TULIP Week comes to an end today. I would like to thank all who came by and contributed to the comments. I also want to thank the normal people on Reddit who contributed to the good discussion on there.
I love the way the TULIP works. We start with these “negatives,” we are totally depraved, we have no way to make God choose us, atonement is only for those whom God elected. Then, we come out on these two extremely positives, irresistible grace and a promise of God’s preservation for those He chose.
What Preservation of the Saints is NOT
This term is common in the “once saved, always saved” argument. To be straight forward, I believe this to be true. Once God has saved a person, no man can pluck them out of His hand (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:38-39). God doesn’t play games with us. It’s not that you are saved one minute, and then God changes His mind. It is final and permanent.
This is not an excuse to act like an idiot because you have “fire insurance.” While it is not our role to judge a mans heart (which, by the way, is another over-used, misunderstood biblical reference. I will rant about it later), we should understand all who call themselves Christians are not. All who say they are saved are not. Just because a person said a little prayer does not mean they have been saved and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, if you said your “little prayer” so you could go out and sin without conscience, you should sincerely do some introspection of your heart.
What Preservation is
Plain and simple, once God saves you, your sins are atoned for (paid for and forgiven) through Jesus’ death and resurrection. God poured His wrath out on the son (propitiation) so you would be spared of it and be able to go before the father as one of His sons. This justification will never leave you. You cannot turn it back in or leave it by the curb. God is not going to revoke His love for you because of any sin, past, present, or future. He will not change the outcome of the Bible or stop what has already put in motion (unlike the way movies like The Prophecy and Legion would want you to believe). Once God saves you, there is no Hell waiting. There is no punishment for your sins as Christ already took your punishment.
This can only be defined in one word; scandalous.
God saves sinners, and only sinners.
We don’t deserve any of this, regardless of what side of the line we fall on (Calvinism or Arminianism). We are sinners (for all have sinned…?) and God Still Saves Us. We have all turned our backs on God after spitting in his face (and driving nails into His hands), and He still chooses to save some.
Again, Scandalous.
-Don-
Written by Don
Topics: Misc.