Why I Love the Doctrines of Grace

Why is it that some people are saved and others are not? There are two levels to this answer: The first, all Protestant Evangelical Christians would agree on: Some believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and trust in him for salvation and others do not. That is the first level. But there is a deeper question, one Paul asks about his own countrymen, the Jews in Romans 9: why do some people accept the gospel and others reject it? What are the underlying factors? What is going on in mens’ hearts that makes the difference if we are all sinners? What is the deciding factor?

On this level of the issue, not all Christians agree. Some say that the decisive factor is found in people, who by their free will choose or refuse the gospel. Man is the master of his own fate and God respects man’s decision in this matter. This is sometimes called an Arminian view (named after a Dutch theologian in the 16th century). Arminians were reacting to another view (nearly universal among Protestant reformers) reclaiming the view of Augustine. Another view, now called Reformed Theology or Calvinism, was central to the theology of the Reformation (John Calvin did not invent this doctrine but helped organize the biblical data in his Institutes of the Christian religion). This view says that God is the deciding factor, that the ultimate choice of who is saved and who is not is based on God’s sovereign choice. This was the theology of Martin Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Watson, John Owen, John Bunyan, George Whitfield, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, J.I. Packer, John Piper, Tim Keller, Wayne Grudem, Albert Mohler, and more. And it is the view of the elders of Living Hope Church. We believe it to be the biblical view. 

Sometimes this view is described as the five points of Calvinism, which tries to summarize the biblical teaching in a logical progression, or the doctrines of grace. I will summarize these doctrines in six points:

1. The Supremacy and Sovereignty of God. God is the supreme and primary being. It’s all about him. All things exist for his good pleasure and to fulfill his purposes. God is sovereign over all things. Nothing comes to pass without his say so. He has a plan for all things, and everything that does happen, even the choices of man, are according to his unchanging counsel and decree, which he made before the foundation of the earth (Ps. 115:3; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 139:16). 
2. The Extent of the Effect of Sin on Man. The fall of man into sin has corrupted every aspect of mankind. We are not merely sick and weak spiritually, needing a little help; we are dead in sin, unresponsive, blind, enslaved to evil. Sin has put us at war with God, as such, the human heart is unwilling and incapable of voluntarily submitting to God. No one seeks God or responds to God on his own (Jn. 8:34; Rom. 3:11-12; 8:7; Eph. 2:1-3).
3. The Grace of The Father’s Election to Salvation. Before the foundation of the world, and according to his own counsel and will and not due to any foreseen faith or merit, God the Father lovingly chose some from every tribe, tongue, and nation out of the whole of fallen humanity, whom he would save through Jesus Christ, so that he might make known to them the riches of his glory and grace. Those whom he has not elected to salvation, he has chosen to leave in their fallen state to face his just wrath (Matt 22:14; Eph 1:3-5; Rom 8:29-30; 9:11-13; Acts 13:48)
4. The Grace of The Son’s Atoning Death for the Elect. God the Son was given these people from the Father, and it is for them specifically and effectually that he was to give his life. In this way he did not just make salvation possible for all, but certain for all the Father’s elect (Matt 1:21; John 10:14-15; 17:2-10; Acts 20:18).
5. The Grace of The Spirit’s Application of Redemption. God the Spirit was sent to apply all the work of Christ to the elect. He first does the work of regeneration, where he gives a new heart to the elect so that when they hear the gospel message, they are free of the enslaving power of sin and are by God’s grace finally able  to freely choose to believe the gospel, and they will do so unfailingly (John 6:36-40, 44, 60-65; 10:25-27). 
6. The Grace of a Faith that Will Result in Salvation. All the Father has chosen, the Son has ransomed, and the Spirit has Redeemed will not fall away, but are kept in the faith by the power of God. All who are saved will remain in faith until the end and will be raised on the last day (John 5: 24; 6:37-39; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:13, 14). 

These are called the Doctrines of Grace. They are called so because they highlight that salvation is entirely by grace. It is God who saves sinners from beginning to end. I present these interlinked doctrines to you knowing that they are hard to understand in some places and hard to accept in others. In this area and other Christian doctrines, especially if they are new to you, can be challenging.

