What is TULIP? – The 5 Points of Calvinism Explained

TULIP is an acronym that represents the five primary teachings of Calvinism. Each letter stands for one of the following concepts: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints (Also called Preservation of the saints). These doctrines are known as the five points of Calvinism.

Each Point is a summation of John Calvin’s teachings regarding God’s authority, grace, human nature, and predestination. Calvin’s teachings were first organized into five points at the Synod of Dort in a treatise called the cannons of Dort (1618). Shortly after their debut, the Five Points became a theological staple in reformed churches. Although Calvin’s theology can, at first glance, seem intimidating and confusing. The story of grace, love, and divine sovereignty told by TULIP is both eloquent and straightforward.

TULIP Summarized

 In a nutshell, TUILP is a scripture-centered analysis of humanity’s fall and God’s plan of salvation. According to the doctrine, our struggle with evil traces back to the original sin committed by Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. Their act of rebellion brought sin into the world and corrupted human nature itself.

Since that dark moment, people have been born with a fallen nature. That is to say. People have an innate inclination towards sin and do not have an appropriate desire for God. This moral deficiency makes it impossible for someone to live a morally perfect or sin-free life. Consequently, everyone is doomed to spend eternity in hell… Without exception.

Now, having foreseen this very harry pickle, God, before time began, decided to save specific individuals from their fiery fate. This salvation is a gift that cannot be earned through personal merit. According to Calvinism, the sins of the chosen are forgiven and atoned for by Christ’s death on the cross. Moreover, The Holy Spirit transforms their sinful nature into a Godly one over time.

The Five Points

All of the following quotations are from the Canons of Dort.[1]

Total Depravity: All humans are sinful, corrupt, and unable to obtain moral perfection.

“All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin. Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform.”

The Canons of Dort

Unconditional Election: Personal merit plays no role in God’s decision to save someone.

“Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, God chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race…” “Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the others, but lay with them in the common misery.”

The Canons of Dort

“The cause of this undeserved election is exclusively the good pleasure of God. This does not involve God’s choosing certain human qualities or actions from among all those possible as a condition of salvation.”

The Canons of Dort

Limited Atonement: Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is good enough to cover all of humanity’s sin. However, only the elect can receive the grace of his sacrifice.  

“It was God’s will that Christ through the blood of the cross should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation…”

The Canons of Dort

Irresistible Grace: Those who God has called cannot refuse the call.  

“God infuses new qualities into the will, making the dead will alive, the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.”

The Canons of Dort

Perseverance of the Saints: Once someone joins the saved, they can never be unsaved or fall away.

“Just as God is most wise, unchangeable, all-knowing, and almighty, so the election made by him can neither be suspended nor altered, revoked, or annulled; neither can God’s chosen ones be cast off, nor their number reduced.”

The Canons of Dort

Some Thoughts About TULIP From A Non-Calvinist

Although the five points of Calvinism have been a significant force in Christian thought for a long time, it is not a universally accepted doctrine. Personally, I’m not a Calvinist. However, I respect the logical quality of the ideas Calvin confronts us with.

Unlike so many teachers today, John Calvin didn’t water down his understanding of God’s word for the comfort of his hearers. Palatability was not one of his concerns. Instead, he simply focused on presenting people with an honest, logical, and well-thought-out interpretation of scripture. Even if you disagree with his conclusions about sin and salvation, the quality of his work is undeniable. I think today’s church can learn a lot about what it means to read scripture from John Calvin’s example.

Thanks For Being Awesome!

Sources

1. TheChristianReformedChurch.org