Christ is All!: A Five Point JESUS-ist!

I am a five point JESUS-ist, and I firmly believe in each of the five points of JESUS-ism. Charles Spurgeon said:

That doctrine which is called "Calvinism" did not spring from Calvin; we believe that it sprang from the great founder of all truth. Perhaps Calvin himself derived it mainly from the writings of Augustine. