“Perseverance of the Saints” is the portion of John Calvin’s system of doctrine that postulates that the elect will be saved and once they are saved, they cannot be lost. This is also known as the Impossibility of Apostasy or “Once Saved, Always Saved.” What the Bible says is a different matter (All emphasis mine, MDJ):
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Corinthians 9:27
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:19
If a man can be fallen from grace, he must have been a partaker of that grace; if a man can fall away, he must have had part in that which he falls away from; if God can take away his part in the Book of Life, he must have had a part in that Book. What does the Bible say about Perseverance of the Saints? “…cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Persevere!
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
The doctrine of John Calvin includes “Irresistible Grace,” the idea that a person who is predestined cannot resist God’s will to save them. As with other tenets of this doctrine, let us simply compare this idea with what the scripture says. (As always, all emphasis added by me, MDJ):
- I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live…Deuteronomy 30:19
- And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15
- He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16
- The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. II Peter 3:9-10
- Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (22) But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Mat 19:21-22
The Bible teaches that all men have a choice. Just as the rich young man of Matthew 19, we, too, can choose to go away and refuse the gift of God. Or, like Joshua of old, we can also choose to serve the Lord. The choice is ours, and while he would have none to perish, God will not make the choice for us.
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
So far we have studied two ideas put forth by John Calvin and followed by much of the religious world today: Total Hereditary Depravity (Original Sin) and Unconditional Election or Predestination. We now consider “Limited Atonement”, the idea that Christ only died for the elect, those predestined for salvation and not for the rest of the world. What does the Bible say? (all emphasis mine, MDJ)
- The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. John 1:7
- And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent… Acts 17:30
- Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Romans 5:18
- For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4
- For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men… Titus 2:11
- The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
- For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Did Christ die for the elect only? No. Christ died for all men. If only all men would come unto Him…
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
This is the third in the series on Calvin’s Tulip. Last time we looked at the idea of Total Hereditary Depravity and compared it to what God’s Word says. Now we consider the doctrine of Unconditional Election or, as it is commonly known, predestination. Unconditional Election holds that God chooses who he will save without condition. Nothing that a person can do can affect this choice. As I have already stated, this is also known as Predestination. Let’s see what the Bible says (all emphasis mine, MDJ):
- Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
- Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward…
- Job 34:19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
- Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
- Colossians 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
- Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The Bible does speak of predestination, but only in the sense that we are predestined to be saved in Christ Jesus, and not in any other. In other words, God predestined a plan by which men would be saved, but not which men would be saved, for “God is no respecter of persons.”
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
Last time I spoke of the doctrine of John Calvin and the acronym “TULIP” by which it can be remembered. I made the allegation that each tenet of Calvin’s doctrine, while accepted by most denominations today, is contradictory to plain Bible teaching. In this article, we will simply compare the first of these doctrines, Total Hereditary Depravity, with what the Bible says.
Total Hereditary Depravity is the idea that all men inherit Adam’s Sin; they are inherently sinners, and thus condemned, from birth. This is commonly called the doctrine of “Original Sin.” According to this doctrine, even children are guilty of Adam’s sin and thus condemned. It is from this doctrine that infant baptism arose. What does the Bible say about “Original Sin?” Look at these verses (all emphasis added by me, MDJ):
- But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 2 Samuel 12:23 (Spoken by King David in regard to his infant son who had died.)
- Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4
- …That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity (sin, MDJ) of his father, he shall surely live. Ezekiel 18:17
- Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
- Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15
- For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
What does the Bible say about “Original Sin?” Nothing. It is a doctrine of man; God’s doctrine is much simpler: The soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
John Calvin was a theologian during the Protestant Reformation. Like many of his time, he sought to reform, or change the teaching of the Catholic Church. This is a lofty goal, and if carried out in conjunction with the teaching of the Bible, one that might indeed lead to true Christianity. However, Calvin’s ideas had little to do with Biblical teaching.
Calvin proposed a series of tenets that governed his belief concerning Christianity. These tenets are very logical and consistent among themselves, nevertheless, each one contradicts the basic premises of the Bible. Regardless, these ideas were readily accepted by most of the world and form the basis of many, if not most, protestant religions in the world today.
Over the course of the next several weeks, if the Lord wills, we will look at each of these tenets in turn and compare them to what the scripture says. These tenets, or beliefs, of John Calvin, and subsequently many who have followed his teaching, can be remembered using the acronym “TULIP.” Here are the tenets of Calvinism:
- Total Hereditary Depravity: All men inherit Adam’s Sin; they are inherently sinners, and thus condemned, from birth. This is commonly called the doctrine of “Original Sin.”
- Unconditional Election: God chooses who he will save without condition. Nothing that a person can do can affect this choice. This is also known as Predestination.
- Limited Atonement: Christ only died for the Elect, those predestined for salvation.
- Irresistible Grace: A person who is predestined cannot resist God’s will to save them.
- Perseverance of the Saints: Those who are predestined will be saved and once they are saved, they cannot be lost. This is also known as the Impossibility of Apostasy or “Once Saved, Always Saved.”
So there you have Calvin’s TULIP. Real tulips thrive in the light of God’s sun. Let us turn to scripture to see how Calvin’s holds up when exposed to the Light of God’s Son.
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
Most religious groups today who claim to follow Christ claim the doctrine of “once saved, always saved,” also known as the “impossibility of apostasy.” However, the Churches of Christ do not teach this man-made doctrine, instead contending that the saved can be lost as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27: “…I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Paul also wrote to the Galatians, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace,” Galatians 5:4. Being fallen from grace implies that they once knew God’s grace and Christ having become of no effect implies that he once had an effect on them. Nonetheless, they were spoken of as being “fallen from grace.”
The writer of the Hebrew letter also said, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame,” Hebrews 6:4-6. Again, we have the possibility of falling away after having tasted the heavenly gift, namely salvation in Christ.
With this understanding, some erroneously come to the conclusion that we cannot know whether we are saved and must live in constant fear of condemnation. This assumption is mistaken. The Bible plainly states, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” Romans 8:1. Likewise, John says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7. Both of these passages speak of one who seeks to continue in faith, following Christ. The key is to “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” and to “walk in the light, as he is in the light.” If we do this, we, like Paul can say, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing,” 2 Timothy 4:8.
Remember, God is Love. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love,” 1 John 4:18.
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
Copyright 2009 Mance J. Davis Jr.
For God so loved the world is a basic tenet that most people in America today have heard and understand. The Bible teaches us that God is Love. We see the expression of that love all around us—in the beauty of his creation, in his provision for our needs, in our continued existence, and yes, as we read his Word, we see it in the sacrifice of his only begotten Son.
Yet the concept that some have of a God whose love will not allow for sin to be punished nor for anyone to be lost is not the God of whom we read in the Holy Script. That selfsame famous verse tells us not “whosoever believeth in him will not perish,” but rather that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish.” Jesus himself said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 7:21.
Our God is one who is longsuffering. He waits upon us and he gives us every opportunity to repent and to turn to him. Like the father in Jesus’ tale of the prodigal son, God awaits our return to him. Yet he will not force that return…and a day will come when it is too late. “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness…,” Acts 17:31.
Peter tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” 2 Peter 3:9.
For God so loved the world…
Until next time, let me encourage you to search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so. Acts 17:11
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