Analysis of Calvinistic Doctrine and Why It's Wrong

2640 Words6 Pages

In most Christian conversations, you typically will not hear the word "Calvinism," but you probably have heard of things like predestination, election, and "once saved, always saved"(Banning). These concepts are core beliefs in the Calvinistic Doctrine. John Calvin is the founder of Calvinism. His doctrine is represented by the acronym T-U-L-I-P. It stands for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. The main idea of Calvinism is meant to emphasize the sovereignty of God and the depravity of man; all of these points depend on this thinking (Taylor). Every point builds upon the previous one, so if one point is refuted, the whole doctrine crumbles. The Calvinistic belief system is summed up well in this quote by Ben Perry: "Calvinists...believe that it's not: 'Because you have faith in God and follow his ways, God will have mercy on you and save you.' Instead they believe it's: 'Because God chose you, you will serve God and be saved'." While Calvinism emphasizes God's authority and power, which is good, it fails to recognize the relational aspect of God which gives us free will, and therefore does not uphold true biblical doctrine. I. Total Depravity/Inability Total Depravity/Inability is the first point in T-U-L-I-P. Total Depravity can be described as being spiritually and morally depraved of anything righteous. The whole root of Calvinism is embedded in this one point. It teaches that all people have inherited original sin, making us completely immoral and incapable of being right with God. This means we can not draw near to God or ask for help. God has to do all the work in bringing us into a relationship with him. Calvinists are correct in the... ... middle of paper ... ...ster, Tim. You Can Change: God's Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010. Print. "Did Jesus Die for Everyone? My Calvinist Friends Say No." CARM. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. o> "Evidence Unseen." Evidence Unseen. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. ""TULIP" Calvinism Compared to Wesleyan Perspectives." TULIP Calvinism Compared to Wesleyan Perspectives. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. . "Why I Can't Believe In Calvinism." :: Just Christians.com. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. . "YouVersion." YouVersion. Web. 05 May 2014. .

Open Document