A sermon Calvinism
Ezek. 18:20: KW—11.08.09, #1 in a series
Intro:
A. Ex: John Calvin was born to Roman Catholic parents in Noyon, France on July 10, 1509. His father, a
lawyer, was determined that John would become a Catholic priest. When John was fourteen years of
age, he began studies at the University of Paris. In 1528 he began studies at the University of Orleans to
study law. While there, Calvin became interested in classical literature. In fact, following the death of his
father in 1531, Calvin returned to Paris to study the literary classics. Two years later, he allegedly experienced a sudden emotional "conversion" which would change the entire direction of his life. He abandoned
Catholicism and began promoting reformation ideas in direct opposition to the Catholic church. He spent
the next three years in seclusion during which he authored/published the first edition of "Institutes of
Christian Religion."
B. Calvin's theology contained five basic ideas which can be summarized in the acrostic TULIP:
. T—Total hereditary depravity: Man is totally depraved by virtue of inheriting a sinful nature from
his parents/ancestors.
. U—Unconditional election/predestination: God has arbitrarily chosen a specific number of people
from all eternity to be the recipients of eternal life. These individuals realize their salvation with-
out either faith or works on their own part.
. L—Limited atonement: Jesus died only for those whom God elected to be saved. His atonement
was limited; the benefits of His death were not for all men
. I—Irresistible grace: Only those who were elected and for whom Christ died, would receive the
direct operation of the Holy Spirit. This miraculous power, exerted upon their hearts by the HS,
would be irresistible.
. P—Perseverance of the saints/"once saved, always saved": The elect saints will always persevere
in their relationship with God. These individuals cannot fall away and be lost.
1. Some have called TULIP the flower that changed the world. (Calvin didn't originate the
doctrine, but he did "crystallize" it).
2. We would be hard pressed to find a denomination in the religious world today that has not been
tainted by some form/petal of Calvinism.
C. As we have opportunities to reach out to our peers, we are inevitably going to encounter one or more of
the tenants of Calvinism.
I. Total hereditary depravity EXPLAINED
A. Lest we be accused of inaccurately defining the doctrine, let's notice the definitions provided by
it proponents.
1. "Hereditary"—we think of genetics. Ex: "You have your mother's eyes…"
. "Adam's transgression was not confined to himself, but was transmitted, with its long train
of dire consequences, to all his posterity. It is called original sin because it is derived from
our original progenitor..." (James Gibbons, *Catholic).
. "Since the fall of Adam all men are born with a depraved nature, with sinful propensities"
(Augsburg Confession).
. "Our first parents being the root of all mankind, the guilt of their sin was imputed, and the
same death in sin and corrupted nature were conveyed to all their posterity, descending
from them by ordinary generation" (Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1090).
. "All of us, therefore, descending from an impure seed, come into the world tainted with...
... sin. Nay, before we behold the light of the sun we are in God's sight defiled and
polluted...We thus see that the impurity of parents is transmitted to their children, so that
all, without exception, are originally depraved. The commencement of this depravity will
not be found until we ascend to the first parent of all as the fountain head. We must,
therefore, hold it for certain, that, in regard to human nature. Adam was not merely a
progenitor, but, as it were, a root, and that, accordingly, by his corruption, the whole
human raced was deservedly vitiated" (Calvin).
. THD says we not only inherit the consequences of Adam/Eve's sin in that we all die, but
we also inherit the guilt of their transgressions.
2. "Total"—we think of the cereal because it is complete, and "depravity"—morally corrupt.
. "In our best estate and in our purest moments there is a something of the devil in us, which
if it could be known, would make men shrink from us. The germs of the worst crimes are
in us all" (R. W. Robertson, Church of England).
. [Depraved men] "are totally corrupt, in every part, in all their faculties, and all the
principles of their nature, their understandings, and wills; and in all their dispositions and
affections. Their heads, their hearts, are totally depraved; all the members of their bodies
are only instruments of sin; and all their senses, seeing, hearing, tasting, etc. are only inlets
and outlets of sin, channels of corruption. There is nothing but sin, no good at all"
(Jonathan Edwards, The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners).
