Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption

    The third representation in the word T.U.L.I.P. is described as Limited Atonement. Some prefer to call it Definite Atonement or Particular Redemption. This doctrine is, among the five points of Calvinism, the most difficult for many to digest. It just rubs against our religious grain to consider that Jesus Christ's death was on behalf of a particular number and not for all mankind. I remember a conversation with a man who was upset with this teaching and he said, "I want my children to be saved. I just can't abide the idea that some are chosen to salvation and some are not!" He didn't realize it, of course, but what he was actually saying is that he believed his influence and his instruction to his children would be the determining factor in whether or not they would be saved! He was, in fact, not trusting God to meet his desire.  I knew another man, who had been in the ministry in holiness churches for a number of years, who would get physically sick for that same reason. So, admittedly this is difficult for some people but it is, nevertheless, Biblical teaching. Before we address this doctrine let me do a little review of what we have covered thus far. When I say covered I don't mean that we have in any way exhausted the discussion. I often think that most writers who talk about these things give far more information than their readers are able to digest so when I use the word "covered" I mean it relatively!

                                                                                     

    We have talked about Total Depravity or Total Inability and we found that all are born sinners. In fact, all are "dead in trespasses and sins" and are "without God" , "without Christ", and "having no hope" unless God works a miracle of regeneration or "spiritual quickening". So we determined that because of this inability to "change our spots" so to speak, we have no hope of salvation except for the insinuation of God.

     We also spoke of Unconditional Election by which is meant that God, being no respecter of persons, selects those of His choice without any consideration of merit, to reap the benefits of His saving grace. We found that God will have mercy on those Whom He chooses and He will pass over, all others giving them  their just deserts, rather than saving by His Grace (Romans 9). In the case of Pharaoh we are told that he was raised up for the distinct purpose of demonstrating God's justice.

     So, since man is incapable of saving himself. And since because of being "dead" spiritually, he is incapable of working towards salvation, and since He can in no way influence God Who is no respecter of persons it necessarily follows that there is a limited redemption. By using the word limited we do not mean that the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice is in question for we all understand that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for the salvation of all men. By using the word "limited" we mean that a limited number of souls are in view as the recipients of Christ's offering.

    There are basically three views we can take:

• That Christ's death was an actual atonement for all men, and so all men will be saved. This of course is rejected because we all know all men will not be saved. This idea is called Universalism.
• That Christ's death does not actually save anyone, but makes it possible for all if they will co-operate with God. This is the most popular view among Christians today. So Christ's death provides the basis for salvation but that Christ cannot save apart from the correct response from the sinner.
• That Christ's death is an actual atonement for a limited number of the elect and that Christ's offering is both sufficient and efficient. In this view Christ actually saves his elect and they are not cooperative, but are saved by Grace through Faith.

     Of course it is this last view that we hold dear here. I like to say that when I sing "Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves" I really mean it! We know that John's Gospel teaches that there are those, who are considered separate from the world, whom God the Father has given the Son. And of these that the Father gives the Son, each will come to Jesus, having been drawn of the Father, and of which none shall be lost, and in fact, without the loss of a single one, will be raised up at the last day! (See John 6) By this chapter alone we know that there are some who are separated from others. That some belong to the Father and will be given to the Son. This means that there is a limited number who are set aside for Christ.

    The question then is, "For whom did Christ die?" and some will readily answer, "For all men.", which presents several problems:

• If we take a verse like "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) for instance we immediately have a problems. For one, the use of the word "for" which, in most cases will either mean because of or on the behalf of  or in the place of and we must determine by either the context or the particular word used to make our determination.  The word in question is the Greek word huper which carries two intrinsic meanings: 1.In the place of; 2. For the benefit of, and these two cannot be divided. The second problem is that we must seek out whether the "all" means all without exception or whether it means all of a specific number. At this point I will add two quotes from David Huckabee from his study on the word "all". First, "'All' is another good Bible word that is seriously misunderstood by many students of Scripture, for most people assume that it is a word that is totally unlimited, but such is not the case at all. Not only is it not unlimited in its meaning in some of its usages, it is not absolutely unlimited in any of its usages, and to think so is to show a tragic ignorance of its grammatical usage." and the second, "Always and without exception "all" modifies a noun, pronoun, verb, adjective or adverb, and is limited to that word, and it is never used with "men" in a salvation context." (Davis Huckabee, Studies In Strong Doctrine, Appendix 4) If we use words like for and all properly we will not fall into the trap of using it to mean all without exception or totally unlimited.
• The second word that is almost always misunderstood is the word world. Again, it is pointed out that there are at least fourteen different usages of the word world in the Bible. In John's gospel the word world (kosmos) is used in at least three different applications so when we get to a verse like "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." (John 3:16) we will run into serious contradictions if we take the world to mean all mankind, for clearly it cannot mean that. Again, "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." (John 12:47) we find that for the world to apply to every man is simply not acceptable! We'll note that there is a distinction between the world and Christ's elect, for instance, "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. " (John 13:1). I could go on but I simply want the reader to know that study is necessary.

