Ep 143 ｜ TULIP
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Summary
In this episode, we discuss Calvinism and the theology of Martin Luther. Calvinism is a branch of Protestantism that grew out of the Reformation and was influenced by Martin Luther, who created a system of theology that was founded on the Five Solas and the five points of Calvinism.
Transcript
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Hey guys, welcome to Relatable. Hope everyone's having a wonderful day. Today we are going to
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talk about TULIP, or what is known as the five points of Calvinism, which is really the heart
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of the biblical theology that I hold. They describe how we view God, how we view man,
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how we view salvation, Christ's atonement, regeneration, assurance, worship, missions.
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Uh, these are really focused on the central act of God saving sinners. So we discussed in our
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five solas episode, Martin Luther, the Protestant reformation, Martin Luther, a German monk, uh,
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turned accidental kind of revolutionary who spoke out against corruption in the Catholic church at
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the time. He pointed people to the word of God and showing the world that, uh, salvation is not
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through indulgences is not through works, but is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone,
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according to scripture alone for God's glory alone. Now, if you have any questions about that,
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or if you have any pushback on that or questions, if you really have any questions regarding this
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episode or anything that you hear me say, that's like, Oh, I wish she would have explained that more,
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or I don't believe that or whatever. Um, I would go back before you email me. You're always welcome
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to email me, but before you email me, I would go back. If you haven't listened to the five solas
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episode, I would listen to that. And if you haven't listened to the predestination episode,
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I would listen to that. So I recommend before listening to this podcast, listen to the predestination
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episode and listen to the five solas episode. Um, and because a lot of what we're talking about in
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this, we don't get as in depth on those things as we did in those podcasts. So that's just going to be
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my primer. Um, so we're going to talk about a specific branch of Protestantism, uh, that grew
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from the Protestant reformation called Calvinism. The reason this is important is because Calvinism
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accounts for the views of the vast majority of reformed Protestants today. So reformed Protestants
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hold to the five solas that we discussed, uh, and most also hold to tulip, which, uh, came from those
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who adhere to the theology of John Calvin, who was a French theologian at the time of the reformation,
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who was also influenced by Martin Luther, who created a system of theology, uh, that was founded
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on the spirit of the reformation and the five solas that we have discussed. If you, uh, like I said,
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if you want to know more about that, go back and listen to those episodes. Uh, so let us set up
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tulip with a quote from John, uh, Calvin or not, sorry, not from John Calvin, but from Martin Luther
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himself, um, in his work, bondage of the will, I condemn and reject as nothing but error, all
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doctrines, which exalt our quote free will as being directly opposed to this mediation and grace of
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our Lord Jesus Christ for since apart from Christ sin and death are our masters and the devil is our
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God and Prince. There can be no strength of power, no wit or wisdom by which we can fit or fashion
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ourselves for righteousness and life. And that is a very good summation of what reformed Protestants
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and Calvinists believe. Uh, of course, we know that these words that Martin Luther uttered to be
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true, according to scripture, Ephesians two says that we are dead apart from Christ and that, uh,
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neither the grace that we're given nor the faith that we hold are our own doing, uh, but are a gift
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from God so that no one may boast. Uh, the passage even says that the good works that we do, we're actually
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prepared beforehand by God. Uh, Romans five says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
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We talked about this in the previous episodes. Uh, we don't get to take credit for our salvation
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because even the faith that we hold was given to us by grace, uh, John Piper. We're going to refer
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by the way, a lot to, uh, John Piper's work in this. He has a whole work on tulip, the five points of