. "It matters not by what name it goes, it is a dark, diabolical, perverting thing. It corrupts
the heart, perverts the sensibilities, defiles the imagination, drugs the conscience, weakens
the will. 'The whole head becomes sick and the whole heart faint.' This vile infection so
possesses every faculty that there is no moral soundness in us. A human life thus defiled
by this satanic virus is alienated from a life of love and a God of love. It does not take to
godliness. It has a subtle affinity for evil, a trend downward, a propensity for sin and self-
indulgence. It displays inordinate selfishness, regardless of the interests of others and the
glory of God" (A. M. Hill, Holiness and Power, 76).
. "Original sin, then, may be defined a hereditary corruption and depravity of our nature,
extending to all the parts of the soul, which first makes us obnoxious to the wrath of God,
and then produces in us works which in Scripture are termed works of the flesh...Here I
only wish briefly to observe, that the whole man, from the crown of the head to the sole
of the foot, is so deluged, as it were, that no part remains exempt from sin, and, therefore,
everything which proceeds from him is imputed as sin. Thus Paul says, that all carnal
thoughts and affections are enmity against God, and consequently death" (Calvin, Institutes,
300, 302).
B. Some of the most alarming statements of all regarding the doctrine of total hereditary depravity
have to do with the Calvinistic view of the spiritual status of infants at the time of their birth.
Ex: "...Even infants bringing their condemnation with them from their mother's womb,
suffer not for another's, but for their own defect. For although they have not yet produced the
fruits of their own unrighteousness, they have the seed implanted in them. Nay, their whole
nature is, as it were, a seed-bed of sin, and therefore cannot but be odious and abominable to
God. Hence it follows, that it is properly deemed sinful in the sight of God; for there could be
no condemnation without guilt" (B. Carradine, The Old Man, 71-72).
II. Total hereditary depravity EXAMINED and EXPOSED
A. In the first place, there is nothing said in Gen. 3 about Adam and Eve's act of disobedience
changing their nature. It changed their location; they were expelled from the garden. But there
is not a shed of Biblical evidence that the sin imparted depravity to Adam's soul that would be
passed down to all succeeding generations of humankind.
1. Deut. 24:16; Ezek. 18:19-20
2. Perhaps someone will say, "Well, we don't inherit our sinful nature from our fathers; we get
it from our mothers."
a. If this is true, then Jesus would have been born a sinner, because he was born of a human
mother. (From this problem the Catholic church manufactured the doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception—the notion that Mary was miraculously born without inheriting
the adamic nature from her parents).
b. Consider: If we inherit the guilt of the sins of our parents, can we not also inherit their
their righteousness? (After the flood, eight righteous souls departed from the ark to
repopulate the earth. How did these righteous souls impart a totally depraved nature to
their offspring? All of the wicked and depraved people of the world had been killed.
How can righteous people impart a totally depraved nature)?
B. Thoughts/questions:
. Sin is not something we inherit. It is something we do It is an action; it is a transgression of
the law. 1 John 3:4 What law of God do babies transgress by being born into this world?
. If the doctrine of THD is true, it supplies man with a built-in excuse for his sinful behavior
and unbelief. He can always say, "I just can't help—it' my nature." If not, why not?
. If man is totally depraved and cannot obey until the Holy Spirit miraculously regenerates him,
whose fault is it if man is lost? Acts 10:34-35; Rev. 22:17
. If the sinner is so dead that he cannot hear, why would Jesus command that the gospel be
preached to every creature if some creatures are so depraved that they are incapable of
responding? Ex: Imagine a father who offers a delicious treat to his two sons, one of whom is
free to come and get the gift, while the other is tied up in a chair unable to reach out and
receive the gift. What kind of father would that be?
