What are The Doctrines of Grace?
God is sovereign. From the beginning, He has possessed all power, dominion, and authority. Indeed, our God is in the heavens and He does whatsoever He pleases. We see the matchless display of His omnipotent authority in both His acts and His words. We can see in Scripture His complete authority by creating the heavens and the earth, commanding every living creature to come forth, forming man from the dust of the earth, destroying the world with a flood, and raising up and destroying nations.
We can also see God’s sovereignty in what He says. We see His authority in Leviticus when He gives Israel His statutes and provides Himself as the authority: “I am the LORD.” Jesus, the Son of God, says at the end of Matthew’s gospel, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matt. 28:18). A verse that speaks directly to God’s sovereignty is Psalm 103:19, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” (italics mine).
When we see in Scripture the overwhelming display of God’s sovereignty, we would naturally expect His absolute authority and power to extend to His marvelous work of redemption—and this is exactly what we find.
This current series of articles (with this being the first) will lay out the doctrines of grace—more commonly referred to as the Five Points of Calvinism. Though there has been much annoyance with Calvinists (and many times, rightfully so), it is our aim here at CRIT-LARGE to explain the five points of Calvinism with the utmost respect, gentleness, and humility to our brothers and sisters who do not hold these views.
Before we begin, some of our readers may be wondering what the five points of Calvinism are; there is a convenient acronym to help remember this set of doctrines -- TULIP. Let’s now look briefly at each point:
Total Depravity—This is the belief that every person ever born is dead in sins and unable in and of themselves to choose God. Every faculty of their person is contaminated by sin—their mind, will, and emotions.
Unconditional Election—The belief that God, before the foundation of the world, chose certain individuals to be saved not because of anything within them or done by them, but merely because of His matchless grace.
Limited Atonement—This doctrine states that on the cross the Lord Jesus died exclusively for the sins of those whom the Father had chosen before the foundation of the world.
Irresistible grace—This view states that God regenerates the hearts of His chosen people within time, thus changing their wills to choose Him. Irresistible grace does not mean that God drags the sinner kicking and screaming to Himself, but rather changes them on such a fundamental level that they willingly, gladly, and unreservedly run to Him.
Perseverance of the saints—This last of the five points states that those whom the Father has chosen to be saved will remain saved until the end. Though many professing Christians fall away from the faith, those who are truly saved are kept by the Father, protected from stumbling into apostasy, and preserved and sealed by the Spirit unto the day of redemption.
These doctrines of grace give us a high view of God. When we realize that we were dead in our sins and had no hope of choosing God on our own—we have a high view of God. When we understand that God out of His sheer mercy and grace chose to pardon certain elect sinners —we have a high view of God. When we see that Jesus died exclusively for God’s elect, or when we see that it is God alone that regenerates us, calls us, and changes our wills to choose Him, or when we see that God keeps us and preserves us to the end—we have a high view of God.
You may be antagonistic or uncertain about these doctrines, but it is our hope at CRIT-LARGE that as we walk through each one of these points in-depth, that you would have a better understanding of the doctrines of grace.
As the apostle Paul writes,
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)