The Five Points of Calvinism

The Five Points of Calvinism are often known by the acrostic TULIP.

• T – Total Depravity
• U – Unconditional Election
• L – Limited Atonement (sometimes referred to as definite or particular atonement)
• I – Irresistible Grace
• P – Perseverance of the Saints

The Five Points of Calvinism fall, in the author’s view, under the broader heading of the doctrine of salvation, or soteriology.

In other words, they speak specifically to how we are saved and the results of that salvation.

They also speak to the condition of man (anthropology), and the need for the divine initiative to save, and what occurs when God takes that initiative.

Lastly, the Five Points of Calvinism do not speak to the entirety of Calvinism. Calvinists believe in many things, but they universally believe in these things. In this, the Reformed faith is monolithic.

A Brief History of the Five Points of Calvinism

John Calvin, 1509-1564, is perhaps the best known of the Protestant Reformers. He was a tireless messenger and defender of the faith and advocate for the awesome majesty and sovereignty of God.

The five points of Calvinism are the product of the Dutch Reformed Church. When the followers of Jacobus Arminius presented the Church with their system of theology, the Church met and rejected them in the Synod of Dort (1619). Their answer was the Canons of Dort, which is the doctrinal standard of the Dutch Reformed Church. The Canons of Dort include five points, which have come to be known as the Five Points of Calvinism, and represent the orthodoxy of the Reformed faith throughout the ages.

In other words, these five points are the Church’s reply to the followers of Arminius.

More importantly, the Church rejected, among other things, the five points of Arminianism.

The Five Points of Calvinism are decisively biblical and represent a consistent system. They are a consistent theism in which God is sovereign over all of life.

Additionally, the Five Points of Calvinism are not severable. You cannot renounce one point without affecting all of them–they are a unified system. Renouncing any part of the system unravels all of them.

Total Depravity

Total depravity references the effects of the fall of man. God judged Adam, and that judgment is imputed to his entire offspring.

There are certainly physical effects as a result of the fall: Disease, violent weather, suffering, death, etc.

However, the particular emphasis is the extensiveness of the spiritual effects.

Specifically, mankind lost communion with God, and our entire nature was corrupted. Hence, total depravity. The human’s will is in bondage to their fallen nature.

Furthermore, mankind was cursed and made liable to eternal damnation. We have an entire absence of holiness and an entire inclination to evil. Our mind’s ability to reason as to the divine realm was totally darkened.

Furthermore, we have absolutely no good within us that is “attractive” to God. God rejects man regardless of his relative contributions to society at large. This is not about culture and civilization. It is about the total loss of Heaven. The corollary to total depravity is total inability. Mankind lost the ability, totally and entirely, to respond to God.

Many Churches and denominations believe in depravity. However, they reject the adjective total. They believe that the effects of the fall are partial, not total–that there is still some goodness within us to merit divine favor from God; that we have free will and can respond to the things of God; that we need help to be sure, but in our spiritual life, we have the inclinations to know and seek after God; that if we do, God will save us.

What does the Bible say?

“There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.” Romans 3:10-12

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:17-19

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” 1Corinthians 2:14

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” Ephesians 2:1-3

Unconditional Election

Unconditional election is God choosing to save, in eternity past, those whom he sovereignly wills to save.

God has an eternal purpose and plan that includes everything. He foreordains everything that comes to pass. To use a metaphor, He is the architect and the contractor and nothing is left to chance.

In fact, there is no chance. Chance is a denial of the sovereignty of God.

This eternal plan includes everything and by implication includes sovereign election. He chooses His elect, and His election includes the entirety of the means that He will use to turn His elect to Himself.

For one reason, dead men do not choose God. We will always choose in accordance with our nature. Our nature is fallen and corrupt; likewise, so too are our decisions. The adjective “unconditional” means that God’s choice is not based on anything about us or within us. There are no conditions whatsoever. God’s choice is based solely on His sovereign grace and the good pleasure of His will.

The opposite is conditional election– the belief that God chooses based on something about us or within us. For example, God knows who will believe, and he elects them on this condition.

You can see the link between unconditional election and total depravity. If we are fallen and totally depraved, we cannot believe or merit favor with a righteous God. Our nature determines that we will reject God.

