What are the five points of Calvinism?

DEFINITION AND OVERVIEW

The Five Points of Calvinism are often summarized by the acronym “TULIP.” They stem from teachings historically identified with the 16th-century Reformer John Calvin, though they were refined and formally expressed during the Synod of Dort (1618–1619). These five points focus on the doctrines of grace and explain how God sovereignly saves His people.

They address human sinfulness, God’s election, the scope and intent of Christ’s atonement, the work of the Holy Spirit in conversion, and the believer’s security in salvation. Each point underscores God’s supreme authority and gracious initiative in rescuing humanity from spiritual death.

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Five Points, with biblical references from the Berean Standard Bible.

1. TOTAL DEPRAVITY

This teaching affirms that every part of humanity is affected by the fall, resulting in spiritual inability to seek God without divine intervention. While it does not mean people are as evil as they could be, it emphasizes that humans are spiritually dead in sin and cannot incline themselves toward saving faith by their own power.

(1) Scriptural Basis:

• Ephesians 2:1: “As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” This indicates a state of spiritual lifelessness apart from grace.

• Romans 3:10–11: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” This highlights the universal scope of sin.

(2) Guilt and Inability:

Because sin extends to every facet of mind, will, emotions, and body, people cannot come to God purely by their own choice. This is often illustrated by Jesus’ words in John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” The human heart, apart from God’s direct work, is unwilling and unable to submit to the Creator.

2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

This doctrine teaches that before creation, God sovereignly chose certain individuals to be saved, not based on any foreseen merit, faith, or goodness within them, but solely by His gracious purpose.

(1) God’s Sovereign Choice:

• Ephesians 1:4–5: “For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

• Romans 9:15–16: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”

(2) No Human Qualifications:

There is no condition—such as fulfilling the law or coming to faith by free will—that causes God to elect someone. His choice is grounded in His matchless wisdom and mercy alone. This leads believers to humility and gratitude, rather than pride, in the realization that salvation is a divine gift from beginning to end.

3. LIMITED ATONEMENT

Sometimes called “Particular Redemption,” Limited Atonement teaches that Christ died specifically for those whom the Father had given Him, securing their salvation fully and finally. This does not mean Christ’s sacrifice has no infinite value; rather, it means His redemptive work is definite and effectively applied to those chosen before the foundation of the world.

(1) Scriptural Indicators:

• John 10:14–15: “I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me … and I lay down My life for the sheep.” Jesus describes His sacrificial death as being for “His sheep.”

• Matthew 1:21: “She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” The language highlights that His redemptive mission is particularly aimed toward “His people.”

(2) Efficacy of the Cross:

Those who affirm Limited Atonement hold that Christ’s death is fully effective in accomplishing the salvation of those for whom it was intended. It does not merely make people “savable,” but actually redeems and reconciles. Consequently, the redeemed receive guaranteed benefits of forgiveness, justification, and eternal life.

4. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

This doctrine, also known as “Effectual Calling,” teaches that those chosen by God will inevitably be drawn to faith in Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit transforms the heart, making the gospel invitation effective so that the person willingly responds in belief.

(1) Divine Initiative:

• John 6:37: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.” Those given by the Father to the Son unfailingly come because of God’s gracious work in the heart.

• Ezekiel 36:26–27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you … I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.” This prophecy illustrates the powerful internal renewal God provides.

(2) The Changed Will:

When the Holy Spirit draws a person, He graciously frees the will from the bondage of sin and grants a willing acceptance of Christ. Far from coercion, Irresistible Grace means that God overcomes resistance by creating a genuine desire for Christ within the individual.

5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

This final point affirms that those truly regenerated and elected to salvation in Christ will never be lost but will persevere in faith until the end. True believers may fall into sin for a time, but they will never finally abandon their faith because God preserves them.

(1) Assurance and Security:

• John 10:28: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.” This promise shows the security of salvation granted by Christ.

• Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

(2) Genuine Faith Evidenced:

Perseverance does not imply that all who merely claim faith are secure apart from a real transformation. Rather, it teaches that those who are truly born again—indwelt by the Holy Spirit—will continue to follow Christ over the course of their lives.

CONCLUSION

The Five Points of Calvinism provide a systematic understanding of how God’s grace operates from the moment of election to the final glorification of believers. Each point underscores the sovereignty of God in salvation, the complete inability of sinners to initiate a relationship with Him, and the assurance that God finishes what He begins in the hearts of His people.

Viewed together, these doctrines reflect a message of profound comfort, showcasing the unshakable certainty of the divine promise: “He will sustain you to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:8).