by
Roger Smalling, D.Min
Based on:
The Bible (ESV)
The Westminster Confession
Unlocking Grace by Roger Smalling
How to use this teacherÕs guide
Lesson One: Sovereignty of God
Lesson Three: Justification by faith
Lesson Four: Election and predestination
Lesson Five: Sacrifice of Christ
Lesson Six: Unity and universality of the church
Lesson Seven: Security of the elect
Lesson Eight: Covenant, the golden chain
Appendix: Doctrines of grace in church history
This manual is arranged to make teaching the doctrines of grace as easy on the teacher as possible. It allows a Sunday School teacher or home group leader to introduce these concepts without extensive theological training or even much preparation time.
This guide is a translation from a Spanish text that follows an acrostic, Si, Jesœs. It could be arranged according to the famous tulip acrostic in English but that would require extensive rewriting. This arrangement allows for chapters on a couple of key points, namely sovereignty of God and justification that fit poorly into the tulip acrostic.
It also follows the textbook, Unlocking Grace, available in electronic from Smalling's web site.
The texts in red are for the teacher only. They include illustrations, suggestions on how to teach a particular point and answers to questions. The studentÕs manual, to be given out at the beginning of the course, is nothing more than the teacherÕs manual with the answers and suggestions to the teacher removed.
Underlined texts in red are blank lines in the studentÕs manual. This is where students fill in the blanks. Where there are a series of these, the teacher may assign them as a group exercise if he wishes. In places where bullet points exist, the students are expected to take notes as the teacher explains them.
In a more academic setting, the teacher is free to distribute supplemental handouts as reading assignments from Smalling's essays such as Effectual Call, The Problem of Eva, Sanctification or others.
Define the sovereignty of God, prove it biblically and show why it is the foundation for a strong Christian faith.
This word means total control. As regards God, the Scriptures teach that all of reality is a product of divine decrees made before the creation of the world.
The entire reformed system of
soteriology is based on the concept that God is sovereign in salvation. It is
essential the teacher take time with this concept because many Christians
assume sovereignty simply means God is great and can do a lot of
things. If students fail to grasp the absolute nature of sovereignty, they may
reject the sovereignty of grace later and therefore reject election and
preservation.
á
Only a sovereign God can
guarantee his promises.
Explain
that even our salvation must be put in doubt if something exists outside of his
control. Even if a single atom of the universe were outside GodÕs control,
hypothetically speaking, this one atom could result in causing God to fail in
his promise of salvation.
á
The sovereignty of God
is the only grounds for giving him glory.
If it is
not God who accomplishes the work of salvation in us, then he does not deserve
all the glory either. If we save ourselves in part, then we deserve a
corresponding part of the glory.
á
It is the only grounds
for prayer. Why pray to a God who is not sovereign?
Is it possible that sovereignty may have a limit? Yes ______ No ____x___
The teacher must be aware that the
students may suppose that sovereign
simply means that God is great and can do a lot of things but is limited in his
dealings with man. It is essential that the teacher clarify that sovereign includes everything.
á
The term sovereignty is an absolute, like infinity or eternity. We cannot go to the store and ask for a six foot role of
infinity. Nor can we say, ÒIÕll meet you at the restaurant at half past
eternity.Ó Any attempt to limit these, destroys their meaning. So with
sovereignty. A partial sovereignty is a contradiction in terms. Either God is
100 percent sovereign or he is not sovereign at all by definition.
á
The reformed emphasis on
the sovereignty of God is not a mere tradition. We emphasize it because the
Bible does.
I have found this text to be the
easiest and most convincing way to introduce the sovereignty of God. It
contains most of the key evidences and cuts short philosophical objections
because the students are confronting the biblical text.
What is the name the apostles called God in this
prayer? Sovereign
Lord
According to Jude 4, what is the a good way to detect false
teachers who profess to be Christians? What is it they deny? They deny that God is sovereign.
If the teacher desires, he may go
into the Greek term for sovereign
here which is DESPOTES. This means
one with absolute authority, from which we derive the word despot, although in the first century, this term lacked the
negative connotation it does today. DESPOTES occurs 10 times in the New
Testament, five referring to God and five to human masters.
The corresponding Old Testament Hebrew
term is ADONAI, which means owner or master and occurs about 290 times. Thus,
the term Sovereign Lord, though translated variously, occurs about 300 times in
the Bible. If GodÕs name is
Sovereign, then we may assume that his person
is sovereign.
Therefore, the first evidence for the sovereignty of God
is that the term sovereign is part of
his name.
In Acts 4:24, the apostles implied that God is sovereign. What was the reason? Because God created everything
á
What does God own according to Job 41:11? Everything under heaven.
á
Of what is God the owner according to Psalm
24:1? The
world
á
What does God own according to Ezekiel 18:4? All souls
Therefore the second evidence for the sovereignty of God
is that God created and owns everything.
Note to teacher: This point is a bit
abstract and difficult but essential. Here the teacher must get across the idea
of immutable decrees; GodÕs decrees
made in eternity cannot be changed. This is different from commandments like
the Ten Commandments. Show that he allows his commands to be broken but does
not allow his decrees to be thwarted. The textbook has a couple of good
graphics to illustrate this. You may mention that Arminian theology errs here
by putting our salvation in the wrong circle. Our salvation is based on an
eternal decree, not on our ability to keep GodÕs commands.
In Acts 4:27-28, what made it possible that the enemies of
Jesus do what they did? For the
answer, compare this text with Psalm 33:11 and Proverbs 19:21. God so
decreed it.
According to Hebrews 6:17, God wanted to show the heirs of
his promise the immutability of his decree.
Immutable means Òunchangeable.Ó Scripture expresses GodÕs unchangeable nature in other ways than the word immutable. Examples are: James 1:17; Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19;
You may explain here that the term immutable is often expressed by the word
counsel, as in Ephesians 1:11 (Greek-
boucle).
The same Greek word is used in Acts 4:28 and is translated plan.
My counsel shall
stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose, Is 46:10
How does the concept of immutable decrees prove the
sovereignty of God? If his decrees are unchangeable,
this means nothing exists that could change them. Therefore GodÕs will is
sovereign.
Other texts on immutable decrees the
teacher may use are: Is 14:27; Mt
10:29-30; Lu 22:22
Therefore, the third evidence for the sovereignty of God
is that GodÕs decrees are unchangeable;
immutable.
What did the apostles ask God to do? Miracles
Therefore, the fourth evidence for the sovereignty of God
is that he has the power to do miracles.
Note: This ends the evidences
gleaned from the apostleÕs prayer.
Explain that incommunicable means attributes that cannot be communicated to a
finite being.
Some Christians think of God as a
big human. This error is called anthropomorphism.
Some feel God is like a benign heavenly grandfather who wants everybody to have
a good time and would never harm anyone. Unless the teacher succeeds in
annihilating such notions in
students, they will experience difficulty in grasping certain doctrines like election
or even justification. Understanding the three principle incommunicable
attributes of God helps erase humanistic concepts from the mind.
