To whom the Election applied according to the Calvinist (TULIP)?

Upvote:3

God’s Sovereign Election applies to every human being ever born. That does not mean that every human being ever born will be saved, and universal salvation is not supported within the Five Points of Calvinism. God’s election means that from before the founding of the world God had predestined whom He would call and that God foreknew who the elect would be.

As far back as the 5th century the basic doctrines of the Calvinistic position had been vigorously defended by Augustine against Pelagius. The five points of Calvinism (formulated in answer to the five points submitted by the Arminians) was ratified by the Synod of Dort in 1619. Here are a few partial quotes from the book, The Five Points of Calvinism by David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas, by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing in 1963:

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION (pages 16-17): “God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will... God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected... Thus God’s choice of the sinner, not the sinner’s choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.”

PARTICULAR REDEMTION OR LIMITED ATONEMENT (page 17): “Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners.”

LIMITED ATONEMENT (pages 53-54): “The gospel invitation extends a general outward call to salvation to all who hear the message. In addition to the external call, the Holy Spirit extends a special inward call to the elect only. The general call of the gospel can be, and often is, rejected, but the special call of the Spirit cannot be rejected; it always results in the conversion of those to whom it was made.”

“All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, is he pleased in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call by his word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.” (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 10, Section 1)

Some the Scriptures used to support these beliefs include Romans 1:6-7; 8:30; 9:23-24; Galatians 1:15-16; Ephesians 4:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 9:15; Jude verse 1. Regarding the role of the Holy Spirit in the work of salvation see Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Peter 1:2; John 1:12-13.

Not everyone is elected unto salvation. I hope this helps to clarify the Calvinistic view of Election.

More post

Search Posts

Related post