The Five Points of
Calvinism
…an introduction
By Matt Slick
Why a course on Calvinism?
1.
2.
We need a course on Calvinism because as
Christians we need to be informed concerning
the different aspects of theology held by
different Christians. Though no man-made system of
biblical theology is perfect, each offers insights into God’s
word that have value to the Christian body as a whole.
There are many denominations that differ in significant
areas, but they all hold to the essentials of the Christian
faith.
Page 1 of manual, paragraphs 1-2
Essentials of the Faith
3.
What are the essentials of the Christian faith?
They can be summarized here:
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Jesus is both God and man (John 1:1, 14; 8:24; Col. 2:9;
1 John 4:1-4).
Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor.
15:14).
Salvation is by grace through faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal.
3:1-2; 5:1-4).
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
according to the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8-9).
There is only one God (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8)
God is a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary (nature of incarnation)
Jesus is the only way to God the Father (John 14:6).
Page 1 of manual, paragraph 3
Essentials of the Faith
4.
To deviate from the above essentials is to deny the
Christian faith. But, to deviate in the non-essentials, i.e.,
pre-tribulation rapture or post tribulation rapture, worship
on Sunday or Saturday, etc., does not affect one’s salvation
nor does it deny the Christian faith.
Page 1 of manual, paragraph 4
Essentials of the Faith
“Now accept the one who is weak in faith,
but not for the purpose of passing judgment
on his opinions…5 One man regards one day
above another, another regards every day alike. Let each
man be fully convinced in his own mind,” (Rom. 14:1,5).
5.
We are told by the Apostle Paul to accept fellow Christians
and do not pass judgment on them on debatable issues.
We are told that each person must be convinced in his own
mind. Therefore, we are obligated to consider our brothers
in Christ with high regard.
Page 2 of manual, paragraph 5
Essentials of the Faith
6.
So, as we look at the doctrines of the Christian
Faith known as Calvinism, let’s do so with an
open and non-judgmental attitude. It does not
mean we are obligated to accept the tenets, but we are
obligated to be loving when regarding those who hold to
them (or don’t). Okay then, let’s weigh what is taught
against Scripture.
7.
Calvinists hold to the essentials of the Christian faith but
they also hold to more specific areas of theology that other
Christians do not. These more specific areas are known as
the Five Points of
Page 2 of manual, paragraphs 6-7
Essentials of the Faith
8.
9.
Calvinism, also known as Reformed Theology, is
named after the French Theologian John Calvin
who lived from 1509 to 1564. John Calvin was a
second generation reformer continuing the work begun by
Martin Luther who ignited the Reformation in Germany.
Calvin was initially trained as a lawyer and used his skills to
systematize biblical theology into what would later become
known as Calvinism. He left the Catholic Church around
1533 and eventually fled to Geneva, Switzerland to avoid
persecution. After a thorough study of the Bible, Calvin
then published the monumental work known as The
Institutes of the Christian Religion, one of the most
influential books in Western Civilization.
Pages 2-3 of manual, paragraphs 8-9
Essentials of the Faith
10.
11.
12.
13.
After being published, the Institutes became a
bestseller virtually overnight and pushed Calvin
to the forefront of the Protestant Reformation.
In the Institutes, Calvin examined the doctrines of
Creator/creature distinctive, God and his sovereignty, man’s
fallen condition, the doctrine of salvation, election,
predestination, the security of the believer, government,
private property, problems with the Catholic Church, and
much more.
In Geneva, Calvin preached, lectured, and continued to
write. While there he gained considerable influence.
John Calvin lived in Geneva, Switzerland until he died on
May 27th, 1564.
Page 3 of manual, paragraphs 10-13
The Five Points of Calvinism
Summarized
14.
Calvinism is most famously associated with what is
called “The Five Points of Calvinism” and are
represented by the acronym TULIP.
 T = Total Depravity: A person is completely touched by sin in
all that he is and cannot freely choose God because he is
enslaved to sinful desires.
 U = Unconditional Election: God’s election to salvation is not
based on what is in man, but what is in God.
 L = Limited Atonement: Jesus bore the sins of the elect alone
and not every individual who ever lived.
 I = Irresistible Grace: God’s gracious calling to salvation
cannot be resisted but will result in salvation.
 P = Perseverance of the Saints: The elect are secure in Christ
and cannot lose their salvation.
Page 4 of manual, paragraph 14
Hyper Calvinism is not Calvinism
15.
16.
Before we examine those five points we need to clarify that
Hyper Calvinism is sometimes mistaken for Calvinism.
Hyper Calvinism is the teaching that rightly affirms God’s
sovereignty, but erringly denies man’s responsibility.
Generally, it states that God will save a person “no matter
what” and that the means of that salvation (preaching,
lecturing, teaching, missionary work, etc.) are
inconsequential to a person becoming saved. It is like
saying that a person will be saved when God
wants him saved and our preaching the gospel
doesn’t matter. It also denies the necessity of
missionary work, evangelism, and prayer for the
conversion of the lost.
Calvinists consider Hyper Calvinism to be heretical and a
violation of scripture. Now, let’s move on to what Calvinism
actually teaches in the five points. Page 4 of manual, paragraphs 15-16
Total Depravity
17.
18.
Total Depravity is the teaching that sin has
affected all of the person. The body, heart,
emotions, will, and mind are all touched by sin.
As a result of this condition, the unbeliever is not capable of
freely choosing to receive Christ. He must be enabled by
God to do so.
We clearly see that sin has affected our bodies because we
get sick, grow old, and die.
Page 5 of manual, paragraphs 17-18
Total Depravity
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image,
according to our likeness…” (Gen. 1:26).
19.
We are made in the image of God. The image is not a
physical representation of God because God is spirit (John
4:24) and spirit does not have a body of flesh and bones
(Luke 24:39). Instead, the image consists of qualities in us
that reflect qualities in God such as our ability to reason,
love, hate, be compassionate, merciful, etc. Nevertheless,
the Image of God in us is affected by our sin. We are now
fallen, sinful, and lost -- even though we can still reason,
love, be compassionate, and merciful.
Page 5 of manual, paragraph 19
Total Depravity
20.
21.
But, this effect of sin upon all of what we are does not
mean we are as sinful as we could be. We could be a lot
worse. We don’t go around murdering, lying, stealing, etc.,
on a constant basis. For the most part, people are pretty
decent and refrain from such grievous sins.
But we are affected by our sinfulness at a very deep level.
To repeat, Total Depravity means that we are completely
affected by sin in all that we are. This affect is
important especially when we examine the issue of a
person’s free will.
Page 5 of manual, paragraphs 20-21
Total Depravity
22.
23.
Free will is the ability to make choices without
external coercion. Furthermore, free will means that we act
and choose in a manner that is consistent with what we are.
Therefore, a choice is free if it is consistent with the
person's desires.
There are two main views of free will: Libertarian and
Compatibilist.
Page 6 of manual, paragraphs 22-23
Total Depravity
24.
Compatiblist free will is the position that a person's free
will is restricted by his sinful nature and as a result he can
choose only what his sinful nature will allow him to choose.
In other words, his will must be "compatible" with the
condition of his depraved and sinful nature and that he will
only choose sinful options.
25.
Libertarian free will is the position that a person's free will
is not restricted by his sinful nature. It states that the sinner
is not enslaved by sin such that he only chooses sinful
things. In other words, he is at "liberty" to freely choose
what is right as well as what is wrong.
Page 6 of manual, paragraphs 24-25
Total Depravity
26.
27.
In light of Libertarian and Compatiblist free will, total
depravity can now be more properly examined in regards to
the ability of the unbeliever to come to Christ. But to do this,
we need to examine what the Bible says about the
unbeliever’s condition.
The doctrine of Total Depravity is derived from scriptures that
reveal human character: Man’s heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23)
and sick (Jer. 17:9). Man is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:20). He does
not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12). He cannot understand
spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). He is at enmity with God (Eph.
2:15). And, is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). The
Calvinist asks the question, "In light of the scriptures that
declare man’s true nature as being utterly lost and incapable,
how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God?" The
answer is, "He cannot. Therefore God must predestine."
Page 6 of manual, paragraphs 26-27
Total Depravity
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Let’s take a look at these scriptures.
Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders,
adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as
deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.”
Jer. 17:9, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is
desperately sick. Who can understand it?”
Rom. 6:20, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free
in regard to righteousness.”
Rom. 3:10-12, “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not
even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none
who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they
have become useless; There is none who does good, There is
not even one.’”
Page 7 of manual, paragraphs 28-32
Total Depravity
33.
34.
35.
1 Cor. 2:14, “But a natural man does not accept the things
of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
appraised.”
Eph. 2:15, “by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is
the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in
Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus
establishing peace,”
Eph. 2:3, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts
of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the
rest.”
Page 7 of manual, paragraphs 33-35
Man Apart from God
36.
Apart from God, man is utterly hopeless. He
cannot change what he is nor can undo the offense against
God for his sins. Only God can do that.
 Jer. 13:23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the
leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are
accustomed to doing evil."
 Rom. 5:10, "For if while we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much
more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His
life.“
 Rom. 8:7, "because the mind set on the flesh is hostile
toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of
God, for it is not even able to do so."
Page 8 of manual, paragraph 36
Man Apart from God
37.
The unbeliever CAN respond to God. His response will be in
accordance with scripture that says he cannot do good, is a
hater of God, is full of evil, etc., Therefore, we conclude
that his free will response will be to reject God, according
to the limits described by scripture itself.
Page 8 of manual, paragraph 37
God’s Work
38.
Because of man’s fallen condition it is God who appoints
people to believe (Acts 13:48), chooses who is to be holy
and blameless (Eph. 1:4), calls according to His purpose (2
Tim. 1:9), chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14), grants
the act of believing (Phil. 1:29), grants repentance (2 Tim.
2:24-26), causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3), draws
people to Himself (John 6:44,65), predestines us to
salvation (Rom. 8:29-30) and adoption (Eph. 1:5) according
to His purpose (Eph. 1:11), makes us born again not by our
will but by His will (John 1:12-13), and works faith in the
believer (John 6:28-29).
Page 8 of manual, paragraph 38
God’s Work
39.
40.
41.
42.
Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they
began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as
many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
Eph. 1:4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before
Him.”
2 Tim. 1:9, “who has saved us, and called us with a holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to His
own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus
from all eternity,”
2 Thess. 2:13, “But we should always give thanks to God for
you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen
you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification
by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”
Page 9 of manual, paragraphs 39-42
God’s Work
43.
44.
45.
46.
Phil. 1:29, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake,
not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
2 Tim. 2:25, “with gentleness correcting those who are in
opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance
leading to the knowledge of the truth,”
1 Pet. 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to
be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead,”
John 6:44,65, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father
who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last
day…65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to
you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been
granted him from the Father.”
Page 9 of manual, paragraphs 43-46
God’s Work
47.
48.
49.
Rom. 8:29-30, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined
to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He
might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and
whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He
called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these
He also glorified.”
Eph. 1:5, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through
Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His
will,”
Eph. 1:11, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having
been predestined according to His purpose who works all
things after the counsel of His will,”
Page 10 of manual, paragraphs 47-49
God’s Work
50.
51.
John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, even to those
who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God.”
John 6:28-29, “They said therefore to Him, “What shall we
do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus
answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that
you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
Page 10 of manual, paragraphs 50-51
Unconditional Election
52.
53.
What is election? Election is the act of God’s
sovereign will where before the creation of the world he chooses
an individual or group of people to accomplish a purpose.
In the context of Reformed Theology and Unconditional Election,
election is the teaching that God, before the creation of the
world, elected some people to be saved and not others. His
election was not based on any foreseen decision or quality in
these people. Instead, it was based solely on the sovereign will
of God. Election is based on what is in God, not what is in man.
God chose us for salvation because he decided to bestow his
love and grace upon us, not because we are worthy of being
saved.
Page 11 of manual, paragraphs 52-53
Unconditional Election
 2 Thess. 2:13, “But we should always give thanks
to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has
chosen you from the beginning for salvation through
sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”
 Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began
rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had
been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the
Lord was being spread through the whole region.”
 Matt. 24:22, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and
will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible,
even the elect.”
Page 11 of manual, paragraph 53
Unconditional Election
 Mark 13:27, “And then He will send forth the angels, and will
gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest
end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven.”
 Rom. 8:32-33, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered
Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all
things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is
the one who justifies.”
Page 11 of manual, paragraph 53
Unconditional Election
54.
Does God elect and choose people and individuals? Yes he does.
The Greek word “eklektos” (elect) occurs many times in the N.T.
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Matt. 24:22, for the sake of the elect, days will be cut short
Matt. 24:24, “to mislead if possible, even the elect”
Matt. 24:31, “God will gather his elect from the four winds
Mark 13:20, for the sake of the elect, days are shortened
Mark 13:22, “to lead astray, if possible the elect”
Mark 13:27, God will gather his elect
Luke 18:7, God will bring justice to the elect
Rom. 8:33, who will bring a charge against God’s elect?
1 Tim. 5:21, elect angels, chosen angels
Page 12 of manual, paragraph 54
Unconditional Election
55.
The Greek word “eklektos” is also translated as “chosen”.
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Matt. 22:14, many called, few are chosen
Rom. 16:13, Rufus, chosen in the Lord
Col. 3:12, those who have been chosen of God
2 Tim. 2:10, Paul endures all things for the sake of the chosen
1 Pet. 1:1, Peter writes to those who are chosen by God
1 Pet. 2:4, Jesus is chosen of God
2 John 1, “the elder to the chosen lady and her children”
2 John 13, “the children of the chosen sister greet you”
Rev. 17:14, those with Jesus are the chosen ones
Page 12 of manual, paragraph 55
Unconditional Election
56.
The Greek word “eklogay” means to “choose, select, elect.”
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Acts 9:15, Paul is a chosen vessel.
Rom. 9:11, God chose to love Jacob and hate Esau
Rom. 11:5, God has remnant of believers due to his choice.
Rom. 11:7, Those who were chosen obtained salvation.
Rom. 11:28, God chose Israel to love.
1 Thess. 1:4, God chose the brethren.
Page 12 of manual, paragraph 56
…Predestination
“also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel
of His will,” (Eph. 1:11).
57.
Predestine in Greek is προορίζω, “prooridzo”. It means to
determine beforehand, to decide. Therefore, God has, from all
eternity, determined whatsoever shall come to pass.
58.
Predestination and election are interconnected. God predestines
events beforehand and he also elects people into salvation.
Therefore, God predestines those who have been elected to
infallibly obtain salvation.
Page 13 of manual, paragraphs 57-58
…Predestination
 Acts 4:28, “to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose
predestined to occur.”
 Rom. 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born
among many brethren.”
 Rom. 8:30, “and whom He predestined, these He also called; and
whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these
He also glorified.”
 1 Cor. 2:7, “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory.”
 Eph. 1:5, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ
to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”
 Eph. 1:11, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been
predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the
counsel of His will.”
Page 13 of manual, paragraph 58
…Predestination
59.
Obviously, God predestines and elects individuals to salvation. He
does this because he is the sovereign Lord who knows the end
from the beginning and also because without his election and
predestination, no one would ever be saved.
Page 13 of manual, paragraph 59
Objections to Election Answered
60.
Doesn’t this mean that God is showing partiality?
Partiality, according to the Bible is showing favoritism
to a person based on money, status, etc.
“For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and
dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in
dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is
wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,”
and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down
by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among
yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (James 2:2).

Answer: If God elected someone based on some quality
in the person, then that would be showing partiality. It
would mean that God was judging a person worthy of
salvation because of some good quality in him. But God
does not show such partiality.
Page 14 of manual, paragraph 60
Objections to Election Answered
continued…
61.
There is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34),
so God does choose individuals for salvation
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of
Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the
sons of Israel,” (Acts 9:15).
“Greet Rufus, a chosen man in the Lord, also his mother and
mine,” (Rom. 16:13).
Page 14 of manual, paragraph 61
Objections to Election Answered
62.
Does God’s election mean that we have no free will?
 Answer: Free will is the ability to make choices and people
are still free to choose what they want. But, without God’s
election and work, none will ever come to a saving
relationship with Jesus.