. If man does not have the power to believe the gospel due to Adam's fall, then why did Jesus
marvel at the unbelief of the Jews? Mark 6:6 Why would Peter instruct those at Pentecost
to save themselves if one must depend upon the irresistible act of the Holy Spirit to be saved?
Acts 2:40
. God never uses more than is necessary to save man. If one life-jacket will save a drowning
man, why throw him two? If the gospel really is God's power to save, then why argue for
some direct operation of the Holy Spirit, separate and apart from it?
. Why bother sending Bibles to heathen nations if the reading of the Bible cannot teach them
how to be rescued from their alleged inherited depravity? For that matter, why should we
preach at all, urging men to repent? According to Calvinism, if God has salvation in mind for
someone, He will see to it that they find it. So why should we bother preaching to lost
sinners?
. If man is born in a totally depraved condition , then why did the apostle Paul say that "evil
men and imposters will grow worse and worse..." 2 Tim. 3:13 How can one become more
depraved than totally depraved?
Concl:
A. Christ has made it possible for us to be saved from our sins so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. cf. 1 John 2:28
B. If we are lost on the day of judgment, it will be to our transgressions, not something we have inherited
from others.
C. Each of us must work out our own salvation, according to the will of God, with fear and trembling, confident that He will save if we will obey. "And having been perfected, He became the author of salvation to
all who obey Him." Heb. 5:9
Source: B. J. Clarke, "The Flower That Changed The World"
What was Calvin's Favorite Flower?
2 Peter 3:9: KW—11.15.09, #2 in a series
Intro:
A. I find it very difficult to address false doctrine.
1. The challenge for me is not whether or not I can and should distinguish between truth and error.
2. The challenge for me is to let people know that while I hate inconsistency and falsehood (because it condemns
men's souls), I do not dislike/hate those who hold and endorse these dangerous ideas.
a. Ex: Tony Philips knew I loved him as a brother and friend.
b. But he had a hard time "hearing" whenever I attempted to expose doctrinal error, especially in light of the
fact that he had been converted out of denominationalism and the Assemblies of God.
1) If you hear strong emotion in any lesson in which I deliver, I hope and pray that you not only hear tone,
but that you will hear my motivation for preaching the sermon in the first place.
2) "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you,
who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on
themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways…" 2 Pet. 1:1-2a
a) Peter teaches false doctrine will cause people to be lost! (You cannot believe wrong and live and
die right).
b) I don't want anyone to be lost, and it angers me that there are devoted, religious, and sincere people
in our world who will awaken one day and find themselves in eternal torment because they accepted
a well-told, albeit deceptive and soul-damning, lie.
B. Speaking of lies, we're talking on Sunday nights about a particular flower today, but we're not talking about gardening or horticulture.
C. John Calvin crystallized a doctrine which is best remembered by the acrostic TULIP.
. T—Total hereditary depravity. (Man is totally depraved by virtue of inheriting a sinful nature from his parents).
. U—Unconditional election.
1. Remember the controversy that dogged the 2000 Presidential election when the contest between George W.
Bush and Al Gore came down to a relative handful of disputed ballots in the State of Florida? (For most of us,
it was the first time we had ever heard of those little things called "hanging chads").
2. Then came the pictures of all those beleaguered election officials closely examining each and every ball to
see whether or not the holes in the punch-cards were obstructed by tiny bits of paper that hadn't quite been
removed. (Al Gore might tell us that no election is safe as long as long as there are hanging chads).
a. The same is true of the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election.
b. Just when you think you've got a winner, close reexamination of a number of "hanging chads" in
Scripture tell us that Calvinism's idea in this realm is simply wrong.
D. Each of us is afforded opportunities to teach our friends and family.
1. One of the purposes of our study is to help us prepare accordingly.
2. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a
reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." 1 Pet. 3:15
I. Unconditional particular election EXPLAINED
A. Calvin's teaching:
1. "Predestination, by which God adopts some to the hope of life, and adjudges others to eternal death, no
one, desirous of the credit of piety, dares absolute to deny… Predestination we call the eternal decree of
God, by which he has determined in himself what he would have to become of every individual of man-
kind. For they are not all created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is fore-ordained for some, and
eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we
say, he is predestinated either to life or to death…." (Institutes of Christian Religion, as quoted by Philip
Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. III, 826).