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Calvinism. So we're going to refer to a lot, uh, to his quotes in this book that he wrote, uh, John
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Piper interprets what Martin Luther meant in the quote that I just read that says, uh, as long as
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someone insists on ultimate human self-determination, they fail to grasp the depth of our need and the
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obscure greatness of the free and sovereign grace of God, which alone can give life and faith. Um,
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so to give ourselves any credit for our salvation fails, uh, to, or allows us to, it does not allow
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us to really understand, uh, our lostness, our corruption to the core, our absolute and utter
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inability to save ourselves. Now, Martin Luther is best known for the idea of sola fide, however you
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want to pronounce that or, uh, by faith alone. So being justified by faith given to us by grace rather
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than good works, works of righteousness or indulgences. And that one simple thought, which
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is founded in the word of God had a profound impact on other thinkers throughout Europe, which
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of course is the cause of the reformation. And John Calvin was a significant player in this
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reformation. Uh, Anglican author, J.I. Packer wrote about John Calvin. It is doubtful whether
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any other theologian has ever played so significant a part in world history. Baptist preacher, Charles
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Spurgeon said, the longer I live, the clearer does it appear that John Calvin's system of theology
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is the nearest to perfection. American historian, John Fiske wrote, it would be hard to overrate
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the debt, which mankind owes to Calvin. He must occupy a foremost rank among the champions
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of modern democracy. The promulgation of this theology was one of the longest steps that
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mankind has ever taken toward personal freedom. And I've talked about this before about how
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the Protestant reformation, specifically Calvinism were hugely instrumental in the American
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revolution. The idea that men and women were not beholden primarily to the church, but to
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God himself, that, uh, they were free to read the Bible for themselves, that they had an
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individual and a personal responsibility to God. Uh, those ideas changed everything. The spirit of
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free inquiry, of free speech, of debate, of personal responsibility, uh, understanding the sovereignty of
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God above earthly institutions were all products of the Protestant reformation and were incredibly
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influential in the American revolution. So Calvin was a very big deal over the course of his life.
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He wrote over 48 volumes of books, of tracks, sermons, commentaries, letters that were dedicated
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to expositing, uh, expositing God's word, displaying the majesty of God, uh, in the scriptures, according
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to John Piper, Calvin's main contribution, whereas Martin Luther's main contribution, a lot of people
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say is by faith alone. Calvin's main contribution, uh, was the principle of the sovereignty of God.
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So he believed, this is according to John Piper again, that the whole of a man's life is to be lived as
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in the divine presence. Uh, this is a fundamental thought of Calvinism that really, uh, shapes his
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theology and shapes the, the theology of those who add here to his teachings. So TULIP, which we're about
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to break down, became the five points of Calvinism or the creed, uh, that Calvinists follow. But it was not
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until actually, uh, the 1600s after John Calvin had died that this really, that TULIP was known as the
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pillars of Calvinism. There, uh, came a controversy between those who were called Arminians in Holland
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and those who considered themselves Calvinists. So in Holland, during the 1600s, the founder of the
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Arminian party, if you will, was Jacob Arminius. He was a student of Calvin's successor. Arminius,
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uh, came to reject certain reform teachings. He began teaching those rejections, particularly his
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opposition to how Calvinist interprets, uh, Romans seven and Romans nine, which talks about God's
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sovereignty, uh, particularly in chapter nine. So verse 16 of Romans nine says this, so then it depends
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not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. And then verse 18 says, so then he has mercy
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on whomever he wills and he hardens whomever he wills. Calvinists take this to say that it is God's
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sovereign choice. It doesn't have to do with man's efforts. Arminius disagreed with that.