“And He was saying, ’For this reason I
have said to you, that no one can come to Me
unless it has been granted him from the
Father,’” (John 6:65).
Page 15 of manual, paragraph 62
Objections to Election Answered
63.
God looked into the future to see who would pick
him as it says in Romans 8:29 “those whom he
foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
son”?
 Answer: If God had to look into the future to see who would
pick him, this would mean that God had to learn. But God
knows all things (1 John 3:20). So, this cannot be the case.
Page 15 of manual, paragraph 63
Objections to Election Answered
63. (continued…)
God looked into the future to see who would pick him
as it says in Romans 8:29 “those whom he foreknew, he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his son”?

Answer: When God says that he "knows" someone it
means that person is saved. If he says he does not know
anyone (Matthew 7:22-23) then it means the person is not
saved. The word for "know” in Greek is “ginosko”. The word
for "foreknow” in Greek is "proginosko”. Therefore, God is
"knowing" those whom he also predestined. Notice that
the text says "those whom he foreknew he also
predestined.” In other words, the four known ones are
also the predestined ones.
Page 15 of manual, paragraph 63
Objections to Election Answered
64.
This means that God is not fair because he
chooses one person and not another so that the
person not chosen does not have a choice on
whether not to be saved.

Answer: The answer is found in
Romans 9:9-23.
Page 15 of manual, paragraph 64
Romans 9:9-23
65.
Romans 9:9-23 is a critical area of scripture that demonstrates
God’s sovereign act of election. Let’s take a look.
Page 16 of manual, paragraph 65
Romans 9:9-23

(vv. 9-16)
“For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come,
and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but there
was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our
father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had
not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to
His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him
who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What
shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it
never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have
compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills
or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy…” (continued..)
Page 16 of manual, paragraph 65
Romans 9:9-23

(vv. 17-23)
“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised
you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might
be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 18 So then He has
mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who
resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man,
who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the
molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the
potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one
vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if
God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His
power known, endured with much patience vessels of
wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make
known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which
He prepared beforehand for glory,” (Rom. 9:9-23).
Page 16 of manual, paragraph 65
Romans 9:9-23
(vv. 17-23)
66.
If you read this text and do not raise the same
objections that Paul did, then you do not
understand what he said.
67.
Romans 9:9-23 clearly tells us that God is the sovereign Lord
who does with his creation as he pleases.
68.
Our salvation, election, being chosen of God is by His choice not
ours. That is why Paul says, “it does not depend on the man
who wills or the man who 
runs, but on 
God who has mercy,”
(Rom. 9:16). Also, God “has mercy on whom He desires, and He
hardens whom He desires,” (Rom. 9:18).
Pages 16-17 of manual, paragraphs 66-68
Objections Answered
69.
The natural objection will be to ask "Why did you make
me like this?” (Rom. 9:20). God responds and says that he has
the right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel
for honorable use and another for dishonorable use. The
reason he does this is found in verse 23 where he says that "he
did so to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of
mercy, which you prepared beforehand for glory."
Pages 17 of manual, paragraph 69
Objections Answered
Doesn’t this then mean that God is unfair?
 Answer: No, God is not unfair. He always does w hat is right.
All deserve to be damned sin all are by nature children of
wrath (Eph. 2:3).
 Answer: The answer to this objection is found in the text in
verses 20-23, “who are you, O man, who answers back to
God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did
you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have
a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel
for honorable use, and another for common use? 22
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath
and to make His power known, endured with much
patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23
And He did so in order that He might make known the riches
of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared
beforehand for glory.”
Page 17 of manual, paragraph 70
70.
Objections Answered
71.
Objection: But isn’t Romans 9 really talking about
nations and not individuals?
 Answer: The word "vessel" is never used when
speaking of nations. In the context of
predestination and election, is always used of
individuals.
 1 Thess. 4:4, “that each of you know how to possess his
own vessel (context is wife) in sanctification and honor."
 2 Tim. 2:21, “Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from
these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified,
useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."
 1 Pet. 3:7, “You husbands likewise, live with your wives in
an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel...”
Page 18 of manual, paragraph 71
Objections Answered
71.
But isn’t Romans 9 really talking about
nations and not individuals?

(continued…)
Answer: The text does not speak of groups of
people but of individuals. “I will have compassion on
whom (singular) I have compassion,” (9:15). “it does
not depend on the man who wills…” (9:16). “He has
mercy on whom (singular) He desires,” (9:18). “The
thing molded will not say to the molder…” (9:20).
“one vessel for honorable use and another for
common use,” (9:21).
Page 18 of manual, paragraph 71
Unconditional Election
72.
Because of man’s sinful nature, no one would ever come to God.
Remember, it is man who cannot understand spiritual things (1
Cor. 2:14); is full of evil (Mark 7:21-23); does not seek for God
(Rom. 3:11); is lawless, rebellious, unholy, and profane (1 Tim.
1:9); and is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). If it were left up
to man, no one would ever be saved. God, in His loving
predestination, assured to Himself His people, the ones who He
called and predestined: “Just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless
before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention
of His will,” (Eph. 1:4-5). By God’s own words, predestination is a
loving doctrine.
Page 18 of manual, paragraph 72
Limited Atonement
73.
74.
Limited Atonement is the teaching that Jesus did
not pay for everyone’s sins. Instead, Jesus only
bore the sins of the elect. This view is also called
“Particular Redemption” because the Reformed position is
that Jesus bore the sins of a particular group of people.
The non-Reformed position is that Jesus bore the sins of
everyone who ever lived.
The extent of the atonement is debated among Protestants
and we must be very careful not to pass judgment on our
Christian brothers and sisters who do not share the same
opinion in debatable issues.
Page 19 of manual, paragraphs 73-74
Limited Atonement
“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of
passing judgment on his opinions 2 One man has faith that he may
eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 Let not
him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let
not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted
him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own
master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to
make him stand. 5 One man regards one day above
another, another regards every day alike. Let each man
be fully convinced in his own mind,” (Romans 4:1-5).
75.
Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:35).
Let’s make sure that this verse is true of us.
Page 19 of manual, paragraphs 74-75
Limited Atonement
76.
77.
78.
There are two ways to limit the atonement. We can limit
the power and limit the scope.
Those who believe that Jesus died for everyone who
ever lived, limit the power of the atonement because they do
not believe it has the power to automatically save the one’s
whose sins are paid for.
Those who believe that Jesus died only for the elect, limit the
scope of the atonement because they believe that his sacrifice
was so powerful that if he died for everyone who ever lived
then they would all be saved.
Page 20 of manual, paragraphs 76-78
Limited Atonement
79.
So we have to ask the question. “When Jesus died
on the cross, did he die for everyone who ever lived
or did he only die for the ones God chose to be
saved?” Let’s take a look at support for the
Reformed Position.
Page 20 of manual, paragraph 79
The Law and Sin
80.
Sin is transgression, rebellion, and defiance of
God’s Law. More specifically, it is breaking the
Law of God. The Law is a reflection of the holy nature of
God since it represents his righteousness.
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and
sin is lawlessness,” (1 John 3:4).
81.
The Law is summarized in the Ten Commandments: Have
No Other Gods; Make No Idols; Don’t Use God’s Name In
Vain; Sabbath Day; Honor Parents; Do Not Murder; Do Not
Commit Adultery; Do Not Steal; Do Not Bear False Witness;
Do Not Covet.
Page 20 of manual, paragraphs 80-81
The Law and Sin
82.
83.
Now, there is no Law without a punishment. A Law
without a punishment is a slogan. When someone
sins (breaks the Law of God) there must necessarily be a
consequence. If God did not punish the sinner, then God
would not be holy and just.
The punishment is proportional to severity of the Law that
is broken. Different laws have different punishments. But,
another aspect of the Law is related to the Law-Giver.
When we sin we offend God because it is his Law we are
breaking. Therefore when we sin we are offending an
infinitely holy God and the punishment is infinite and
therefore eternal. This is why Hell is without end. “And the
smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they
have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast
and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his
Page 21 of manual, paragraphs 82-83
name,” (Rev. 14:11).
The Law and Sin
84.
Because sin is breaking the Law of God, sin is a
legal problem. Of course, sin is not only a legal
issue since it affects our heart, mind, emotions, body, etc.
