So our subject this evening is the five points of Calvinism, what are they and are they biblical? Now in dealing with this subject our concern is not to exalt the name of a mere man, godly and great though John Calvin no doubt was by the grace of God, but it is to set forth those biblical doctrines that have become associated with his name not at his desire or behest but after his time these doctrines became known as Calvinism and we want to set forth these doctrines because they glorify the great name of God and his son Jesus Christ Well first of all then, let's have the history of the five points of Calvinism. The history, a summary of the history of the five points of Calvinism. Where did this term, the five points of Calvinism, actually come from? Well, briefly, it is as follows. At the time of the Protestant Reformation, not only did the protestant reformers by the grace of God rediscover the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone but they also rediscovered the biblical teaching of divine predestination the predestination of sinners to salvation by God from eternity now this doctrine had been taught by others here and there since the Apostle's time. Particularly Augustine believed in absolute predestination. But by and large this doctrine had been woefully neglected by the professing church as a whole. Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, William Farrell, Ulrich Zwingli and Theodor Beyser, all these Protestant reformers and many more, all believed and taught the doctrine of absolute predestination. But as Calvin was undoubtedly the most able theologian of the Reformation, this doctrine became particularly associated with his name. Now this teaching was later embodied in the Westminster Confession of Faith in the middle of the 1600s and was the standard teaching of the Puritans and of the Covenanters in Scotland and of Presbyterians in general within the British Isles. This doctrine was also incorporated into the doctrinal creeds of the Dutch Church. The equivalent of the Westminster Confession and the larger and shorter catechisms that Presbyterians hold to in this country. The equivalent or rough equivalent in the Dutch churches were documents known as the Belgic Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism. These were their subordinate standards. of what they believed to be the teaching of the word of God. Now then, a man called Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch professor, opposed the doctrine of predestination. Arminius opposed the doctrine of John Calvin and his followers became known as Arminians after Arminius. Now Arminius himself died in 1609 but in 1610, just a year later, some of his followers drew up a remonstrance, a kind of protest in which they remonstrated with the state of Holland opposing the doctrine of the Belgic Confession and Heidelberg Catechism and seeking that these documents be amended so that the official creed of the churches of Holland should favor Arminian doctrine. This remonstrance contained five points. The five points of Arminianism. These were roughly as follows. Firstly, that God elects on the basis of foreseen faith Secondly, that Christ died for all and every individual, though only believers are actually saved. Thirdly, that man's sin makes God's grace necessary in order to believe. And fourthly, that nevertheless this grace can be effectively resisted and frustrated. And then fifthly, that whether true Christians will certainly always persevere in the faith is doubtful and later on they explicitly denied the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints and believed that true Christians could fall from grace and totally apostatise and be lost. Now a national synod was called in 1618 to meet at Dort in Holland as well as the Dutch delegates to this synod there were also men from Germany and Switzerland and England and this synod largely ministers but also other men too this synod lasted seven months and they not only rejected the five points of Arminianism but drew up what became known as the Canons of Dort which contained five main points in direct opposition to Arminianism and these became known as the five points of Calvinism. To help us remember we can sum up these five points under the word tulip, T for total depravity U for Unconditional Election, L for Limited Atonement, I for Irresistible Grace, and P for Perseverance of the Sales. And this is a handy summary, for it must be borne in mind that the fundamental point that the Synod of Dort was concerned to establish in opposing Arminianism and in asserting the five points of Calvinism It comes down to one point, that salvation is all of God. That is the point that the Synod of God was concerned to assert. Well now, secondly, the biblical basis of the five points of Calvinism. And let's take them in order. First of all, total depravity, or as it's sometimes called, total inability. And here let's think of what it means. What does it mean? Total depravity or total inability. The Arminians taught that man was only partially depraved and not totally spiritually helpless. Now at this point Arminianism teaches more or less the same as Roman Catholicism. The doctrine of partial depravity is the Roman Catholic teaching and like Roman Catholicism they thought that man has in him still some natural inclination to turn towards God and that all he needs is the assistance of the Holy Spirit given to all who hear the gospel and thereafter When the Holy Spirit has done what he can, the sinner may or may not exercise his individual free will and belief. Now on this view, faith causes the new birth. Although the Holy Spirit convicts and gives some assistance, it is man independently with an independent free will who believes and having believed then the Holy Spirit regenerates and renews now the Calvinists taught the exact opposite they taught that man is totally depraved that though he may have an awareness of God and though he has a conscience he has no natural ability to turn to God and no natural ability or inclination to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They taught that the will of man is in bondage to sin and that though men do what they want and men do what they want, in that sense they are free, they do what they want. Yet without a sovereign work of regeneration by the Spirit, men will always want to sin and will never want to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the teaching of the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 6, paragraph 4. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil to precede all actual transgressions. Now they did not deny that God restrains the sin of man in various ways but without the sovereign regeneration of the spirit men have no natural inclination to turn from sin to God and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now on this view, regeneration or the new birth by the Spirit of God is the cause of faith not the result of it. The Calvinist believes that the Spirit of God regenerates and that is the cause of a particular sinner believing. The Arminian believes that men independently of God believe and then they are regenerated. For the Calvinist it's the other way around. Regeneration by the Spirit is the cause of a particular sinner believing. Well then, what is the biblical teaching? Let us consider a few verses and I'll give you these quite quickly. Romans 5 verse 6. because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be so the carnal mind unrenewed by the Spirit is enmity against God Romans 7 verse 18 for I know that in me that is in my flesh now the word flesh is used by the Apostle Paul of man as a sinner unchanged by the saving grace of God so it's man as he is apart from salvation for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not that's Romans 7.18 Colossians 1 verse 21 and you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. Genesis 6 verse 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Jeremiah 13, 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin? or the leopard his spots, then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. These passages, and they are only a selection, show that the heart of fallen man is quite incapable of turning from sin to God, that men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3, 19. So if sinners are converted it is not due to any superior use of some supposed natural goodness or independent free will within them. The question of course is not whether whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. Revelation 22, 17 says that. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. The question is not whether all who want Christ are commanded to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. The question is not whether whosoever will may come. It is why some are willing and others are not willing. The fact is that when the gospel is preached, some believe, some do not believe. Why is that? Who makes the difference? Is it some superiority in those who believe that they are better people? and so they make the right choice. The Calvinist, in line with the word of God, emphatically says, no it isn't. That all men are naturally, utterly opposed and at enmity to the living and true God and naturally hostile to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Total depravity. Secondly, unconditional election. Unconditional election. What is meant by this term? That God elects or chooses those who will be saved should be obvious to any reader of the scriptures. Only if you avoid and ignore passages of scripture, can you avoid that fact? Ephesians 1, Romans 9 and so on speak quite clearly of God's election, that God elects and chooses the heirs of salvation. The Armenians knew that, however they reduced this concept to meaninglessness by holding that God chooses on the basis of foreseen faith. That is that he foresaw who would believe and then he chooses them. So God chooses on condition of foreseen faith. This of course is no real divine choice at all. It is simply God's response to man's choice. Man is in the driving seat, God simply responds to independent, autonomous man. The Calvinists absolutely rejected the Arminian teaching. They taught that God's choice is unconditional, that it is not based on anything superior nor foreseen faith in those who are chosen over against those who are not. But God is free and chooses without reference to any merit or foreseen merit or foreseen faith in the sinner. What is the biblical teaching? We'll consider this under several points. First of all, the Bible teaches that God controls everything. The Bible teaches that God controls everything. Ephesians 1.11 tells us that God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Even the wicked actions of men fall out according to his sovereign plan and purpose. So in Acts 2.23 Him, that's Christ, being delivered by the determinate counsel and for knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Why does God know the future? God foreknows because He foreordains. God knows the future because God determines the future. And so God is in control of everything. Otherwise He isn't God. and secondly we may say election in scripture is free and unconstrained Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. The good pleasure of his will. This isn't God waiting on man's independent will to be exercised. It's his will. He elects, he predestinates according to his will. He is in charge there is no constraint upon the Almighty Romans chapter 9 which we read earlier on verse 11 for the children having the reference is to Jacob and Esau for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." So the Apostle is saying, here are these twins in the womb of Rebekah. Before they are born, before they have done good or evil, God chose Jacob, not Esau. And he says it is not on the basis of anything they have done. It is quite clear the Apostle did not believe it was on the basis of something foreseen that they would do God chose Jacob rather than Esau according to his free and unconstrained sovereign good pleasure and so free is God that he can choose according that he can choose the foolish and the base for his own glory 1 Corinthians 1 verse 26 for ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen, yet things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence." In other words, God in his sovereignty in order to show the freedom of his grace and to show the utter unmerited nature of his kindness He has deliberately chosen largely from among the base and the foolish and the weak not entirely but largely that no flesh should glory in his presence that no one can say I was chosen because of something in me. Then we may say thirdly Election is the cause of faith, not the reverse. