Why Calvinism (TULIP) is not supported by Scripture?

Calvinism – TULIP

Calvinism, a theological system based on the teachings of John Calvin, has profoundly influenced Protestant Christianity since the Reformation. It emphasizes God’s sovereignty in salvation, particularly through the doctrines known as the “Five Points of Calvinism,” often encapsulated in the acronym TULIP: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. While Calvinism has its proponents, Bible believing Christians argue that its tenets are not biblically sound. This study will explore why Calvinism is not biblical, using references from the Word of God to support this analysis.

1. Total Depravity

Definition and Implications

The first point of Calvinism, Total Depravity, posits that as a result of the Fall, every aspect of humanity—mind, will, emotions, and flesh—has been corrupted by sin, making it impossible for individuals to come to God without divine intervention. While the Bible affirms the pervasive nature of sin, it does not support the idea that humans are utterly incapable of responding to God’s call.

Biblical Refutation

1. Human Responsibility
   • Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NKJV): “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent, and turn from all your offenses, so sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
   • This passage emphasizes human responsibility in repentance and the possibility of transformation. If humans are utterly depraved and incapable of turning to God, such exhortations would be meaningless.
2. Call to Seek God
   • Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV): “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
   • This passage implies that individuals have the capacity to seek God, refuting the idea that total depravity renders them incapable of doing so.
3. Opportunity for Salvation
   • 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV): “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
   • This verse reveals God’s desire for all to come to repentance, suggesting that people are not incapable of responding to Him.

2. Unconditional Election

Definition and Implications

Unconditional Election asserts that God has chosen certain individuals for salvation based solely on His will, not on any foreseen merit or action on their part. This doctrine raises questions about the nature of God’s justice and mercy.

Biblical Refutation

1. Conditional Election Based on Faith
   • Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV): “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
   • This passage indicates that as God foresaw, and thus foreknew, each generation of men, He coupled immediately with His foreknowledge the decision to predestinate them all to be saved.
2. Invitation to All
   • Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV): “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
   • Jesus invites all who are weary to come to Him, indicating that salvation is accessible to anyone willing to respond.
3. God’s Will for All to Be Saved
   • 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV): “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
   • The implication that God desires all people to be saved refutes the notion of unconditional election, as it suggests a universal opportunity for salvation.

3. Limited Atonement

Definition and Implications

Limited Atonement holds that Christ’s atonement is limited to the elect, meaning that His sacrificial death was not for all humanity but specifically for those chosen by God.

Biblical Refutation

1. Universal Atonement
   • John 3:16 (NKJV): “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
   • This well-known verse emphasizes that God’s love extends to the world, not just a select group. The use of “whoever” implies that salvation is available to all who believe.
2. Christ Died for All
   • 1 John 2:2 (NKJV): “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
   • This verse directly refutes the limited atonement doctrine by stating that Christ’s sacrifice is for the whole world, indicating that His atonement is not restricted to the elect.
3. The Scope of Redemption
   • 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NKJV): “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
   • This passage reinforces the notion that Christ died for all, and His atonement provides the basis for a transformed life in those who accept it.

4. Irresistible Grace

Definition and Implications

Irresistible Grace posits that when God extends His grace to the elect, they cannot resist it. This raises significant questions about human free will and the nature of God’s grace.

Biblical Refutation

1. The Ability to Resist God
   • Acts 7:51 (NKJV): “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”
   • Stephen’s condemnation of the Jewish leaders illustrates that individuals can indeed resist the Holy Spirit, contradicting the idea of irresistible grace.
2. Invitation to Respond
   • Revelation 3:20 (NKJV): “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
   • Jesus’ invitation implies that individuals have the choice to respond to His grace. The metaphor of knocking on the door indicates that acceptance is not automatic but requires an active response.
3. Grace Offered to All
   • Titus 2:11 (NKJV): “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
   • This verse affirms that God’s grace is available to all, not just the elect, emphasizing the universal invitation to accept salvation.

5. Perseverance of the Saints

Definition and Implications

Perseverance of the Saints teaches that those who are truly elect will persevere in faith until the end, implying that genuine believers cannot ultimately fall away from grace.

Biblical Refutation

1. Warning Against Falling Away
   • Hebrews 6:4-6 (NKJV): “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
   • This passage presents a strong warning against falling away from faith, suggesting that it is indeed possible for someone to turn away after experiencing God’s grace.
2. Call to Remain Faithful
   • 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NKJV): “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
   • Paul warns believers to be vigilant and mindful of their spiritual condition, indicating that perseverance requires active faith and vigilance.
3. Conditional Nature of Salvation
   • Colossians 1:21-23 (NKJV): “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
   • This passage illustrates that ongoing faith and perseverance are necessary to remain in a reconciled state with God, contradicting the notion that once saved, one is always saved.

Conclusion

In summary, Calvinism presents theological concepts that are not supported by Scripture. The doctrines of Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints can be critically examined against the teachings of the Bible. The emphasis on human responsibility, the universal offer of salvation, and the potential for falling away highlight a more biblical understanding of God’s relationship with humanity.

Ultimately, the Bible presents a God who desires a personal relationship with all individuals, offering grace and salvation to anyone who will accept it. In contrast to the determinism inherent in Calvinist theology, Scripture affirms the reality of human choice and the call to respond to God’s grace actively. For these reasons, many believers find Calvinism to be at odds with the biblical narrative of salvation, grace, and human responsibility.word, it is because there^[a] is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).