TULIP

Adding a brief addendum to the previous post--Calvinism is the branch of Christianity which stresses God's sovereignty over all things, man's utter inability, and the ensuing need for the salvation which must necessarily be wholly provided by God. While most definitions of Calvinism are quite insufficient, the Canons of Dordt--a Dutch Confession of Faith--outlined five broad points of Calvinism with the acronym TULIP.

Before diving into the meaning of TULIP, it should be noted that like most points of Christian orthodoxy, TULIP came in response to the heretical views Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian of the late 16th and early 17th century. His followers produced the "Great Remonstrance." (as shown below)

"The Great Remonstrance published in 1610 by the Arminian clergy codified Arminius's beliefs into five major points:
Rejection of the doctrine of election
Rejection of predestination
Rejection of the belief that Christ died for the elect alone
Rejection of the belief in irresistible grace
Assertion of the belief that saints could fall from grace."

(taken from http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/armin.htm)

Thus, the five points of TULIP found in the Canons of Dordt came in direct response to this assault upon the Gospel. The following is a brief introduction to the points of TULIP:

Total Depravity: Humanity is utterly sinful and incapable of anything meritorious in God's sight. Humans are fundamentally broken, and though the Image of God is not totally lost in any person, every part of man and his work is skewed and tainted. Thus, humanity is not only in need of help when it comes to eternal life, but must be revived from the dead.

Unconditional Election: Election refers to God's choosing of a people for Himself, and this is what God does when it comes to salvation. He elects (or predestines) certain people for salvation from the beginning of time. This is great news for Christians, who know the power of sin over an enslaved humanity, because it places salvation entirely in the hands of the only One with the power to bring life.

Limited Atonement: This is often the hardest point to swallow for Christians, though it is true nonetheless. Jesus Christ did not come for all people--He came for His people. He died for those whom God elected from the beginning of time to save (John 3:16--For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him might have eternal life). Is it fair the God would create people without allowing them the opportunity for eternal life? (I used to struggle mightily with that question.) Yet what mercy it took to save some! It also is not like people theoretically lack the opportunity for salvation--the call of Christ is heard round the world. Many will never be given the faith that will overcome their obstinacy and rebellion, however. (For more on this, a coming post will be dedicated to the matter of reprobation.)

Irresistible Grace: While the call of Christ is heard 'round the world, the call is only effectual for some. By effectual, or irresistible, what is meant is that this call for those whom God has chosen is absolutely undeniable. One may resist with all of his or her might, but one cannot fight off the love lavished by God upon His people.

Perseverance of the Saints: When someone truly comes to saving faith in Christ by God's grace, they in no way will ever be able to relinquish that saving faith. As one youth pastor in southern California notes, with today's connotations pertaining to perseverance, preservation would be a better word to use. One is never able to fall away from grace. It is impossible. Christ is the author and perfecter of a Christian's salvation--what He has started, He will finish.

So if God is entirely in control of salvation as with all other things, where does this leave the Christian in his or her impetus to share the Gospel? That question must wait until another post, but until then, remember another product of the Dutch Confessions: guilt-->grace-->gratitude.