2. Assuming a person accepts the first petal of TULIP, that all people are totally depraved and cannot
choose to repent and obey God, he is forced to also accept the second petal that the Father must step in
and save him if salvation is to be enjoyed.
B. Calvin's influence:
1. "God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably
ordain whatsoever comes to pass… By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men
and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others to everlasting death. These angels and
men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number
is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are
predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and
immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto
everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or
perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him
thereunto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace." (Westminster Confession of Faith; this statement
was prepared in 1647 and adopted by the Presbyterian churches of America).
2. The voice of Calvin has also been welcomed in some of our own pulpits. Ex: "It is a scandalous and
outrageous lie to teach that salvation arises from human activity. We do not contribute one whit to our
salvation." (Rubel Shelly)
II. Unconditional particular election EXPOSED
A. The Word of God contradicts UPE at every turn:
1. Passages:
a. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven. Matt. 7:21
b. "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." John 3:16
c.
"
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." Matt. 11:28-30
d. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been
perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." Heb. 5:8-9
2. God desires that all be saved.
. "Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2:4
. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Pet. 3:9
a. He has provided salvation for all men IF they will comply with the prescribed conditions. "For the
grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." Titus 2:11
b. "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse
generation.'" Acts 2:40; cf. Phil 2:12; 2 Thess. 1:8-9
B. UPE makes God a respecter of persons.
. "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every
nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." Acts 10:34-35
1. The Greek word translated "shows no partiality," ........µ...s, combines the word for "face" with the
word for "to take or receive." (It literally refers to receiving or rejecting someone on the basis of face
alone—that is, surface quality only).
2. We have a similar expression, "to take a face value." (God does not judge a person on the basis of
superficial matters such as nationality, station in life, or possessions. Instead, He looks at the heart
and life of each individual).
. "There is no partiality with God." Rom. 2:11
. "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon
Him." Rom. 10:12
. "And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master
also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him." Eph. 6:9
. "But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." Col. 3:25
C. UPE reduces the devil to a weak and helpless foe.
1. Why beware of someone who is seeking to destroy your soul when it is impossible for him to do so? If
God determined the eternal destiny of every person, then how can Satan lead man astray?
2. Note the warnings of Scripture.
. "Give no place to the devil." Eph. 4:27
. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Eph. 6:11
. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Jas. 4:7
a. If it is true that God arbitrarily selects who will be saved and who will be lost, then why does He warn
us to beware of the devil? What can Satan do if God has already determined who is saved and who is
lost?!
b. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour." 1 Pet. 5:8
III. Conditional election EXPLAINED
A. Election is a biblical doctrine.
1.
"
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Eph. 1:3-4
a. Illust: Americans who want to participate in the Olympics every four years are "chosen" to represent us
on the team; everybody doesn't get to attend the games.
b. God has chosen certain "qualified" individuals to race for the gold.
2. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose. 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. Rom. 8:28-30
a. Those who are qualified are those who have answered the gospel call—those in Christ.
b. God elected a certain type of individual to be saved.
B. God elects a certain class of individuals to be saved.
1.
"
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Eph. 1:3-5
2. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 2 Tim. 2:10
a. A person is in Christ when he puts the Lord on in baptism. Gal. 3:27
b. The kind of person to be saved was predestined.
Concl:
A. John Calvin was a ardent student and sincere, but he was mistaken.
1. Calvin reacted to the extremes of Catholicism and ended up going to the other extreme of totally passive
Christianity in which God does everything and man does nothing.