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He did not believe that these, uh, passages pointed to predestination in the way the Calvinists
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did. So he wrote a book called declaration of sentiments. And within the second section on
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theology, he attacked the reformed understanding of election. I, I don't mean attacked to try to say,
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I think people a lot of times use the word attacked when they're trying to use it as a pejorative
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against people who disagree with him. I'm not saying that, but he really did. He went after,
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uh, the Calvinist doctrine. So he says this doctrine, uh, completely subverts the foundation
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of religion in general and of the Christian religion in particular. Uh, Arminius died on
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October 19th, 1609, but the controversy was already sparked. It ended up spreading all over
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Holland where the majority of Christians belong to the reforms church. As a result, the Arminians,
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as they are called prepared a petition to the civil government and they summarize their creed
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in five articles and they laid them before the state of Holland in 1610 under the name of
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remonstrance. I'm not totally sure how to pronounce that. Um, and it was signed by 46 practicing
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ministers. So the five articles of Arminianism, this is a brief summary of these articles. Article one
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is conditional election. The elect are predestined to salvation by exercising their free will
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and choosing to follow Christ. Article two, unlimited atonement. Uh, God offers atonement
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to all humankind. Article three, deprivation. The fall of Adam is responsible for man's sinful state,
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but humanity is not incapable of choosing between good and evil. Article four, resistible grace. The
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free will of man allows him to accept or reject God's call and choose for himself salvation or
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damnation. Article five, assurance of security. When an individual chooses salvation, they may also
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choose to ignore the call of the Holy spirit by returning to their sinful ways. Man is in control
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of his eternal destiny and God has foreseen those who will accept his grace. So that is the view of
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Arminians. Uh, the reformed church Calvinist, uh, then gave a response in the synod of Dort. Um,
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I think that's how you pronounce that the examination and consideration of the creed lasted from November
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13th, 16, 18 to May 9th, 16, 19. So it took them a long time to write their rebuttal. Uh, the synod's
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official response has become known as the cannons of Dort or the five points of Calvinism tulip. Um,
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it is also known to sometimes, or they're also known as the, uh, doctrines of grace. So these were
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a response to the five articles of, uh, of Arminianism. They've become the Calvinist pillars. They didn't just
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come out of nowhere. They actually came amidst this controversy. So let's start with the T of tulip.
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The T of tulip in these five points of Calvinism is total depravity. So this is the state of man
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before salvation. Now, once you hear this, if you're hearing this for the first time, you will
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probably start to think about my theological episodes and be like, Oh, I understand where
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Ali is coming from or where the foundation of Ali's interpretation of scripture, not my interpretation
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of scripture, but my understanding of scripture is coming from, and it's really coming from these
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five points. So T is total depravity. That's the state of man before salvation. John Piper says it
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like this in summary, total depravity means that our rebellion is sinful. Our inability to submit to
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God or reform ourselves is total. And we are therefore totally deserving of eternal punishment. Uh, man's
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depravity is total in at least, at least four of these ways. Um, our rebellion against God is
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total apart from the grace of God. There is no delight in the holiness of God. There is no
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glad submission to the sovereignty of God. Uh, Romans three, nine through 11. No, no one is
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righteous. No, not one John three, 20 through 21. Everyone who does wicked things hates the light
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and does not come to the light lest his work should be exposed. But whoever does what is true
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comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
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So apart from the work of God, uh, we hate the light of God. Uh, we will not come to him
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because we don't want our evil to be exposed. So we are totally rebellious to God. Um, in our
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total rebellion, everything we do is sin. So Romans 14, 23, whatever does not proceed from
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faith is sin. So we are in total rebellion. Everything that we do is a product of sin without
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faith. The Bible also says it is impossible to please God. Uh, Romans seven, 18, this is Paul
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speaking. I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh. So nothing in us is actually
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good. Uh, we have an inability to submit to God and to do good. That is completely and totally true
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of us. Romans eight, seven through eight, the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God
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for it does not submit to God's law. Indeed. It cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please
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God. So in our natural selves, we have a mindset that is not able, not even capable, uh, to submit
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to the Lordship of Christ. Ephesians two, one says that we are dead in our trespasses and sins.
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We are dead. So we are incapable of any spiritual life in God because a dead person is not capable of
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doing anything. Uh, we have life, but we have physical life, but our hearts, our spiritual hearts
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are like stones to God. And Ephesians four also, uh, talks about this as well, that we are callous.
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We are darkened in our understanding. We are alienated from the life of God. So we are totally
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cut off, totally depraved apart from Christ. And because of that, our rebellion is totally deserving
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of eternal punishment. Ephesians two, three, we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,
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carrying out the desires of the body and the mind. So just our natural selves, we're carrying out what
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we want. And we were by nature, by our own nature, we were children of wrath. So this means that apart
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from Christ, our very nature is under God's wrath. Our very nature is condemned like the rest of mankind,
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the verse says. So we were children of wrath. We were destined towards damnation, uh, because we were
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dead in our sin. That is who we are completely corrupt, completely depraved apart from God.
