And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us….For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-Romans 8:28-34,38-39, ESV

Last time, we began to discuss the distinctives of Reformed theology with the Five Solas that represent the core reasons Protestants had to break away from Roman Catholicism.  John Calvin expanded on this, so this time will focus on the distinctive of most Calvinists, the five points of Calvinism: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints.   

Calvin and Arminius

As the Reformation spread, various positions began to form on the finer points of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  One of the foremost second-generation Reformers was John Calvin, who articulated a complete theology in one of the great works of church history: Institutes of the Christian Religion.  His work was is foundational to what we now call Reformed theology, but he is best known for how his followers responded to a strong opponent regarding salvation.  Jacobus Arminius disagreed with Calvin’s view of predestination—that God determines who will receive salvation.[1]  His followers believed in the total depravity of man, but they also believed in conditional election based on faith in Christ, unlimited atonement (Christ died for all people not just the elect), that God’s grace was resistible (people can reject it), and conditional perseverance of the saints (a person had to remain in Christ in order to be truly saved).[2]  In response to these five articles, Calvinists laid out what we now know as the Five Points of Calvinism.  John Piper explains them in his book Five Points.

Total Depravity

The first point of Calvinism is one with which true Arminians would largely agree: that all people are totally depraved.  This does not mean that every person acts in as depraved a manner as possible but that our natural condition is depraved.  John Piper describes it this way: “The totality of that depravity is clearly not that man does as much evil as he could do. There is no doubt that man could perform more evil acts toward his fellow man than he does. But if he is restrained from performing more evil acts by motives that are not owing to his glad submission to God, then even his “virtue” is evil in the sight of God”.[3]  Arminians and Calvinists can agree on this because it is so clear throughout Scripture.  All have sinned (Romans 3:23) so there is no such thing as a righteous person who seeks after God (Romans 3:10-11 cf. Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3).  Even our “good” is so polluted by sin that it is unacceptable (Isaiah 64:6).  Plus, sin includes anything not done in faith (Romans 14:23), any good we fail to do (James 4:17), and any impure thoughts or motives, so we sin incessantly.  We are dead in sin apart from Christ, unable to do anything to save ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-3). 

Despite the clarity and prevalence of human depravity in Scripture, our society largely denies it.  Most Western churchgoers today would say that people are basically good and any evil is largely due to circumstances.  Critical theory, socialism, cultural Marxism, and the like are built on this error.  Any church that ascribes to these has therefore followed Rome into the error of glorifying human teaching over Scripture.  But even it we officially agree with total depravity, we still significantly downplay our sin and cannot fathom that we deserve hell along with everyone else.  But when we honestly consider our vast sin in thought, word, deed, motive, action, and inaction, we should be cured of that error.  We are far worse than we think we are, so we should all say with Paul: “wretched man that I am, who will delivery me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).

Unconditional Election

Where Arminians and Calvinists begin to differ is on how God elects those He saves.  Scripture is clear that God chose those He saves in eternity past (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9), but what does that mean?  Arminians would say that God foreknew all who would trust in Christ and elected to save those people, so election is conditional.  But those God foreknew are the ones who receive salvation: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).  This passage is the most complete form of the ordo salutis (order of salvation) in Scripture, explicitly listing God’s foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification while alluding to adoption and sanctification.  This only happens for believers, so foreknowledge can only refer to those God has chosen for salvation.  Predestination then is not God knowing who would choose Him and then choosing them but God choosing who He would save before even creating them (Ephesians 1:5,11).  This election is completely independent of anything we do.  Total depravity means we cannot choose God unless He first chooses us.  God made His choice before time began, and any choice we make is a result of that choice:

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

-Romans 9:10-18, ESV

Jacob and Esau were alike in every way possible, yet one was loved by God and the other hated even before they were born or had done anything good or bad: “in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls”.  God has mercy on whomever He wills and hardens the hearts of whomever He wills according to His purpose of election, so election must be unconditional.  We cannot choose God, so it only seems like we can because God has already worked in us to regenerate us and bring us to a point where we can respond in faith and repentance.

Limited Atonement

Salvation can only come to the elect—those whom God chose to save before they were born not based on any condition they can meet.  Since salvation is based on the work of Christ, that work is only effective for the elect, so He only died for the elect and not everyone.  This is limited atonement, which is the most disputed of the five points.  “Four-point Calvinists” and Arminians would say that Jesus died to make salvation possible for all people. After all, God so loved the world that He send Jesus to save the world (John 3:16-17) and desires all people to come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9), making God the Savior of all people (1 Timothy 4:10).  This actually doesn’t support unlimited atonement because there can be no such thing.  Christ’s atonement must be limited either in scope or effectiveness, so to say His atonement makes salvation possible for all limits its effectiveness since it guarantees salvation for no one.  The “five-point Calvinist” instead limits the scope of the atonement to the elect but holds that it is completely effective to save them. John Piper explains how this fits with the “all” passages:

God sent Christ to save all in some sense. And he sent Christ to save those who believe in a more particular sense. God’s intention is different for each. That is a natural way to read 1 Timothy 4:10. For “all men” the death of Christ is the foundation of the free offer of the gospel….God is the “Savior of all people” in that Christ died to provide an absolutely reliable and valid offer of forgiveness to all, such that everyone, without exception, who trusts Christ would be saved. When the gospel is preached, Christ is offered to all without discrimination. And the offer is absolutely authentic for all. What is offered is Christ, and anyone—absolutely anyone—who receives Christ receives all that he bought for his sheep, his bride. The gospel does not offer a possibility of salvation. It is the possibility of salvation. But what is offered is Christ, and in him the infinite achievement that he accomplished for his people by his death and resurrection.

-John Piper, Five Points: Toward a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace, Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications: 2013: 40-41.

Scripture is clear that Jesus actually saves, so His atonement is definite.  In that sense some prefer to describe the Calvinist position as definite atonement rather than limited atonement.  Regardless, soli Deo gloria dictates that we hold the position that gives God all of the glory.  Indefinite atonement makes salvation contingent on our ability to choose Christ, but Scripture clearly teaches that it is God not us who works salvation.  Christ already accomplished everything required for salvation, so His atonement can be nothing but definite.

Irresistible Grace

Total depravity leaves us unable to choose God, unconditional election means He chooses us, and limited (definite) atonement dictates that all of Christ’s work is completely effective for all the elect.  It naturally follows then that the elect will receive God’s grace, meaning His grace is irresistible.  Arminians would say that the work of God makes salvation possible so that the individual can choose to accept or reject His saving grace.  But if all of salvation is the work of God apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9) then the elect cannot ultimately reject His grace.  Piper defines it this way: “The doctrine of irresistible grace does not mean that every influence of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted. It means that the Holy Spirit, whenever he chooses, can overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible”.[4]  Those who resist the Spirit’s work for their entire lives are therefore not elect.  The elect may resist Him for a season as Paul did, but He will ultimately overcome their resistance to regenerate them.  Salvation is from God alone, so His grace must be irresistible or we would have the final say in our salvation.  The elect can try to run and hide, but eventually the Holy Spirit will regenerate them and apply the grace of salvation to them.  This does not imply that God forces His grace upon us against our will.  Our response to the Gospel of faith and repentance is always willing, so irresistible grace means that the elect willingly believe and repent because the Holy Spirit has changed their will: “Irresistible grace does not drag the unwilling into the kingdom, it makes the unwilling willing”.[5]

Perseverance of the Saints

If all of salvation is the work of God not us, then the entire ordo salutis is too.  Those who are predestined, called, and justified must also be glorified (Romans 8:30).  But contrary to the teaching of most churches today, this does not mean making a profession of faith is enough to ensure that you will be saved in the end.  Our ultimate salvation is actually contingent on our perseverance in the faith: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:14 cf. 1 Corinthians 15:2, Hebrews 3:6).  Here’s another example: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).  Both Arminians and Calvinists would therefore disagree with the modern notion of merely “praying the prayer” to get “fire insurance”.  Scripture is full of evidence that people can and do fall away from the faith, and that if they do not repent they will ultimately be damned.  Does that mean we can lose our salvation?  Arminians would say that even if someone genuinely responds to the Gospel with faith and repentance, they can ultimately reject Jesus and fall away.  For Calvinists on the other hand, God both saves and keeps the elect such that it is impossible for any elect person to fall away.  Therefore, anyone who does fall away was never elect in the first place.  It is impossible for us to lose our salvation because it is impossible for Jesus Christ to lose anyone He has purchased with His blood: “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12 cf. John 6:39, 10:28, 18:9).  But as we saw last time with sola fide and sola gratia, faith without works is ineffective for salvation (James 2:14-26).  Therefore, part of perseverance is that saving faith will produce good works as evidence.  Perseverance also does not mean true believers will never experience periods of backsliding, doubt, or rebellion.  However, God preserves all true saints so they will ultimately return.  Those who do not were never elect in the first place.  And as we saw here and here, such nominal believers will be present in our churches, so we should expect to see them fall away: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19 cf. Hebrews 6:4-8).  So if we perpetually lack the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we have reason to question our salvation.  But if we are bearing fruit, even if it is sporadic and we experience seasons of doubt, we must trust that the God who saved us will keep us.  Our foundation remains the immovable Christ.  He will hold His own firm to the end.

All in all, the five points of Calvinism like the Five Solas recognize that God is the one who works salvation so only God deserves glory for every aspect of it.  God is the one who predestined all of the elect before time began apart from any merit of our own.  Jesus Christ’s atoning work purchased salvation for all of the elect.  The Holy Spirit works in the elect so that they desire to repent and believe such that God’s grace is irresistible.  And God will cause all of the elect to persevere to the end.  Together, the solas and points of Calvinism sum up Reformed soteriology, but there is much more to Reformed theology than that.  Next time we will cover confessionalism followed by covenantalism.

NOTES:

[1] Luis G. Pedraja, “Arminius, Jacob (1560–1609),” in Justo L. González (ed.), trans. Suzanne E. Hoeferkamp Segovia, The Westminster Dictionary of Theologians, Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006: 24.

[2] Jenny-Lyn S. de Klerk, “Arminianism” in Michael A. G. Haykin (ed.), The Essential Lexham Dictionary of Church History, Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022.

[3] John Piper, Five Points: Toward a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace, Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications: 2013: 17.

[4] John Piper, Five Points: Toward a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace, Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications: 2013: 26.

[5] John Piper, Five Points: Toward a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace, Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications: 2013: 32.