• 

  Charles Spurgeon, Defender of Limited Atonement

  The next thing we must consider is the implications of words like propitiation. When we use the word propitiation we mean, basically, that the justice of God has been satisfied by the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was, not only the Person, but also the Place of propitiation when He paid the full penalty for the sins of His elect, and God's wrath was propitiated. In other words God accepted Christ's payment on behalf of His elect. This is important because if we say that Christ's sacrifice was for (on behalf of and in the place of) all men, then we find ourselves right back to universalism. Even in our court system a man cannot be tried for the same crime twice! If Christ died on behalf of all men and all men benefit eternally from His death, then would God not be unjust to condemn unbelievers when their sins have been taken away?

     I will be the first to admit that there are some verses that seem, upon a surface reading, to imply that Christ's death was for all men but if we still to context, and if we investigate the usage of words like all, we will find that in every case, the meaning becomes clear. So, does all men mean all men without exception? or does it mean all (all kinds of) men? or does it mean all of a particular group? and that is the question to be solved! See for instance 1 Timothy 2:1-4 where the context clearly means "all kinds", not just poor and disadvantaged, but kings as well. Another example is 2 Peter 3:9 where God promises that not a single one of His elect will perish. There is absolutely no way we can make this to me all men!
     You may ask, "What then does 'whosoever' will mean?" It means just exactly what it says! You see, as I explained under Total Depravity, when God regenerates His elect, gives them the gift of faith, He also makes them willing! (We'll talk about his more under Irresistible Grace). So we have no argument with "whosoever will", in fact, it shows God's election in changing the wills because most men WON'T!

     Due to my own rule about keeping these posts simple I must contain my remarks. So, as we look at these doctrines we must agree that they all work together in a synergistic way. To reject any of these first three doctrines that I have talked about is to confuse the whole. The same can be said of the two to follow. I rejoice in the sovereignty and wisdom of God, and I am glad to receive both His mercy and His grace. Moreover, I am glad to know that He has chosen me, not from any merit found within me, but according to His own will and purpose. Will you trust Jesus Christ to be your Savior today? Will you admit yourself a sinner in need of the Blessed Saviour? All of the benefits of God's grace can be yours today if you will be a "whosoever". My hope is that God will bless!

The Doctrine of Reprobation

                                                              

 Determining at which point to address this issue is difficult. But since it fits with either Unconditional Election or Limited Atonement I choose to address it here. The Doctrine of Reprobation is often misunderstood to mean that God has predestined some people to eternal punishment. This is simply not true. The word "reprobate" basically means castaway or unapproved. Doctrinally in means that while some are elected to the glory of God, others are passed over to the Glory of God!

     When we consider the condition of the unsaved and that the Scripture says, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:10-12); "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) and "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" (Ephesians 2:1,2); "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:"  (Ephesians 2:12); and "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  (John 3:18), we can see that all men are in a lost condition, condemned already, without Christ, without God, and having no hope. Here is a case where all means all. We also learn that there are none righteous, that there are none doing good, that none are seeking God, and that without the quickening Spirit of God they will be left dead in trespasses and sins and considered children of disobedience.

     When Paul makes his argument concerning God's choices regarding whom will be the objects of His mercy he tells us that we have no right to object to God's choices! Paul writes, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? " (Romans 9:20,21) And then he follow with this: "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (vs.22-24)

     The truth is that all men are sinners. All human beings, born into this world, are born under sin and each and every one will be guilty of practicing sin as well. So we are all "condemned already" (John 3:18) and have, but for the mercy of God, "no hope" ((Ephesians 2:12). But God, according to his plan and purpose, chooses some to Himself, having no respect of persons, but, as a potter creates a vessel of honor and a vessel of dishonor out of the same clay, God, by His Divine Appointment elects some to the praise of His Glory.