2. Salvation is not found in meritorious works nor is it found in unconditional particular election.
B. The petal of UPE is false.
C. "But He answered and said, 'Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted." Matt.
15:13
D. Are you in Christ?
Intro:
A. Ex: John Calvin was born to Roman Catholic parents in Noyon, France on July 10, 1509. His father, a
lawyer, was determined that John would become a Catholic priest. When John was fourteen years of
age, he began studies at the University of Paris. In 1528 he began studies at the University of Orleans to
study law. While there, Calvin became interested in classical literature. In fact, following the death of his
father in 1531, Calvin returned to Paris to study the literary classics. Two years later, he allegedly experienced a sudden emotional "conversion" which would change the entire direction of his life. He abandoned
Catholicism and began promoting reformation ideas in direct opposition to the Catholic church. He spent
the next three years in seclusion during which he authored/published the first edition of "Institutes of
Christian Religion."
B. Calvin's theology contained five basic ideas which can be summarized in the acrostic TULIP:
. T—Total hereditary depravity: Man is totally depraved by virtue of inheriting a sinful nature from
his parents/ancestors.
. U—Unconditional election/predestination: God has arbitrarily chosen a specific number of people
from all eternity to be the recipients of eternal life. These individuals realize their salvation with-
out either faith or works on their own part.
. L—Limited atonement: Jesus died only for those whom God elected to be saved. His atonement
was limited; the benefits of His death were not for all men
. I—Irresistible grace: Only those who were elected and for whom Christ died, would receive the
direct operation of the Holy Spirit. This miraculous power, exerted upon their hearts by the HS,
would be irresistible.
. P—Perseverance of the saints/"once saved, always saved": The elect saints will always persevere
in their relationship with God. These individuals cannot fall away and be lost.
1. Some have called TULIP the flower that changed the world. (Calvin didn't originate the
doctrine, but he did "crystallize" it).
2. We would be hard pressed to find a denomination in the religious world today that has not been
tainted by some form/petal of Calvinism.
C. As we have opportunities to reach out to our peers, we are inevitably going to encounter one or more of
the tenants of Calvinism.
I. Total hereditary depravity EXPLAINED
A. Lest we be accused of inaccurately defining the doctrine, let's notice the definitions provided by
it proponents.
1. "Hereditary"—we think of genetics. Ex: "You have your mother's eyes…"
. "Adam's transgression was not confined to himself, but was transmitted, with its long train
of dire consequences, to all his posterity. It is called original sin because it is derived from
our original progenitor..." (James Gibbons, *Catholic).
. "Since the fall of Adam all men are born with a depraved nature, with sinful propensities"
(Augsburg Confession).
. "Our first parents being the root of all mankind, the guilt of their sin was imputed, and the
same death in sin and corrupted nature were conveyed to all their posterity, descending
from them by ordinary generation" (Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1090).
. "All of us, therefore, descending from an impure seed, come into the world tainted with...
... sin. Nay, before we behold the light of the sun we are in God's sight defiled and
polluted...We thus see that the impurity of parents is transmitted to their children, so that
all, without exception, are originally depraved. The commencement of this depravity will
not be found until we ascend to the first parent of all as the fountain head. We must,
therefore, hold it for certain, that, in regard to human nature. Adam was not merely a
progenitor, but, as it were, a root, and that, accordingly, by his corruption, the whole
human raced was deservedly vitiated" (Calvin).
. THD says we not only inherit the consequences of Adam/Eve's sin in that we all die, but
we also inherit the guilt of their transgressions.
2. "Total"—we think of the cereal because it is complete, and "depravity"—morally corrupt.
. "In our best estate and in our purest moments there is a something of the devil in us, which
if it could be known, would make men shrink from us. The germs of the worst crimes are
in us all" (R. W. Robertson, Church of England).
. [Depraved men] "are totally corrupt, in every part, in all their faculties, and all the
principles of their nature, their understandings, and wills; and in all their dispositions and
affections. Their heads, their hearts, are totally depraved; all the members of their bodies
are only instruments of sin; and all their senses, seeing, hearing, tasting, etc. are only inlets
and outlets of sin, channels of corruption. There is nothing but sin, no good at all"
(Jonathan Edwards, The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners).
