Saturday, October 24, 2009

Three Points of Calvinsim?

Thinking about the 'Five Points of Calvinism' today, and how they convey to us the Gospel:

The most common form of the '5 points'

Point 1- Total Depravity

Point 2- Unconditional Election

Point 3- Limited Atonement

Point 4- Irresistable Grace

Point 5- Perseverance of the Saints


A Summary of the '5 points' in only 3 points

Point 1- Man is Lost

Point 2- God saves man

Point 3- Man is Saved

The only distinction with these three points compared to the five is that Election, Atonment, and Irresistable Grace are compressed into one point, namely, that God saves (point 2). Consisdering this causes us to see that points 2, 3, and 4 (of the 5 points) are really the work of the Godhead. The Father elects (point 2), the Son atones (and mediates; point 3), and the Spirit draws through regeneration (point 4).

This to me is a quite amazing way of percieving 'the doctrines of grace'. The reality is this: they are a summarization of the Gospel, period. What other Gospel could we believe in that does not involve a lost sinner, a God who saves, and the result of the two, a found sheep. This is all the five points reveal to us. In fact, if we didn't make distinction in the Trinity of God (which by all means, we must, for the Scriptures do), we would only have three points of the doctrines of Grace, and the Glory of God in the redemption of sinners! Good news!

Here is another way of describing it

Point 1- Total Depravity (Man is Lost)

Point 2- Unconditional Election (The Father Saves)

Point 3- Limited Atonement (The Son Saves)

Point 4- Irresistable Grace (The Spirit Saves)

Point 5- Perseverance of the Saints (Man is Saved)

1 comments:

Unknown said...

I think I might start calling myself "10 point unconditionalism" to expound on the gospel. I find that it is a helpful way to distinguish from those who say that justification and redemption are in some sense conditional upon a duty of man. So far it is only 10 points.

I would describe it like this...

These spiritual blessings are all conditioned on Christ alone and blessed upon us as sinners, ungodly, and even as God's enemies; so that it might be by grace. These blessings are assured to us by faith alone. None of them are conditioned upon the will, works, or worth of man preceding regeneration or after regeneration.

unconditional election
unconditional love
unconditional union
unconditional adoption
unconditional justification
unconditional redemption
unconditional reconciliation
unconditional regeneration
unconditional preservation
unconditional glorification
unconditional everlasting joy in God

I think I'm going to have a hard time remembering the points for awhile. :)

-Abraham

 
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