#1. of 5:  TULIP: the acronym used to describe Calvinism.

T stands for Totally Depraved, which means sinners are dead in sins and trespasses, unable to respond to God. It is this condition, invented by the Calvinist/Reformed theologians, which sets up all their other mistaken doctrines. Although not all men have sunken to the lowest level of depravity, all are equally lost and have the potential of doing so.

Because of our deadness, we need to be first regenerated, given faith to believe the Gospel, believe and as a result, be born again. This is the tedious path to salvation by grace, according to Reformed/deformed theology. The belief that only some are pre-programed to respond is met with the awkward defense that God did not have to save anyone. Therefore, He should be loved and honored for saving a few.

The obvious question is; why didn't He save everyone, since all are equally lost and He can do all things and He is love? Obvious and logic do not set well with the Calvinist. Be prepared for an absolute avalanche of Latin terms designed to bury your "ignorant" question under a cold blanket of spiritual haughtiness.

 

The biggest threat to Calvinism/Reformed doctrine is the Word of God, properly understood.

 

It's simple to prove from the scripture that sinners can understand God, especially when it comes to the fundamental Gospel. The scripture clearly records God's striving with Cain to be saved. God graciously asks Cain, "Why don't you do what is right?"

 

“Doing what is right” always begins for sinners by first believing in Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for sin and His bodily resurrection.

Cain had just seen his brother Abel “do what was right” regarding God by offering a bloody sacrifice. Abel did this by faith, as Hebrews 11 explains. Abel had heard the Gospel message from his parents, who heard it from God Himself.

This passage is disregarded by the Reformed crowd because they liken spiritual death to physical death. This is an error. Being spiritually dead means one is cut off from the life and accepting Presence of God.

 

Physical death renders a person deaf, dumb and blind to ALL outside sources.Adam "died" as soon as he sinned, just as God had warned. He lost God's approval, sought to cover his shame and tried to hide from God. Although these are negative actions, it still shows the ability to recognize sin and feel guilt by a mind dead in sin.

Spiritual deadness, in its most basic form,, is separation from God, in a state of condemnation. Yet one can still hear God, argue or reason with Him and most certainly, trust Him. Both Abel and Cain are scriptural proofs of these truths. And only with these parameters could God justly hold a lost person responsible for their rejection of Christ. Think about it!

 

We will look at the “U” in TULIP next. “U” stands for Unconditional Election.

A dear Reformed Pastor once told me the raising of Lazarus was a clear picture of how God raises sinners to spiritual life. Our friendly discussion ended with him getting very angry with me when I pointed out Lazarus was already a saved man when he died. Therefore, he was disqualified for the role of the Totally Depraved brought to life with no part in the process.

 

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” is God’s promise to anyone who wants to avoid Hell and enter Heaven.