BIGGRACEWHATTHEBIBLEREALLYSAYSABOUTGOD

Issue2

Big Grace
what the Bible really says about God

BYGRACEYOUHAVEBEENSAVED

INTHISISSUE

What Do We KNOW?
WeknowthatChrist,being raisedfromthedead,willnever dieagain(Romans6:9). Weknowthatforthosewholove Godallthingsworktogetherfor good,forthosewhoarecalled accordingtohispurpose (Romans8:28). Weknowthatwhileweareat homeinthebodyweareaway fromtheLord(2Corinthians 5:6). Weknowthatapersonisnot justifiedbyworksofthelawbut throughfaithinJesusChrist (Galatians2:16). Weknowthatwhenheappears weshallbelikehim,becausewe shallseehimasheis(1John3:2). WeknowthattheSonofGod hascomeandhasgivenus understanding,sothatwemay knowhimwhoistrue(1John 5:20).

Historical Background on Calvinism

Wheredidthedoctrinecomefrom?

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HAVESOMETHINGTOSAY?
Jointheconversation
BIGGRACE

@BigGraceICN BigGraceBlog.wordpress.com biggrace@immanuelnashville.com

The Difference between Calvinism and Arminianism

Whatsthedifference,anyway?

Page4 @BigGraceICN

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The Bible

TheBibleistheauthoritativewordofGod withouterror.Wecantrustitandwemust listentoit. OurthinkingaboutGodmustcomefromthe Bibleoritcomesfromanunauthoritative position. Wewillbeinteractingwithteachingonthe topicbuttheBibleistheonlyauthorityand voicethatultimatelymatters. Wecan,andprobablywill,attimesstruggle tomakesenseofwhatweareseeing.We mightdisagreewithwhatisbeingsaid.It mightbehardforustohearorunderstand. Wearefreetodisagreeandstrugglewiththe textofscripturebutweneedahumble posturetowardsGod.HeisGodandweare not.IfourdisagreementsarewithGodand theBiblewecantrusthimtohelpus.Ifour disagreementsarebetweenusashumanswe canlooktoGodtohelpus.WetrustthatGod willrevealwhohereallyisandwewill worshiphimasheis.

THEWORDOFGOD
AllScriptureisbreathedoutbyGodand profitableforteaching,forreproof,for correction,andfortraininginrighteousness, thatthemanofGodmaybecomplete, equippedforeverygoodwork.
2TIMOTHY3:1617

ESV

TULIP DVD by John Piper

Findthefreeseminarstudyguideon DesiringGod.com.

WiththisStudyGuideandtheDVD,John Piperwalksstudygroupsthrougheachofthe fivepointsofCalvinismTotaldepravity, Unconditionalelection,Limitedatonement, Irresistiblegrace,Perseveranceofthesaints discussingtheimplicationsandtheissues fromafullybiblicalperspective.Theguide focusesonPiper'ssixteen,30minuteDVD teachings,whichcovertopicsthatinclude themeaningof"total"intotaldepravity, doingmissionswhenGodissovereign, Romans9andthetwowillsofGod,andten effectsofbelievingthefivepointsof Calvinism.

Thisguidedgroupstudyclarifiestheall importantdifferencesbetweenCalvinism andArminianismandcallsbelieverstohold fasttobiblicaltruthregardingGod'ssaving workinhispeople'slives.

Summaryof Seriesfrom Crossway. http://www.cr ossway.org/b ooks/tulip tpb/

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KEYSCRIPTURES

Historical Background on Calvinism

Ephesians 1:3-6
BlessedbetheGodandFatherofourLordJesus Christ,whohasblessedusinChristwithevery spiritualblessingintheheavenlyplaces,evenashe choseusinhimbeforethefoundationoftheworld, thatweshouldbeholyandblamelessbeforehim.In lovehepredestinedusforadoptionassonsthrough JesusChrist,accordingtothepurposeofhiswill,to thepraiseofhisgloriousgrace,withwhichhehas blessedusintheBeloved.