Nevertheless, for our discussion of the atonement we need
to look at the legal aspect since Jesus “paid for our sins”.
“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the
cross, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed,”
(1 Pet. 2:24).
Page 21 of manual, paragraph 84
The Law and Sin
85.
86.
Jesus was made under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and
never sinned (1 Pet. 2:22). So, his life and work are perfect
and because he is both human and divine, his sacrifice on
the cross is of infinite value and appeases the infinite
Father who sent him (John 6:44).
Therefore, what Jesus did on the cross was a legal action.
He legally paid the debt for sin. This is why in John 19:30
Jesus said, “It is finished” when was about to die on the
cross. The single word in Greek “tetelestai” (“It is finished”
in the English) is a reference to a legal transaction.
THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY, VOL. 2, P. 340
"PAPYRI RECEIPTS FOR TAXES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED WITH
THE WORD TETELESTAI WRITTEN ACROSS THEM, MEANING
“PAID IN FULL.”
Pages 21-23 of manual, paragraphs 85-86
The Law and Sin
87.
So, Jesus made a legal payment for our sins. That is, he
legally paid the debt for the sins committed against God.
His payment, when applied to the believer, cancels the
certificate of debt.
“having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of
decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has
taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross,” (Col.
2:14).
88.
If Jesus legally paid for the debt of sin, then legally no sin
could be held against the one whose debt has been paid.
Page 22 of manual, paragraphs 87-88
The Law and Sin
89.
Illustration: Let’s say there is a man who goes to his bank
to make a mortgage payment. On the way there he is
involved in a car accident and ends up in a coma in a
hospital for one month. During that month, someone
legally pays off his mortgage. Upon recovering, the man
goes to the bank and gives the teller the mortgage check
only to find that the debt has been paid. Can the bank
legally accept the payment for a debt that has been paid?
Of course not. Why? Because the debt does not exist. It
has been paid in full. The debt is finished: tetelestai.
Page 22 of manual, paragraph 89
The Law and Sin
90.
If Jesus paid the debt in full, then it is paid and the debt can
no longer be held against the person; otherwise it has not
been paid. This is what Jesus did on the cross. He legally
paid for our sins and has cancelled the certificate of debt
(Col. 2:14). Therefore, if Jesus bore the sins of everyone
who ever lived, then he has paid for the debt of everyone
and everyone’s debt is cancelled, paid in full, removed and
God could not then accept the payment of eternal
punishment -- since the debt of sin is paid.
Page 23 of manual, paragraph 90
Objection
91.
Objection: But the person has to accept the sacrifice
of Christ by faith in order for the debt of sins to be
removed.
 Answer: In our illustration of “Coma Man”, did he have
to accept the cancellation of the debt in order for it to
work? Not at all. When a legal debt is paid, then it
does not depend on whether or not someone receives
it or even believes it is paid. It is paid; otherwise it is
not an actual legal payment.
 Answer: God will infallibly draw the person and bring
him to a faithful trust in Christ so that the cancelled
debt can be applied to him when he believes because
God has granted he believes (Phil. 1:29) and appointed
him to eternal life (Acts 13:48)
Page 23 of manual, paragraph 91
Objection
92.
Objection: The Bible says in John 3:16 that Jesus
died for the whole world and that means everyone.

Answer: …see next section.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
Page 23 of manual, paragraph 92
Jesus died for all
93.
94.
Context is hugely important when understanding
Scripture. So, let’s look at the context.
Contrary to what a lot of Christians believe, Jesus
was not sent to the world. He was sent only to Israel.
This means that the Jews understood the Messiah to be
coming for them, the Israelites, not the whole world.
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,”
(Matt. 15:24).
Page 24 of manual, paragraphs 93-94
Jesus died for all
95.
Furthermore, Jesus told the disciples to avoid going to
the Gentiles and Samaritans but only go to Israel.
“These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them,
saying, ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not
enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel,’” (Matt. 10:5).
Page 24 of manual, paragraphs 95
Jesus died for all
96.
But Israel rejected the Messiah so God directed the
disciples to them go to the Gentiles.
“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It
was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to
you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves
unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the
Gentiles,” (Acts 13:46). See also Romans 11:11.
Page 24 of manual, paragraph 96
Jesus died for all
97.
So, Jesus said he was only sent to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel (Matt. 15:24) and when he sent
the disciples out into the world, he told them not go to the
Gentiles, but to only go to the people of Israel (Acts 13:46;
Rom. 11:11). This is how the Jews thought about the
Messiah. He was coming to Israel, not the whole world.
Page 25 of manual, paragraph 97
Jesus died for all
98.
But the Gentiles were then grafted in to the “Olive
Tree” – a metaphor for being saved (Rom. 11:17-24). Paul
speaks of the Gentiles who were then sought out by God
which is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
“in you all the families of the earth will be blessed,”
(Gen. 12:3).
“Again Isaiah says, ‘There shall come the root of Jesse,
and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, in Him shall
the Gentiles hope,” (Rom. 15:12).
Page 25 of manual, paragraph 98
Jesus died for all
99.
Therefore, when, for example, John 3:16 says God so
loved the world, he is speaking of all the nations, not just
Israel. To say, for example, that the word “world” means
every person who has ever lived is to read into the text
instead of seeing what it means in cultural and theological
context. The same would be true of 1 John 2:2 which says,
“and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for
ours only, but those of the whole world.”







“The gospel is preached in the whole world,” (Mark 14:9).
“…the nations of the world eagerly seek,” (Luke 12:30).
“This One is indeed the Savior of the world,” (John 4:42).
Jesus is the Light of the world, (John 8:12).
The Father sent Jesus into the world, (John 10:36).
Jesus spoke openly in the world, (John 18:20).
Paul upset the Jews “throughout the world,” (Acts 24:5).
Page 25 of manual, paragraph 99
Have you died?
100. Most Christians hold
to the view that Jesus bore
the sin of everyone who ever lived. In other words,
“he died for all.” The truth is that he did die for all! We
need to take a look at the scriptures to see how he did this.
But, before we do, we need to ask a question: “Have you
died?”
 Rom. 6:8, "Now if we have died with Christ..."
 Col. 2:20, "If you have died with Christ to the
elementary principles of the world..."
 Col. 3:3, "For you have died and your life is hidden with
Christ in God.”
 2 Tim. 2:11, "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we
died with Him, we shall also live with Him.”
Page 26 of manual, paragraph 100
Have you died?
101. The
only ones who have died with Christ are the believers,
not the unbelievers. You never find anywhere in scripture
where it is said that an unbeliever has “died with
Christ,” “died to the elementary principles of the
world,” “died with him,” etc. It just doesn’t exist
Page 26 of manual, paragraph 101
2 Corinthians 5:14
102.
Now, let’s take a look at where it says that Jesus died for
all.
“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded
this, that one died for all, therefore all died, (2 Cor.
5:14).
Page 26 of manual, paragraph 102
2 Corinthians 5:14
103. If Jesus “died for
all; therefore all died”, then the “all” can
only be the Christians. Think about it this way. If “all”
means everyone who ever lived, then it would mean that
Jesus “died for everyone who ever lived; therefore,
everyone who ever lived, died.” That would make no
sense.
104. On the other hand, if “all” meant, only the believers, the
Christians, the elect, then it would say Jesus “died for the
elect; therefore, the elect died.” That would make sense.
“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded
this, that one died for all, therefore all died, (2 Cor.
5:14).
Page 27 of manual, paragraphs 103-104
Romans 5:18
105. Romans 5:18 is
another very interesting verse. It says…
“So, as through one offense, there resulted condemnation
to all men, so also, through one righteous deed, there
resulted justification of life to all men,"(Rom. 5:18).
106. The
Literal Greek says,
A: so, therefore, as through one offense, into all
men into condemnation,
B: so, also, through one righteous deed, into all
men into justification of life.
Page 27 of manual, paragraphs 105-106
Romans 5:18
107. Notice that the
verse references two results, one for
each action. The sin of Adam resulted in condemnation
to all men (Rom. 5:12). Likewise, the sacrifice of Christ
resulted in justification of life to all men. But, of course,
the problem is that all are not justified. This is why the NIV
adds words to “part B” so that it says, “justification that
brings life for all men”. The KJV says, “the free gift came to
all men, resulting in justification of life.” The underlined
words do not exist in the Greek. The NASB attempts to be
as literal as possible to the original. The others altered the
literalness of the translation.
