Calvin's TULIP

[Gerr]

According to Calvin:

"Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation."

Calvin's 5 points can be summarized by the acrostic TULIP.

T = Total Depravity (Total Inability)

"Total Depravity is probably the most misunderstood tenet of Calvinism. When Calvinists speak of humans as "totally depraved," they are making an extensive, rather than an intensive statement. The effect of the fall upon man is that sin has extended to every part of his personality -- his thinking, his emotions, and his will. Not necessarily that he is intensely sinful, but that sin has extended to his entire being.

The unregenerate (unsaved) man is dead in his sins (Rom 5:12). Without the power of the Holy Spirit, the natural man is blind and deaf to the message of the gospel (Mk 4:11f). This is why Total Depravity has also been called "Total Inability." The man without a knowledge of God will never come to this knowledge without God's making him alive through Christ (Eph 2:1-5)."

What think ye?

Each letter in the acrostic will start another thread.

Gerry

[David Koot]

Ahhh, the five-point Calvinist! (Also known as a 'hyper-Calvinist.) While there is much truth in your opening statement, (after Calvin) the statement also contains most egregious error, to wit:

"The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation."

Error mixed with truth. How sad!!!! And the fact that even the error contains elements of truth, makes it even more deceptive.

Dave

[D. Allan]

Quote:

The unregenerate (unsaved) man is dead in his sins (Rom 5:12). Without the power of the Holy Spirit, the natural man is blind and deaf to the message of the gospel (Mk 4:11f). This is why Total Depravity has also been called "Total Inability." The man without a knowledge of God will never come to this knowledge without God's making him alive through Christ (Eph 2:1-5)."

What think ye?

In my experience, that's the way it works. It leaves no room for boasting and no room for condemning.

~d.allan