. "It matters not by what name it goes, it is a dark, diabolical, perverting thing. It corrupts
the heart, perverts the sensibilities, defiles the imagination, drugs the conscience, weakens
the will. 'The whole head becomes sick and the whole heart faint.' This vile infection so
possesses every faculty that there is no moral soundness in us. A human life thus defiled
by this satanic virus is alienated from a life of love and a God of love. It does not take to
godliness. It has a subtle affinity for evil, a trend downward, a propensity for sin and self-
indulgence. It displays inordinate selfishness, regardless of the interests of others and the
glory of God" (A. M. Hill, Holiness and Power, 76).
. "Original sin, then, may be defined a hereditary corruption and depravity of our nature,
extending to all the parts of the soul, which first makes us obnoxious to the wrath of God,
and then produces in us works which in Scripture are termed works of the flesh...Here I
only wish briefly to observe, that the whole man, from the crown of the head to the sole
of the foot, is so deluged, as it were, that no part remains exempt from sin, and, therefore,
everything which proceeds from him is imputed as sin. Thus Paul says, that all carnal
thoughts and affections are enmity against God, and consequently death" (Calvin, Institutes,
300, 302).
B. Some of the most alarming statements of all regarding the doctrine of total hereditary depravity
have to do with the Calvinistic view of the spiritual status of infants at the time of their birth.
Ex: "...Even infants bringing their condemnation with them from their mother's womb,
suffer not for another's, but for their own defect. For although they have not yet produced the
fruits of their own unrighteousness, they have the seed implanted in them. Nay, their whole
nature is, as it were, a seed-bed of sin, and therefore cannot but be odious and abominable to
God. Hence it follows, that it is properly deemed sinful in the sight of God; for there could be
no condemnation without guilt" (B. Carradine, The Old Man, 71-72).
II. Total hereditary depravity EXAMINED and EXPOSED
A. In the first place, there is nothing said in Gen. 3 about Adam and Eve's act of disobedience
changing their nature. It changed their location; they were expelled from the garden. But there
is not a shed of Biblical evidence that the sin imparted depravity to Adam's soul that would be
passed down to all succeeding generations of humankind.
1. Deut. 24:16; Ezek. 18:19-20
2. Perhaps someone will say, "Well, we don't inherit our sinful nature from our fathers; we get
it from our mothers."
a. If this is true, then Jesus would have been born a sinner, because he was born of a human
mother. (From this problem the Catholic church manufactured the doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception—the notion that Mary was miraculously born without inheriting
the adamic nature from her parents).
b. Consider: If we inherit the guilt of the sins of our parents, can we not also inherit their
their righteousness? (After the flood, eight righteous souls departed from the ark to
repopulate the earth. How did these righteous souls impart a totally depraved nature to
their offspring? All of the wicked and depraved people of the world had been killed.
How can righteous people impart a totally depraved nature)?
B. Thoughts/questions:
. Sin is not something we inherit. It is something we do It is an action; it is a transgression of
the law. 1 John 3:4 What law of God do babies transgress by being born into this world?
. If the doctrine of THD is true, it supplies man with a built-in excuse for his sinful behavior
and unbelief. He can always say, "I just can't help—it' my nature." If not, why not?
. If man is totally depraved and cannot obey until the Holy Spirit miraculously regenerates him,
whose fault is it if man is lost? Acts 10:34-35; Rev. 22:17
. If the sinner is so dead that he cannot hear, why would Jesus command that the gospel be
preached to every creature if some creatures are so depraved that they are incapable of
responding? Ex: Imagine a father who offers a delicious treat to his two sons, one of whom is
free to come and get the gift, while the other is tied up in a chair unable to reach out and
receive the gift. What kind of father would that be?
. If man does not have the power to believe the gospel due to Adam's fall, then why did Jesus
marvel at the unbelief of the Jews? Mark 6:6 Why would Peter instruct those at Pentecost
to save themselves if one must depend upon the irresistible act of the Holy Spirit to be saved?