    God is not obligated to elect all. I tend to look at it through this lens: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13,14) Let's face it, no one can clearly comprehend the mind of God. We only know what He tells us in His word. As I look at this doctrine I see all of mankind as on that wide road that leads to destruction, but I see a God of Grace reach down and pull me from that wide path. The he gently places me in the narrow way. It is all of grace.

     You may say, "Wait a minute, who determines why one deserves salvation and another does not if it's all God's choice?" That's just the point! No one deserves salvation, that's why the Bible teaches salvation is by Grace through faith! Secondly, it is God who makes that determination as Paul clearly points out, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." (Romans 9:16)

     The Doctrine of Reprobation then, is that Biblical teaching that God chooses some to salvation and leaves others on the wide road that leads to destruction. You may have questions like "Should not God just shew mercy to all?"or "Wouldn't it be fair to save by merit rather than Grace?" I will leave you to work these questions out with God, but let me just add that God is just in all His works!And, as for the attitude of the elect, we all know that God is merciful in not giving us our just deserts, but that He is most gracious in giving us what we do not deserve.

 










  






 

Unconditional Election: God's Sovereign Choice!

                                                                   

     The first doctrine we looked at in the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. was Total Depravity and we described it as total inability. That is, man, being dead in trespasses and sins, owns a will that is servant to his intellect, which itself cannot know God, will not seek God, does not want God, and therefore is "without God"; "without Christ", and "having no hope". Since then, we are in this state of inability, a miracle must be performed in order for us to "arise!" out of death's chambers and come to the Lord. That miracle takes place with some people and does not take place with others. That brings us to Unconditional Election!
     Let me say first, that election cannot be denied! God is in the business of choosing and He does so according to His will. God chose Noah from all the people of the world; and God chose Abraham out of a heathen land (Genesis 12). God chose Israel out of all the surrounding nations to be His people (Exodus 19). God chose tribes out of Israel to serve Him as He willed. God chose Jacob over Esau at birth, before either could do good or bad (Romans 9:11-13).  Jesus Christ chose twelve out of all others and He chose three of the twelve for His inner circle.
     You see, God chooses! God chose for his Apostles to go north rather than south, west rather than east and even forbade Paul to go in another direction. God chooses which spiritual gifts He gives to His followers and divides them severally. God is a God who chooses. It can easily be seen that God chooses or elects nations, individuals, and gifts. The question that is most likely to be argued is NOT whether God chooses or elects, that's undeniable, but whether this election is conditional or unconditional.
     By establishing the truth of Total Inability we have shown that man cannot do anything to elect himself to God's pleasure. Because he is spiritually dead his will is subject to his intellect and will only choose that which he deems as either pleasurable or in some other way beneficial to himself. So that tends to narrow the discussion! Let's look at one of the more powerful passages in the Scripture, though there are probably hundreds of them:
"Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Rom 9:9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth"
     Here we see that God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Paul argues that all of this election is according to God's will and purpose. God even chose Pharaoh as an example of God's power and sovereignty. God has mercy on those whom He chooses; and whom He wills He hardens. And there is absolutely nothing external from God that influences His choice!
     In John's Gospel, and throughout John's Gospel, there is a clear separation between the world and the elect. There is also a clear division between the world, Israel, and the elect. In John chapter one we find : "Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Joh 1:12 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: Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:10-13) Here we see that there are those who become children of God through no force other than God. They are separate from the world and they are separate from the Jews. Their birth is through the regenerating power of God and it cannot be willed, or inherited, or in anyway manipulated by man. It is all of God and these are God's elect!
     In Acts we find this verse, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48) Here we find Paul and Barnabas preaching the good news of Jesus Christ and certain believed. Who were they that believed? They were those who were ordained (appointed; chosen) to eternal life? Why did not others? Because they are left to themselves. I plan on talking about the doctrine of reprobation next installment.
                                                                              