So let me encourage by sharing why I love the Doctrines of God’s Sovereignty and his election to salvation. They are not the product of some theologians’ imagination, rather God has revealed his work to us in Scripture so that we can have joy. God’s election brings great comfort to saints and much glory to God. I want to invite you to peek behind the curtain and peer into the deep things of God. He has revealed in his word a gospel more potent and powerful than you may have first imagined.

1. The Doctrines of Grace will change the way you think about God for the better

Perhaps more than any other set of doctrines, these direct us to the supremacy of God in all things. They exalt him and draw special attention to his wisdom, knowledge, power, grace, righteousness, love, justice, sovereignty, and holiness. These doctrines have a way of making God ‘bigger’ in our thinking. This is God-centered theology rather than man-centered. A reformed understanding sees a definite purpose and plan of God, decreed from eternity, worked out in history, and accomplished to completely, to the praise of his glorious grace. A non-reformed view tends to see God doing the best that he can to accomplish his purpose, while the choices of sinful man constantly frustrate it.

2. The Doctrines of Grace will humble you 

When Isaiah encountered the living God in his glory in the temple, he said, “Woe is me, I am ruined, a man of unclean lips among a people of unclean lips.” (Is. 6:5) These doctrines demonstrate most clearly just how sinful and unable to please God we are. Likewise, they demonstrate the wonder of God’s grace in saving sinners. They will strip away any confidence we put in the flesh and will instead instill great gratitude for the grace of God.

3. The Doctrines of Grace will help the Bible make more sense to you.

I remember when I first heard about the doctrine of election and I didn’t understand it. It sounded so foreign to the gospel I was used to hearing (from Arminian-leaning preaching). In fact, I initially hated it. But when I began reading the Bible in search of answers, I saw that this doctrine is everywhere. God chose Noah, Abraham, Isaac (not Ishamel), Jacob (not Esau), David (not his brothers), the twelve apostles, Paul. We read all through the New Testament about election, predestination, and God choosing and ordaining what comes to pass. 

4. The Doctrines of Grace will nourish your heart and your mind

Reformed theology is intellectually satisfying. Reformed theologians, by and large, are the ones writing weighty systematic theologies in the evangelical world. If you are a deep thinker, you will find much to ponder and enjoy. However, this does not make it a cold intellectual theology. Instead it will fuel your worship and joy. It serves to calm anxiety and bolster faith. It creates confidence in God and his sufficient word.

5. The Doctrines of Grace produce assurance and comfort

God’s plan will not be thwarted. He is in complete control. All that comes to pass is according to his will, even the evil he allows is because he has a purpose for it. The implications of this are wonderful for times of hardship or worry. When we undergo trials we are able to see the sovereign hand of God, not with stoic fatalism, but understanding the love and wisdom of God. It also provides us assurance that we cannot lose our salvation.

6. The Doctrines of Grace will empower your evangelism with confidence

Calvinism is sometimes seen as an impediment to evangelism. Why share the gospel if the game is rigged and God is going to save or not save anyway? There is much error and arrogance in such thinking. However, it is also not true. Election doesn’t impede evangelism, it empowers it. It allows us to be bold in sharing the gospel, knowing that whether someone accepts the gospel or not is not up to me, my charisma or skill, my intellect or winsome illustrations. I have confidence to go to anyone, knowing that God can save the worst sinner who I might think I could never convince. It means that Christians can and should go to ‘closed’ countries, regions, and locations, because God has some elect there who will hear and believe. Consider that we often pray something like this: ‘Lord, change so-and-so’s heart to receive Christ. Grant him repentance and faith. Open his eyes to see and receive Christ.’’ This is a very Calvinistic prayer, because we recognize on an instinctual level that God must change someone’s heart before they will accept the gospel. May we all pray with such boldness, longing for God to save!

I believe proper understanding of these doctrines bolster faith, joy, peace, and fuel our worship and mission. If you’d like to learn more, check out this two-part seminar I taught on it a few years back here and here.