What is a Calvinist’s favorite flower? A TULIP.
If you understood this joke, you’re probably a fellow theology nerd. Welcome to the club! If you didn’t get the joke, no worries. Today we’re going to talk about Calvinism and TULIP, so hopefully you’ll understand the joke by the end.
Let’s start with what Calvinism is. Calvinism, or Reformed Theology, is a branch of Protestantism whose beliefs are based on the teachings of John Calvin and other reformers. Calvinists emphasize things like the grace and sovereignty of God, predestination, and justification through faith. I learned about Calvinism for the first time a few years ago. After doing some research about their beliefs, I discovered that I, myself, was a Calvinist, and I developed a deeper affection for God and His Word and a thankfulness for His merciful salvation. Their main teachings are summarized by the acronym, TULIP, and we’re going to look at each letter of this acronym and how each teaching is supported by Scripture.
Total Depravity
T stands for Total Depravity, which means that every human being is a sinner and a rebel against the commandments of God. We have no natural desire to do what is right. All humans are born with a sin nature that they inherited from Adam and Eve at the Fall (Psalm 51:5, Genesis 3). We are greatly wicked and dead in our sins, and our hearts are deceitful and desperately sick (Ephesians 2:1, Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9). Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes,
“Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20, ESV
No one is righteous, no one is good, and no one seeks God (Romans 3:10-12). Even our good deeds are as filthy rags, for we are unclean (Isaiah 64:6).
Unconditional Election
Because of our total depravity, we are unable to choose what is good and pursue after God. Thankfully, God chose to save us. U stands for Unconditional Election. Before the world began, God predestined and chose us to be adopted, redeemed, and forgiven of our sins (Ephesians 1:4-7). There is nothing we did to earn this salvation. God elected us by His own will before we were even born (Romans 9:11). He elected us to be justified (made righteous), be sanctified (made holy), and to bear fruit (Romans 8:29-30, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, John 15:16). And He did all this so that we may proclaim Him to all the nations-
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Charles Spurgeon, who is known as the “Prince of Preachers,” once said this about Unconditional Election-
“I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born or else he never would have chosen me afterwards; and he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why he should have looked upon me with special love.”[1]
Limited Atonement
God chooses who will be saved, but He does not choose everyone. L stands for Limited Atonement, which means that the atonement Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross will only cover the sins of those whom God has chosen, those who have repented of their sins and believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This is not in any way implying that God is limited, for He is an infinite God. Limited Atonement just means that not everyone’s sins will be forgiven and atoned for. The Bible tells us that Jesus saved His people, that He laid down His life for His sheep, not all people or all sheep (Matthew 1:21, John 10:11). In His high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed not for the world, but only those God had given Him (John 17:9). Jesus gave His life for His Church, and only the Church will be redeemed by His blood (Ephesians 5:25, Acts 20:28).
This doctrine is the most debated of TULIP. Many people don’t like the idea that God’s atonement only covers some people. They may appeal to verses like John 1:29 and 1 John 2:2, which say that Jesus takes away the sins of the world. But if the atonement did cover all people, there are either people in heaven who are unrepentant or there are people in hell whom Jesus died for.[2] Though Jesus did defeat sin on the cross, His death will not atone for the sins of every single person who has ever lived. He did not die for all, but He did die for many-
“even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
Irresistible Grace
Those whom God chose and Jesus died for will be saved. There is no elect person who will not be saved. This is because of Irresistible Grace, which is what I stands for. The grace and mercy God grants to His elect is irresistible. No one who is offered it will reject it. Only those who are drawn in by the Father and appointed to eternal life can receive this grace (John 6:44, Acts 13:48). And all those who are appointed and drawn in will come to Christ-
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” John 6:37
This doctrine of Irresistible Grace is a big relief to believers because it reminds us that we are not responsible for whether or not the people with whom we share the gospel get saved. It is God who saves. It is God who redeems. It is God who elects. While it is still important for us to share the gospel with our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and others, we can rest in the fact that it is Jesus who saves, not us. J.A. Medders writes,
“Knowing the power of God’s irresistible call of grace releases us from fear. Conversions to Christs don’t rely on us. God is the one who draws, who awakens, who calls from the crypt. The burden isn’t on our back to get the results.”[3]
Perseverance of the Saints
The final letter in TULIP, the letter P, stands for Perseverance of the Saints. This means that those who are elected and saved will never lose their salvation. Those who have received God’s grace cannot be snatched out of the Father’s hand (John 10:28-29). He has started a work in His people, and He will keep them blameless until the end (Philippians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Jude 1:24). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is a guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30). The Perseverance of the Saints also teaches us that those who “leave the faith” were never saved to begin with. John teaches in his first letter-
“They went from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” 1 John 2:19
We are constantly hearing about “exvangelicals” and “deconversion stories” and “deconstruction of faith.” We hear about people who grew up in church, who produced Christian music, who authored books, who pastored churches, and they now feel like they’re just not Christians anymore. The Bible clearly states that this is impossible, for God continually guards His people (1 Peter 1:5). Those who stop believing in the Jesus of the Bible were never saved, but those who do truly believe in the Jesus of the Bible cannot lose their salvation, no matter what.
TULIP
This is TULIP, the doctrines of Reformed Theology – Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. We are totally depraved sinners who are unable to save ourselves. But God has elected to save us from His wrath, by grace, through faith, not through any good works of our own. He saves us through the atonement that Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. This gracious atonement is only available for God’s elect, but all whom God has chosen will receive it. We cannot lose this salvation because we did not earn it. God gave it to us, and He faithfully promises to guard us and keep us until the end.
And these doctrines were not just made up by a bunch of men in some ivory tower. The reformers got all of these doctrines and teachings from the Word of God. The message of TULIP really is the message of the gospel, and this message should urge us to praise God for His great mercy and grace! If you are a believer, I hope you will agree with me that TULIP really is the best flower, and I hope you will join me (and Paul) in praising the Lord-
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” Ephesians 1:3-4
[1] J.A. Medders, Humble Calvinism (The Good Book Company, 2019), 77-78.
[2] “What is Calvinism and is it biblical?,” Got Questions, accessed May 4, 2021, https://www.gotquestions.org/calvinism.html.
[3] Medders, 123.