Acts 2:40
. God never uses more than is necessary to save man. If one life-jacket will save a drowning
man, why throw him two? If the gospel really is God's power to save, then why argue for
some direct operation of the Holy Spirit, separate and apart from it?
. Why bother sending Bibles to heathen nations if the reading of the Bible cannot teach them
how to be rescued from their alleged inherited depravity? For that matter, why should we
preach at all, urging men to repent? According to Calvinism, if God has salvation in mind for
someone, He will see to it that they find it. So why should we bother preaching to lost
sinners?
. If man is born in a totally depraved condition , then why did the apostle Paul say that "evil
men and imposters will grow worse and worse..." 2 Tim. 3:13 How can one become more
depraved than totally depraved?
Concl:
A. Christ has made it possible for us to be saved from our sins so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. cf. 1 John 2:28
B. If we are lost on the day of judgment, it will be to our transgressions, not something we have inherited
from others.
C. Each of us must work out our own salvation, according to the will of God, with fear and trembling, confident that He will save if we will obey. "And having been perfected, He became the author of salvation to
all who obey Him." Heb. 5:9
Source: B. J. Clarke, "The Flower That Changed The World"
What was Calvin's Favorite Flower?
2 Peter 3:9: KW—11.15.09, #2 in a series
Intro:
A. I find it very difficult to address false doctrine.
1. The challenge for me is not whether or not I can and should distinguish between truth and error.
2. The challenge for me is to let people know that while I hate inconsistency and falsehood (because it condemns
men's souls), I do not dislike/hate those who hold and endorse these dangerous ideas.
a. Ex: Tony Philips knew I loved him as a brother and friend.
b. But he had a hard time "hearing" whenever I attempted to expose doctrinal error, especially in light of the
fact that he had been converted out of denominationalism and the Assemblies of God.
1) If you hear strong emotion in any lesson in which I deliver, I hope and pray that you not only hear tone,
but that you will hear my motivation for preaching the sermon in the first place.
2) "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you,
who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on
themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways…" 2 Pet. 1:1-2a
a) Peter teaches false doctrine will cause people to be lost! (You cannot believe wrong and live and
die right).
b) I don't want anyone to be lost, and it angers me that there are devoted, religious, and sincere people
in our world who will awaken one day and find themselves in eternal torment because they accepted
a well-told, albeit deceptive and soul-damning, lie.
B. Speaking of lies, we're talking on Sunday nights about a particular flower today, but we're not talking about gardening or horticulture.
C. John Calvin crystallized a doctrine which is best remembered by the acrostic TULIP.
. T—Total hereditary depravity. (Man is totally depraved by virtue of inheriting a sinful nature from his parents).
. U—Unconditional election.
1. Remember the controversy that dogged the 2000 Presidential election when the contest between George W.
Bush and Al Gore came down to a relative handful of disputed ballots in the State of Florida? (For most of us,
it was the first time we had ever heard of those little things called "hanging chads").
2. Then came the pictures of all those beleaguered election officials closely examining each and every ball to
see whether or not the holes in the punch-cards were obstructed by tiny bits of paper that hadn't quite been
removed. (Al Gore might tell us that no election is safe as long as long as there are hanging chads).
a. The same is true of the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election.
b. Just when you think you've got a winner, close reexamination of a number of "hanging chads" in
Scripture tell us that Calvinism's idea in this realm is simply wrong.
D. Each of us is afforded opportunities to teach our friends and family.
1. One of the purposes of our study is to help us prepare accordingly.
2. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a
reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." 1 Pet. 3:15
I. Unconditional particular election EXPLAINED
A. Calvin's teaching:
1. "Predestination, by which God adopts some to the hope of life, and adjudges others to eternal death, no
one, desirous of the credit of piety, dares absolute to deny… Predestination we call the eternal decree of
God, by which he has determined in himself what he would have to become of every individual of man-
kind. For they are not all created with a similar destiny; but eternal life is fore-ordained for some, and
eternal damnation for others. Every man, therefore, being created for one or the other of these ends, we
say, he is predestinated either to life or to death…." (Institutes of Christian Religion, as quoted by Philip
Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. III, 826).