What is the attribute of God described in Revelation 1:8? Omnipotence; almighty
What attribute of God is described in 1John 3:20? Omniscience; knows all
What attribute of God is described in Psalm 139:8? Omnipresence; present everywhere
Explain that if anything were to
happen outside of GodÕs control, it could only be because of a lack of one of
these attributes. If anything took place outside of his will, it would be
either that he is not almighty and therefore incapable of stopping it, or he
did not know about it or was absent at the time. In any of these cases, he
would not be the God of the Bible. Even if GodÕs sovereignty were not expressly
declared in Scripture, we would could deduce it just from the incommunicable
attributes alone.
Are these attributes implied in the apostleÕs prayer? If so,
in what ways? The teacher can skip this one if he
wishes, or assign it as a group exercise. This may stimulate thought and
discussion especially for students new to these concepts.
Therefore, the fifth evidence for the sovereignty of God
is the incommunicable attributes.
If God is sovereign, why does he permit evil? This text
shows the righteousness of God in permitting evil and offers to Christians an
answer that can be used to defend their faith relative to this specific issue.
You might want to explain here that
some have taught that God does the good things and the devil does all the bad things.
Such simplistic theology is false and should not be taught even to children,
since it implies that God is not sovereign over the devil. If that were the
case, then God would not be sovereign at all and we would have no security in
Christ.
According to Acts 4:27-28, what determined that Pontius
Pilate, the gentiles and the people of Israel were going to do? GodÕs
predestined decree
Did God force those people to do anything they did not want to do? Yes _____ No ___x____
Did God force these people to do anything they did not want to do? Yes _____ No ____x ____
Did the enemies of Jesus act according to their own desires? Yes ___x__ No _______
Did the actions of those wicked people result in any good? If the answer is yes, what was that result? Our salvation through the sacrifice of Christ.
Was the good that resulted greater than the evil done? Yes ___x__ No _______
Based on the previous questions, what can we conclude about
the way God uses evil? Evil is a tool in GodÕs arsenal
to allow him to accomplish his holy purposes.
The meaning of your hand and your plan in verse 28: Optional
The term plan in
Greek is boulŽ and means ÒpurposeÓ or Òintention.Ó It is used as
ÒpurposeÓ in Ephesians 1:11. With what doctrine is it associated in that
text? Predestination
Therefore, the term, your hand and your plan means God exercised
his power to guarantee that his irresistible will come to pass, using the
intentions and motivations of wicked men to do it.
The objection that God is not good if he permits evil can be refuted in this way: The objection assumes that good cannot come out of evil. The cross refutes that. Even events in ordinary life refutes it. We have all experienced circumstance in which some good results from a bad event.
The teacher may assign additional
reading on this subject such as Smalling's Sovereignty
and Suffering and How Could a Good God
Permit Evil?.
This latter contains philosophical arguments to use if the students are
interested, although I prefer to stick to Scripture in a class setting.
Providence refers to the outworking of GodÕs government and control over all creation. Although the term sovereign covers the fact of total control, the word providence emphasizes the means by which he controls.
God normally expresses his sovereign control indirectly. He works through circumstances and people to
accomplish his decrees. This is sometimes called the doctrine of means, that
is, he uses means to the end rather than acting directly.
When he acts
directly, without means, we call these creative miracles. These are
rare, such as the resurrection of Jesus, certain miracles of healing or Jesus
turning water into wine.
You may use these examples of God
using means to the end:
á
God opened the Red Sea
by a strong east wind that blew all night.
á
God used Esther to save
the Jew from extinction.
á
He used Joshua to
conquer the promised land.
Note: It may be necessary
to clarify that the concept of God as simply ÒpermittingÓ evil is inadequate.
It implies God is passive in some things and not in others. This is
unscriptural. God is active in everything. His action in the use of evil is by
a limiting of its extent. Evil people go only so far. God controls the
circumstances around it. Examples you may use of this are: Unbelief of Jews
ordained by God. Ro 11:11; The King
of Assyria: Is 10: 5-15; Betrayal of Joseph: Ge 45:5,8; 50:20; AbsalomÕs
incest: 2Sa.12:12,Cf 2Sa.16:21-22.
You may refer to WCF Chapter Five, Article IV that has a good
explanation to refute the idea of a mere Òpermission.Ó
á
Sovereign is
an absolute term meaning total control.
á God is sovereign because the term sovereign is part of certain of his names.
á God is sovereign because he is creator, owner and sustainer of all creation.
á God is sovereign because his decrees are unchangeable.
á God is sovereign because he is able to do miracles.
á God is sovereign because his three incommunicable attributes allow for nothing less.
á God allows evil in order to produce a greater good. He uses even wicked people to accomplish benevolent purposes.
á The apostles understood this principle and expressed it in their prayers.
á Providence refers to GodÕs government over all things. God is active in everything and passive in nothing.
Chapters One and Two in Unlocking Grace; Chapters Three and Five of WCF; Romans 3 in the New Testament. (Note: The reading assignment is a bit heavy for this first lesson only because the student needs to be prepared for the next lesson as well as review Lesson One.)
Define grace more clearly by showing that man is incapable of contributing anything to his salvation, whether by word, will or works.
Our view of saving grace will affect our self-concept, prayer life, ability to trust GodÕs promises of God, the way we evangelize and everything else involved in our theology and walk with God.
In Christianity two concepts about grace are in conflict. Everyone grants that the word grace means unmerited favor. The conflict revolves around the idea of how that favor is obtained.
One viewpoint claims that saving grace is the result of a cooperative work between God and man. The other asserts that saving grace is a sovereign work of God, independent of any foreseen quality or merit that a person may have.
Only one of these viewpoints can be correct. The answer has to do with the question of whether a sinner is able to cooperate with God on his own initiative, without grace.
Answer the following questions about those who are not justified by faith in Christ.
á
How many
righteous exist? None
á
How many
understand? None
á
How many seek
after God? None
á
How many do
good? None
á
How many fear
God? None
Discussion: We have all met unbelievers who do good works. Some unbelievers say they have been seeking after God. How do we reconcile this with Romans 3?
The teacher may refer here to the WCF
Chapter 6, Article 7, and show students that although the unregenerate are
capable of doing works that are good in and of themselves, God does not count
them as good since they proceed from a sinful nature. Such good works of
unsaved people are generated out of the same platform of autonomy from God as
are the bad ones and therefore are tainted with the sin of Adam, which was a
declaration of autonomy.
You may point out from Romans 10:3
that those who claim they are seeking after God are, in fact, seeking to
establish their own righteousness. They want the satisfaction God gives but on
their own terms.
I have found it intriguing in my
experience with some who say they are seeking God, how much they argue when I
tell them how to find him. If unbelievers were truly seeking God or interested
in pleasing him, they would obey the first command that God gives, which is to
repent and trust in his son.
Nevertheless, we must be aware that
some people may be in the process of being drawn to God by his Spirit, as
stated in John 6:44. Those will respond quickly to the gospel.
Therefore, the first evidence for the inability of man is
his moral condition as described in Romans Chapter
Three.
C.S. Lewis, the great Christian
apologist, said that the doctrine of original sin is the second most unpopular
one after the doctrine of hell. It does not seem fair. In fact, it is fair if
we had a representative to start with, Adam, who was better than we, having
been created innocent.
In Romans 5:12-20, we find four things humanity inherits
from the fall of Adam. What are these and in which verses are they found? The teacher may divide the students into small groups to
study this out if he wishes.
á
Sin V.12
á
Death V.12
á
Judgment V.16
á
Condemnation V.18
Read Romans 5:17. Does this appear just? Explain that Dam was the federal head of the human race and
its representative. We were part of Adam like cells in his body. If we object
to this, then it would be equally logical to object to Christ as our second Adam, which is to say our
representative. We were not personally present when Adam fell, no were we
personally present at Calvary when Christ obtained salvation for us.
Grace is not fair. It is holy. Grace
is so far superior to mere fairness that the term fair does not deserve to be mention in the same sentence with grace.
In Romans 5:15, what is meant by the phrase, the grace of God and the free gift by the
grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
The value of grace is greater than
the guilt of our sins. We gain more than Adam had before the fall.
Adam was innocent before the fall. What do believers in
Christ inherit, according to verse 19? How does this relate to 2Corinthians
5:21? For our sake he made him to be sin
who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
You may explain here the difference
between innocence and righteousness. The one is passive, a state of not
sinning. The other is active, including positive conduct. Believers do not
receive the innocence of Adam. They receive the righteousness of Christ.
Therefore, the second evidence for the inability of man is the fall of Adam (original sin) and the corruption we inherit.
á
What does Jesus say about the innate ability of
man to come to him? No one can come to him unless
they are drawn by the Father.
á
What is the result when a person is drawn to
Christ? He is resurrected in the last day, that is,
saved.
á
In verse 65, what is the origin of saving faith?
It is a gift of God the Father.
Therefore, the third evidence for the inability of man is
that sinners cannot put their faith in Christ without a special drawing of the Father.
Assign this as a group exercise if
you wish.
á
Rom 8:7 Hostile
against God and cannot submit to his law.
á 1Cor 2:14 They cannot perceive the things of God.
á
2Cor 4:4 Blinded
by Satan
á
Eph 4:18
Darkened understanding.
á
2Tim 2:25 Captive by Satan and unable to repent. [Note: The
teacher may mention here that even the ability to repent is granted by God as a
work of grace.]
Therefore, the fourth evidence for the inability of man
is that the mind of sinners is blinded by Satan, is
hostile to God and unable to repent without special divine assistance.
á Because of the fall of Adam, we inherit a sinful nature incapable of commending itself to God.
á Romans Chapter Three is a good description of the more inability of man.
á Jesus taught that a person cannot come to Christ without a special drawing of the Father.
á Numerous Bible texts show that the mind of sinners is enslaved by Satan and sin to the point that he cannot free himself without GodÕs intervention.
Put T for True or F for False.
1. ___F__ Saving grace is granted when a sinner does enough good works to show his sincerity.
2. ___T__ The word grace means Òunmerited favor.Ó
3. ___F__ Saving grace is the result of a cooperative effort between God and man.
4. ___F__ Jesus taught that God the Father waits patiently until the elect decide to come to Christ by their own wills.
5. ___T__ Repentance is a gift of the grace of God.
Chapter Three in Unlocking Grace; Chapters Eleven and Fourteen in the WFC; Romans 5 in the New Testament
Show that justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the gospel and nothing else is.
Justification: The legal declaration from God that a person is righteous relative to the divine law. The basis of that declaration is the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to the person by faith alone.
á It is a legal declaration from God.
á It is according to GodÕs moral law.
á Its basis is the perfect righteousness of Christ.
á This righteousness is imputed to the believer as his own.
á The means is by faith alone.
Does the term justification
mean Òmade righteousÓ or Òdeclared righteous?Ó See Luke 7:29; 16:15; 1Timothy 3:16 Note: The
teacher may assign this as a group exercise.
Justification means
declared righteous.
Justification does
not mean be made righteous.
Explain that Paul was tolerant and
gentle about many matters, especially secondary questions of conscience as in
Romans 14; food, religious festivities, etc. But what it came to altering the
definition of the gospel, he was a roaring lion and absolutely intolerant.
PaulÕs anger show through clearly in this text.
Read the Galatians text here. Point
out that Paul uses the word gospel
and from then on, talks about justification. Therefore, justification is the
gospel. The words ÒsalvationÓ and ÒgospelÓ are synonyms in PaulÕs mind.
The teacher is free to exegete the
text as he wishes. My own follows below.
Verse 6 — so quickly deserting A strong human disposition exists to deviate from the message
of the gospel. The problem is rooted in a desire to add something to it. In the
case of the Galatians, it was legalism. In others, it may be our own
perseverance in doing good works.
Verse 7 — Only one gospel.
Anything other than what Paul teaches is a different gospel. Paul uses sharp
terms against this.
Verses 8,9 — accursed
The Greek
word is anathema. It assumes those who preach another gospel do not belong to
God.
Here you may take advantage of the
opportunity to deal with the error of catholic-protestant ecumenism. Explain
that that a profession of faith in Christ is not a sufficient grounds for
fellowship with other groups. Along with that must come a profession of and
teaching of the gospel of justification by faith alone in Christ alone as
proclaimed by Paul. That gospel is repudiated by Rome. The judiazers were also
professing Christians, yet Paul did not consider them such. Paul applies the
term anathema to anyone who teaches a
different gospel, regardless of their outward profession.
Read Romans 1:16-20, 2:5,8; 4:15
According to these verses, from what is the gospel designed
to save us? The wrath of God. Jesus came to save us
from God!
Here you may take some minutes to
mention that the biblical teaching on the wrath of God seems lost in
evangelical circles today, giving place to false gospels such as the prosperity
gospel or self-esteem teaching. Jesus came to save us from GodÕs holy justice,
not from our poverty of lack of self-esteem.
The problem to resolve in the gospel is how to get the righteousness necessary to escape the wrath of God.
What is the frame of reference as to the meaning of the word
righteousness? Deut 4:8; Rom 2:13
What is the frame of reference as to the meaning of the word
sin? 1John 3:4
What is the frame of reference as to the meaning of the word
judgment? Romans 2:12 The law
Summarize this point by explaining
that the only reference point in the Bible as to moral terms is the moral law.
According to Romans 8:4, does God require that the
righteousness of the law be fulfilled in Christians? Yes __x__ No _____ The question is how it is fulfilled.
Does the moral law apply to the entire world or only to
believers? Romans 3:19 To all. No one is exempt
from obedience to GodÕs moral law.
