Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Calvinist Acrostics

Ever since Loraine Boettner's The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination Calvinism has been outlined by the acrostic TULIP:

  • Total Depravity
  • Unconditional Election
  • Limited Atonement
  • Irresistible Grace
  • Perseverance of the Saints

Roger Nicole suggests the following replacements although the first is not an acrostic:
  • Radical and Pervasive Depravity
  • Sovereign, Divine Election
  • Definite Atonement (or Particular Redemption)
  • Effectual, Saving Grace
  • Perseverance of God with the Saints
and
  • GRACE is:
  • Obligatory (that is, indispensable)
  • Sovereign (in choice)
  • Particular (in redemption)
  • Effectual (in operation)
  • Lasting (that is, secure)

Phil Johnson's outline of Calvinism given at Shepherd's Conference 2007 was based on John 4:19 - "We love Him because He first loved us." The outline is as follows:
  • Perverseness of our fallen state - (we could not love Him first)
  • Priority of God's electing choice - (He loved us first)
  • Particularity of God's saving work - (He loved us)
  • Power of His loving deliverance - (We love Him because)
  • Perfection of His redemptive plan - (We love)

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