2. Assuming a person accepts the first petal of TULIP, that all people are totally depraved and cannot
choose to repent and obey God, he is forced to also accept the second petal that the Father must step in
and save him if salvation is to be enjoyed.
B. Calvin's influence:
1. "God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably
ordain whatsoever comes to pass… By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men
and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others to everlasting death. These angels and
men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number
is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are
predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and
immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto
everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or
perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him
thereunto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace." (Westminster Confession of Faith; this statement
was prepared in 1647 and adopted by the Presbyterian churches of America).
2. The voice of Calvin has also been welcomed in some of our own pulpits. Ex: "It is a scandalous and
outrageous lie to teach that salvation arises from human activity. We do not contribute one whit to our
salvation." (Rubel Shelly)
II. Unconditional particular election EXPOSED
A. The Word of God contradicts UPE at every turn:
1. Passages:
a. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven. Matt. 7:21
b. "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." John 3:16
c.
"
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." Matt. 11:28-30
d. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been
perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." Heb. 5:8-9
2. God desires that all be saved.
. "Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2:4
. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Pet. 3:9
a. He has provided salvation for all men IF they will comply with the prescribed conditions. "For the
grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." Titus 2:11
b. "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse
generation.'" Acts 2:40; cf. Phil 2:12; 2 Thess. 1:8-9
B. UPE makes God a respecter of persons.
. "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every
nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." Acts 10:34-35
1. The Greek word translated "shows no partiality," ........µ...s, combines the word for "face" with the
word for "to take or receive." (It literally refers to receiving or rejecting someone on the basis of face
alone—that is, surface quality only).
2. We have a similar expression, "to take a face value." (God does not judge a person on the basis of
superficial matters such as nationality, station in life, or possessions. Instead, He looks at the heart
and life of each individual).
. "There is no partiality with God." Rom. 2:11
. "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon
Him." Rom. 10:12
. "And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master
also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him." Eph. 6:9
. "But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." Col. 3:25
C. UPE reduces the devil to a weak and helpless foe.
1. Why beware of someone who is seeking to destroy your soul when it is impossible for him to do so? If
God determined the eternal destiny of every person, then how can Satan lead man astray?
2. Note the warnings of Scripture.
. "Give no place to the devil." Eph. 4:27
. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Eph. 6:11
. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Jas. 4:7
a. If it is true that God arbitrarily selects who will be saved and who will be lost, then why does He warn
us to beware of the devil? What can Satan do if God has already determined who is saved and who is
lost?!
b. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour." 1 Pet. 5:8
III. Conditional election EXPLAINED
A. Election is a biblical doctrine.
1.
"
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Eph. 1:3-4
a. Illust: Americans who want to participate in the Olympics every four years are "chosen" to represent us
on the team; everybody doesn't get to attend the games.
b. God has chosen certain "qualified" individuals to race for the gold.
2. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose. 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. Rom. 8:28-30
a. Those who are qualified are those who have answered the gospel call—those in Christ.
b. God elected a certain type of individual to be saved.
B. God elects a certain class of individuals to be saved.
1.
"
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Eph. 1:3-5
2. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 2 Tim. 2:10
a. A person is in Christ when he puts the Lord on in baptism. Gal. 3:27
b. The kind of person to be saved was predestined.
Concl:
A. John Calvin was a ardent student and sincere, but he was mistaken.
1. Calvin reacted to the extremes of Catholicism and ended up going to the other extreme of totally passive
Christianity in which God does everything and man does nothing.
2. Salvation is not found in meritorious works nor is it found in unconditional particular election.
B. The petal of UPE is false.
C. "But He answered and said, 'Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted." Matt.
15:13
D. Are you in Christ?
--Mike Benson
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