1

The Five Points

of Calvinism

An Introduction to the

By Matt Slick, M.Div.

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The Five Points of Calvinism

An introduction to the Five Points of Calvinism

Copyright by Matthew J. Slick, 2011

matt@carm.org

www.carm.org

All rights reserved. Unless given permission by the author, no part of this

publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any

form or by any means, except for brief quotations.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture Quotations are taken from the New American

Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA.

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Jesus said,

"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)

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................ 1

Why a course about Calvinism? ....................................................... 1

Don‟t Pass Judgment .................................................................... 2

The Five Points of Calvinism Summarized .................................................... 4

Hyper Calvinism is not true Calvinism .............................................. 4

Total Depravity ............................................................................................ 5

Man Apart from God ................................................................................... 8

God‟s Work ................................................................................. 8

Unconditional Election ............................................................................... 11

Predestination ............................................................................ 13

Objections to election answered..................................................... 14

Romans 9:9-23 ........................................................................... 16

Limited Atonement .................................................................................... 19

Jesus died for all ......................................................................... 24

Have you died? ........................................................................... 26

2 Cor. 5:14 ........................................................................................... 26

Romans 5:18 ........................................................................................ 27

1 Cor. 15:22 ......................................................................................... 28

Double Payment .......................................................................... 29

More Objections Answered ............................................................ 30

Irresistible Grace ....................................................................................... 33

You must be born again ............................................................... 35

Regeneration is Mysterious ........................................................... 37

Regeneration produces fruit .......................................................... 38

Verses used to show Irresistible Grace ............................................ 39

Answers to Objections .................................................................. 40

Perseverance of the Saints ........................................................................ 42

Verses that demonstrate Perseverance of the Saints ......................... 43

Aren‟t there verses that say you can lose your salvation? ................... 47

Isn‟t eternal security a license to sin? ............................................. 52

Conclusion ................................................................................. 54

INDEX ........................................................................................................ 56

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Introduction

Why a course about Calvinism?

1. 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.

2. There are many denominations that differ in

significant areas, but they all hold to the essentials

of the Christian faith.

3. What are the essentials of the Christian faith? They can be

summarized here:

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).

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 do they deny the Christian faith.

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Don’t Pass Judgment

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. Paul

also said…

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. 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

Calvinism.

8. 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.

“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).

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9. Calvin was initially trained as a lawyer and used his training 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.

10. After being published, the Institutes became a bestseller virtually

overnight and pushed Calvin to the forefront of the Protestant

Reformation.

11. 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.

12. In Geneva, Calvin preached, lectured, and

continued to write. While in Geneva he gained

considerable influence.

13. John Calvin lived in Geneva, Switzerland

until he died on May 27th, 1564.

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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.

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.

P = Perseverance of the Saints: The elect are secure in

Christ and cannot lose their salvation.

Hyper Calvinism is not true Calvinism

15. 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.

16. Calvinists consider Hyper Calvinism to be heretical and a violation of

scripture. Now, let‟s move on to what Calvinism actually teaches.

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Total Depravity

17. Total Depravity is the teaching that sin has

affected the entire person. The body, heart,

emotions, will, and mind are all affected 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.

18. We clearly see that sin has affected our bodies

because we get sick, grow old, and die.

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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

“Then God said, „Let us make man in our image, according to our

likeness…” (Gen. 1:26).

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22. 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.

23. There are two main views of free will:

Libertarian and Compatibilist.

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 he 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.

26. 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.

27. 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."

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28. Let‟s take a look at these scriptures.

29. 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.”

30. Jer. 17:9, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and

is desperately sick. Who can understand it?”

31. Rom. 6:20, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were

free in regard to righteousness.”

32. 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.‟”

33. 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.”

34. 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,”

35. 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.”

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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 can you also 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."

37. The unbeliever CAN respond to God. His response will be in

accordance to 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.

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).

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39. 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.”

40. 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.”

41. 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,”

42. 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.”

43. 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.”

44. 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,”

45. 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,”

46. 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.”

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47. 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.”

48. Eph. 1:5, “He predestined us to adoption as sons

through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind

intention of His will,”

49. 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,”

50. 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.”

51. 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.”

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Unconditional Election

52. 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.

53. 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.

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.”

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.”

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54. Does God elect and choose people and

individuals? Yes he does. The Greek word

“eklektos” (elect) occurs many times in the N.T.