The Canons of Dordt

by R. Scott Clark
TABLETALK Originallypostedon www.ligonier.org/tabletalk
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/canons dordt/

2 Timothy 1:9
Whosavedusandcalledustoaholycalling,not becauseofourworksbutbecauseofhisownpurpose andgrace,whichhegaveusinChristJesusbefore theagesbegan

ROMANS8:28

ALL THINGS
worktogetherfor

GOOD

Everyone knows the acronymTULIP, but not everyone knows where this acronym comes from. The Canons of Dordt are among the most famous but unread deliverances of any Reformed Synod. Thecanons are more than five letters. The canons teach a pastoral doctrineofgraceandprovideamodelforthe stewardshipoftheGospel. The Canons (rules) of the Synod of Dordt were written after years of controversy within the Reformed churches in Europe and Britain. In the late sixteenth century the Reformed doctrines of sin, grace, faith, justification, atonement, perseverance, and assurance faced a growing resistance. At the same time, James Hermanson (c. 1559 1609), known to us as Jacob Arminius, was a student in the Genevan Academy where he showed promise andno obvious evidence ofheterodoxy. Questions about Arminius doctrine arose as earlyas1590,butJacobhadmarriedwelland his patrons protected him. About 1594 he developed a new reading of Romans chapter 7 in which he argued that Paul could not be describing a regenerate person. By 1596, after studying Romans chapter 9, he concluded that inclusion in the covenant of grace is not determined solely by Gods sovereign decree. Instead, God has willed to accept those who seek acceptance with Him by faith. This was a clever move. He appeared to be defending justification by faith all the while redefining the doctrine of election and the definition of faith. As time passed, his views became more well known.

Confessional pastors and theologians in the Netherlands and elsewhere began to sound the alarm. Dialogues were conducted and Arminius said the right things, leaving the orthodox uneasy but without hard evidence of error. Despite swirling doubts, the regents of the University of Leiden appointed Arminius to professor of theology. Almost immediately, Arminius was controversial. He was reported to teach that God elects those whom he foreknows would believe. He also raised questions about the Reformed doctrine of the covenant of works. In public, however, Arminius went out of his way to agreewithhisorthodoxcolleagues. By 1605, however, confessional Reformed pastors were calling for discipline against Arminius and his growing band of followers (the Arminians). The orthodox called for a national synod to discipline the Arminians, but the politicians refused. Instead, leading Arminians in the government called for a synod to revise the Belgic Confession and theHeidelberg Catechism to make them moreamenabletoArminiusviews. Arminius died in October 1609, and the controversy entered a new phase. The Arminians published a remonstrance against the Reformed churches in which they outlined five objections to Reformed doctrine. Some preliminary responses were drafted as early as 1611, but it was the Remonstrantswhofirstgaveusfivepointsto whichtheReformedchurcheswouldrespond atthegreatSynodofDordt. The Synod of Dordt almost did not occur. Political forces within the government worked mightily to prevent a national synod toaddresstheproblem.Thetheologicalcrisis threatened to break out into warfare. Prince

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Maurice of Nassau (15671625), who sympathized with the orthodox, called for a national synod. The Remonstrants responded by organizing riots in 1617. Maurices chief rival threatened war, but when Maurice arrived in Utrecht (an Arminian stronghold) in 1618 with battle testedveterans,theoppositionmelted. The greatest international Reformed synod convened in Dordrecht, on 13 November 1618. In attendance were delegations from across Europe and Britain. Forbidden by LouisXIIIfrom attending, the French delegation was notablyabsent. In 1610 the Remonstrants proposed these five points: One: Election conditioned upon foreseenfaithandobedience;Two:Universal atonement; Three: Regeneration enables sinners to do good toward salvation; Four: Resistible grace; Five: Believers may fallaway. BecausethesynodrepliedtotheFiveArticles of the Remonstrants point by point, the order of the Canons is not actuallyTULIP. The first head of doctrine concerned divine election and reprobation. With the apostle Paul, Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, the synod ruled that, by virtue of Adams fall, we are so profoundly sinful that we deserve only condemnation and are able to do nothing to prepareforgraceoreventocooperatewithit toward our justification (1.1). The instrument of justification is a faith that embraces Christ alone for salvation (1.24). Only the elect come to faith (1.56). Election in Christ is Gods unchangeable and eternal choice of a certain number of persons to salvation unconditioned by anything in the sinner (1.7 11). Believers find comfort in this truth since only the elect believe, and their faith is evidence of Gods grace toward them. The elect will, in different ways, attain assurance of Gods grace toward them, not by inquisitively prying into the secret and deep things of God, but by believing the Gospel and paying attention to the infallible fruits of election (1.12). Those who doubt should nevertheless make use of the means which