What does the law reveal about God in Romans 3:1-4 His righteousness
What does the law reveal about man in Romans 3:19,20 His
unrighteousness
What is revealed to us by the law, according to Romans 3:20
and 7:7? Knowledge of sin
According to Romans 3:22, what is the source of
righteousness? God
By means of what does righteousness come? By faith
To whom does it come? To those who believe
According to Philippians 3:9, how is this same concept
expressed as in Romans 3:22? The righteousness of
God which is by faith
(The theological term for this is imputation. It means Òattribute to the account of a person that which belongs to another.Ó See Unlocking Grace, chapter three for a fuller explanation.)
Look throughout Romans 4
and find uses of the word counted.
Verses 3,5,9,10,11,22,23,24
Éjust as David also
speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
Rom 4:6
blessed is the man
against whom the Lord will not count his sin.Ó Rom 4:8
(This doctrine is called commutation. It means the exchange of one thing for another between two parties. The result of commutation is called reconciliation. A further discussion of reconciliation by Paul is found in Romans Chapter 5 and Colossians Chapter 2.)
What was attributed to Christ
according to 2Corinthians 5:21? Our sins
What was attributed to our account? The righteousness of Christ
á Forgiveness of sins
á Imputation of the righteousness of Christ
You may need to explain to the
students that this is a logical order but not chronological because both
aspects occur simultaneously when people put their faith in Christ.
For whom is reserved the gift of justification? Those
predestined
What is the final result? Glorification
What precedes justification? The call
What is GodÕs attitude toward those who are justified? He accepts no
accusations.
Who does God justify according to these verses? His elect
What does Christ continue doing on behalf of those
justified? Intercedes for them.
What other doctrines are associated with these verse on justification?
The teacher may take as much time as
he wishes to show the connection between justification and other doctrines
related to salvation. Some of these are: The sacrifice of Christ; condemnation
for those not justified; the resurrection of Christ; the continued intercession
of Christ; preservation of those justified.
What is the definition of faith according to Romans 4:21? Faith is the conviction that God will fulfill his promises.
Explain that genuine faith is
inseparable from the promises of God; therefore it is inseparable from the word
of God. On this grounds we reject the catholic concept of faith as a mystical
or emotional experience for which we are not responsible unless God grants it.
The seeking of spiritual experiences apart from the word of God is idolatry.
See Romans 10:17.
According to verse 11, what is it that brings salvation? The grace of God
According to verse 12, what does grace produce in us after
we are saved? It teaches us to deny ungodliness.
According to verse 14, for what do those who are saved have zeal? Good works
According to verse 18, how does genuine saving faith manifest
itself? In
good works
Do demons have a kind of faith? Yes,
but it is not the kind that results in salvation.
How is faith made perfect according verse 22? By good works
Explain that working for the Lord is
the best form for growing in faith because in doing that we discover God
working with us.
Based on these verses, we can
explain the fundamental difference between Catholicism and the Bible as to
salvation and its relationship to works.
Catholic:
Faith + works= salvation
Biblical:
Faith= salvation + works
What is the central problem in the lives of these supposed
believers? Workers of lawlessness (sin)
Based on these verses we can explain
that some people are practicing religion, including the evangelical one, to try
to balance out their bad deeds instead of simply repenting. Such persons are
lost even if they are miracle workers.
Do these verses say that Jesus takes away their salvation? No. He said ÒI never
knew you.Ó
If justification is the gospel, how does regeneration fit in? Is it included in justification?
Regeneration is a theological term used in the Titus text and expressed elsewhere in the New Testament as born again[1] or born of the spirit. [2]
On which doctrine does Paul base our possession of eternal
life? On justification, V.8
You may explain here that some
denominations hold that the reason we have eternal life is because we are born
again. This is an error but not a fatal one. We have eternal life because we
are justified.
Which comes first: Regeneration or justification? Regeneration comes first.
Important: Justification is always associate with faith in the New Testament. Regeneration is never associated with faith.
From the above considerations, reformed theologians hold that regeneration is a sovereign and preparatory work of the Holy Spirit to make justification by faith possible.
Therefore, contrary to the belief of many, the message Òyou must be born again,Ó is not the gospel. Justification by faith is the gospel. Likewise, it is an error to say, Òif you have faith, you will be born again.Ó Faith will get you justified but at that point, regeneration will have already taken place.
Regeneration is therefore not included in justification but
simply precedes it. The correct order of events is regenerationˆfaithˆjustification.
á The problem to resolve in the gospel is how to obtain the righteousness necessary to escape divine justice.
á The moral law is the only frame of reference for defining what is the righteousness we need.
á God requires that the perfect righteousness of the law be fulfilled in us.
á God counts the righteousness of Christ to believers as their own.
á God has reconciled us to himself by counting the guilt of our sins to Christ and the righteousness of Christ to us.
á Faith is the conviction that God is able to fulfill his promises. It is not a mystical or emotional experience.
á Nay all that is called faith is saving faith.
á Obedience, manifested by good works, is the inevitable result of biblical faith.
á Regeneration, born again, is a sovereign preparatory work of the Spirit preceding justification by faith.
1. ___T__ God accepts as legally righteous those who trust in Christ.
2. ___F__ God sometimes accepts accusations against justified people.
3. ___T__ In PaulÕs mind, justification and salvation are synonyms.
4. ___F__ The apostle Paul was tolerant toward those who had another perspective of the gospel message that his.
5. ___F__ Human conscience is an appropriate frame of reference for defining moral terms.
6. ___F__ Jesus intercedes for all, the elect and the non elect equally.
7. ___T__ Justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the gospel.
8. ___T__ Crediting the righteousness of Christ to the believer is the basis of our security of salvation.
9. ___F__ The biblical evidence that a person has saving faith is the ability to manifest spiritual gifts.
10. ___T__ Biblical faith results in salvation plus good works.
Chapter Four in Unlocking Grace;
Chapter Three in the WCF; Romans 9 in the New
Testament
Show that God is sovereign in salvation as in everything else. This grants a solid sense of security to those know they have been saved by grace.
These two words, election and predestination are similar and overlap in parts of the New Testament.
Election refers to GodÕs eternal decree to save certain people by grace, without regard to any foreseen virtues in them.
Predestination refers to the GodÕs providence over circumstances to guarantee the fulfillment of his eternal decrees regarding his elect.
Éwho saved us and
called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own
purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
2Tim. 1:9
Three chapters in particular in the New Testament mention election and predestination with great clarity: Romans 9; Ephesians 1; John 17.
In choosing between Jacob and Esau, did God take into consideration their respective good or bad works? Yes _____ No ___x___
According to verse 13, does GodÕs love extend equally to the elect and the non elect? Yes _____ No ___x___
Does Paul recognize any unfairness in GodÕs sovereign election? Yes _____ No ___x___
What explanation does God offer in verse 15 as to why he has
mercy on some and not others? There is no explanation because God is under no obligation to
justify his decrees to anyone.