Consequently, salvation is irrevocably linked to the divine initiative.

What does the Bible say?

“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” Isaiah 46:9-10

“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. . . . “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:37-39, 65

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” Acts 13:48

“For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:15-16

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, . . . also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” Ephesians 1:4-5, 11

Limited Atonement

The doctrine of Limited Atonement refers to Christ’s death, and to whom His death makes amends for.

There are two aspects to this position: Specifically, the nature of atonement and the extent of atonement.

To state it differently, what was accomplished on the cross, and for whom was it accomplished?

In this regard, both “sides” limit the atonement. If your position is that Christ died for everybody, then the death of Christ only accomplished the possibility of salvation. If your position is that the atonement actually accomplished the salvation of His people, then you limit the extent.

Again, Christ either died for all of the sins of all people, or all of the sins of some people. The former establishes universal salvation, and the latter establishes a definite atonement or particular redemption. To believe the notion that men must believe it for it to be actualized is to affirm that Christ only died for some of the sins of all men because lack of faith is a sin.

First, what did Christ do on the cross? He was a substitute for His people. He took their place and paid the penalty that was due to the eternal justice of God. Payment made means the debt is liquidated. Notwithstanding that the Spirit will apply the atonement in time to His people, all liability is cured.

It means that the death of Christ satisfied the wrath of God and redeemed His people from sin. The infinite value secured the release for whom it was intended.

Furthermore, He reconciled His people to God because the Father accepts the merits of the work of the Son. In this respect, the atonement was an effective payment, an actual payment. There was nothing contingent about it. It did not depend on our response; rather, it secured our response. Christ did not die for the possibility of salvation; rather, he saved. There was no possibility whatsoever that He could fail. This is the good news of the gospel, and the Church takes this message to the world.

Second, given the nature of the atonement, for whom He made payment was the elect of God. Again, He did not make payment for everybody, or everybody would be saved.

What does the Bible say?

“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

“Even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. . . . But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. . . . Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 10:15, 26, and 15:13

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;” Ephesians 5:25

“And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10

Irresistible Grace

Irresistible Grace is the awesome power of God to win His people.

This references the call of God to invite, bring, and gather His elect unto Himself. It is a call that is infused with the power of God. The Spirit is “dispatched” to summons and apply the benefits of the resurrected Christ to His people.

In this regard, it is effectual.

A contrast is the general call of the gospel made by “the preacher.” He invites, explains, and encourages, but sometimes without effect to those he preaches to. The preacher can be rejected.

God cannot be. Because God is omnipotent, He secures, in time, His intent and purpose.

The Spirit makes the will willing to come to Christ because of divine power. This call is necessary because of total depravity. We have no ability to come to Christ. Only God has the power to bring. Just like Christ died for the elect, the Spirit gathers all for whom Christ died. This is the confidence and inspiration for the preacher to continue his work.

What does the Bible say?

“No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” . . . “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.” John 6:44-45 and 10:16

“And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” Acts 16:14

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30

“But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,” Galatians 1:15-16

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:4-6

Perseverance of the Saints

Perseverance of the Saints is the act of God’s people over time and in degree, continuing in the faith.

This includes the content and practice of faith. This is not to deny that there is a temporary failure (sin) but only affirms that there is recovery based upon the sanctifying ministry of the Holy Spirit.

It also recognizes that there is such a thing as temporary faith that is the product of the human will but absent the divine operations of the Spirit.

This faith eventually fails and falls away.

In contrast, God’s people cannot totally or finally fall away. Perseverance is the necessary response to the internal ministry of the Spirit. We persevere because He perseveres within us. The Spirit does not abandon or forsake any who belong to Christ. It is inconceivable that Christ would die and the Spirit applies the benefits of the atonement to the sons of God only for a son to fall away and be lost. This doctrine implicitly engages that the world and the forces of darkness will oppose us all along the way. It also affirms that we will overcome.

What does the Bible say?

“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” Matthew 13:33

“strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. . . . So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 1:6, and 2:12-13

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” Jude 24

“I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. . . . Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” Revelation 1:9 and 14:12

Conclusion

It is important to have an understanding of the Five Points of Calvinism and going to a Reformed Church that follows and preaches them for these reasons: