What is Calvinism? Let’s Fully Explain It…

I bet most of us have heard about something called Calvinism. In fact, the people who are responsible for making this term famous are the critics of it. They are the ones on the campaign of telling all of us that “Calvinism is a cruel false doctrine that misrepresents the character of God.” Allow me, therefore, to give you a brief, yet clear explanation of it. What I don’t want is for you to agree with those who criticise Calvinism while you have no idea of what it is. Instead, I want all of us to have knowledge of the entire teaching, so that you will decide on your own whether this Calvinism thing is biblical or not.

John Calvin was the Pastor of St Pierre Cathedral Church in Geneva, Switzerland. He was originally from France and is the pioneer behind the Protestant Reformation, after Martin Luther. Calvin’s doctrine is summarized in his book the Institutes of the Christian Religion, from which he is credited with what is known as the TULIP, which is a five set of doctrines about salvation. The TULIP is also called the 5 points of Calvinism or the Doctrines of Grace or the Reformed Theology.

TULIP is just an abbreviation of these words: [T] Total Depravity, [U] Unconditional Election, [L] Limited Atonement, [I] Irresistible Grace and [P] Perseverance of the Saints. Let’s explain each…

Total Depravity

As the term suggests, total depravity means we are born unable to save ourselves; unable to come to God on our own strength. It means a sinner is naturally hating God and running away from Him. Hence, it takes the power and the grace of the Lord for someone to be saved. Try to picture a man laying flat on the ocean floor. Throwing a rope will not help because he is unable to grab it. It’s only by an outside force that he can be rescued from that death state and resuscitated into life. Another illustration is of Lazarus – dead for four days. He could not do anything with his strength until Jesus called “Come forth”, and enabled Him to come to life. Therefore, Total Depravity stresses salvation as 100% a work of God, and 0% dependent on you. The signature verse for that is Ephesians 2:1-5 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins…But God, being rich in mercy…made us alive together with Christ.

Unconditional Election

This means God elects or chooses who will be saved. And that choice is not dependent on anything in those people. The Almighty does not first see what those people do, then reacts by saving them. Instead, His choice is unconditional; it’s all based on His will and pleasure. A verse that may correspond with this again is Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.

Limited Atonement 

This has to do with the payment of Jesus, and how it applies to sinners. Calvinism stresses the fact that Jesus work on the cross once not just aimless, but was specifically directed to His sheep, i.e. those who would believe; those whom God elected before the foundation of the world. Limited Atonement means Jesus work is limited only to believers, not everybody else. This doctrine argues that Jesus’s death cannot fail to accomplish its purpose but that all those whom Christ died for, will be saved. Those who criticise this doctrine point to the fact that Jesus paid for all men, only those who receive that salvation will have it take effect on their behalf.

It’s only fair, however, to point out that both these arguments limit Jesus’s atonement one way or the other. Calvinism says that the atonement is limited in its extent – it’s only for the elect. While the anti-Calvinist also admits that not everyone is automatically saved by the payment of Jesus. Hence, they limit the atonement in its effect. The verse that Calvinists may use to support limited atonement is John 10:25-28 - But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish…

Irresistible Grace

This means no sinner can come to salvation unless God draws them. And when He draws them, they are not able to resist or to reject Him, but they willingly give in and become believers. Irresistible Grace does not mean that God forces sinners against their will. It also does not teach that humans are robots that are controlled like objects. But it simply means that God changes their hearts; from stony hearts into new creatures that are willing to come. Think of the man Soul of Tarsus, a hardened criminal, who was then converted into a new man that would gladly give his life to Gospel service. How did that happen? Therefore, the concept of Irresistible Grace is that when your heart is changed (regeneration), you will not resist by you will automatically follow the Lord one way or the other.

Perseverance of the Saints

This is what is commonly known as “once saved, always saved.” Its argument is that salvation cannot be lost because it’s dependant upon the Lord. It’s God who saves, hence it’s His responsibility to keep us saved – and He does keep us saved. Hence, the term “perseverance” implies that saints will always persevere; they stay in the faith no matter what. Those who seem to fall away from the faith, for example Judas, Calvinism agues that such people were never saved to begin with. They are labelled as false believers who were just among God’s people for a while. They are the illegitimate children that we are told about in Hebrews 12:7-8.

So these are the 5 points of Calvinism in a nutshell. And I trust you can now take your Bible and weigh these doctrines for yourself. Then you will come to a conclusion of whether they are unbiblical false teachings or these concepts are taken from scripture and therefore, true. I must also tell you about what is called Arminianism, which is the opposite of Calvinism, founded by another theologian called Jacobus Arminius. Arminianism also has its five points, which can be outlined this way: 

Partial Depravity – Human being are sinners, but they have power within themselves to seek God, and can come to Him on their own (salvation is not entirely dependant upon the power of God but also on man’s cooperation)

Conditional Election – God elects those He knows before time that they will choose him and believe.

Unlimited Atonement – Jesus paid for all men, even those who go to hell, not just believers.

Resistible Grace – God’s call to salvation can be resisted or rejected.

Conditional Salvation – Christians can lose their salvation if they backslide.

So this is it. I just thought I would give you these for your considering and knowledge. It may be that you are either a Calvinist or an Arminian without knowing it. Although they are a few who claim to be neither. The onus is on them to explain to us what they believe. Also, there are others who are honest enough to concede that they are still learning about these things. Having said that, I must caution about labelling everyone who disagrees with your viewpoint as a false teacher. Reminder: you are not the standard of truth. We all have a right to study Scripture on our own and to come to our own convictions therein. If you have come to a Calvinistic understating of the Gospel, God bless you for that. And if you have been convinced by the Arminian viewpoint, go with it and do not hold back. As long as you won’t bully and force your understanding upon the rest of us. Peace.

Sinothi Ncube

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