According to verse 16, what does God NOT take into account
in choosing his elect? He does not take into account
any foreseen will or works of man.
According to verse 17, why did God arrange for Pharaoh to
come to power? To give God the opportunity to
demonstrate his power to judge.
What is the conclusion Paul draws from the two previous
illustrations, according to verse 18? God has mercy
on those whom he choses to have mercy and hardens others.
People frequently complain about the doctrine of election by saying, ÒThat does not seem fair!Ó In verses 19 and 20, does Paul anticipate that objection? Yes ___x__ No ______
How does the above objection actually confirm what Paul is
teaching? It proves Paul was indeed teaching
sovereign election because he would not have anticipated the objection
otherwise. Therefore, the objection itself is proof of sovereign election.
What are the two reasons for which God created humanity? To demonstrate his mercy on some and his justice on others.
We can explain here that world
history is a story about God, not about humanity. The human race exists to
glorify God and this will happen in one of two waysÉby mercy or by judgment.
Nobody receives injustice.
According to verse 4, when did God choose us and what was
the purpose behind his choice? Before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and
without blame.
In the light of verse 4, which of the two statements is correct? Mark the correct one:
_____ God chose some because he foresaw they would be holy and without blame
___x_ God chose some to make them holy and without blame.
According to verse 5, what is the immediate benefit for
believers of predestination? Adoption as his
children
According to verse 6, what benefit does God himself receive
from predestinating us? The praise of the glory of
his grace.
According to verse 7, what are the results of GodÕs decree
of predestination? Redemption by ChristÕs blood and
forgiveness of sins.
According to verse 11, does God predestine people arbitrarily? Yes ____ No __x___
In this chapter, John does not use the words predestination or election. Instead, he uses the phrase those you have given me.
According to verse 6, to whom does Jesus manifest the name
of the Father? Those the Father has given to him.
In verse 9, for whom does Jesus pray and for what does he
not pray? He prays for those the Father gives him and does not pray for
the world.
In verses 11, 12 and 15, what does Jesus pray to the Father
to do with those who the Father has given to him? That the
Father preserve them.
Based on verse 26, describe the kind of love the Father has
toward those he has given to Jesus. The Father loves
them with the same love with which he loves Jesus.
Is faith the cause of election or is election the cause of
faith? See Acts 13:48; Titus 1:1 Faith is granted to the elect.
What was the cause of the faith of believers in Achaia, Acts 18:27? Grace
According to John 6:44, 64 what or who is the cause of
saving faith? God the Father
Irresistible grace or effectual call are terms theologians use for the work of the Holy Spirit in drawing the elect to Christ through the gospel.
General is the gospel preached to everyone, without regard to who may be elect.
Special is the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in the elect to produce regeneration, faith and justification, in that order.
We see the differences between general and special call in verses like Mathew 22:13; Acts 2:39; 1Corinthians 1:22-24.
How many of the predestined are called? All
How many of the called are justified? All
How many of the justified are glorified? All
What does not count relative to our election? Our works
What two things does this verse mention as the basis of our
election? GodÕs purpose; grace
According to these verses, what does God promise to those
who are called? Sanctification
á Election is the eternal decree of God to save certain people. Predestination is the GodÕs sovereign control over everything to guarantee that his decree of election is accomplished.
á God gives faith to elect that they might be saved.
á With the three illustrations in Romans 9, Paul demonstrates that the decree of election has nothing to do with foreseen good works or good will in the elect.
á God promises final sanctification to the elect.
á According to John 17, God the Father sent Jesus to save out of the world those he had given him. Jesus intercedes for those only, not for the world. The Father loves them with the love with which he loves Jesus.
á Although the gospel should be preached to all, only the elect receive a special call from God.
á
In theology, this special call is called effectual call or irresistible grace.
1. ___T__ God grants saving faith to the elect.
2. ___F__ God choses those who he knows beforehand have good will.
3. ___T__ The word election refers to the GodÕs sovereign decree to save by grace certain chosen people.
4. ___F__ God chose us because he foresaw that we would be holy and blameless.
5. ___F__ The term general call refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in calling the elect.
6. ___T__ The term special call refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing the elect to faith in Christ through the gospel.
7. ___T__ The immediate result of the work of the Holy Spirit in effectual call is justification.
Chapter Five in Unlocking Grace; Chapter Eight in the WCF; Romans 8:32-34 in the New Testament
To show that the benefits of the sacrifice of Christ apply to the elect and those only, thus guaranteeing an infallible salvation.
In theology, this doctrine is call particular redemption because the cross was intended to save certain individuals in particular — the elect — not humanity in general.
Sometimes it is called limited atonement because the sacrifice of Christ is limited to the elect. Some theologians dislike this term because all doctrines of atonement are limited in some way. The term limited fails to express the reformed intent in defining ChristÕs sacrifice in its power and intent.
According to these verses, is it possible for anyone for whom Christ died to perish? Yes ______ No ___x__
In verse 32, what did God do to ensure the elect would
receive all the benefits of salvation? He did not
spare his son.
In verse 33, who does God justify? The elect
In verse 33, what does God not do against his elect? God accepts no
accusations against them.
In verse 34, why are the elect not condemned? Christ died and intercedes for them.
Therefore, the first evidence for particular redemption
is that those for whom Christ died cannot be condemned.
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus came to save only those whom the Father had given him. This explains for whom he died.
According to John 6:39, who did Jesus come to save? Those the Father gave to him.
According to John 18:9, did Jesus accomplish that purpose? Yes ___x___ No _____
For whom did Jesus give his life, according to John 10:15? His sheep
You may explain here that the text does not say
it was also for goats.
For whom did Jesus pray, according to John 17:9 and for whom
did he not pray? Not for the world, but for those
the Father gave him. Explain that Jesus
prayed only for those the Father gave him because those were the only ones he
came to save.
Therefore, the second evidence for particular redemption is that Christ came to save those the Father gave him.
The priesthood in the Old Testament had two functions: Sacrifice and intercession. The priest intercede only for those for whom the he offered sacrifice and no others. This fore type is fulfilled in the ministry of Christ who is both the sacrifice and the priest who offers it.
According to verse 13, for whom were the Old Testament
sacrifices offered? For Jews alone or for others Only for the
Jews. The teacher may explain these fore
types show the limited nature of the sacrifice. It was for a particular people,
not general, therefore limited in its intent.
According to verse 15, who receives the promise of an
eternal inheritance and why? The called, because Christ died for them.
Therefore, the third evidence for particular redemption
is that Christ is the priesthood of Jesus.
According to Matthew 1:21, Jesus come his people.
According to John 10:15 , Jesus laid down is life for the sheep.
According to Ephesians 5:25, Jesus
give himself for the church.
According to Hebrews 9:15, ChristÕs death redeems those who are called.
Therefore, the fourth evidence for particular redemption
is that Christ came to save certain specific people, not all.
