relationship with God, those already saved. Those who are already saved God did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son and to receive an inheritance and then God called them to service, and then justified them and then glorified them. These are all in the past tense, meaning God is looking back to those whom He is already in a relationship with – foreknow, He did predestinate, called, justified and glorified, meaning God is looking back as if these things have already happened for the saved, some have and some are yet future.
LIMITED ATONEMENT
A DEFINITION
This belief is that the death burial and resurrection of the Messiah was only efficacious for those who are the Elect, those whom God had predestined from before the foundation of the world for salvation. Basically only the sins of the Elect were atoned for by the death of the Messiah.
Now there are no proof texts that explicitly state there is such a thing as Limited Atonement in the Bible, in fact none of the proof texts that Calvinism provides for TULIP when read properly, carefully and in context backs up any of the five points of TULIP. John Calvin did not believe in Limited Atonement.
What Calvinists do for Limited Atonement is provide texts that they believe have an inference to Limited Atonement in them but once again we will see that they are imposing on the text their presuppositional beliefs. There are four commonly used texts to try and prove their point according to Dr. David L Allen, author of Calvinism – A Biblical and Theological Critique. We’ll go through three of them.
The first text is Matthew 1:21: 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now you’re probably looking at this verse and asking yourself where does this verse infer Limited Atonement?
Calvinists interpret the words his people to mean that these are the elect that God predestined before the foundation of the blah blah blah blah blah. However, the context of this passage is that this verse is speaking of His people Israel and not the predestined elect of Calvinism.
The Calvinists believe that because Jesus shall save his people, then conversely that means that Jesus will die only for his people and for no one else – meaning the elect of Calvinism. However, this is called a Negative Inference Fallacy. Because the text says that Jesus shall save His people, then the negative inference is that he will die only for His people. This is a fallacy, this is false, because nowhere does the text say that, there is no mention of Jesus’ death or what His death is efficacious for.
The second text is John 10:14-15: 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. The underlined part is the part that Calvinists interpret to mean that Jesus lay down His life only for the sheep, and for no one else. This is once again using the negative inference fallacy because the text says no such thing and goes against the plain teachings of other passages of Scripture like John 3:16 and 1John 2:2 which states: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.
The third text is Acts 20:28: 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. Yes, indeed Jesus did purchase the Church with His own blood but the text does not say that He purchased the Church only with His blood. Once again this is a negative inference fallacy. Refer to John 3:16 and 1John 2:2. Also II Peter 2:1which states: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. These are non-believers but Jesus’ purchased them with His blood as well, they only need to believe in Him.
Then there are explicit verses that God wants all men to come to repentance such as 2Peter 3:9: 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Or 1Timothy 2:3-5: 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;.
Or 1Timothy 4:9-10: 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Clearly God’s will is that all should come to faith, all should be saved but not all do believe and therefore are not saved. If God’s will is that all should come to repentance then why would He predetermine some to salvation and others to damnation. Predestinated to salvation is nowhere found in Scripture.
IRRESISTIBLE GRACE
A DEFINITION
This is the belief that God’s “saving” grace is so powerful that anyone that God has chosen to be saved cannot resist this “effectual” calling to salvation.
So just like those that God has not chosen for salvation cannot receive salvation, so those whom God has chosen to be saved cannot resist the effectual calling of God to salvation no matter how much they may not want to be saved.
One proof text Calvinist’s provide is John 5:21: 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. On the surface it looks like this may confirm Irresistible Grace but if we look at verses 39-40 it states: 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. They were not willing to come to Jesus that they might have life. Sounds like they are resisting the call to salvation. Jesus gives life to those that believe in the gospel.
Another proof text is John 6:37: 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Also in John 1:11-13 it states: 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It is clear from these passages that the ones whom the Father gives to the Son are those that believe on the Son and they receive everlasting life and there are also those that resist the call as per John 6:36. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
There are other verses that clearly state that we can resist the call to salvation such as Acts 7:51: 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Or Matthew 23:37: 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
It is clear from Scripture that we can resist the gospel message and far more resist the gospel than receive it because God has given us the ability to freely choose to reject or accept the gospel. Adam and Eve were given one negative command, to not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden, but they obviously also were given the ability to act contrary to the command of God hence their decision to go against the command of God and eat of the forbidden fruit which led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and their eventual physical death.
PERSERVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
A DEFINITION
This belief asserts that the Saints (those whom God has predestined for salvation) will persevere until the end. That if you are the Elect you will continue in the good works right until the end. Those saints that fall away from the faith were never true believers to begin with or that they will repent and return to the faith before they pass away from this life.
The Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 17 puts it like this:
- They, whom God hath accepted in His beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally or finally fall away from the state of grace, but certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved.
- This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit and the seed of God within them and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
Although we agree that as believers we should do good works but we also understand that not all believers will be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. That does not mean that they are not saved. This is backfilling works into the salvation of a person. This is also called Lordship Salvation, which is really a works based salvation, that you have to make Jesus the Lord of your life meaning that you will do the good works to show you are truly saved. That if you don’t continue to do good works after your conversion then you were not saved to begin with. Sometimes we make the same mistake, judging the salvation of a person based on what we see, but salvation is the dominion of God and no human being can know who is saved and who is not.
This is a progressive salvation, meaning that you are being saved and if you persevere until the end doing good works, only then are you truly saved. The problem is that salvation is a one off event: when one believes, you are saved, made righteous, baptized into the Body of Christ and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The rest of our lives is the process of Sanctification.
Let’s look at a couple of their proof texts: First is John 17:20-21: 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Unfortunately, nowhere in these verses does it affirm perseverance of the saints but rather it speaks of unity.
Let’s have a look at a proof text that at least has the resemblance of proving perseverance of the saints, Philippians 1:6: 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. First of all, it is not the saints persevering in verse 6 but he who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the context speaks of Paul’s partnership with the church at Philippi in sharing the gospel to the surrounding area and not speaking of salvation or perseverance of the saints.
If you look throughout the bible there are many passages that have believers sinning, Abraham sinned in lying about his wife, David sinned in adultery and murder and God sent the prophet Nathan to show David his sin, Solomon sinned etc. So they did not persevere doing good until the end to finally be assured that they have salvation.
If you take TULIP to it’s logical conclusion you will then get doctrines like Infant Damnation. Because if everyone has been predestinated to salvation before the foundation of the world, then when babies are aborted or die in their infancy they are already predestined to either go to heaven or go to hell. This has no grace and is not of the God of the Bible.
Calvinists also see the sovereignty of God a little differently, meaning that they believe that God decrees everything that we ever do, everything that happens in the universe and in the lives of humans has been altogether decreed by God. This means that every despicable act of sin, whether rape, murder, lies, adultery, fornication, paedophilia, theft etc etc has been decreed by God, which then means that God is the author of sin. How then is it just to condemn us for sin that God Himself has decreed. This is not biblical at all.
That brings to an end this brief look into the five points of Calvinism. I hope this gives you at least a basic understanding of TULIP and how these philosophical beliefs are not biblical.
I close with a reminder of Acts 17:11 that you test everything against the Word of God, not against another person’s teaching or understanding but it must be tested against the word of God. For it is God’s word that is infallible and divine.
1 Corinthians 4:6
Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.
Psalm 12:6
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen