Within the last 30 days atleast two people quoted this , "Calvinism is the Gospel". Calvinism is popularly defined by the acrostic TULIP.
T- Total Depravity
U- Unconditional election
L- Limited atonement
I- Irresistable grace
P- Preservation/perseverance of the saints
T - Total depravity - Yes , it is part of the presentataion of the Gospel. To tell the sinner that he cannot save himself, by any of his good works is necessary before pointing him to Christ, the saviour , who alone can save.
U - Unconditional election. No one during the Gospel presentation has ever told the audience that God has indeed unconditionally elected a few to be saved and there is a 50% chance that he might be on the list. Unconditional election does not form part of the Gospel. It is at best an unbiblical doctrine, disputed over centuries and remains a mystery for many.
L- Limited atonement : Limited atonement says that Christ died only for those who were unconditionally elected by God. But the bible repeatedly says that Christ died for the sins of the whole world. In John 2:2
"He is a atoning sacrifice for our sins. Not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world"
So this too is an unbiblical doctrine and does not form part of the Gospel. No calvinist ever presents the Gospel saying , "Jesus would have died for your sins. It's possible". They present the Gospel as if Jesus died for everybody hearing the Gospel. This doctrine turns them into hypocrites, who believe in limited atonement but preach an universal one.
I - Irresistable grace: Irresistable grace means God's grace cannot be resisted by the elect to whom alone it is shown. No one preaches this in any gospel presentation. Nor is it part of the Gospel of Christ.
You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you. Acts 7:51. The Bible is very clear that people did resist the Holy Spirit and his grace. It is not part of the Gospel presentation either.
P - Perseverance of the Saints: Those who are thus irresistable saved by the election of God are preserved from losing their salvation.This can form part of the Gospel presentation. But it is conditional perseverance nor unconditional preservation.
The false Gospel of the TULIP turns the Good News of Christ into a bad news. It restricts the grace of God to the elect few and thus makes the good news into a bad news because majority of the population are non elect and are hopelessly going to hell, because God had not chosen them to be saved.
The true Gospel which our Lord Jesus declared goes thus ,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Jesus clearly taught that God loved the world, not a few elect. Out of his love for the world he gave his only begotten son, Jesus Christ so that whosoever believes in Christ will not perish but have eternal life.
The TULIP gospel does not say that God loved the world. So it is a false gospel.
The TULIP gospel does not say that God gave his only begotten son for the sins of the whole world as John 2:2 says.So TULIP is a false Gospel
The TULIP gospel denies that whosoever can believe and receive salvation. Therefore it is a false Gospel.
The TULIP gospel which comes to you in the form of 'Doctrines of Grace' is indeed a very ungracious Gospel, which restricts the Gospel to the few elect of God and turns the GOOD NEWS of Christ into a bad news for many with no choice for them to receive it.
For these reasons the TULIP gospel of calvinism is a false gospel.
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