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

55. The Greek word “eklektos” is also translated as “chosen”.

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

56. The Greek word “eklogay” means to “choose,

select, elect.”

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.

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Predestination

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.

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.”

59. Obviously, God predestines and elects individuals to salvation. He

does this because 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.

“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).

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Objections to election answered

60. Objection: 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.

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.

61. There is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34), but God

does choose individuals for salvation

“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).

“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).

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62. Objection: 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.

63. Objection: 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.

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 "knows" 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.

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.

“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).

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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.

“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. 17 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).

66. If you read this text and do not raise the same objections that Paul

did, then you do not understand what he said.

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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).

Objections answered

69. Objection: The natural objection will be to ask "Why did

you make me like this?” (Rom. 9:20).

Answer: 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."

70. Objection: Doesn‟t this then mean that God is unfair?

Answer: No, God is not unfair. He always does what is

right. All deserve to be damned sin all are by nature children

of wrath (Eph. 2:3).

Answer: The answer 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.”

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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...”

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).

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 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.

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Limited Atonement

73. 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.

74. 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.

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.

“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).

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76. There are two ways to limit the atonement. We can limit the

power and limit the scope.

77. 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.

78. 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.

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.

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.

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.

“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness,” (1 John 3:4).

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82. 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.

83. 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.

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”.

85. 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).

“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).

“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).

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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.”

86. 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.

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.

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.

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.

“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).

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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.

91. Objection: But the person has to accept the sacrifice

of Christ 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)

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).

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Jesus died for all

93. Context is hugely important when understanding

Scripture. So, let‟s look at the context.

94. 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.

95. Furthermore, Jesus told the disciples to avoid going to the

Gentiles and Samaritans but only go to Israel.

96. But Israel rejected the Messiah so God directed the disciples to

go to the Gentiles.

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” (Matt. 15:24).

“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).

“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.

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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 to avoid 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.

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.

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).

“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).

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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.”

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.

2 Cor. 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).

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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.

Romans 5:18

105. Romans 5:18 is another very interesting verse. It says…

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.

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.

“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).

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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.

1 Cor. 15:22

109. Again, we see that the “all” who are made alive can only be the

Christian. Only the Christian is „made alive in Christ.‟ Again, we

see the word “all”, in context of Jesus as Savior, only referring to

Christians. Furthermore, we never see anyone in scripture who

is justified, saved, etc., in relation to the sacrifice of Christ --

unless they are believers.

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.”

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive,"(1 Cor. 15:22).

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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.

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.

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More Objections Answered

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.

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.

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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.

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?

Answer: Peter addressed his epistle to the Jews who were

aliens scattered abroad (1 Pet. 1:1). In his two epistles he

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.

Peter is 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 and he is alluding to that historical event.

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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.

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Irresistible Grace

119. 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.

120. 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.

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.

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.

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123. Once the person is regenerated he is made capable of believing

and he becomes a new creature in Christ.

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.

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).

“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).

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You must be born again

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.

“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.”

“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).

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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.

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.

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.

“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).

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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

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.

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).

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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.

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.

“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).

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” (Gal. 5:22-23).

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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.”

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,”

40

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.

140. Objection: But people have to believe in order to be

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 who 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 them into new

creatures (2 Cor. 5:17) and is set free from the

bondage of sin and deadness.

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.

41

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).

143. So, Irresistible Grace is the Biblical teaching that God infallibly

moves upon a person and regenerates that person and that it is

act of God that 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.

42

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.

145. 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.

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.

147. Perseverance of the Saints is also known as Eternal Security.

“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).

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one

point, he has become guilty of all,” (Heb. 13:5).

43

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.

149. 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.”

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”.

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.

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?

44

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”.

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.

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.

45

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.”

v. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will

but the will of him who sent me

v. 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

v. 40 For this is the will of my Father

that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, will have eternal life

and I myself will raise him up on the last day

46

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.

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,

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?

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.

47

Aren’t there verses that say you can lose your

salvation?

157. There are those who say that Christian can lose their salvation,

that a person must turn his back on God, seek to do that which is

evil, and reject 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.

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.

159. 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?

48

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…

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.

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.

49

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.

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.

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.

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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!

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 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. 2 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

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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. 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).

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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.

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 on your own.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

“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).

54

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!

169. To summarize, the Five points of Calvinism teaches:

God is sovereign and can do with his creation as he desires

(Rom. 9:9-23; 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. 3:10-

12), 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

6:28-29), 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).

