TULIP, Not Flowery At All

You may have heard certain types of Christians use the phrase “TULIP”, usually in praise if they are Calvinists and in derogatory terms if they are Arminian. I wrote out this summary for my own purposes a while ago, and thought you might find it useful:

TULIP is an acronym used by Calvinists to represent the primary tenants of Calvinistic theology, also known as the doctrines of Grace. Although it is not the be-all-end-all of this form of theology, nevertheless this is what makes Calvinists distinct from Arminianism.

T – Total Depravity
U – Unconditional Election
L – Limited Atonement
I – Irresistible Grace
P – Perseverance of the Saints

Total Depravity refers to our moral state before the Holy God. We are neither perfect nor good, nor even neutral, but totally depraved before God. In fact even our righteous deeds are described as filthy rags before God.  (Isa 64:6). However, it does not mean that we are as bad as we could be, just that our nature is in every way, fallen, corrupt, sinful. Also see Romans 1
Unconditional Election refers to God’s call on those who people He chooses to save. Because of our total depravity not one single person ever (except Jesus Christ) deserves any kind of favour from God, neither earned nor unearned. But, because of His grace, God calls some people to salvation. Not only that, but it isn’t earned or kept on the basis of anything we do, but rather it is unconditional or based on grace; through the person and works of Jesus Christ.
Limited Atonement refers to Christ’s death on the Cross. That work provided an atonement or payment for our sins. The important word in the previous sentence is OUR. Christ’s death provided atonement only for Elected Saints as described above. When it is all said and done, not one tiny iota of this atonement will be wasted on sinners who refuse to repent and put their faith in Christ. To put it another way Christ died only for those that He elected by grace despite their total depravity. To put it a third way, Christ completed an actual salvation, not a potential one, when He said, “It is finished”, He meant it.
Irresistible Grace – This refers to the fact that a person who is an elected saint of God, has no ability or desire to resist that grace. To put it another way, Every person that God has elected, will come to repentance, in accordance with God’s sovereign will and timing. No person who has been atoned for will not repent and no person who has no atonement, being left in total depravity, can or will repent.
Perseverance Of The Saints – refers to the fact that, because of the previous points, no person once they have been saved from total depravity, will return to that state. This is not the same as the doctrine called ‘once saved, always saved’ which is similar, but different enough for us to consider it distinct and false, but rather it says that if any person, elected by God to salvation, they will preserve in the faith, by the help of the Holy Spirit. It also says, that those people who used to confess Christ, but don’t now, what we commonly call backsliders, are in reality fakers, false converts, they never really slid forward in the first place. That means that they were never Christians even if they say they were. The elected saint, on the other hand, although he may stumble and fall, yet he never ever would leave the faith, but continue to persevere in the Lord

Gareth Palmer

Sinner saved by grace, proclaiming Him