Page 27 of manual, paragraph 107
Romans 5:18
108. What is Paul
saying? He is saying that “there resulted
justification of life to all men”. That is what it actually says.
But, the “all” can’t be everyone who ever lived. It can only
be the believer, the elect. We have already seen from 2
Cor. 5:14 that when Jesus died for all, the “all” can only be
the Christian. Let’s consider another verse.
Page 28 of manual, paragraph 108
Romans 5:18
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be
made alive,"(1 Cor. 15:22).
109. What is Paul
saying? He is saying that “there resulted
justification of life to all men”. That is what it actually says.
But, the “all” can’t be everyone who ever lived. It can only
be the believer, the elect. We have already seen from
2 Cor. 5:14 that when Jesus died for all, the “all” can
only be the Christian. Let’s consider another verse.
Page 28 of manual, paragraph 109
Romans 5:18
110. We
see a pattern in the Bible that shows Jesus
dying for his people, not everyone who ever lived.
 John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd; the good
shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
 John 10:15, “I lay down My life for the sheep.”
 John 10:26, “But you do not believe, because you are not
of My sheep.”
 John 17:20, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but
for those also who believe in Me through their word.”
Page 28 of manual, paragraph 110
Double Payment
111. A double
payment is when something is paid for twice. If
we look at the position that Jesus died for everyone, and
that those for whom he died still go to hell, then there is a
double payment.
•
Jesus paid the debt of sin by bearing our sins
in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). He “
suffered the punishment of the Law (“the
wages of sin is death,” Rom. 6:23), because he
became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). He made a
legal payment: “tetelestai” which is translated as “It is
finished.”
•
The unbeliever pays the debt of sin in hell.
This is a double payment.
Page 29 of manual, paragraph 111
Double Payment
112. Double
payment would be wrong because it means sins are
paid for two times: once when Jesus cancelled the
certificate of debt having nailed it to the cross, (Col. 2:14)
and again in eternal hell. But this would be wrong.
113. The power and effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice does not
depend on our faith. It depends on Jesus’ nature and work.
The atonement is powerful because of who made it.
Furthermore, Jesus either actually paid for our sins or
he did not. He either satisfied the requirement of the
Law’s punishment, or he did not. His blood is
powerful enough to actually pay the debt of sin (not just
make it possible), or it is not. Again, the power of the
atonement does not depend on a person’s faith. It
depends on Jesus, God in flesh, and it is applied to the
person upon believing.
Page 29 of manual, paragraphs 112-113
Objection: John 1:29
114. Objection:
John 1:29 says, “Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!” This shows
that Jesus died for everyone.
 Answer: If Jesus took away the sins of the world, then
all people would go to heaven because all of their sins
would have been taken away. But this is obviously not
the case because people will be in hell. “And the smoke
of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they
have no rest day and night, those who worship the
beast and his image, and whoever receives the
mark of his name,” (Rev. 14:11).
 Answer: Given the earlier information about the word
“world” meaning all the nations, this verse can rightly
be understood to mean that Jesus takes away the sin of
all people groups in all nations.
Page 30 of manual, paragraph 114
Objection: John 6:33
115. Objection:
John 6:33 says, “For the bread of God is that
which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the
world.” Jesus had to give his life for everyone since that is
what the word world means.
 Answer: Again, the word world is dealing with all the
nations since not everyone who has ever lived has
eternal life.
Page 30 of manual, paragraph 115
Objection: John 3:16
116.
Objection: John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” This
means that “whoever” will, can believe which further
means that Jesus had to die for everyone.
 Answer: The “whoever” believe, do so because they
are appointed to eternal life (Acts 13:48), are granted
the act of believing (Phil. 1:29). God knows who are his
and who he has elected and predestined. He will not
waste his blood.
Page 31 of manual, paragraph 116
Objection
117.
Objection: 2 Pet. 2:1 says, “But false prophets also arose
among the people, just as there will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves.” If Jesus only
paid for the Christians, then why does it say that the false
teachers denied the Lord who bought them?
Page 31 of manual, paragraph 117
Objection: 2 Pet. 2:1
117.
Answer: Peter addressed his epistle to the Jews who were
aliens scattered abroad (1 Pet. 1:1). In his two epistles
referred to the Old Testament in 1 Pet. 1:22-25; 2:6-9; 2:24;
3:8-12; 2 Pet. 2:5-8; 2:21; 2 Pet. 3:4-6. Therefore, it seems
natural to believe that he is probably referring to the Old
Testament in Deut. 32:6, “Do you thus repay the Lord, O
foolish and unwise people? Is not He your Father who has
bought you? He has made you and established you.” Moses
was addressing the rebellious Israelites who were turning
away from God, “Is not He your Father who has bought
you?” That is, didn’t God redeem them from the
tyranny of Egypt? Yes he did. But not all of them were
saved. Peter is probably referring to the false
prophets of that time who likewise were false
teachers among the people of God. God had “bought” them
out of Egypt.
Page 31 of manual, paragraph 117
Objection: 2 Pet. 2:1
118.
The Atoning work of Christ is the single most important
event in the history of all creation. By it we are redeemed.
This work of redemption was planned from all eternity and
originated in the mind of God in the eternal covenant (Heb.
13:20). In it God elected us (Matt. 24:22, 31; Mark 123:22;
Luke 18:7; Rom. 8:33; Rom. 9:9-23), chose us (Matt. 22:14;
Rom. 16:13; Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 1:1; Rev. 17:14), and
predestined us (Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 1:5,11). God knows
those who are his (John 10:14, 27). Therefore, from all
eternity, God ordained those who are the called to be
atoned for. Therefore, he bore our sins in his body on the
cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and he died for all (the elect); therefore,
all (the elect) died.
Page 32 of manual, paragraph 118
Irresistible Grace
119.
120.
Irresistible Grace is the teaching that when the Holy Spirit
moves on a person in order to effect regeneration the
person cannot resist and will infallibly be regenerated.
Irresistible Grace is also known as Efficacious Grace.
“Efficacious” means “having the desired result” and
“effective to produce a result”. So, Efficacious Grace is
another way of saying that God’s grace, via the movement of
the Holy Spirit, will infallibly regenerate a
person, enabling that person to believe and
receive Jesus as Savior.
Page 33 of manual, paragraphs 119-120
Irresistible Grace
121. People need
the regenerative work of God because without
it none would be saved since none will choose God on their
own as the first lesson on Total Depravity taught…







Mark 7:21-23, Man’s heart is evil.
Jer. 17:9, Man’s heart is desperately sick.
Rom. 6:20, Man is a slave of sin.
Rom. 3:10-12, He does not seek for God.
1 Cor. 2:14, He cannot understand spiritual things.
Eph. 2:15, He is at enmity with God.
Eph. 2:3, Man is by nature a child of wrath.
Page 33 of manual, paragraph 121
Irresistible Grace
122. Because of man’s
enslavement to his sinful nature he is
incapable of truly believing and receiving the truths of God
as revealed in the Bible. This is why the Irresistible Grace of
God, the Efficacious Grace is necessary in order to regenerate
the person so the person can believe and receive Christ by
faith.
123. Once the person is regenerated he is made capable of
believing and he becomes a new creature in Christ.
“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have
come,” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Pages 33-34 of manual, paragraphs 122-123
Irresistible Grace
124. Where
before regeneration our hearts were evil and
desperately sick, now they indwelt by God himself. Where
before we were slaves of sin and enemies of God, now we
are friends of Christ. Where before we did not seek for God,
now we have been found by the one who sought us. Where
before we did not understand the things of God, now we are
able to see clearly. Where before we were by nature
children of wrath, now because of God’s Irresistible Grace we
are joint heirs with Christ.
Page 34 of manual, paragraph 124
Irresistible Grace
125. Irresistible Grace originates in
the will of God and is
completed in the regeneration and salvation of the Christian.
