The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism (Pt 1)

Total Depravity & Unconditional Election
Selected Scriptures
2007.03.18
one28 Sunday worship

Before we get into the five points themselves as the Biblical Burdens of Calvinism, I want to remind us that some pretty important things are at stake. I got an even clearer understanding of the motivation behind the Remonstrance this week as I read the Canons of Dort in full for the first time (I thought that might be an appropriate thing). At the end of the document written by the Synod to refute the Remonstrance, they detailed the criticisms leveled at the doctrines of grace. Though I’ve summarized and rephrased them, the Remonstrance claimed that [Calvinism:]

1. Discourages personal holiness. There is no motivation for righteous living since God is going to save whoever He wants, regardless of their character or works.

2. Promotes religious hypocrisy. Professing Christians can rationalize sin since even their sin is part of God’s sovereignty. If they are elect, they can do whatever they want.

3. Encourages evangelistic apathy. There must be no reason to minister since it doesn’t matter what we do and God is going to save whoever He chooses anyway.

4. Tarnishes God’s integrity. God is responsible for sin and sending innocent (or at least helpless) people to hell, even creating and predestinating people for destruction.

5. Denies God’s impartiality. For God to choose who is saved and who isn’t
   is arbitrary, unfair, and tyrannical, especially toward those who believe and obey but He still doesn’t care because He didn’t choose them.

6. Questions God’s love.

These are no small charges. These are things that are not good, right? So What does the Bible have to say? The Canons of Dort, which eventually became known as the Five Points of Calvinism, have a biblical response.

The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism

For a fuller treatment, I still recommend The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, and Documented by David Steele and Curtis Thomas. There are also numerous web sites that do a terrific job of summarizing and explaining the Five Points.

Perhaps we’ll come back and touch some problem passages at a later time, but for now my goal is simply to provide you with two or three decisive passages that you should know and can point to when engaging in discussions.

The Five Points of Calvinism, a.k.a., the doctrines of grace, a.k.a., the sovereignty of God in salvation, are often summarized under the acronym TULIP. While some would debate that these aren’t all necessarily the best words to summarize the biblical teaching, they do help us to remember the truth. TULIP refers to Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints.

1. Total Depravity (or Total Inability)

As with each point there are two sides. The Remonstrance taught that man is spiritually sick. Fallen man was seriously affected by the fall but he still has the ability to choose spiritual good. He determines his eternal destiny by either accepting or rejecting God’s mercies.

But the Synod of Dort countered that man is spiritually dead. Because of the fall, man is born spiritually dead, blind and deaf to the things of God and is therefore unable of himself to choose spiritual good and determine his own destiny.

Two biblical things stand out when we think about the spiritual condition of man:

First, his depravity.

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Second, his inability.

John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Depravity and inability affect all men universally. Paul said that “we all” were slaves of our sinful flesh and John said twice, “no man can come” on his own. Natural men cannot choose God on their own, they are not capable of faith or cooperating with God in any way. They don’t want to.

God told Adam that if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam’s fall brought with it spiritual death to all men (Romans 5:12). Everyone is born into spiritual death (Psalm 51:5) and no one can do anything to change their spiritual condition (Proverbs 20:9; Jeremiah 12:23).

By the way, this changes how you approach evangelism. It changes how you approach worship. I remember the first time I grasped the doctrine of total depravity and the consummate shame, desperation, and anxiety I felt. Yet without it I would have never appropriately been humbled. Other than seeing God more fully, there is nothing more humbling than seeing the depth and breadth of our depravity.

2. Unconditional Election

No one who reads their Bible at all can deny election. The word is there, so is “predestination.” The question is not if God elects, but how He elects.

The Arminian teaches that God’s election is based on foreseen faith. God chose certain individuals for salvation based on His foreseeing that they would, of their own free will, choose Christ. So faith comes first, then election. Election is God’s response, the result of seeing faith. The reason this is known as conditional election is that the condition of faith must be met before God makes His choice. Only those who believe are chosen.

On the other hand, the Calvinist position is that God’s election is unconditional. God’s choice of certain individuals for salvation was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part or any currently seen qualities, but was based solely in His good and sovereign will. Election is first and results in faith.

Ephesians 1 is Paul’s greeting to the Ephesian believers as he celebrates with them all the things we have in Christ. And who are those who have received the spiritual blessings in the heavenlies? God is to be praised,

Ephesians 1:4 even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace… 11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.

Four components communicate His sovereignty in election in this passage:

1) Grammar. “He chose us.” The intent behind the idea of choosing is different than being coerced or pressured or obliged. If some qualifier explained why He chose we should pay attention. By itself it may not be a slam dunk, but “He chose us” certainly points in a particular direction.

2) Timing. “before the foundation of the world.” Again, by itself someone might say based on His foreknowledge He just knew what was going to happen ahead of time, but it seems the reason for making such a statement in the first place is to emphasize His intention.

3) Standard. “according to the purpose of His will.” If the first two components leave any door open, this slams them shut. The same thing is repeated in verse 11, “predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” Election is his design. Predestination is His decision.

4) Purpose. “to the praise of His glorious grace.” This also is repeated in verse 12, “to the praise of His glory” as well as in verse 14, “to the praise of His glory.” The whole purpose.

God’s choice is independent, uninfluenced by anything but Himself. His election is initiating, not responding. Perhaps no better case study can be found than that in Romans 9. The entire chapter begins Paul’s explanation behind why some of Israel had not received their Messiah. It was because they weren’t chosen.

Romans 9:10 when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of His call— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

God’s choice has nothing to do with looking down the corridors of time and then responding to our choice. That makes election conditional–dependent on us and our faith. Instead, our faith is a work rooted in His choice, His unconditional, free, by His own pleasure selection that chooses to grant us repentance and faith.

Election is everywhere in Scripture, and everywhere the emphasis is on the graciousness of the chooser, not the worthiness of the chosen (Deuteronomy 7:6-7). God’s electing of some to receive mercy and not others is part of what it means for God be God (Exodus 33:19). His choice effects repentance (Acts 13:48) and faith (Philippians 1:29; 1 Timothy 2:26) and is not a response to our repentance and faith.

Doesn’t this produce great awe? This produces great wonder that God would choose to be gracious with us, because of absolutely nothing to do with us, even in spite of us and our sin.