DON'T SNIFF THE T.U.L.I.P.
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What Is Calvinism?
A Calvinist is a person who subscribes to the theological beliefs of John Calvin, the Swiss Protestant reformer of the sixteenth century. Calvin died in the year 1564, and in the decades following his death, his followers formulated his views (and some of their own) into what is known today as Calvinism. There are five main points in Calvinism, all of which are false teachings. The five points of Calvinism are usually represented by the letters T.U.L.I.P.
The "T" is for TOTAL DE-PRAVITY. This is the false doctrine that man is so depraved that he cannot even see his sinful condition and call upon God for salvation. It is true that all men are natural-born sinners (Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Psa. 51:5), but it is also true that God COMMANDS all men to repent and receive Christ (Acts 17:30-31; I John 3:23; Luke 13:3). Man is indeed depraved, but he isn't so depraved that he has no free will of his own (II Pet. 3:9; Jn. 1:12; 3:16; Jos. 24:15; Exo. 35:5, 21, 22, 29). Total Depravity, as defined by Calvinists, is false.
The next letter, the letter "U," stands for what the Calvinists call UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION, which is a teaching derived from perverting verses like Ephesians 1:4-5 and Romans 8:29. The Calvinists believe that God predestinated everyone way back before Genesis 1:1, totally ignoring their free will to choose for themselves. That is, He supposedly decided who would go to Heaven and who would go to Hell long before anyone was even born. If you'll read Romans 8:29 and I Peter 1:1-2 you'll see that God's election is based on FOREKNOWLEDGE. He didn't elect to save or damn anyone against their free will. God knew all along who would choose Christ and who would not, and He made His "elections" based on that information.
Then we have the "L" for LIMITED ATONEMENT. This is the belief that only a limited number of people can be washed from their sins in the precious blood of Christ, because only "the elect" will be saved anyway. The idea is that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Eph. 5:25); so the blood of Christ was only shed for the church. This is foolishness. I Timothy 2:6 says that Christ gave Himself a ransom for ALL, not just the elect. ALL have sinned (Rom. 3:23); so He died for ALL, and He saves "as many as" receive Him (John 1:12).
Then the letter "I" stands for IRRESISTIBLE GRACE, which is also false doctrine. This teaching says that God the Holy Spirit overpowers the sinner and grants him the new birth without his submission or positive response. As we've already seen, man DOES have a free will and no one is saved without CHOOSING to believe on Christ as Lord and Saviour. There is no such thing as irresistible grace. God has given us all the ability to resist anyone or anything we choose (Acts 7:51; II Tim. 3:8; Jas. 4:7). There are times when the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is so strong and real that a sinner sees no choice but to give in to God and receive Christ as Saviour, but the sinner always has a choice. No one is saved against their will, and no one is saved without first choosing to receive Christ.
The last letter is "P," which represents the PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. This is the only point in "T.U.L.I.P" which is anywhere near correct, but not near enough. Once a sinner receives Christ, he is pre-destinated to be conformed to Christ's image (Rom. 8:29). That is, as Christians, we are eternally secure and cannot lose the salvation which God has freely given us, but this is due to GOD'S PRESERVATION, not our perseverance, so the “P” on Calvin’s “T.U.L.I.P.” represents falsehood, as do all of the other points.
Friend, beware of people who would complicate and confuse the plain and simple doctrines of God’s word. The Bible is a very straight-forward Book that can be taken at face value, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is very plain and simple. All people are sinners by nature, so God sent His Son to pay for the sins of all men. Upon being given the gospel of Christ, all people have a free will to either receive or reject Jesus Christ as Saviour. Those who truly receive Jesus Christ are born again of God’s Spirit, cleansed from all sin, and are eternally secure and free from God’s wrath on sin. Those who choose to reject Christ remain in their sins and will suffer eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. Anyone who confuses that simplicity is doing the devil’s work, whether they know it or not, and you should avoid them.
If you have never been born again, please contact us for further help.
Additional copies of this tract are available through Bible Baptist Church, P.O. Box 383, Martin, TN 38237. An eight cent donation per tract is appreciated but not required. Many other titles are available, including information on how YOU can become a Christian.
Copyright © 1995 James L. Melton
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