Because God knows all things (1 John 3:20), is all powerful (Job
42:2; Luke 1:37), and is everywhere (Jer. 23:24; 1 Kings 8:27), he
infallibly and irresistibly accomplishes the work of regeneration.
126. This work of God is by God’s choice since it is an act of his grace
and is not something we choose to do. Just as we did not
choose to be born into this world, we do not choose to be born
into the spiritual world when we are regenerated.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” (John 1:12-13).
Page 34 of manual, paragraphs 125-126
You must be born again
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God,’” (John 3:3).
127. In
the Greek, the words “born again” are actually
“born from above.” The context is Jesus speaking
to Nicodemus the Pharisee about what is
necessary to enter into the Kingdom of God,
(John 3:1-8). Let’s take a look.
Page 35 of manual, paragraph 127
You must be born again
“NOW there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Him by night, and
said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a
teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is
with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old?
He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be
born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not marvel that I said to
you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes
and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from
and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Page 35 of manual, paragraph 127
You must be born again
128. Jesus tells Nicodemus
that he must be "born again”
(lit. ‘born from above’) and “that which is born from the
flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” He
says that you must be born again in order to enter the Kingdom
of God; that is, entering into the realm of God’s Lordship and
our Salvation.
129. Being Born Again is regeneration. Jesus is stating that this
precedes our salvation, our being in the Kingdom of God. We
know this because if we are not born again we cannot see the
Kingdom of God. Furthermore, he says that this regeneration is
by the Spirit of God (vv. 5-6). Therefore, it is God’s sovereign
work that is accomplished by his merciful and wonderful
Irresistible Grace.
Page 36 of manual, paragraphs 128-129
You must be born again
“And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of
Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was
listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things
spoken by Paul,” (Acts 16:14).
130. God opened
the heart of Lydia. She had her heart opened so
she could respond. As God did this with Lydia, he does it with
others as well so they too might respond.
Page 36 of manual, paragraph 130
You must be born again
131. Regeneration is not
a process. It is an instantaneous
event that happens only once. If, as we shall see in
the next section that our salvation is secure and cannot be lost,
then this would make sense that it is a one-time event. If,
however, salvation could be lost and regained wouldn’t this
imply a cycle of regeneration, non-regeneration,
regeneration, etc.? Scriptures never speak of it
happening more than once.
Page 36 of manual, paragraph 131
Regeneration is mysterious
132. The
Irresistible Grace of God that results in regeneration is a
mysterious work where God gives to the person a new spiritual
life. It is a change in the person from being dead in sins (Eph.
2:1) to being alive in Christ (Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13). This affects all
that a person is and produces such things as…






An awareness of God’s presence
Desiring to read the Word of God
Enjoying and desiring the worship of God
Resisting sin
Ability to choose to follow God
Desire to tell others about the work of Christ
Page 37 of manual, paragraph 132
Regeneration is mysterious
133. The
event of regeneration is a mystery in that we cannot
always know when it occurs. When some are regenerated, it
doesn’t show right away. With others it can be quite
dramatic. Also, consider children raised in a Christian
home who grow up to be dedicated believers. With
some it can be quite difficult to point to a day when
they were regenerated while with others, it can be
easy.
Page 37 of manual, paragraph 133
Regeneration is mysterious
134. Our
regeneration was prophesied in the Old Testament.
Notice in the Scripture below that it is God who was
performing the action of regeneration.
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your
flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “And I will put My
Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and
you will be careful to observe My ordinances,” (Ezekiel
36:26-27).
Page 37 of manual, paragraph 134
Regeneration is mysterious
135. The
New Heart is another way of speaking of
regeneration. In this great work of the Lord. We are
passive (we receive it) and God is active (he gives it).
136. Regeneration that results from God’s Irresistible Grace
is the work of the Holy Spirit and the Father who move in an
invisible way to change us. It is a supernatural event.
Page 38 of manual, paragraphs 135-136
Regeneration is mysterious
“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it,
but do not know where it comes from and where it is going;
so is everyone who is born of the Spirit,” (John 3:8).
“Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from
above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom
there is no variation, or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of
His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we
would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures,” (James
1:17-18).
Page 38 of manual, paragraph 136
Regeneration produces fruit
137. When
God works in us, there is necessarily a change in our
attitudes and behavior. We will demonstrate our regeneration
by the behaviors that are manifested because we are saved,
not to get saved or secure our salvation. This is why
we have the “fruit of the Spirit”. Incidentally, in
Greek, the word for “fruit” is “karpos”. It is singular:
one fruit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, selfcontrol; against such things there is no law,” (Gal. 5:22-23).
Page 38 of manual, paragraph 137
Verses used to show Irresistible
Grace
138. Many
verses can be shown to support God’s Irresistible
Grace. Here are several of them.
 John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, even to those who believe
in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
 John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the
sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it
is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit,”
 John 5:21, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.”
 John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and
the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”
Page 39 of manual, paragraph 138
Verses used to show Irresistible
Grace
 John 10:16, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold;
I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and
they will become one flock with one shepherd.”
 John 17:2, “even as You gave Him authority over all flesh,
that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.”
 Eph. 2:4-5, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our
transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace
you have been saved).”
 1 Pet. 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be
born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead,”
Page 39 of manual, paragraph 138
Answers to Objections
139. Irresistible Grace is
not accepted by all Christians
because many do not like the idea that God is so
sovereign and extends this grace to some and not others.
So, let’s take a look at some of the objections and offer some
answers.
Page 40 of manual, paragraph 139
Answers to Objections
140. Objection:
But people have to believe in order to
regenerated.
 Answer: This deals with the issue of which comes first,
regeneration or faith? It would seem from scripture that
regeneration comes first because how could anyone first
believe when his unregenerated nature is a slave of sin
(Rom. 6:14-20), a hater of God (Rom. 3:10-11), and is
incapable of understanding and receiving the things of the
Lord (1 Cor. 2:14)? It would seem he could not. But
it makes sense to say that a person is enabled to
believe when God changes him into a new creature
(2 Cor. 5:17) and is set free from the bondage of sin
and deadness.
Page 40 of manual, paragraph 140
Answers to Objections
141. Objection:
God’s Irresistible Grace is a violation of
Man’s Free Will.
 Answer: Free will is the ability to make choices that are
consistent with what we are. The unbeliever is exercising
his free will when he rejects God because he is acting in a
manner consistent with what he is. When God sovereignly
changes our nature he is not violating our free will. He is
altering what we are. He is changing us and enabling us to
be able to believe. This change means that we are
then able to freely choose to receive him.
Therefore, God's irresistible grace does not violate
a person's freedom of choice. On the contrary. It
enables a true freedom of choice.
Page 40 of manual, paragraph 141
Answers to Objections
142. Objection:
People need to repent in order
to be saved, so that they can then be regenerated.
 Answer: If people needed to repent in order to be saved,
then this would be salvation by works because it would
mean that they would have to stop doing bad and start
doing good in order for God to save them. But this would
deny the teaching of justification by faith (Rom. 3:28; 4:5;
5:1). Repentance means to change one's mind and
attitude about a sin so that the person turned away
from that sin. This cannot be done unless a person
has been granted repentance by God (2 Tim. 2:25).
Page 41 of manual, paragraph 142
Answers to Objections
143. So,
Irresistible Grace is the Biblical teaching that God infallibly
moves upon a person and regenerates that person and that is
act of God cannot be resisted. Furthermore, this regeneration
results in him being “born again”, able to “bear fruit”, and
enter into “The Kingdom of God.” All of this is accomplished
by God’s great grace and not our wisdom, or ability, or sinful
free will. To God be all the glory.
Page 41 of manual, paragraph 143
Perseverance of the Saints
144. Perseverance
of the Saints is the teaching that all who are
truly regenerated will, by God’s grace, be kept in the faith, will
never stop being a Christian, and will persevere until the time
that they die.
“Let your character be free from the love of money, being
content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will
never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’” (Heb. 13:5).
144. This
perseverance does not mean that the Christian will be
perfect in his life as a Christian. We will struggle and falter,
but God is always faithful and will never leave us or forsake us.