    God chooses some to salvation out of a mass of people. It is His right to choose just as it is the Potter's right to determine the vessels he will make. It may be difficult for us to grasp it in its fullest sense but the fact still remains, God elects!
    Again, in John's Gospel we find: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 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. 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." (John 6:37-40) Here we find that every one who is given to the Saviour is given by the Father and that not a single one of these will be lost. And verse 44 says, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."  So every one who comes to the Savior is given by the Father and drawn to the Son by the Father. One cannot come to Christ through the working of his own limited will. He will not come because he will not choose what does not appeal to the flesh. He is worldly, fleshly and fitted for this world. He is on a wide road that leads to destruction along with most of humanity. But some, those who the Father gives to the Son, will not only come to the Son but will be raised up, without a single loss, at the last day!
   I can foresee someone protesting, "What about John12:32 where Jesus says, 'And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.'  Yes, but it is clear from the context that there were "certain Greeks" (v.20) desired to see Jesus. They fit into the "all" because here "all" means "all kinds". In other words our Lord will draw all kinds of men, even Greeks!
     God is in the business of choosing yet "without respect of Persons" for the Scripture says, "For there is no respect of persons with God" (Romans 2:11). The Bible makes statements similar to this several times and it means that God makes His sovereign choices with no respect of persons. Most Christian believe in salvation by grace through faith and they will usually agree that grace means unmerited favor, or something meaning the same thing. Yet, at the same time the cannot bring themselves to bow to God on the matter of election! So, while on the one hand they agree that salvation is all of grace and they recognize grace means unmerited favor, they still hold to the concept that God does NOT elect without first recognizing something in the individual that makes him worthy of saving! This is MASS CONFUSION! If you believe, as you have been taught, that God chooses because he foreknows who has some spark of merit in him, then you do not believe in salvation by grace alone! By the way, for God to foreknow is dependent upon His decree!
    I am completely aware that so much more can, and probably should be said, but since this is a simple blog I'm trying to keep it SIMPLE! Remember, all five points of Calvinism make a whole so if you believe in the T you must believe the U. If you agree in the Total Depravity of man, meaning his utter helplessness in getting to and pleasing God, then you MUST accept Unconditional Election!
All Glory to God; May God Bless!



 

 
  

The Heart of the Matter

                                                          

     Yes, I know, I already posted today but I thought I'd write this short post to attempt to explain, in my view, why these things matter.

     I remember the years I spent at Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music as three of the most precious years of my life. There I learned how to study the Bible, how to preach, how to administer the word of God. There I learned how to straddle the fence too! You see, Grand Rapids, Michigan is well known for it's academic Christian history. There are many Reformed churches and Colleges there and, frankly, there are a lot of "holiness" and "charismatic" churches as well. These latter churches are pretty Arminian in their Theology, whereas the Reformed are Calvinistic. But the Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music stood right in the middle of these two systems (in the matter of Soteriology, the Doctrine of Salvation). Most of the students and teachers at GRSBM were probably two or three point Calvinists. That is, they believed in the depravity of man (though I'm not sure they all believed in the TOTAL depravity of man) and in the perseverance of the saints (eternal security), and a few held to an understanding of election but with a variety of views.

    Don't get me wrong! I really appreciate what I learned and especially the introduction to Lewis Sperry Chafer's Systematic Theology. I have used Chafer's works time and again over the years and though his is not normally recognized as a work on Calvinist Doctrine, he certainly leans toward Calvinism. Chafer was an evangelist as well and I can remember hearing stories of how he conducted his evangelistic services, relying totally on the Holy Spirit to do His work in the hearts of the hearers! Chafer might conduct these services for several days or even weeks and never give an altar call but only an invitation to Christ, and then he might, at the end ask those in attendance to relate how God has worked in their lives. All of these things stuck with me as I contemplated the ministry of God's word. I am still a dispensationalist and only Calvinistic in Soteriology and those -ologies related to it.

   After being in the ministry for several years, and having seen many people make professions of faith, yet fall away, I began to question why. I noticed the tendency for churches to use worldly means to attract attendees and I saw the number a para-church organizations that were springing up outside the authority of the local church. Something was wrong! Something was really wrong! So I began to study the Scriptures and I took some courses with the School of Biblical and Theological Studies and from there I took some classes at Landmark Baptist Theological Seminary and during this time I became, what is called, a Five Point Calvinist!

