The Five Points Of
Calvinism
Selections
from the writings of Loraine Boettner
It is the author's
conviction
that Christianity comes to its fullest
expression in the Reformed faith. The great advantage of the Reformed
faith is that in the framework of the five points of Calvinism it sets
forth clearly what the Bible teaches concerning the way of salvation.
Only when these truths are seen as a unit and in relation to each other
can one really understand or appreciate the Christian system in all its
strength and beauty. The reason that so many Christians have only a
weak faith, and that so many churches present only a rather superficial
form of Christianity, is that they never really see the system in its
logical consistency. It is not enough for the professing Christian to
know that God loves him and that his sins have been forgiven; he should
know how and why his redemption has been accomplished and how it has
been made effective. This is set forth systematically in the five
points of Calvinism.
Historically the five points of Calvinism have been held by the
Presbyterian and Reformed churches and by many Baptists, while the
substance of the five points of Arminianism has been held by the
Methodist and Lutheran churches and also by many Baptists. The five
points of Calvinism may be more easily remembered if they are
associated with the word T-U-L-I-P:
T - Total inability
U - Unconditional
election
L - Limited atonement
I - Irresistible
(efficacious) grace
P - Perseverance of
the saints
Note: This is an abridged version of Boettner's “Reformed Doctrine of
Predestination”.
The complete book can be found at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/boettner/predest.html