Page 42 of manual, paragraphs 144-145
Perseverance of the Saints
146. It is
absolutely critical that we understand that we are
kept by God’s grace and not our ability. If our salvation
depended on our faithfulness in any way, then it most
certainly would be lost. The standard that God demands is
perfection, not imperfection. So, even the slightest
imperfection means we are not being good enough. If
someone were to say that he needed to be good, keep himself
faithful, not do “too much bad”, etc., in order to be saved and
keep himself saved, then he is guilty of works righteousness.
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one
point, he has become guilty of all,” (Heb. 13:5).
147. Perseverance
of the Saints is also known as Eternal Security.
Page 42 of manual, paragraphs 146-147
Verses that Demonstrate
Perseverance of the Saints
148. There
are verses used by people both to support and to
refute the idea of Perseverance of the Saints. Let’s take
a look at both.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life.”
149. Notice that
Jesus equates eternal life with not perishing.
There is no conditional statement here such as “…should
not perish but have eternal life if you stay faithful”, or
“if you do enough good”, or “unless you do enough bad”.
Page 43 of manual, paragraphs 148-149
Verses that Demonstrate
Perseverance of the Saints, continued…
150. John
10:27-29, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and
they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of
My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater
than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s
hand.”
 Jesus again equates eternal life with never perishing
and again there are no conditional statements that
make the eternal life temporary or dependent on our
actions or faithfulness.
Page 43 of manual, paragraph 150
Verses that Demonstrate
Perseverance of the Saints,
continued…
150. John
10:27-29, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall
never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. 29
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
 Also notice that Jesus says that no one is able to snatch his
sheep out of his hand (v. 28) or the Father’s hand (v. 29).
Think of two hands, cupped together, holding fast. It is the
Christian who has been chosen “before the foundation of
the world,” (Eph. 1:4) having been predestined
(Eph. 1:5,11; Rom. 8:29-30). Will God make a
mistake and lose those whom he has predestined
from all eternity and redeemed by the blood of
Christ?
Page 43 of manual, paragraph 150
Verses that Demonstrate
Perseverance of the Saints,
continued…
151. But some might say
that we can snatch ourselves out of
God’s hands. But this makes no sense since the verse says
“no one”, not “no one except yourself.” Besides, “you”
belong to the group called “no one”.
Page 44 of manual, paragraph 151
Verses that Demonstrate
Perseverance of the Saints,
continued…
152. John
6:38-40, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do
My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 “And this is
the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me
I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is
the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and
believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise
him up on the last day.”

Notice what Jesus is saying. In V. 38 he says that he came to do the
will of the Father. In verse 39 he says what the will of the Father is,
that Jesus was nothing but raise us up on the last day. Then in verse
40 he again says this is the will of the Father that everyone who
beholds the Son will have eternal life and then he again says he will
raise them up on the last day. So Jesus is saying that the will of the
Father is that he lose none of whom the Father has given him.
From this it should be clear that none are lost because it is the
Father’s will that we are not lost.
Page 44 of manual, paragraph 152
Objection
153. Objection: However,
there are those who say that though it
may be the will of the Father that none be lost, the will of the
Father is not always done. For example, God doesn't want
people to sin, but they do. Therefore, they conclude it is
possible for people to be lost.
Page 44 of manual, paragraph 153
Objection

Answer: But this cannot work because Jesus says in verse 40
what the will of the Father is, that those who behold, the
Son, and believe have eternal life. Since 1 John 5:13 says we
can know we have eternal life now, and since we know that
we have it upon believing, we realize that the will of the
Father is accomplished when we believe – the result being
eternal life. If in v. 39 the will of the Father is not always
done, then the will of the Father in 40 is not always done
when they believe! But this cannot be, since those who
believe have eternal life. Therefore, you have to
either affirm or deny that the will of the Father is
done in both verses since both start with “the will
of the Father” and finish with “raise them up on the
last day.”
Page 45 of manual, paragraph 153
Objection
153.
John 6:38-40
Page 45 of manual, paragraph 153
Objection
154. John
6:54, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
 This verse is reminiscent of John 6:38-40 where Jesus
equates eternal life with being raised on the last day.
There are no conditionals here, nothing to say that the
future resurrection is dependent on the believer staying
with Jesus, being good, or not doing bad.
Page 46 of manual, paragraph 154
Objection
155. Acts
13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began
rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as
had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

Luke tells us that God appointed people to eternal life.
This means that God has appointed people, from all
eternity. He does not appoint people based on some
quality in them or some knowledge of whether or not
they will choose God (which would mean God learns).
Also, if he appoints people to eternal life from all eternity,
then doesn’t God know if they are going to end up
denying him? Why then would he appoint people to
eternal life if he knew they were going to lose it?
Page 46 of manual, paragraph 155
Objection
156. 1
John 2:19, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you
heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists
have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19
They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if
they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but
they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all
are not of us.”

The context mentions antichrists but John is telling us
that those who are “of us” will remain in the faith.
Antichrists don’t remain in the faith because they are not
sheep and real Christians aren’t antichrists.
Page 46 of manual, paragraph 156
Aren’t there verses that say you can
lose your salvation?
157. There
are those who say that a Christian can lose his
salvation, by turning his back on God, seeking to do that
which is evil, and rejecting the salvation that he has been
given. But we have to ask how can someone who is made a
new creature (2 Cor. 5:17) and is no longer a slave of sin
(Rom. 6:6) choose to reject God? After all, doesn’t 1 John
2:19 say “They went out from us, but they were not really of
us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with
us…”? Also, consider 1 Pet. 1:5 which says that is the
Christians, “who are protected by the power of God through
faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” It
is plain and simple. We are secure in Christ.
Page 47 of manual, paragraph 157
Aren’t there verses that say you can
lose your salvation?
158. When
we have two sets of scriptures on a topic and
one set is clear and the other is not, we must
interpret the not-so-clear verses so they agree with
the clear ones. Let’s take a look.
Page 47 of manual, paragraph 158
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
Heb. 6:4-6, “For in the case of those who have once been
enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been
made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good
word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have
fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put
Him to open shame.”
 These controversial verses are used by people on both sides of
the eternal security argument. But to better understand them
we need to realize that Hebrews was apparently written to deal
with the temptation of the Jews to go back to the OT sacrificial
system and thereby commit apostasy (Heb. 2:3,12; 9:9;
10:1,3,5,6,8,11,12,26; 11:4; 13:15,16). So, let’s take a look. Can
we lose our salvation?
Page 47 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
 First of all, we can see from the previous verses such as
John 6:38-40 (it is the will of God that none be lost), John
10:27-28 (Christ’s sheep will never perish), and 1 John
2:19 (that those who are Christians will remain as
Christians) that losing one’s salvation does not seem
possible. So, then what is Heb. 6:4-6 telling us? Hebrews
is a generic warning against apostasy to the Jews who had
outwardly confessed Christ but were in danger of
returning, among other things, to the old system of animal
sacrifices. Here’s why…
Page 48 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
 Enlightened: The word “enlightened” in Greek is
“photizo” and it means to shine light upon, to illuminate,
etc., (Luke 11:36; John 1:29). It does not mean that those
who are enlightened are saved, but only that they have
been exposed to the truth.
 Tasted the heavenly gift: Tasting is a temporary thing, not
permanent. To taste the heavenly gift is not to have it
permanently, but to have experienced it. The Jews could
taste the heavenly gift of God by seeing the Apostle’s
work, maybe even having seen Jesus perform miracles.
Page 48 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
 Partakers of the Holy Spirit: The Greek word for
“partake” is ‘metochos’. It can mean “one who partakes in
something” and also “partner, companion, fellow worker.”
People can partake of the Holy Spirit by seeing the work of
God. It does not mean they are saved. See Matt. 7:22-23,
(“did we not prophesy in your name…cast out demons…
perform miracles in your name…and Jesus says, ’I never
knew you. Depart from Me.’”). This is an example of
those who claimed to be believers and even performed
miracles -- but were never saved. So, the Jews under
discussion could simply be those Hebrews who were in
close association with Christianity and who had a very
deep knowledge of the Old Testament sacrificial
system…but were going to abandon the idea of Christ and
go back to their old ways.
Page 48 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
 Tasted the good word of God: Again, this is dealing with a
temporary thing, something that has been experienced.
The Hebrews, as a people, had definitely tasted the truth
of Christ and his ministry, but it doesn’t mean they all
were believers who were truly saved.