                                                                                                                       

   You see you can't really be a two or three point Calvinist. All you are is confused! All five points of Calvinism work together and cannot be separated, while at the same time, each point stands on its own. Basically we have two systems from which to choose. We will choose a system that bows to Sovereign God, or we will choose a system that makes us co-saviors with God?  We will choose a system where God saves ONLY or we will choose a system that allows God to be a partner in salvation. We will choose a system that glorifies God or we will choose a system that glorifies man. Monergism or Synergism, which will it be? Does God have the power and authority to decree? or must He wait upon the decisions of man? Does God chose whom He will save according to that decree or must he look down the corridors of time to see if there is some spark of merit within an individual that causes him to be saved? Is God the CAUSE? or is man?

    No matter what a man may claim regarding his theology there is ONE single question that MUST be answered. Is salvation by Grace Only? Sola Gracia? If salvation is by grace alone then there can be no human merit. But, if the salvation of a man is the result of God searching through time to find those who WILL receive grace then there MUST be some spark, some merit within that individual that makes him worthy of salvation! And, if this be true we must change our profession to admit that God cannot save a man unless there be some merit within that man to which God must bow.

    Thankfully, THAT is not the case. We believe that God does all of the saving! We believe that God chooses us from the foundation of the world, that He sends out a call (the Good News), that He brings us from spiritual death to spiritual life, that He grants us the gift of faith, that He saves us!

When we sing songs like "Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves!" we mean it.

                                                             

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 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: 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:

 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3-12) 

 

 

 
 

The Depravity of Man: A Necessary but Distasteful Doctrine

     Let's face it, some truth is distasteful! I am an herbal practitioner as well as a preacher of the gospel and I know that when you take an herb like Yarrow, which has many applications and is one of my favorite herbs to work with, there is nothing you can do to make it taste good! So, when one of my kids runs a fever, for instance, I'll give them Yarrow tea. It does NOT taste good but it is good for them. Parents know that children will not take medicine if it's not made to taste good. There is medicine for the soul too but often times we don't like it and the Doctrine of Total Depravity is one of them. In the following posts I will attempt to put these doctrines in easily understood terms.

 TOTAL DEPRAVITY is the first doctrine in the acrostic TULIP that Calvinists use to describe the condition of fallen man. Of course there are those who hate the idea of this doctrine because it knocks them off their self-inflating pedistal. So they tend to ignore it or campaign against it or misinterpret its meaning. When we speak of Total Depravity we mean that man, in his fallen state is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph.2:1) and "without Christ", "without God", and "having no hope" (Eph.2)

     Total Depravity does not mean that one is as bad as one can be. It does not mean that all men are equally immoral, that is by degree, and it does not mean that virtue cannot be found. It does mean that all men are equally lost and have no way of delivering themselves from that lost condition. It has to do with the will of man.

     Most people believe that all men have "free will" but that is not absolutely correct. All men have a freedom of choice within limits. I've always remembered a message from my Bible School days when the speaker said, "If I put my dog out in the yard with a collar and chain, within the length of that chain the dog has a freedom to move here and there, but there is a boundary and it's found at the end of the chain." The dog has perfect freedom within the length of that chain but he cannot get beyond it.

     For mankind, he has a freedom of choice to a degree and within limits. We can make choices regarding every aspect of our lives so long as we are free men, except choices to the glory of God. Man cannot will himself to be saved; he cannot will himself to live a godly life. He cannot will himself to work in word or deed toward the glory of God. First of all, because of his fallen nature he WILL NOT come to God. Yes, he can play at religion, and yes, he can conform to laws both social and religious, but he cannot enter into a relationship with God unless God works a miracle within him! Why? Because he is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph.2:1) and again, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" (Colossians 2:13) The good news is that many who are "dead" have been, or will be "quickened" (made alive). Dead men don't WILL! Dead men don't think, or love, or move! A dead man cannot love God; a dead man cannot obey God. We need to recognize that being spiritually dead is just as real as being physically dead and the only hope we have is if God, by His Spirit, quickens us to life! When you see invitations like "whosoever will" you have to understand that whosover won't, unless God does a work within that whosoever.

   You see unsaved man has a problem, he does not have a freed will! But you say, "We make choices every day!" Yes you do but your choices are influenced more by your mind or your emotions than by your will. You will choose that which is gratifying! If given the choice between a bowl of ice cream and a bowl of worms we will look at the two and decide which appeals to us the most, and that is what we will choose! Man will not choose God on his own because the True God does not appeal to him. He may choose an imaginary god, or a god of his own design, created in his own image, but he will not choose God! Man does not want his sinfulness exposed and he does not want his ego deflated. It is not normal for him! So, if a man is going to be saved God must take the initiative and, by His Spirit, quicken the man. This is the only way for man to be lifted from his depravity.