In this section, the teacher may use
an illustration of one sort or another to show that if the whole world were
elect, there would be enough grace in the cross to save everyone. My favorite
illustration is that of a baker in a village with 100 houses. He bakes 100 loaves
of bread. We may suppose he intends to distribute one loaf per house. This is,
however, a supposition only. It could be that he wants to keep a certain amount
for his own household and distribute to a few others. Or, maybe take them elsewhere.
The mere fact of sufficiency for all proves nothing of his intentions. To know
his intentions, we would have to ask him.
The same with the benefits of
ChristÕs sacrifice. His word tells us his intention in the cross. Sufficiency
of the cross for all proves nothing about for whom the sacrifice was made. We
must go to the word of God, as above, to answer that question.
This is a good place to encourage
students to preach the power of the cross rather than for whom he died. Both
experience and the Scriptures show it is better to proclaim the power of the
cross than its extent.
Does God love everyone equally or does he have a special love for the elect? Compare the following texts:
In John 17:26, what is the relationship between the love of
the Father for Jesus and his love for the elect? The
same. Beloved here translates agapao,
a word never associated in the Bible with unbelievers but with his elect
only.
In Titus 3:4, the phrase lovingkindness is a single word in Greek, filantrop’a, and means Òbenevolence.Ó Note that the word is not ‡gape, reserved for only for believers.
What are the two words in Colossians 3:12 associated with the elect? Holy and beloved.
Does there exist in Ephesians 1:5,6 any connection between the divine love and predestination? Yes ___x__ No _____
á The cross guarantees the salvation of the elect and of them only.
á God accepts no accusations against the elect because Christ died for them.
á Christ did two things to ensure the salvation of his elect: He died for them and lives to intercede for them.
á Jesus is the high priest of the elect and intercedes for them that the Father may preserve them.
á The Father loves the elect with the same love with which he loves Jesus.
á Jesus died to save his people, his sheep and his church.
1. ___T__ The sacrifice of Christ guarantees the salvation of the elect and those only.
2. ___F__ God accepts accusations against his elect because sometimes they behave badly.
3. ___T__ The death of Christ makes the justification of the elect inevitable.
4. ___F__ Christ interceded for the whole world.
5. ___T__ God loves the elect with the same love with which he loves Jesus.
Chapter Six in Unlocking Grace;
Chapter Twenty-Five in the WCF
This lesson contains ecclesiological elements that relate directly to the doctrines of grace. For a more complete study of biblical ecclesiology, see Smalling's teacherÕs guide, Biblical Church Government.
The reformers realized that Rome taught membership in the Catholic Church is a condition of salvation. According to catholic theology, the church administers salvation through its sacraments to its members.
This caused a challenge to the reformers since the Bible teaches salvation is by grace alone and takes place before becoming a member of a church. Moreover, the Bible indicates that some church members may not be saved. This produced a series of questions: What is the church and what is the work entrusted to it?
Is the concept of a visible local church found in 1Corinthians 1:2? The church is in the city of Corinth and visible to the human eye.
In which part of 1Corinthians 1:2 do we see the universality
of church? All those in every place who call on the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the local expression of the church is called the visible church.
The universal existence of the church is called the invisible church.
Who is the head of the church according to Ephesians 1:22,23
and 5:23? Christ alone.
In this part, explain that the
reformers declared that the pope is in no sense of the word the head of the
church. This declaration unleashed persecution.
According to the church of Rome, the pope replaces Christ and thus has the authority to dispense grace. In biblical theology, the church represents Christ but does not replace him.
According to John 14:16 and 26, what replaces Christ in the
earth? The Holy Spirit
Is the invisible church limited only to those currently
alive on earth? Hebrews 11:39,40 Believers of all ages and places are members of the body of
Christ and of the church.
According to Galatians 1:6-9, what is GodÕs attitude toward
those who preach a different gospel that that which Paul proclaimed? Anathema;
cursed of God.
According to Mathew 26:26-28 and PaulÕs instructions to the Corinthians in 1Corinthians 11:17-34, is the LordÕs Supper optional or mandatory in the church? Mandatory
According to Mathew 28:19,20 is baptism optional or mandatory in the church? Mandatory
According to 1Corinthians Chapter 5, what are the limits of
tolerance that Paul imposes inside the church with regard to the conduct of its
members? How should they treat unrepentant members? Excommunication;
refuse association with them.
á The church is a society of those who have been saved by grace.
á Christ alone is head of the church and the pope is not the head in any sense of the word.
á The visible church is a society of people who meet in a specific locality for worship. The invisible church is made up of those who have been saved in every place and epoch of history.
á The church represents Christ but does not replace him. The Holy Spirit is the replacement of Christ on earth.
á According to the reformers, the characteristics of a true church are: The faithful proclamation of the gospel, the administration of baptism and the LordÕs Supper and church discipline.
1. ___F__ Membership in a local church that preaches the gospel guarantees salvation.
2. ___F__ The church replaces Christ on earth.
3. ___F__ The term body of Christ refers to all those who are members of a local church.
4. ___F__ The local church may be considered Christian even if it preaches a distorted gospel.
Chapter Seven in Unlocking Grace;
Chapter Eighteen in the WCF; Romans 8, John 17
and Hebrews 7
Show that God preserves his elect from falling away into final apostasy and explain the means by which he does this.
The question as to whether Christians can or cannot lose their salvation has caused controversy. The reformed answer should be abundantly clear from the previous lessons. God is sovereign in salvation and therefore justifies and preserves his elect.
Those who question the security of the believer show a lack of understanding of the gospel in its depths, although they themselves may be saved.
This teaching is commonly called preservation of the elect. The term security is used here because it fits better with the original Spanish acrostic in the manual from which this is translated.
Several questions are involved with this issue:
á Who does the preserving and how?
á Can this teaching be construed in any way to involved a license to sin?
á Does God remove our free will after we are saved?
According to 1Peter 1:5, what keeps us? The power of God
In Jude 1, where does God put the believer to ensure
preservation? In Christ
In Jude 24 and 25, from what does God preserve us? From falling
In 2Timothy 4:18, Paul is confident that the Lord will
rescue him from one thing and will preserve him for something else. What are
those things? Rescued from every evil work and
preserved for GodÕs heavenly kingdom.
In Psalm 97:10, what is it the Lord preserves? The lives of his saints
According to Hebrews 7:22,25, what is the guarantee that the
believers will be heirs of the covenant of grace and why? Jesus Christ himself is the guarantor because he has the
ability to save them completely.
According to 1John 3:3, what is it that genuine Christians desire? Their purification
According to 1John 3:9, what is impossible for those in whom
Christ dwells? To practice a life of sin.
In 1John 5:17, what characterizes those born of God and why?
They do not practice a life of sin because Jesus
preserves them from that.
According to Galatians 5:13, what is PaulÕs warning to those
who understand their freedom in grace? Not use their
freedom as an excuse for carnality.
What does John conclude about those who leave the Christian
faith and the church, according to 1John 2:19? They
were never a part of us.
According to 2Corinthians 13:5, did Paul believe that every member of the church was saved? No
What does God do to ensure that the wills of the believers
will be in line with his own will, according to Philippians 2:12,13 ? God works in
them to will his good pleasure.
According to the above verses, does God force Christians against their will? Yes _____ No __x___
What is the principle means God uses for the growth of his children according to 1Peter 2:2? The ÒmilkÓ of the word of God.
What should Christians do
to receive a greater measure of grace, according to Hebrews 4:16? Pray
What is one of the means
God gives Christians to bless them according to 1Corinthians 10:16,17? The sacraments, in particular the LordÕs Supper.
What is another means of
blessing according to 1John 1:7? Fellowship with one
another, that is, the church.
What happens to believers who become negligent in their
spiritual growth, according to Hebrews 12:7-11? God
disciplines them.
According to 2Timothy 4:2, what is the role of GodÕs
ministers in the life of other Christians?
Reprove, rebuke, exhort
It is important to note that the covenant of grace made with Abraham is part of GodÕs immutable decrees. This, by itself, is a strong reason for believing in the preservation of the elect.
According to Galatians 3:16-17, what is the basis of the
covenant? GodÕs promise
What is excluded as a basis for GodÕs faithfulness to the
covenant? The law
á Sovereignty of God: If God is sovereign over all, then he is sovereign in the question of preserving his people.
á Total inability: If man is incapable of saving himself, then likewise he is unable to preserve himself as well.
á Justification by grace alone: If the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us regardless of our merits, then it cannot be removed because of our faults.
á Election by grace: If GodÕs decree to save us was made in eternity before the time began, then nothing in the current time continuum can change that now.
á Sacrifice of Christ: If the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to cover all the sins of all the elect, then none of the sins of the elect can be the cause of their loss of salvation. No mortal sins exist for a Christian.
á Effectual call: The special call of God the Father to bring people to Christ invariably results in their eternal salvation.
á It is GodÕs power that preserves the elect by uniting us to Jesus Christ.
á Genuine Christians do not desire a license to sin.
á Jesus Christ himself will undertake to see that his people do not fall into a life of sin.
á God works through the wills of believers to do his own will.
á The inevitable proof of salvation is obedience to God.
á God uses a variety of means to preserve his people: The Scriptures, prayer and the church with its admonitions and discipline.
1. ___T__ It is the power of God that preserves us from falling.
2. ___T__ The proof of genuine salvation is obedience to the Lord.
3. ___F__ The doctrine of the security of the elect means that they are free to sin because they cannot lose their salvation.
4. ___T__ The doctrine of preservation stimulates genuine Christians to purify themselves.
5. ___T__ Christ preserves those who are truly born again from returning to a life of sin.
6. ___F__ The evidence of genuine salvation is when a person does miracles and prophecies.
7. ___F__ Although we are incapable of saving ourselves, we are indeed capable of preserving ourselves.
8. ___T__ The proof that a professing Christian is not, in fact, regenerate is when he leaves the church and returns to a life of sin.
9. ___T__ God is sovereign in salvation as he is in everything else.
10. ___T__ The covenant with Abraham is part of the divine immutable decrees and therefore constitutes a strong comfort for Christians.
Chapter Eight in Unlocking Grace; Chapter Seven in the WCF; Genesis 17 and Galatians 3
Show that the doctrines of grace are a result of a covenant God made with Abraham and fulfilled in Christ.
Why are these doctrines of grace arranged as they are and not in some other way? Do they have something in common?
These doctrines are joined like keys on a chain. The chain that holds them in common is called a covenant, which in turn is consequence of the character of God. Once we understand this, we how they are intimately interconnected.
A covenant is an agreement between two parties. A business contract is a kind of covenant. Normally contracts are agreements between equals with a view to mutual benefits.
Not so with the covenant of grace. God and man are not equals and man is in a morally helpless state incapable of contributing anything. This kind of covenant is more like the adoption of child in which the benefactor provides for the beneficiary who in turn has nothing to give in return. This is the Christian covenant.
Christians use the term covenant instead of contract, to make the distinction that God and man are not equal partners.
For advanced students, the teacher
may mention Greek terms used in these two kinds of covenants: subtheme=
an agreement between equals. Diatheke= a legal arrangement
between parties who are not equals. This last one is the New Testament term. In
fact, the term New Testament, which incorporates the word diatheke, occurs six
times in the New Testament.
á Identification of the participants
á The benefits
á The conditions to fulfill
á The time limit
á How the agreement is validated.
In theology, this is called the covenant with Abraham or the Abrahamic Covenant. This was inaugurated in Genesis 17 and fulfilled in Christ in Galatians 3.
á
Who are the participants? V.1 God, Abraham
and his descendants.
á
What are the conditions? V.1 Perfect
obedience to God
á What are the benefits? V.7 The Lord will be their God.
á
The time limit V.7 Perpetual
á
Validation V.10,11 Circumcision
It may be advisable here for the
teacher to mention that the covenant with Abraham is in fact a continuation of
the covenant with Adam. The participants are the same, God and man, the
condition of perfect obedience and benefits of divine blessings are also the
same.
Find in this chapter the same Abrahamic covenant elements as in Genesis 17 above.
á
Who are the participants? V.1,7 God, Abraham
and his descendants.
á
What are the conditions? V.9 Perfect
obedience to God
á What are the benefits? V.8,14 The Lord will be their God.
á
The time limit V.15 Perpetual
á
Validation V.23,24 Christ, by
his death
á
What did Paul call the covenant with Abraham in
verse 8? The gospel [Greek= euangelion]
Based on this comparison between Genesis 17 and Galatians 3, can we say that the covenant with Abraham is the Christian covenant of grace? Yes __x___ No _____
Explain here what it is that makes
the covenant of Abraham the covenant of grace. It is Christ himself, who
fulfilled the condition of perfect obedience as our substitute and attributed
the benefits to our account by faith. The requirement of perfect obedience is
fulfilled, not set aside.
The teacher can take the liberty
here, if he wishes, to attack dispensationalism. Show that Paul insisted in all
his writings that the gospel is nothing new and does not replace any Old
Testament covenant. Such covenants are fulfilled in Christ who satisfied all
the demands of the covenant of works in our favor.
End of group exercise
***
LetÕs examine each of the doctrines studied so far to see how they relate to the covenant.
According to Hebrews 6:13,14,17, how does the covenant
reflect the sovereignty of God? No authority greater than God exists on which to
base the covenant.
According to Galatians 3:13,13; 4:7, what is the moral state
of man and how does the covenant meet that need? We were under the curse of the law and slaves of
sin. Therefore we needed the sacrifice of Christ to fulfill the condition of
the covenant.
According to Genesis 15:6 and Galatians 3, what is the
connection between the covenant and justification? The condition today for us is the same as it
was for AbrahamÉ faith.