 Have fallen away: There were Hebrews who may
have appeared to be Christians, but have fallen
away in that they returned to the Old Sacrificial system.
Page 49 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
 Impossible to renew them again to repentance.
Therefore, since they have abandoned the only other
option to their O.T. sacrificial system, they have nothing
left and cannot repent – since there is nothing to repent
to! Also, worth mentioning is that there is a true and false
repentance. “For the sorrow that is according to the will
of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to
salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death,” (2
Cor. 7:10). Those who repented of their old ways, looked
to Christ, and then who returned were guilty of a false
repentance because they were never saved to begin with
(1 John 2:19; Matt. 7:22-23).
Page 49 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 6:4-6
 These verses are speaking of those who have professed
Christ, experienced what God has done, but were never
true believers. If they had been, “they would have
remained,” (1 John 2:19).
 The writer of Hebrews is warning them to not go back to a
system of sacrifices because if they do, they would
abandon the true sacrifice of Christ and would not then be
able to turn to the true and living God. There is no place
to go other than Christ.
Page 49 of manual, paragraph 159
…loosing your salvation,
Heb. 10:26
160. Heb. 10:26, “For if
we go on sinning willfully after
receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins.”
 This verse is very similar to the passage we just
examined. It is dealing with the same people who have
rejected the knowledge of the truth; namely, the
knowledge of who Jesus really is and what he has done
on the cross. By rejecting “the knowledge of the
truth”, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins
because it would mean they would have to return
to their Old Testament system of animal sacrifices.
But, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to
take away sins,” (Heb. 10:4, also, 10:11). By returning to
what cannot work, they have no real, effective sacrifice at
all!
Page 50 of manual, paragraph 160
…loosing your salvation,
Gal. 5:4
161. Gal. 5:4,
“You have been severed from Christ, you who are
seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
 Severed from Christ: The English words “you have been
severed” are a single word in Greek: “katargathete”. It
means literally, “to put a stop to”, “to invalidate”1 “to
render inactive, idle, useless.”2 The word occurs in 1 Cor.
13:11 in “putting an end to” childish things and also in
Eph. 2:15 regarding “abolishing the enmity.” It does not
mean to be removed from Christ as though someone was
already in Christ and was saved.
1.
2.
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based
on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.). New York: United Bible
societies, Vol. 2, p. 135.
Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic
ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
Page 50 of manual, paragraph 161
…loosing your salvation,
Gal. 5:4
 Paul has just said in Gal. 5:2 that if “you receive
circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.” In other
words, by receiving circumcision (which represents
keeping the Law to be saved), Christ is of no value to you
because you have rendered him invalid, useless. This is
why Paul says that “every man who receives circumcision,
that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law,” (5:3)
because if you don’t have Christ, then the only thing left
is the Law and you must keep all of it, not just part of it.
But the problem is that no one can keep the Law since
“…by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified,”
(Gal. 2:16). Therefore, those who were seeking to be
justified by circumcision have been abolished from Christ,
severed from him and his way of grace. They have made
his work useless.
Page 51 of manual, paragraph 161
…loosing your salvation,
Gal. 5:4
 Fallen away from Grace. To say that someone has fallen
from grace in the context does not necessitate the idea
that a person has fallen from the grace of being saved.
Rather, it is falling from the truth that grace is the only
means of salvation that is found in Christ’s sacrifice by
faith, not by Law as represented by circumcision. Paul is
contrasting law and faith and this why Paul goes on to say
that “neither circumcision nor circumcision means
anything, but faith working through love,” (Gal. 5:6).
Those seeking to be justified by keeping the law are
fallen from that grace of God that is in Christ. They
are without it and never had it because “they never
were of us, for if they had been of us, they would have
remained,” (1 John 2:19).
Page 51 of manual, paragraph 161
…loosing your salvation,
Rev. 3:5
162. Rev. 3:5, “He who
overcomes shall thus be clothed in white
garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life,
and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His
angels.”
 This does not mean that their names “can” be blotted
out, but that those who are saved will not have their
names blotted out. It is similar to Matt. 22:32 where
Jesus says, “And whoever shall speak a word against the
Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall
speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him,
either in this age, or in the age to come.” Jesus is not
saying that such a sin can be forgiven in the age to come,
but that it will not be.
Page 52 of manual, paragraph 162
…loosing your salvation
163. There
are other verses that we could examine, but this
course has picked a few of the most difficult ones to address.
We leave it to you to study more on your own.
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Isn’t eternal security a license to
sin?
164. Critics of the
doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints
(i.e., Eternal Security) often claim that if we cannot
lose our salvation, then it means we can go out and sin all
we want and still be saved. They say this is a license to
commit sin! Is this true? No it is not. What they fail to
consider is that real Christians do not want to go out and
sin because they are regenerated and made new creatures
(2 Cor. 5:17). Christians have been changed from being
dead in sins to alive in Christ. Therefore, it is not a license
to sin at all. Now, one last thing. Let’s take a look at
something the Apostle Paul said.
Page 52 of manual, paragraph 164
Isn’t eternal security a license to
sin?
“And the Law came in that the transgression might
increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the
more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace
might reign through righteousness to eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we
to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May it
never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”
(Rom. 5:20-6:2).
Page 53 of manual, paragraph 165
Isn’t eternal security a license to
sin?
165. Notice that Paul
answers an objection related to the idea of
eternal life and he asks the very same thing that the critics
do regarding a license to sin. Paul says in 6:1, “are we to
continue in sin and grace might increase?” Why would Paul
ask the question if we could lose our salvation?
Instead, he asks because we are eternally secure and is
addressing the license-to-sin objection. He answers
it by saying Christians have died to sin, (they are
regenerated) and that is why we do not still live in sin.
Page 53 of manual, paragraph 165
Isn’t eternal security a license to
sin?
166. The
goal of understanding the perseverance of the saints is
to appreciate the great work of God and understand our
security in Christ so we don’t seek to maintain our salvation
by our works! We need to know that we are kept by his
grace and not by our efforts -- whether they are efforts of
faith or of obedience.
Page 53 of manual, paragraph 166
Isn’t eternal security a license to
sin?
167. If God
predestines us from the foundations of the world
(Eph. 1:4-5) and chooses his people for salvation (2 Thess.
2:13), it would make sense to say that he will lose none
(John 6:38-40). Remember 1 Pet. 1:5 that says that
Christians have an inheritance in heaven and that we, “…are
protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.” We will persevere
because of God’s work, not ours! God is the one who keeps
us and protects us by his power for salvation.
Page 53 of manual, paragraph 167
Conclusion
168. Remember, we
are to be gracious to those who do not
affirm the five points. We are not to judge them nor are
they to judge us (Rom. 14:1-12). We are to be gracious. But,
Calvinism does seek to bring all the glory to God by
acknowledging his great sovereignty. By contrast, when we
see our great depravity, we can better understand the grace
of God that has condescended to save any of us!
Page 54 of manual, paragraph 168
To Summarize
169. To
summarize, the Five points of Calvinism teaches: God is
sovereign and can do with his creation as he desires (Rom. 9:923; Prov. 16:4).
 Sinful man is unable to freely choose God because he is full
of evil (Mark 7:21-23), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:1012), dead in his sins (Eph. 2:1), cannot understand spiritual
things (1 Cor. 2:14), and is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).
 It is God who appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48),
chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), chooses
us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14), grants the act of
believing (Phil. 1:29), works faith in the believer (John 6:2829), grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26), predestines us to
salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), and that we are protected by the
power of God for salvation (1 Pet. 1:5).
Page 54 of manual, paragraph 169
To Summarize
169. To
summarize, …continued
 That Jesus bore the sins of the elect only and removed their
debt of sin (John 19:30; 1 Pet. 2:24; Col. 2:14) not making it
merely possible depending on “our faith”.
 That those in Christ are eternally secure because their
salvation rests in Christ's work, not man's faithfulness (John
3:16; 6:38-40; 10:27-28) and certainly not in man’s ability to
be good (Rom. 3:28-29; 4:1-6; Gal. 2:16).
170.
May God Receive ALL The Glory
For His Great Mercy!
Page 54 of manual, paragraphs 169-170