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!

55

56

Index A Atonement ................................ 29, 32

Double Payment .......................... 29 B Bank ............................................... 22 Book of Life .................................... 52 Born Again ...................................... 36 C Calvin, John ...................................... 2

Geneva .......................................... 3 Trained as ..................................... 3

Calvinism .......................................... 2 Efficacious Grace ........................ 33 Five Points of ................................. 4 Hyper Calvinism ............................ 4 Irresistible Grace .. 4, 33, 34, 36, 37,

38, 39, 40, 41 Limited Atonement ................... 4, 19 Perseverance of the Saints4, 42, 43,

52 Total Depravity ...................... 4, 5, 6 Unconditional Election ............. 4, 11

Compatiblism Free will ......................................... 6

D Double Payment ............................. 29

E Efficacious ...................................... 33 Efficacious Grace ........................... 33 Election .......................................... 11 Essentials of the Christian faith ........ 1 Eternal Life ..................................... 53 Eternal Security

Is it a license to sin? .................... 52 F Fallen away from Grace ................. 51 Five points of Calvinism ................. 54 Free will ................................. 6, 15, 40

Compatilism .................................. 6 Libertarian ..................................... 6

G Gospel .............................................. 1 H Have you died? .............................. 26 Holy Spirit ................................. 38, 48

Fruit of ......................................... 38 Hyper Calvinism ............................... 4 I Image of God ................................... 5 Institutes of the Christian Religion .... 3 Introduction ...................................... 1 Israel .............................................. 24 It is finished .............................. 22, 29

57

J Jacob and Esau .............................. 16 Jesus .......................................... 1, 24

God and Man ................................. 1 Justification ..................................... 27 L Law ........................................... 20, 21 Law and Sin .................................. 20 Libertarian Free Will.......................... 6 Limited Atonement .......................... 19 Lose Salvation? .............................. 53 Lydia ............................................... 36 N New Heart ...................................... 38 Nicodemus ............................... 35, 36 O Objections

2 Pet. 2:1, False teachers denied the Lord who bought them ........ 31

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. ......... 30

But isn't Romans 9 really talking about nations and not individuals? ................................................. 18

Does God’s election mean that we have no free will? ...................... 15

Doesn’t this mean that God is showing partiality? .................... 14

Doesn't this mean that God is unfair? ...................................... 17

God looked into the future to see who would pick him .................. 15

Irresistible Grace violates man's free will ............................................ 40

Isn’t eternal security a license to sin?.......................................... 52

John 3:16, For God SO loved the world ........................................ 31

John 6:33, Jesus gives life to the world ........................................ 30

People must believe in order to be regenerated .............................. 40

People need to repent in order to be saved ....................................... 41

the Bible says Jesus died for the whole world John 3:16 .............. 23

The person has to accept the sacrifice for it to be effective ..... 23

The will of the Father is not always done ......................................... 44

to election answered ................ 14 Why did you make me like this? .. 17

P Partakers of the Holy Spirit ............. 48 Partiality ......................................... 14 Perserverance of the Saints

Verses used for ........................ 43 Predestination .......................... 13, 18 Propitiation ..................................... 25 R Reformed Theology .......................... 2 Regeneration ....................... 34, 36, 37

is Mysterious ............................. 37 Repentance .................................... 41

Impossible to renew again to ....... 49

58

S Salvation ........................................... 1

Can we lose it? ............................ 53 Severed from Christ ........................ 50 Sin .................................................. 20 Summary ........................................ 54 T Tasted the heavenly gift .................. 48 Tetelestai ........................................ 22 Total Depravity ....................... 5, 6, 33 Trinity................................................ 1 U Unconditional Election .................... 11 V Verses

1 Cor. 15:22 .............................. 28 1 Cor. 2:14 ..................................... 7 1 Cor. 2:7 ..................................... 13 1 John 2:19 ............................ 46, 49 1 John 3:20 .................................. 34 1 John 3:4 .................................... 20 1 Pet. 1: ....................................... 12 1 Pet. 1:3 ................................. 9, 39 1 Pet. 1:5 ..................................... 53 1 Pet. 2:22 ................................... 21 1 Pet. 2:24 ............................. 21, 29 1 Pet. 2:4 ..................................... 12 1 Pet. 3:7 ..................................... 18 1 Thess. 1:4 ................................. 12 1 Thess. 4:4 ................................. 18 1 Tim. 5:21 .................................. 12 2 Cor. 5:14 ............................. 26, 28 2 Cor. 5:17 ................................... 33 2 Cor. 5:21 ................................... 29 2 John 1 ....................................... 12

