MY ALLEGIANCE IS NOT TO T.U.L.I.P. (PART II)

“I’m a Christian. I Don’t Subscribe to Theological Tribalism”

By Akin Ojumu

In Part I, I explained why I affirm Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, and Limited Atonement (aka Particular Redemption) of the Reformed Christianity.

It’s not because John Calvin said so. You can be sure it’s not because Reformed theologians formed a committee. And it’s most definitely not because some Seventeenth-Century Synod voted and Heaven issued a press release.

I affirm them because I am persuaded Scripture teaches them.

In this installment of the commentary series, we will review the final two points of the TULIP doctrines.

I — IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

Few theological labels are misunderstood more spectacularly than this one. Mention Irresistible Grace and some people immediately imagine God dragging terrified sinners into Heaven against their will, kicking, screaming, clawing the floor, pleading, “Please, Lord! Let me go to hell!”

That is not the doctrine.

Irresistible Grace means that when God effectually calls a sinner, He changes that sinner’s heart so that the person willingly comes to Christ.

God does not merely improve the sales pitch. He changes the customer.

Jesus says in:

John 6:37

“All that the Father gives me will come to me.”

There is no theological fog in that sentence. 

All the Father gives. Will come.

Not may come. Not might come. Not will come provided their autonomous will grants God permission to complete redemption.

Will come.

Jesus continues in:

John 6:44

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

And in:

John 6:65

“No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Man cannot come apart from divine action. Those whom the Father gives do come.

That is not divine wishful thinking. That is divine effectiveness.

Romans 8:30

“Those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified.”

Look closely.

Paul does not say some of the called are justified. The called in this passage reach justification.

Why?

Because this is not merely the general Gospel invitation. This is God’s effectual call.

Acts 16:14 shows us what that looks like.

Lydia heard Paul preach, and:

Acts 16:14

“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

The Lord opened her heart.

There is the doctrine in miniature. God does not merely stand outside the spiritually dead heart begging for cooperation.

He opens it. He gives life. He removes blindness. He changes affections. He creates new desires. Then the sinner comes willingly.

Grace does not violate the will. Grace liberates the will from its slavery to sin. God does not drag sinners kicking and screaming into Christ. He performs something more miraculous.

He makes rebels want the King they once hated.

P — PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

This doctrine is also routinely caricatured.

Perseverance of the Saints does not mean:

“Once you repeated a prayer at age nine, live however you want and Heaven owes you admission.”

That is not perseverance. That is presumption.

Nor does it mean Christians remain saved because they possess enough spiritual grip-strength to cling desperately to God.

The doctrine is not ultimately about how tightly believers hold God. It is about how securely God holds believers.

Jesus says in:

John 6:37

“Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Then He says He will lose nothing of all the Father has given Him.

Nothing.

Apparently, Christ is not careless with redeemed people.

John 10:27–29

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”

Never perish.

And if that were not enough: “No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Paul says in:

Philippians 1:6

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Peter says believers are:

1 Peter 1:5

“…Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…”

And Jude praises the God who is:

Jude 1:24

“Able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless.”

Do you see the emphasis?

God keeps. God guards. God completes. God preserves.

The saints persevere because God does not abandon His saving work halfway through. He does not regenerate somebody in March, lose track of him in June, and discover in December that the plan collapsed.

Salvation is not divine project mismanagement. God does not have abandoned projects.

THE GOLDEN CHAIN

Romans 8:29–30 ties much of this together:

Romans 8:29–30

“Those whom He foreknew He also predestined… those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.”

Follow Paul’s grammar.

Foreknown. Predestined. Called. Justified. Glorified.

Same people. Same chain. No missing links.

Paul does not say: Some foreknown are predestined. Some predestined are called. Some called are justified. And hopefully a respectable percentage eventually make it to glory.

No.

The chain runs from beginning to end.

John 6 tells the same story.

The Father gives. Those given come. Christ receives them. Christ loses none. Christ raises them on the last day.

That is why I affirm the doctrines later summarized under TULIP.

But now comes the part some theological tribes seem unable to understand.

TULIP is not the Bible. Calvin is not Paul. Dort is not Jerusalem. Westminster is not Sinai. A confession is not revelation. A theological system is not inspired merely because brilliant theologians constructed it.

Every system must stand before Scripture and answer questions. Every theologian must stand before Scripture and answer questions.

Calvin included. Luther included. Augustine included. Arminius included. John MacArthur included. Your favorite preacher included. Mine included. And certainly, I am included.

Scripture bows to nobody.

Where Calvin agrees with Scripture, I agree with Calvin. Where Calvin departs from Scripture, Calvin loses.

Where Arminius agrees with Scripture, I agree with Arminius. Where Arminius departs from Scripture, Arminius loses. 

Where my favorite theologian departs from Scripture, my favorite theologian loses. 

And if I depart from Scripture? Then I lose too. Every single time.

That is the point.

I do not affirm Total Depravity because the flower needs a T. I do not affirm Unconditional Election because Calvinism needs a U. I do not affirm Particular Redemption because Reformed seminarians need something to debate over coffee. I do not affirm Irresistible Grace because Dort needed an I. And I do not affirm Perseverance because the acronym would look ridiculous ending in PERS.

I affirm these doctrines because I am persuaded that Scripture teaches that salvation belongs to God from beginning to end.

God chooses. Christ redeems. The Spirit gives life. The sinner believes. God preserves. And when the whole thing is finished, there is no room left for man to climb onto the platform and demand a share of the applause and accolade.

That is the scandal. That is the offense. That is the glory of sovereign grace.

So, do I subscribe to TULIP?

If that means: “Do I believe the doctrines summarized by those five points?”

Yes. Unashamedly.

But if that means: “Have I sworn theological allegiance to John Calvin and made Reformed theology your final authority?”

Not for one second.

Calvin did not die for me. Dort did not redeem me. Westminster did not rise from the grave. And TULIP will not stand before the throne bearing the scars of Calvary.

Jesus Christ will.

So, let’s keep the labels in their proper place. Let’s keep the confessions beneath Scripture. Let’s keep the theologians off the throne. And let’s keep the TULIP flower out of the pulpit when it tries to become the Gospel.

My allegiance is not to TULIP. My allegiance is not to Calvin. My allegiance is to Christ.

And when Christ and every theological system are placed side by side, there is no competition. Christ wins. His Word wins. Every time.