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As John 3 18 says, those who do not believe in Christ are condemned already. So we are completely
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worthy of blame apart from the grace that God gives us, uh, through Jesus Christ in hell is the
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punishment, uh, that our sin and that our rebellion in our natural state deserves. Now, as Calvinist point
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out, this does not mean that everyone who is apart from Christ, everyone who is a Christian are as bad
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as they could be. Of course, that's not true. Uh, as we've said before, there are non-Christians who
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live moral lives, who abide by biblical principles without even realizing it. They love their neighbors
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as themselves, for example, but total depravity speaks to both our capacity for evil and our complete
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unworthiness before a holy God in our natural state. Uh, the only way to be made clean, uh, in our
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natural state is through Christ and Christ alone. So that is total depravity. We are totally depraved.
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We are totally dead in our sin. We are totally incapable of saving ourselves. Um, the you in tulip is
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unconditional election. So this is the work of the father in salvation. So because we are totally
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depraved apart from Christ, because, uh, the Bible says that apart from Christ, we can do nothing.
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And apart from Christ, we are dead in our sins. That means that we are only saved through God's
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choosing, through God's power, through God's election, not our own effort. As Ephesians two says,
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this is not a result of works so that no one can boast. We covered this point in particular on the
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episode of, uh, involving predestination or on predestination. So again, go back and listen to that.
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If you have questions about this particular point, uh, we are so depraved to depended on God,
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uh, for his grace to be born again, which was purchased by the blood of Christ. Uh, the success
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of our salvation is then dependent on God's election. So John Piper says that election refers
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to God's choosing whom to save. It is unconditional in that there is no condition man must meet before
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God chooses to save him. And we know this from the biblical text, that election does not happen
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because of our faith, but it happened. It actually happens before our faith. So Acts 13, 48. And when
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the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. And as many as were
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appointed to eternal life, believed. So as many as were appointed to eternal life, believed John 10,
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26, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. Jesus says, John 8, 47, whoever is
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of God, here's the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.
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John 18, 37. Then Pilate said to him, so you are a King. Jesus answered, you say that I am a King
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for this purpose. I was born. And for this purpose, I have come into the world to bear witness to the
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truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. So God's election actually precedes faith.
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This is why some believe and some do not. Romans 9, 1 through 23. John Piper interprets this particular
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text, which we've read before as saying, or he has his commentary on this text is that God's election
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is preserved in its unconditionality because it is transacted before we are born and have or have done
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any good or evil. The text says this, for he says to Moses, God says to Moses, this is God through
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Paul. Um, I have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
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So then the chapter says it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy for the
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scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose, I have raised you up that I might show my power in you
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and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills
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and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, why does God still find fault for who can
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resist his will? But who are you, oh man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder?
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Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump
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one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God desiring to show
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his wrath and to make known his power has endured with much patience, vessels of wrath prepared for
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destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has
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prepared beforehand for glory. You get almost all the five solas in that one passage. Um, key text
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number two that is referred to in this particular, uh, point of Calvinism. Uh, so Ephesians 1, 3 through
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6, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
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spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world
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that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption as sons
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through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.
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So as John Piper says, Christians come to faith and are united to Christ and covered by his blood
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because we were chosen before the foundation of the world for this destiny of holiness.
