Dear COA Family,
Recently I heard a podcast titled “Does God Predestine People to Hell?” by John Piper, a well-known pastor and Bible teacher.
In short, his answer is an astounding “Yes” and he proceeds to quote various verses from the Bible to support his view.
His understanding of those verses stems from his beliefs and convictions of God’s salvation of sinful humanity from a Calvinistic point of view.
Basically, the Calvinistic view of salvation can be summed up in five points, with the acronym TULIP:
1. Total Depravity: As a result of the Fall, every part of a person — mind, will, emotions, and body — has been corrupted by sin. Therefore, humans are naturally inclined to reject God and cannot come to Him
without divine intervention.
2. Unconditional Election: God has chosen, from eternity past, those whom He will save. This choice is not based on any foreseen merit or action on the part of the individual, but solely on God’s sovereign will and
purpose. God’s election is not conditioned on anything that the person will do or believe.
3. Limited Atonement: Christ’s atonement on the cross was intended to save only the elect. In other words, Jesus died specifically for those who would be saved, ensuring their redemption.
4. Irresistible Grace: When God calls an individual to salvation, that call cannot be resisted. God’s grace effectively draws the elect to Him, and they will inevitably come to faith in Christ.
5. Perseverance of the Saints: Those whom God has elected and brought to faith in Christ will persevere in that faith until the end. True believers will not fall away permanently; they are kept by God’s power and will
endure to the end.
(You can read more about the theology of TULIP from the internet.)
The implication of such a theology is obvious. God’s sovereignty over the affairs of the world and decisions of the human heart is so overpowering that there is nothing that a person can do to alter his fate. If God
should “predestine” someone to hell, that person will end up in hell regardless of what he wishes or does. Salvation is not up to human will but all up to God’s divine election.
And because of God’s definitive and decisions in this life-and-death matter of salvation, it is hard to even conceive of God as a good God, as the Scripture proclaims. How can God be good if He has already predestined some people to heaven and others to hell according to His inscrutable will (as Calvinists would term it)? If so, we would have to redefine the meaning of goodness.
As you can probably tell by now, I do not subscribe to Calvinism and find all five points of TULIP to be objectionable, some to a greater degree than others. For example, while I do accept that the total depravity of man (#1) is largely true with some qualifications, Christ’s limited atonement (#3) flies totally against biblical teaching (see John 3:16). These Calvinistic statements try to force-fit Scripture into their particular interpretation.
And the main basis for my disagreement is also what Scripture teaches – or rather the entire tone of Scripture. God “commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him” (Acts 17:30) and this call is repeated throughout the entire New Testament by the Apostles.
Another example is Paul’s constant cry to all unbelievers to be “reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). This appeal would make no sense if some were already predetermined for hell.
There are also practical implications. Should we bother sharing the gospel or even working to repent from our sins if God had already predetermined all things? Can we truly have the assurance that we are chosen of God since no one can truly know whom God has elected for salvation? The answer, I am afraid, is no.
So, beloved, it is very important to be discerning in what we hear or believe, because that can affect and impact our hearts, actions and responses in a great way. And in this week’s sermon, repentance from our sins is truly meaningful if we know that God is the one who calls us to it.
God bless,
Revd Ian