God has appointed for working these graces inus(1.16). The second head of doctrine teaches that Christs death did not simply make salvation available for those who will, but rather our SavioractuallysecuredthesalvationofallHis people. His death satisfied Gods justice for all the elect (2.12). Christs death is of infinite worth, but intended to satisfy Gods wrathfortheelect.Therefore,thepromiseof the Gospel is that whosoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have eternal life (2.5). Contrary to the caricature of Calvinism, the synod said that, by His death,Christredeemedoutofeverypeople, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and thoseonly,whowerefrometernitychosento salvation and given to Him by the Father(2.8). The third and fourth heads of doctrine were combined to articulate the Reformed doctrine of sin and regeneration. Though we were created good and upright, we freely chose sin and with it death (3/4.1). We are so corrupt by nature that we are incapable of life or free choice apart from the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit (3/4.3). The natural knowledge and law of God only condemns us (3/4.45). Only God the Spirit through the word or ministry of reconciliation raises His elect to life (3/4.6). We believe because God has made us alive (andnotthereverse),buttheSpiritmakesus alive by working through the administration of the Word; the external proclamation of the Gospel is sincere and the Gospel promise sincere (3/4.8, 11, 17). Those who refuse the Gospel are responsible for their choices, and the regeneration of the elect must be credited only to Gods sovereign grace (3/4.10,12).Godssovereigntydoesnotmake us stocks and blocks because the Spirit works through the Word. It spiritually quickens, heals, corrects, and at the same time sweetly and powerfully bends it, that where carnal rebellion and resistance formerlyprevailed(3/4.16). The fifth head defended the perseverance of the saints. Those to whom He gives the gift of faith, whom He regenerates by the Holy

Spirit, he also delivers from the dominion and slavery of sin (5.1). Our ongoing struggle with sin gives us reason to humble ourselves and to seek heaven (5.2). Left to ourselves, we would fall away, but grace mercifully confirms and powerfully preserves us even to the end (5.3). Sometimes believers, such as David, fall into grievous sin and lose the sense of Gods favor, but God preserves them (5.45). God never allows His people to proceed so far as to lose the grace of adoption (5.6). Christ certainly and effectually renews His people torepentance,toasincereandgodlysorrow for their sins (5.7). The Spirit grants assurance to His people not, however, by anypeculiarrevelation,butratheritsprings from faith in Gods promises (5.10). Assurance of grace does not produce immorality among Christians. Rather, it renders them much more careful and concerned to continue in the ways of the Lord (5.13). As the Spirit makes us alive through the preaching of the Gospel, He strengthens our faith and assurance through thesacraments(5.14). The Canons of Dordt represent a remarkable consensus of conviction among the Reformed churches on essential doctrines. Indeed, the very Reformation was at stake. If Gods favor is conditioned upon anything in us, then we are lost because we are dead in sin. If the Gospel is reconfigured to include our obedience, then it is no longer the Gospel. If atonement is merely hypothetical, if the elect can fall away, then grace is no longergrace. The synods response was careful, pastoral, and firm. The synod concluded that it does not help piety or assurance to make our salvation depend on anything in us. The Gospel is Christ for us. The Canons of Dordt are an inheritance to be treasured, but they are also to be used in our congregations, in our catechism classes, and as an example of howtorespondtochallenges.

BIGGRACEWHATTHEBIBLEREALLYSAYSABOUTGOD|Issue2

The Key Differences between Calvinism and Arminianism

BIGGRACEWHATTHEBIBLEREALLYSAYSABOUTGOD|Issue2

Big Grace
what the Bible really says about God

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