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Romans 8, 28 through 33, for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image
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of his son. Um, it goes on to say, who shall bring any charge against God's elect. It is God who
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justifies who is to condemn first Corinthians 1, 23 through 24, but we preach Christ crucified,
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a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called both to Jews
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and to Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Um, so his justification,
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his choosing of us actually precedes our faith. He chose us before we had faith in that faith that
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we are given is a gift of grace. The L of tulip is limited atonement. So this is the work of the
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son in salvation. Christ's death, uh, was for the redemption of a particular people, a particular set
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of people. Um, Christ's death was sufficient, but efficient. That is a phrase you might hear in
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relation to this point. It was sufficient, but efficient. So it was sufficient for the entire
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world, but it was efficient, uh, for those whom God called to himself before the foundation of the
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world. So limited atonement means that Christ's death was not limited in power, but it was limited
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in purpose. So John 17, nine, uh, says, I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world,
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but for those whom you have given me for, they are yours. We believe that Christ died for his bride,
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for the church, and did not simply create a possibility for salvation, uh, but purchased for
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them all that is necessary for salvation. So Matthew 26, 28, for this is my blood of the covenant,
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which is poured out for, uh, many for the forgiveness of sins. Jeremiah 31, 31 through 34,
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the days are coming declares the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the
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house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, my covenant that they broke,
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though. I was their husband declares the Lord for this is the covenant that I will make with the
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house of Israel. After those days declares the Lord, I will put my law within them and I will
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write it on their hearts and I will forgive their iniquity. And I will remember their sin no more.
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Jeremiah 32, 39 also talks about giving them a new heart and a one heart in one way that they might
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fear God forever. Ezekiel 36, 26 through 27 says that God will give us a new heart, a new spirit.
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He will, he will remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh so that we can walk
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in obedience to his rule. So God promises in the new covenant to Christians, uh, that he will give
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us a new heart. This is his initiative. This is his prerogative. This is his choice. So if someone
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is a believer, it's because God has had mercy to forgive their sins, to remove their heart of stone,
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to give them a heart of flesh, to give them the ability to obey and to follow him. Uh, John Piper's
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commentary is every promise in the covenant is, uh, is, is a blood brought, a blood bought
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promise. Uh, they will come true for us because Jesus died for them to come true for us. There is
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a definite atonement for the new covenant of people. And so this covenant is sure it is limited,
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is efficient while also being sufficient. John 10, 15 says, I lay my life down for the sheep.
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John 6, 37 says, all that the father gives me will come to me. And whoever comes to me,
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I will never cast out. Um, the rest of John also speaks to this, that Jesus died for those that the
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father has given him. Uh, another key text on Christ atonement is that Romans eight passage that
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we already read. He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. How will he not also
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with him graciously give us all things? Those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed
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to the image of his son. So the death of Christ happened and was designed, uh, for the elect in
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mind. He purchased not a possibility to be saved, but a belief in a promise that they will be saved.
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Uh, the eye of tulip is irresistible grace. So this is the work of the Holy spirit in salvation.
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Uh, this is from a really good resource. I think it's an awesome resource. It's called
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got questions.org. It sounds like really cheesy, but it's a very awesome biblical resource. Again,
00:24:37.400
not inerrant because it is not the word of God itself, but it offers really good commentary.
00:24:41.700
And this is how they describe it. Irresistible grace. Uh, God has elected to a particular people
00:24:46.740
to be the recipients of Christ atoning work. These people are drawn to Christ by a grace that is
00:24:52.020
irresistible. When God calls man response, this teaching does not mean that God saves men against
00:24:57.420
their will. Rather, God changes the heart of the rebellious unbeliever so that he now desires to
00:25:02.640
repent and be saved. God's elect will be drawn to him. And that grace that draws them is in fact
00:25:08.240
irresistible. God replaces the unbeliever's heart of stone with a heart of flesh and reformed theology.