Does there exist any connection between election and grace in Romans 11:5? Yes __x__ No _____
What took place in Hebrews 9:13-15 to make the covenant an
effective means for obtaining eternal life? ChristÕs sacrifice earned for him the right
to be the mediator of the covenant.
According to Hebrews 6:13-20, why do we have security of
salvation in the covenant? The covenant is immutable and Jesus is the
forerunner without guarantees the benefits of the covenant for those called to
it.
1. The doctrines of grace are the consequence of the divine a divine covenant established with Abraham and fulfilled in Christ.
2. This covenant requires perfection as a condition for receiving the benefits.
3. Christ fulfilled the condition of perfection in his life and by his sacrifice. For this reason he is guarantor for those who trust him and they remain participants in the covenant forever.
1. _____ The covenant of grace is an agreement between God and man as equals
2. _____ The covenant of Abraham is the Christian covenant
3. _____ God is faithful to his covenant with us because he know that we will be good.
4. _____ God is faithful to his covenant with us because he is faithful to his own immutable oath.
5. _____ We are in the covenant partly by faith in Christ and partly by our obedience to the divine law.
6. _____ Another term for the covenant of grace is the gospel.
á God is sovereign in salvation just as he is in everything else.
á Fallen man is unable to will or do anything to contribute to his own salvation or to prepare himself to be saved.
á God chose from fallen humanity individuals from all ethnic groups to be recipients of his saving grace. He did this without regard to foreseen supposed good will or good works in them.
á The sacrifice of Christ on the cross guarantees the salvation of all the elect and of those only.
á The church universal consists in all the elect from everywhere and all ages of history.
á God preserves the elect from falling away from the Christian faith. He does this by various means, including paternal discipline, exhortations, the word of God, prayer and the teachings and admonitions of the church.
The following is an outline of the influence and existence of the doctrines of grace throughout church history. This serves to counter the falsehood that these doctrines are merely inventions of sixteenth century reformers.
The fathers of the first four centuries taught these doctrines. In his book The Cause of God and Truth, John Gill proves this. In this classic of reformed theology, Gill quotes extensively from those early writers, proving the would be classified as reformed if they were alive today.
Pelagius, a British monk, invented new doctrines emphasizing the will of man as the cause of salvation. Augustine took him to task in a series of treatises on grace. These include Grace and Free Will and Predestination of the Saints.
This council in Orange, France, met to decide on the validity of AugustineÕs teachings. The Canons of Orange clearly support AugustineÕs theology of grace and rejects Plagiarism, although the Catholic Church in practice still follows the line of thinking proposed by Pelagius.
Theologians during the middle ages who held to what we call today reformed theology were often labeled as Augustinians or sometimes Johannine scholars because John was one of the Bible writers who taught these doctrines.
In his monumental work Summa teol—gica (Summary of Theology), Aquinas describes and defends predestination and associated doctrines.
Converted through reading Augustine, Calvin wrote the first protestant systematic theology text, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, the most thorough exposition of the reformed faith ever written.
Martin Luther: 1484-1546
Considered the father of the reformation. Luther eventually evolved to a Calvinist position theologically. This is clear from what he himself designated as his opus magnum, The Bondage of the Will.
Jacobus Arminius was a Dutch theologian, died 1609, who invented a system of theology similar to Pelagius, challenging the teachings of the reformation. His followers expressed his views in five points called the Remonstrances (theological errors.) These five points are:
1. Freedom of the will: ManÕs will is sovereign in salvation
2. Conditional election: Election is based on foreseen faith and good works
3. Universal atonement: Christ died with the intention of saving everybody.
4. Resistible grace: Man has the power to successfully resist GodÕs saving grace.
5. Loss of salvation: Christians can lose their salvation through mortal sin.
This synod was convened in Holland to consider whether Arminianism is a legitimate alternative to reformed theology. After fifteen months of debate, the Synod declared Arminianism to be unscriptural.
The Canons of Dort were written by the reformed delegates later and are known today as the five points of Calvinism. Calvin himself is not the author of the tulip acrostic below. This acrostic was invented later by a British theology student.
1. Total depravity: ManÕs will and nature is bound in sin and unable prepare himself for salvation.
2. Unconditional election: Election is based on GodÕs sovereign choice.
3. Irresistible grace: God works in the elect so that they come to Christ willingly despite previous resistance.
4. Limited atonement: Christ died to save the elect and those only.
5. Perseverance of the elect: God sees to it that the elect will persevere.
An assembly of 151 theologians of the British isles convened to formulate the doctrinal standards of the reformation. This resulted in the Standards of Westminster, used today by Presbyterians and by the principle Baptist denominations, with some revisions. This includes the Westminster Confession and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
British Baptists adopted the Westminster
Confession in 1689 but changed the chapters on baptism and church
government, calling it The London Confession.
American Baptists accepted it in 1742 and labeled it the Philadelphia Confession.
The dynamic British evangelist John Wesley, founder of Methodism, boasted that he had never read a theology textbook. This is obvious from his ignorance of theology as expressed in his resurrection of Arminianism. He committed the typical logic errors of Arminianism previously refuted at Dort in 1618.
From WesleyÕs movement were born others such as the Nazarene denomination and from them, Pentecostals and Charismatics.
Arminians who take the time to study these issues objectively often become Calvinists. It is rare to hear of a Calvinist becoming Arminian. Arminians rarely debate Calvinists today because they come up short.
100-400 A.D. Comments by early church
fathers in their writings express these doctrines. Iraeneus, Polycarp, Chrysostom,
etc. Puritan writer John Gill writes Cause of
God and Truth, 1735, documenting this.
C.400 A.D.- Pelagius-Augustinian controversy. Augustine
writes dissertations n grace Against Pelagius and Enchiridion manual of doctrine.
529 A.D.- Council of Orange. Augustinian theology vindicated. Strong statements
favoring sovereign grace.
Dark Ages- 500-1500 A.D. Scholars holding to doctrines of
grace sometimes called Augustinians, or Johannines.
Thomas Aquinas, C.1300, Summa
Teologica
contains elements of sovereign grace doctrines.
1517- Luther begins reformation. Erasmus-Luther dispute over
free will. His Opus Magnum The Bondage of the
Will
refutes Erasmus.
1559-Calvin publishes Institutes
of the Christian Religion
1560-1609 James Arminius and the Arminian controversy
1618- Synod of Dort/ Arminianism refuted/ Five Points of
Calvinism established. Canons of Dort.
1643-1648- Westminster Assembly writes Westminster Standards. End of Reformation period.
1689- Baptists adopt Westminster Confession, with changes, London Baptist Confession
1703-1791- John Wesley and the resurgence of Arminianism.
Leads to Methodism, Nazarene, Pentecostalism and others.
1823- Southern Baptist Convention adopts the Westminster Confession at Philadelphia, with changes, the Philadelphia
Confession.