The Doctrines of Grace.

I believe in the Doctrines of Grace as a Reformed Baptist. Does the T-U-L-I-P acrostic and its corresponding doctrines oversimplify the Gospel. There is certainly more to the Gospel than the soteriology herein. Anyways, this is a selection from James M. Boice.

The Doctrines of Grace.

Reformed theology emphasizes the doctrines of grace, best known by the acronym TULIP, though this does not correspond to the best possible names for the five doctrines.

T stands for total depravity. This does not mean that all persons are as bad as they could possibly be. It means rather that all human beings are affected by sin in every area of thought and conduct so that nothing that comes out of anyone apart from the regenerating grace of God can please God. As far as our relationships to God are concerned, we are all so ruined by sin that no one can properly understand either God or God's ways. Nor do we seek God, unless He is first at work within us to lead us to do so

U stands for unconditional election. An emphasis on election bothers many people, but the problem they feel is not actually with election; it is with depravity. If sinners are as helpless in their depravity as the Bible says they are, unable to know and unwilling to seek God, then the only way they could possibly be saved is for God to take the initiative to change and save them. This is what election means. It is God choosing to save those who, apart from His sovereign choice and subsequent action, certainly would perish.

L stands for limited atonement. The name is potentially misleading, for it seems to suggest that reformed people want somehow to restrict the value of Christ's death. This is not the case. The value of Jesus' death is infinite. The question rather is what is the purpose of Christ's death, and what He accomplished in it. Did Christ intend to make salvation no more than possible? Or did He actually save those for whom He died? Reformed theology stresses that Jesus actually atoned for the sins of those the Father had chosen. He actually propitiated the wrath of God toward His people by taking their judgment upon Himself, actually redeemed them, and actually reconciled those specific persons to God. A better name for "limited" atonement would be "particular" or "specific" redemption.

I stands for irresistible grace. Left to ourselves we resist the grace of God. But when God works in our hearts, regenerating us and creating a renewed will within, then what was undesirable before becomes highly desirable, and we run to Jesus just as previously we ran away from Him. Fallen sinners do resist God's grace, but His regenerating grace is effectual. It overcomes sin and accomplishes God's purpose.

P stands for perseverance of the saints. A better name might be "the perseverance of God with the saints," but both ideas are actually involved. God perseveres with us, keeping us from falling away, as we would certainly do if He were not with us. But because He perseveres we also persevere. In fact, perseverance is the ultimate proof of election. We persevere because God preserves us from full and final falling away from Him.

Source: Reformed Theology, by James Montgomery Boice.

R.C. Sproul revised the names of the doctrines in the T-U-L-I-P acrostic, because they have a capacity to be misleading. Total depravity does not imply that all men are as sinful as they can possibly be only that sin is at core of sinful man's nature, hence the revision in favor of radical corruption. Limited atonement is misleading too, because it seems to demean the value of the atonement. Even the Arminian limits the extent of the atonement, as the only alternative would be actual universalism. The Reformed believe that the Gospel invitation is a sincere call to all. The atonement is sufficient for all, but only efficient for those who believe. Irresistable Grace is revised to efficacious grace, because man can resist God's grace even after being regenerate. The point is, all those called of God will ultimately be regenerate and born of the Spirit. Perseverance of the Saints was articulated by Sproul as Preservation of the Saints. This was perhaps a needless revision arguably.

The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel
Philip Graham Ryken and James Montgomery Boice

Publisher's Description: Description: In an age of weak theology and casual Christianity--when we have substituted intuition for truth, feeling for belief and immediate gratification for enduring hope--the church desperately needs to return to the doctrines of grace that shook the world during the Reformation. As authors James Boice and Philip Ryken compellingly consider the current challenges, they leave no doubt that the church suffers when these foundational truths are neglected. Only in a faith that is practical-minded, kind-hearted and biblically based will Christians recover what they have lost in this postmodern world.

There is no question that we live in an age of weak theology and casual Christianity. We have substituted intuition for truth, feeling for belief and immediate gratification for enduring hope. Evangelicalism desperately needs to return to the doctrines that once before reformed the world: radical depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, efficacious grace and persevering grace.

James Boice and Philip Ryken not only provide a compelling exposition on these doctrines of grace, but also look briefly at their historical impact. The authors leave no doubt that the church suffers when these foundational truths are neglected and that she must return to a Christianity that is practical-minded, kind-hearted, and most importantly, biblically based.

Wrestling for a Blessing

When a man desires a blessing and He knows He doesn't deserve it, and yet yearns for it, he can fall prostrate on his hands and knees and cry out to the God of Heavens, and wrestle for it like Jacob did. The fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much.