00:25:14.380
Regeneration precedes faith. Um, irresistible grace means that God is sovereign and he
00:25:21.760
can overcome all resistance by giving you a new heart when he wills. Daniel 4 35 says he does
00:25:29.220
according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can
00:25:34.940
stay his hand. Job 42 2 says, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be
00:25:41.720
thwarted. So irresistible grace is the Holy Spirit's work of bringing us to faith. Um, that Romans 9
00:25:50.440
passage that we already read, but who are you, Oh man, to answer back to God? Well, what is molded
00:25:55.880
say to its molder? Why have you made me like this? So the potter has control over the clay to make the
00:26:01.720
clay as he wills, either a vessel for wrath or a vessel for mercy as Romans 9 says. So irresistible
00:26:09.260
grace is a sovereign work to overcome the rebellious heart that we have naturally and to bring us
00:26:16.400
through grace, uh, to faith in Christ so that we can be saved. So when we are totally dead in our
00:26:24.120
sins, which is what total depravity says, which is what Ephesians two says, if we are dead in our
00:26:29.020
sins, we will never be able to believe in Christ unless God himself through his power, through his
00:26:34.740
grace, through his election overcomes our rebellion. Uh, the Bible doesn't teach that the Holy Spirit
00:26:41.680
draws. And then, uh, one has the freedom to resist or to accept that, uh, we will always use the freedom
00:26:49.280
that we have in our natural state to choose what is wrong, uh, to choose sin over God and to resist
00:26:55.960
him. As Romans 8 says, the mind that is set on the flesh is actually hostile to God. It can't please
00:27:01.960
God. It is, uh, against its nature to please God. The father is the only one who draws people, uh, to
00:27:10.760
salvation. So John 6 44 says, no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him a John
00:27:18.200
6 65 says, and he said, this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him
00:27:25.520
by the father. So this means that even our repentance is a gift from God. A second Timothy
00:27:31.920
2 24 through 25 says in the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to everyone able to
00:27:37.440
teach patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant
00:27:42.380
them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. So repentance is a gift from God given to
00:27:49.600
us by grace so that we might have faith in Christ. Act 16 talks of God opening the heart of Lydia. So
00:27:57.360
it is God who changes hearts. Uh, so this is an act, all of this, an act of sovereign grace.
00:28:04.680
And then P of tulip is perseverance of the saints. So this is the state of man
00:28:09.740
after salvation. So, uh, the people that God has elected, the people that God has drawn to himself
00:28:16.620
through the Holy spirit are going to persevere in faith. Uh, the people that God has elected are not
00:28:23.640
going to be lost because he has given them the faith and the strength to persevere. Um, some people
00:28:29.820
use the term, uh, preservation of the saints rather than perseverance of the saints, because
00:28:36.640
it puts the responsibility on God rather than on the saints. Uh, they believe that this choice of words
00:28:42.320
is a more accurate description of what this actually means. Um, Christ continues to intercede for his
00:28:49.620
people. Even after we are saved, this continues to give believers the assurance that those who belong
00:28:56.440
to Christ are eternally his, that we cannot be plucked out of his hand. Uh, first Corinthians
00:29:01.480
15, one through two. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel. I preached to you, which you received
00:29:06.460
in which you stand in by which you are being saved. If you hold fast to the word, I preached to you
00:29:11.940
unless you believed in vain. So presser or, uh, preservation or perseverance is a signal of true
00:29:19.300
faith given to us by grace, given to the elect, uh, by God revelation to seven. He who has an ear,
00:29:26.980
let him hear what the spirit says to the churches, to the one who conquers. I will grant to eat of the
00:29:31.960
tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. So this preservation or perseverance or fighting
00:29:37.340
to the end, working out our salvation in fear and trembling through the power of the Holy spirit,
00:29:43.280
which is given to us by grace through faith in God that we cannot take responsibility for is vital
00:29:50.960
as we become sanctified. And as we reach the proverbial end of our race. And now you might be
00:29:57.680
asking at this point, well, where does free will come in? Is there such thing as free will? Do we
00:30:03.600
really choose anything or is everything just predestined? If God has predestined everything,
00:30:07.940
then what does anything really matter? Well, we talked about this on the predestination episode.
00:30:12.700
So again, I would go listen to that, but there is this doctrine or there is this principle called
00:30:18.080
concurrence where two things that seem to be opposed in each other happen at the same time.
00:30:22.580
What we know from God's word is that he does unconditionally elect us, that there is an
00:30:26.860
election, that there is a predestination, not simply a foreknowledge, but in the sovereignty of
00:30:32.140
God that he has chosen believers, but he also calls us to evangelize. He also calls us to persevere.