     We can get a real glimpse of man's fallen condition in these verses:

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2: 1-7)

    There is tons more that can be said on this issue and there are lots of resources available. Don't reject it if I have made a poor presentation as it is vital to understanding true salvation.

What I Believe In Basic Terms

I am a Calvinist. This is a term that is applied to people who adhere to the five points of Calvinism as set forth by Calvin in response to a theology known as Arminianism. In truth all five points of Calvinism are taught by the Apostle Paul, all are Biblical, and were believed and taught by such greats as John Gill, Charles Spurgeon, John Owen, John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards, Matthew Henry, William Tyndale, George Whitefield and a host of others. These doctrines were held by some great missionaries like William Carey, Robert Moffat, David Livingstone, and John Mott. Long before John Calvin came on the scene St. Augustine taught the doctrines of grace. So when I say that I am a Calvinist I mean that I hold these Biblical Doctrines as dearer than silver or gold because they reveal to me the great work God has done to secure my salvation and my preservation and that, even with all of my failings and short comings, none of it depends on me! So, let me, in my own understanding, share with you, in summary form,  what the Bible teaches using the "Five Points of Calvinism" in the acrostic TULIP:

TOTAL DEPRAVITY- Some call this Total Inability and it speaks to the fact that every aspect of our lives has been stained by sin. It does not mean we are as bad as we can be, nor does it mean that virtuous acts cannot be found with us. It means, basically, that sin has so pervaded our being that we cannot do good, that is, what God would call good. We are limited in our freedom of choice so that we cannot love God, nor can we live godly so long as we remain in that depraved state. Since God judges, not only our deeds but our motives as well, we are all found wanting! Therefore, except our will is freed, we are contained, limited, bound by sin. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16)

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION- By unconditional election it is meant that there is nothing within man to merit election. Because man is totally depraved, which means he is without Christ, without God, and without hope (Ephesians 2:11-13) God must do a work in man to bring him to Himself. Since God is no respecter of persons, there an be nothing within the man to provoke God to choose him as a vessel of honor, fit for His use. God chooses whom He will according to His own purpose. Remember this is just a brief summary and there is a lot more to say! Election simply cannot be denied! However, some people attempt to change the objects and meaning of election from for instance, the election of individuals to the election of the Church. And some attempt to base the election of the saints on God's foreknowledge. However, a true study will reveal both of these as errant!

LIMITED ATONEMENT- We might better call this Definite Atonement! The point is that Christ died on behalf of a particular, definite number of people who are the objects of God's saving grace. That is, the elect, those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world (Revelation 20:12-15) who are gifts to the Son from the Father (John 6:37-40, 44) and who are promised preservation eternally. To believe that Christ's died for all men, even for those who are not of the elect, is to fail to recognize the significance of Christ's offering on our behalf.

IRRESISTIBLE GRACE- I suppose there are lots of ways of stating this but I look at it like this. All men come into this world "dead in trespasses and sins" and because we are dead God has to bring us to life so that we can respond to the gospel. This is called regeneration. So as we are regenerated we are given the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8). Of course, if we are dead we cannot respond, but when we are quickened (made alive) and having been granted the gift of faith, we naturally respond to the call of God. Oh, I know, we might resist for awhile; I did! But eventually we will lose the battle and bow to grace through faith. Just as God said of his word, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) so it is with his gospel message. Remember, each of these points need to be taken as a whole.

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS- Frankly, it makes no sense to me when people say they believe this point but do not accept the others! We are talking about eternal security here. We are preserved in Christ, in God, forever! I personally take great comfort in knowing that my salvation was an act of God according to His Sovereign Will. I did not help him save me and I can't lose me!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadethWho are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5)

    I have great admiration for those gifted men who have gone before. Some of the greatest minds mankind has ever known can be found there. They were Calvinists! The believe what the Bible taught and they followed sound practices for studying the word of God. I, on the other hand, am just a man, hopefully a man of God, who wants, above all things, to be faithful to the word of God. I hope you have a noble desire as well!