2 John 13 .................................... 12 2 Pet. 2:1 ..................................... 31 2 Thess. 2:13 .......................... 9, 11 2 Tim. 1:9 ...................................... 9 2 Tim. 2:10 .................................. 12 2 Tim. 2:21 .................................. 18 2 Tim. 2:25 .................................... 9 Acts 13:46 ................................... 25 Acts 13:48 .................... 9, 11, 23, 46 Acts 16:14 ................................... 36 Acts 24:5 ..................................... 25 Acts 4:28 ..................................... 13 Acts 9:15 ..................................... 12 Col. 2:14 ................................ 22, 23 Col. 3:12 ...................................... 12 Eph. 1:11 ............................... 10, 13 Eph. 1:4 ......................................... 9 Eph. 1:4-5 ................................... 18 Eph. 1:5 ................................. 10, 13 Eph. 2:15 ....................................... 7 Eph. 2:3 ................................... 7, 17 Eph. 2:4-5 ................................... 39 Ezekiel 36:26-27 ......................... 37 Gal. 5:22-23 ................................ 38 Gal. 5:4 ....................................... 50 Gen. 12:3 .................................... 25 Heb. 10:26 .................................. 50 Heb. 13:5 .................................... 41 Heb. 6:4-6, .................................. 47 James 1:17-18 ............................ 38 Jer. 13:23 ...................................... 8 Jer. 17:9 ........................................ 7 John 1:12-13 .................... 10, 35, 39 John 10:11 .................................. 28 John 10:16 .................................. 39 John 10:26 .................................. 28 John 10:27-29 ............................. 43 John 10:36 .................................. 25 John 13:35 .................................. 19 John 17:2 .................................... 39 John 18:20 .................................. 25 John 19:30 .................................. 22

59

John 3:16 ......................... 25, 31, 43 John 3:1-8 ................................... 35 John 3:3 ....................................... 34 John 3:8 ....................................... 39 John 4:42 ..................................... 25 John 5:21 ..................................... 39 John 6:28-29 ............................... 10 John 6:33 ..................................... 30 John 6:37 ..................................... 39 John 6:38-40 ............................... 44 John 6:44 ..................................... 21 John 6:44,65 .................................. 9 John 6:54 ..................................... 46 John 8:12 ..................................... 25 Luke 12:30 ................................... 25 Luke 18:7 ..................................... 12 Mark 13:20 .................................. 12 Mark 13:22 .................................. 12 Mark 13:27 ............................ 11, 12 Mark 14:9 .................................... 25 Mark 7:21-23 ................................. 7 Matt. 10:5 .................................... 24 Matt. 15:24 ............................ 24, 25 Matt. 22:14 .................................. 12 Matt. 22:32 .................................. 52 Matt. 24:22 ............................ 11, 12 Matt. 24:24 .................................. 12 Matt. 24:31 .................................. 12 Matthew 7:22-23 .......................... 15 Phil. 1:29 ................................. 9, 23

Rev. 14:11 ............................. 21, 30 Rev. 17:14 ................................... 12 Rev. 3:5 ....................................... 52 Rom. 11:17-24 ............................ 25 Rom. 11:28.................................. 12 Rom. 11:5 ................................... 12 Rom. 11:7 ................................... 12 Rom. 14:1-12 .............................. 54 Rom. 16:13.................................. 12 Rom. 3:10-12 ................................ 7 Rom. 5:10 ..................................... 8 Rom. 5:12). ................................. 27 Rom. 5:20-6:2 ............................. 52 Rom. 6:20 ..................................... 7 Rom. 6:23 ................................... 29 Rom. 8:29 ................................... 13 Rom. 8:29-30 .............................. 10 Rom. 8:30 ................................... 13 Rom. 8:32-33 .............................. 11 Rom. 8:33 ................................... 12 Rom. 8:7 ....................................... 8 Rom. 9:11 ................................... 12 Rom. 9:18 ................................... 17 Rom. 9:20 ................................... 17 Romans 4:1-5 .............................. 19 Romans 5:18 ............................... 27 Romans 9:9-23 ...................... 16, 17

Verses that say you can lose your salvation ....................................... 47