00:30:37.600
He also calls us to fight. He also calls us to stay true to him. There is verbiage. There are
00:30:44.400
commands in the Bible that we are supposed to follow. And so it is confusing, I think, to our
00:30:50.660
finite minds to say, how is God sovereign predestining everything? How does he also hold
00:30:55.100
us responsible for our actions and tell us things to do? Why would the Bible even be written? Why would
00:31:00.200
he even call us to holiness and obedience if he already predestined everything that we do?
00:31:05.820
And there's not necessarily an easy answer to that, except for the fact that we know that the Bible
00:31:10.920
says both. And if the Bible says both, then both have to be true rather than giving up one for the
00:31:18.620
sake of the other, rather than saying, oh, well, maybe God doesn't predestine things. And we really
00:31:22.900
do have all this free will to choose salvation or not choose salvation. Instead of throwing that away,
00:31:29.720
we say, okay, well, both are true. We also don't go to the other end and say, well, nothing that I do
00:31:34.880
really matters because God predestined it anyway. The Bible doesn't support that either. The Bible
00:31:38.920
supports both. So both have to be true. We live in obedience to God's word and we understand that
00:31:44.480
he is sovereign over everything and that everything is done by his power and for his glory. I'm not
00:31:50.860
saying that we have to fully understand that to live in obedience to it, because I don't think we
00:31:56.720
do. We just have to realize that the word of God is sovereign, that the word of God both tells us
00:32:01.200
things that we have to do and say that God is sovereign over absolutely everything, especially
00:32:05.400
in regards to salvation. I would resist the temptation to say that you chose your salvation
00:32:11.260
because the Bible is so clear and so ardent against that, that you cannot take credit for what you have
00:32:18.360
in. I know a lot of people think about predestination and it scares them. They're
00:32:22.560
uncomfortable with it, but really it should give us so much comfort that our salvation is not dependent
00:32:28.380
on ourselves because if we had the power to earn our salvation, we would never do it. And if we had
00:32:33.320
the power to lose our salvation, uh, we would definitely lose it. If it was dependent on me, I would
00:32:38.600
not be saved. Even my motives for the good works that I do, uh, in and of myself are wrong. Even the
00:32:45.040
so-called good that I do, even the so-called love that I have when I am in my flesh, when I am in my
00:32:50.280
natural state, uh, even those are corrupt. If I had to save myself, if it was dependent on me to
00:32:56.540
have true regenerative, a justifying saving faith, I wouldn't be able to muster it. I would be totally
00:33:04.360
out of luck, but because I know it's on God, it's dependent on his faithfulness and not mine. It's
00:33:10.540
dependent on his choice and not mine. All I have to do is submit to his sovereignty and understand that
00:33:16.340
he is in total control and we can have peace and assurance and worship God because of his power.
00:33:22.320
And because of this amazing plan of redemption that he has written are that he wrote, uh, before
00:33:28.020
time began that you were chosen before the foundation of the world. It's an amazing reality
00:33:33.260
that should, um, allow us and move us to worship and to glorify God. So that is what is the heart
00:33:39.700
of Calvinism. And again, I'm not saying that all of these things are easy for us to understand. I
00:33:43.600
think I am still working through a lot of them and trying to reconcile them to the parts of the
00:33:47.640
Bible that I'm like, does this go with this? Of course, that's what we do. And again, my word is
00:33:52.780
not inerrant. John Calvin's word is not inerrant. John Piper's word is not inerrant. The word of God
00:33:57.540
is inerrant. So anything that pushes us to study more of God's word and to reconcile our confusion
00:34:03.460
and seeming contradictions with God's word, um, I would say that that's productive. So do that,
00:34:08.940
study God's word, uh, for yourself and remember to submit to the sovereignty and control of God rather
00:34:14.720
than to our own feelings and our own ideas of what should or shouldn't be. I would say that's a
00:34:20.620
really, uh, safe bet. So thank you guys for listening. As always, if you have any questions,
00:34:26.180
let me know, please leave me a review. If you love this podcast, uh, it would mean a lot to me.
00:34:30.740
Subscribe on YouTube and I'll see you guys soon.