(Note – The views and ideas expressed in this post are the beliefs of myself, and not all the authors. Also, I do not wish to debate this. If you have questions, please feel free to ask, and I’d be more then happy to try to answer, but this is simply a look at something many people don’t truly understand, and I don’t wish to debate it with anyone, thank you! 
This is something I feel very strongly about, and wanted to share with you. It is not to cast judgment on your beliefs!).
I am a Pastors daughter, I go to a reformed presbyterian church, (that means I’m a Calvinist…). *Gasp* Did I just say that? I bet I know what most of you are thinking right now, “You mean you are one of the people who believes God SENDS people to HELL???”
If you are thinking that right now, please don’t panic!!!! Actually I believe that we are all sinners headed for Hell already, and God, by His saving, amazing, awesome grace sends some of us to HEAVEN!!! There, does that put a new light on reformed theology for you?
I think there are many people who are mistaken about what they call “Calvinism”, (I prefer to call it “reformed theology”, because while Calvin was the most famous for this, and wrote a lot of books and things, we aren’t followers of Calvin, we are followers of Christ!), and I would like to make some things a little clearer in this post, and maybe give you a clearer, maybe even a different view on the ideas surrounded reformed theology.
Perhaps you have heard of “TULIP”, which is an acronym that reformed people often use to explain their theology, so I think it’s a good start.
T – Total Depravity – This is the idea that we are TOTALLY dead in our sins, there is NO way for us to be saved on our own. A dead man can not make himself alive again, and in the same way we are not able to do anything to even HELP ourselves to be alive in Christ. God does the work in our hearts to make us alive in Him, and only then can we become one of His Children. Only God can bring someone back to life from the dead, and only God can make people alive in Him.
“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” – Romans 6:20-21
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” – Ephesians 2:4-5
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” – John 1:12-13
“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”” – John 6:29
“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” – Acts 13:48 (emphasis mine.).
U – Unconditional Election – I believe that God has elected those who He will save. This point is very clear in the Bible in verses such as -
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. ” – Ephesians 1:3-12 (emphasis mine).
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:29 (emphasis mine).
Now, the next question that comes from that naturally is this – “But how could a kind and loving God PICK who goes to heaven? And I thought that God didn’t play favorites!”, now in regards to the favorites, you would be totally right, God does not choose favorites. He does not elect people according to anything that THEY have done. I really liked how this site – http://www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip.htm – put this point, so here is what they said – “God does not base His election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. 1:4-8; Rom. 9:11) without any consideration of merit within the individual. Nor does God look into the future to see who would pick Him. Also, as some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21).”
In regards to how could a loving God pick the people who goes to heaven, all I can say is that in these things we have to trust that God knows what He is doing! He does everything for HIS will and HIS glory. I think Romans 9:9-23 can say this better then I ever could –
“9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,”- Romans 9:9-23 (emphasis mine).
L – Limited Atonement – I am going to make a bold statement now – (wording again taken from site listed above) “Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect.” WAIT! Don’t stop reading yet! I have some Bible verses for you to read first! (all emphasis mine in the following verses) -
“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” – Matthew 26:28 (This verse clearly states that Christ did not die for ALL, He died for many, namely, His children.).
“As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” – John 10:15 (Jesus laid down His life for His sheep, His elect children, He did not lay His life down for the goats.)
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” – John 17:9 (Jesus was praying for the ones God had GIVEN Him, not for the world.)
“Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.” – Isaiah 53:12
I’d have to say, this is the hardest point, in my opinion, to believe, and it is something I struggle with myself, but it is there in the Bible and I believe that the Bible is the PERFECT word of God, and must be believed. Also, I have to go back to a verse I posted before to say to myself -“‘20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,” – Romans 9:20-23
I – Irresistible Grace – As I said before, man is dead in his sins, and it is God who makes alive. This point shows that when God makes our hearts alive in Him, it is a grace which we can not (and don’t want too!) refuse! God’s grace is offered to all people, it’s the outward call, but only in the hearts of His elect does He plant the seed – the internal call.
“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” – Romans 9:16
“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13
“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” – Acts 13:48
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” – John 1:12-13
Now many people will often raise the question, “Why should we go preach to people? If only those who are elect can be saved, then why become missionaries?”, and to this I say – because God has commanded us to!
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” – Matthew 10:7
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15
Also, God may just be going to use you to tell His elect children about Him, so that they can believe and be saved! We don’t know who the elect are, but God does, and He tells us to go tell all mankind!
P – Perseverance of the Saints – If you are truly saved, and one of God’s elect, you can not lose your salvation!!! This is one of the most beautiful points of all I think! You will never stop being a child of God!! EVER!!! Praise the Lord
“27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” – John 10:27-28 (emphasis mine).
“47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” – John 6:47 (emphasis mine).
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Now I realize that I have just said some things that may seem very strange, and some times wrong to you, but after studying up on the subject I have come to believe this is what the Bible teaches. I have not just blindly excepted this, I have looked at the Bible, and allowed God to guide me. So don’t just believe, or not believe, what I have written here, look through the Bible, read up on the subject, ask God to guide you, and allow Him to teach you. He will teach you!!!!
God bless!
Brilliant, huh? 
Anywho, this is a short article I wrote on the subject several years ago, that I touched up a bit in time for this post! I hope it will “enlighten” (lol…okay, so maybe it wasn’t that funny of a joke.) you as to what Hanukkah is really all about!
Olivia
HannahBeth
Sam
Amy