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 4. Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. How did he know they were elected? For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake and he became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost he knew they were God's elect because when he preached the gospel they believed 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13 makes it clear as still by contrast to those in verse 11 upon whom God sends strong delusion that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness in verse 13 but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now you see the order from the beginning in eternity God chose them to salvation because they were chosen in due time the work of the Spirit sanctified that is renewed their hearts and wills so that they believed the truth as the gospel was made known to them and were now on the road to obtaining eternal glory. Election in eternity. The work of the Spirit in time causing them to believe the truth. But then perhaps you object. You say, but this isn't fair. This isn't fair. The Apostle Paul anticipates that objection in Romans 9 verse 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay, but O man, who art thou that replyest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Had not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory? on the vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared unto glory." There, someone saying, he anticipates someone saying, it's not fair. And his answer is, who art thou, O man, that replies against God? God has as much right to elect and to reprobate as the potter has power over the clay to form of the same lump vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour. It all comes down to the rights of God. God does not have to deal identically with every individual. Otherwise, mercy is not mercy. We deserve nothing but eternal damnation from God. Anything better is of the undeserved and unconstrained kindness of God. God does not cause all men to hear the gospel. He doesn't even cause all men to hear the gospel. True, the church is responsible to preach the gospel to every creature. But it is a fact that not everyone hears the gospel. In the Old Testament, few outside of Israel heard the truth of God. But even in the New Testament age, multitudes live and die without hearing the gospel. They die as transgressors of God's law and guilty before Him. If God has to deal equally, uniformly with each individual sinner, Does this mean then that those who don't hear the gospel in this life will be given some opportunity of salvation in the next? If God has to deal the same with everyone, it would mean that. And it comes down to this. Shall we write our own Bible in pursuance of this proud allegation that God owes sinful man something even if only that he should treat everyone the same he doesn't owe any sinner any good thing and he can do as he pleases and he does he elects and he elects sovereignly and unconditionally. That brings us to the third point, limited atonement. Limited atonement, sometimes called particular redemption. Now what does this mean? The Arminian view was that Christ died to save everybody but that only believers are actually saved. On this view Christ tried to save everybody, but partially fails. They say the atonement is unlimited in scope, but obviously they believe that it is severely limited in effect. On the Arminian view, the atonement of Christ doesn't actually secure the salvation of anybody. It simply makes men savable now the Calvinists on the other hand held that Christ died specifically for the elect for those chosen in eternity in order to save them and only them and that his death though limited in intended scope is 100% successful The Arminian believes Christ tried to save everybody but fails. The Calvinist believes Christ intended to save the elect and totally succeeds. Now what is the biblical teaching? First of all, all men are not saved. But if Christ died for all men, then they should be. all men are not saved but if the Arminian view is right and Christ died for all the sins of all men then they should be it should be obvious the Bible teaches that not all will be saved there will be goats as well as sheep and the goats will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous are the life eternal But if Christ had died for all the sins of all men then why does anyone end up in hell? Does God punish the same sin twice? If Christ on the cross was bearing the sins, the punishment of the sins, all the sins of all men then why are some of those sins for which he bore the punishment according to the Arminian why are they then punished in hell? God is just he punishes sin fully but once only but then you say ah but the reason that some for whom Christ died to save end up in hell is because of their unbelief But what is unbelief? It's a sin. If Christ died for all the sins of all men, then he died and atoned for the sin of unbelief in those who don't believe. So why do they end up in hell? Christ has borne the punishment for all their sins according to the Arminian including their unbelief and yet there is God punishing them in hell for those sins for which Christ made atonement the idea is outrageous what about some of the passages used to defend a universal atonement if they mean what the Arminian says they mean they would prove not just universal atonement, but universal salvation. For example, the word world in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world propitiation means a bearing of wrath a turning away of wrath now if the word world here means not simply sinners from all nations as opposed to simply Israel but if it means every individual then that would mean that Christ had actually turned away the wrath of God for every individual so that every individual is saved. But the Arminian doesn't believe that. But that's what the text would mean if the word world meant every individual. In fact, what it's saying is that sinners, Jews, Gentiles, people of all nations, all who will be saved from all over the world must be saved by him and no other way. Or again in Romans 5 and verse 18. Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Now here if the phrase all men meant every individual rather than simply the elect whom Christ represents then just as all represented by Adam came under condemnation if the all represented by Christ means every individual then every individual receives justification of life. In other words the passage wouldn't just teach that Christ atoned for everyone it would teach that everyone was justified however when we look at the context it's quite clear the parallel is between Adam who represents all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation and Christ who represents all the elect of God all become sinners and under condemnation in Adam those whom Christ represents become righteous justified because of his obedience you see the word all is used in a relative sense for example in John 11 48 when the Jewish leader said if we let him alone all men will believe on him he did not mean every single individual in the world it was a general comparative term and in everyday speech if someone comes out with some commonplace fact and we say oh everybody knows that we don't mean every individual in the world we mean that it is a matter of common knowledge then we can say also on this point Christ redeeming work is a success Christ's redeeming work according to scripture is a success Galatians chapter 1 and verse 3 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God our Father Christ gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us. He does it. His work is a success. Or Isaiah 53 and verse 11. For he shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. Christ will see the travail of his soul and he will be satisfied. We are not talking about an attempt that is only partially successful. We are not talking about a stab in the dark. He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. John chapter 6 and verse 36. John 6, 36. But I said unto you that ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Verse 39, And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. There are those who are given by the Father to the Son and the Son says they will come to Him and they will be raised up at the last day. His redeeming work was not a haphazard, ramshackle, makeshift, uncertain, rickety affair. It was an actual work of redemption that succeeds in its intention. Christ's redeeming work is specifically limited. Matthew 1 verse 21 Matthew 1 verse 21 and she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins there Christ will definitely save his people the outcome is not uncertain John chapter 10 and verse 11 I am the good shepherd the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep then in verse 14 I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and have known of mine as the father knoweth me even so know I the father and I lay down my life for the sheep so there is a specific body of people he calls them the sheep And in verse 26 he says, but ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep. So he is saying, I lay down my life for the sheep. You are not of the sheep because you believe not. So he is saying, I lay down my life not for everybody but for the sheep. Acts chapter 20 and verse 28. Acts 20 verse 28, take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood there the church is the object of God's redeeming work in Christ Ephesians 5 verse 23 Ephesians 5 verse 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. And then in verse 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. There again, Christ loved the church. He gave himself for the church. Romans chapter 8 and verse 33 Romans 8 and verse 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. he is saying because Christ died and rose again it is certain that the elect of God will be justified Isaiah 53 verse 8 for the transgression of my people was he stricken there is a definite body of people not a few, a multitude which no man can number for whom Christ died and whom he will certainly save Christ's intercession is limited in scope John 17 verse 9 I pray for them that's the disciples I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine then in verse 20 neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Christ intercedes for believers in the present and those who would be believers in the future the elect of God and even on the Arminian view if God foreknows who will believe Why should Christ die for those whom he knows will not believe? So Christ is a real, almighty and successful Saviour. The fourth point, irresistible grace. Irresistible grace or efficacious grace. What does it mean? The Arminians held and hold that when the gospel is preached the Holy Spirit works equally in all who hear doing all that he can to bring about their conversion. But after he has done all within his power, it is left to the individual's independent and invincible free will as to whether he or she is converted or not. The Calvinists rejected this and taught that God's saving grace is irresistible. Not in the sense that it isn't resisted, but it isn't effectively resisted. That's why they sometimes call it efficacious grace. Well, what is the biblical teaching? First of all, God determines who are converted in his decree in eternity and by his action in time. I'll give you some references very quickly. Acts 2, verse 47. and the Lord added to the church, such as should be saved. Acts 13, 48. And as many as were ordained unto life believed. Acts 16, verse 14. Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened, so that she received the things that were spoken by Paul. Acts 18, verse 9 and 10. The Lord says to Paul, hold not thy peace for I have much people in this city that is many he was going to save 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 23 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 23 but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. The calling there is not the outward calling of the gospel because that was true of the Jews who stumbled and the Greeks who said the gospel was foolishness. It's talking about God's effectual call whereby He causes a sinner to believe. Chapter 3 verse 4 For why one said, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos? Are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos? But ministers by whom ye believe, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." When Paul preached and Apollos preached, the results proceeded from God. Then we can also say, God's initiative is taught. All the biblical illustrative language indicates God's initiative. John 3 verse 5 to 8, the Lord Jesus says to Nicodemus, you must be born again. You must be born of water and of the Spirit or you shall not see the kingdom of God. The wind blew it where it listed, or where it wills. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. He's saying it's like the wind. We hear the sound of it. We see the effects. But we cannot control it. The wind is beyond our control. We cannot summon the wind. So the Spirit of God is sovereign in renewing the heart of a sinner. He isn't telling Nicodemus something he must do. He is telling Nicodemus something that he desperately needs. And only God can do it. And He does it as He pleases. John 6, 65. no man cometh to me except it were given him of my father in the next verse some of the people went back they were offended but Christ is saying no man comes to me except it were given him of my father God can give or withhold the ability the willingness to believe as he pleases 2nd Corinthians 5 17 if any man be in Christ he is a new Ephesians 2 verse 1 and you have he quickened who were dead in trespassers and in sins quickened made alive they were dead there was no life no inclination to believe nothing no spiritual life dead and God quickened enlivened brought them to life then we can say also that repentance and faith are the gift of God. Acts 11 verse 18, then hath God also granted unto the Gentiles repentance unto life. 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 24. 2nd Timothy 2 verse 24, And the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men up to teach patience in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will God peradventure may give them repentance Ephesians 2 verse 8, for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 2 Peter 1 verse 1, you having received like precious faith. So repentance, faith, are the gift of God. Then we can say also that the rejection of the gospel is traced to the plan of God. even the rejection of the gospel because God has decreed who will be saved and he has decreed not to save others Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 9 Isaiah 6 and verse 9 and he said, that's the Lord to Isaiah, go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed in Matthew 11 25 and 26 we read at that time Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight Romans chapter 9 tells us verse 18 therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he willeth he hardeneth now whatever else that means it means that God has determined who will believe and who will not believe in verse 22 we read what if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and then in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 8 speaking of Christ as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed they were disobedient they didn't do what they were commanded they were responsible to do but they were appointed to that disobedience Proverbs 16 verse 4, the Lord hath made all things for himself, even the wicked for the day of evil. If you are a Christian, don't pat yourself on the back, thank God. The reason you believed when the gospel was preached and perhaps someone with you did not believe, is to be traced to God in His sovereignty and in His grace. And if you are a Christian you will thank God rather than congratulate yourself. Well the final point, the perseverance of the saints. The meaning is as follows. The Arminians held that a true Christian can completely apostatize and end up in hell. The Calvinist believes that since God causes the elect to become Christians He also keeps them persevering in the faith. Arminianism can give no more assurance of heaven than Rome. The Arminian who believes all the points of Arminianism can have no assurance whatsoever that he will end up in heaven. He may be sure that he's justified now but he can have no certainty that he will be glorified in the world to come. On his deathbed he might apostatize and be damned. There is no more basis of assurance of salvation in Arminianism than when Luther was climbing the so-called pilot's staircase at St. Peter's in Rome trying to work out how he could ever know Arminianism, thoroughly believed, destroys assurance of salvation. Arminian salvation is no salvation. It's just a temporary possibility that we might get to heaven if, if we don't apostatize. The biblical teaching is quite different. John 10 27 to 29 the Lord Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand my father is greater than I and no man shall pluck them out of my father's hand Romans 8 verse 30 tells us whom he justified then he also glorified those who are justified through faith in Christ in this world will certainly be glorified in that which is to come. So certain is it that it's put in the past tense. The future glorification of the Christian is as certain as his present acceptance with God. Philippians 1 verse 6, being persuaded of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Jude verse 24, now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy. God causes people to believe, God causes believers to continue believing we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling knowing that it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Philippians 2 12-13 if God is the cause of conversion it will last in the parable of the sower the story ground hearers in Matthew 13 20 21 professed for a while and fell away but the the difference between them and the good ground here was there at the beginning below the surface they looked like the real thing up top but below the surface there was no root there was no genuine conversion from the start so there was a temporary profession of faith but real conversions are of God and real conversions last well now just a few points before we close, why it matters, this is our third section, we'll be very quick, why it matters. Firstly, only the biblical Calvinistic view is compatible with belief in an Almighty God. It is the only position that acknowledges God is really Almighty. Arminianism seeks to dethrone God to say that God is helpless and frustrated that he tried to save everybody but can't and if God can't control salvation he isn't in control of anything. Secondly, only the biblical Calvinistic view asserts salvation is entirely of God. when we think of the religious spectrum the pagan religions by and large tell men they must save themselves universalistic modernism liberal protestantism regards salvation as unnecessary Roman Catholicism teaches that salvation is partly of God and partly of man, it's a joint affair and Arminianism does the same it is true Arminianism ascribes more of salvation to God than Rome but both Arminianism and Roman Catholicism ascribe part of salvation to man and part to God there is still room for the Arminian to boast Why did I believe? Well, because I'm better. Biblical Calvinism alone says that God and God only saves, that salvation in all its aspects, in all its parts is of God. Only the Calvinist is consistently saying, not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. And doesn't every real Christian, however confused in mind, doesn't every real Christian desire to ascribe all of his salvation to God? If you are a Christian, don't you want to ascribe all your salvation to God? If you are a real Christian, you do. And you can only consistently do so by acknowledging these biblical doctrines known as the five points of Calvinism. Then we may say that this doctrine exalts Christ as a real saviour. He actually does save. The apostles never preached Christ as simply making men saveable. They never toward the unconverted, Christ died for you. They never did it. You look at the Acts sermons, you'll never find the apostles saying to the unconverted, they don't know who the elect are and who they're not, they never felt any need or warrant to say to an unconverted sinner, Christ died for you. They didn't do it. Christ died for the elect and we don't know who they are what the apostles did and what we should do is not preach human ability not preach an impotent God preach human responsibility but not ability tell men they must repent and believe but tell them that they need a sovereign work of the spirit or they'll never be willing to do it. Christ did that. He taught unbelievers, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him. And so they never ascribe salvation in any part to man, only to Christ, the Prince and the Saviour who gives repentance unto Israel. Calvinism, or rather this biblical teaching, teaches a real but limited evangelistic responsibility. The Calvinist believes that the church is to preach to all men and women. The Calvinist believes that he is to preach that men are required to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ as he is freely offered in the gospel. more on the free offer next month, God willing. Winfield, Spurgeon, McShane, all were Calvinists and they preached freely to all men. The Calvinist believes that when he prays for the salvation of sinners, God can actually answer. Romans 10.1, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Why was Paul praying? that his Jewish countrymen would be saved. On the Arminian view, what's the point of praying to God? He can't do anything about it. What are we asking God to do when we pray for the conversion of sinners? What we should be asking him to do is to do what only he can do. Effectively renew the heart of the sinner, renew his will, make him willing in a day of his power. so that he comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Calvinist does not believe that it is his responsibility to secure professions of faith by invented evangelistic techniques. The Calvinist rejects entertainment evangelism because God has never told us to entertain people so as to try and get them to hear the gospel slipped in as it were somewhere in the program the Calvinist rejects the appeal system that is that system of telling sinners not that they must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ merely but that in order to do so let them come to the front let them sign a decision card let them put their hand up and all that stuff There is no biblical basis for any of that at all. And it is deceitful. The scriptures do not teach that people become Christians by signing a card or putting their hand up. And it deceives people into thinking they're converted when they're not. You see you don't need a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit renewing the heart and will to walk to the front of a meeting but you do need a sovereign work of the Spirit of God in order to be willing to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why the appeal system as it is known is not only not biblical but it implicitly contradicts biblical Calvinistic doctrine. It's an addition, it has no biblical basis, but also by equating conversion with some physical act which does not require a renewing work of the Spirit of God, a sovereign work of the Spirit, it is a denial of the necessity of the new birth as the cause of faith. If people are truly converted under Arminian preaching, it is in spite of the Arminianism, not because of it. it is God using what is true that man must trust Christ crucified to be saved if the appeal system was dropped there would be not one single less genuine profession of faith there would be a lot less false profession But if the whole appeals system was abandoned throughout this province tomorrow, it would not result in one single less genuine profession of faith. I'm not saying abandon preaching the gospel. I'm not saying abandon, telling sinners they must repent and believe. I'm talking about the addition of the appeals system, getting people to do something that is supposed to be equivalent of becoming a Christian. It is an unbiblical deception and it hasn't added one single genuine conversion to the Church of God. Not one. If people are converted in that setting, it is in spite of the appeals system, not because of it. So then, these things do matter. They matter immensely. The honour of God is at stake and the glory of His great name. Calvinism is true, Arminianism is false. The five points of Calvinism are true not because Calvin taught them but because they are in the word of God. Receive these doctrines in the love of the truth and ascribe honor and glory to God and to the Lamb. Amen.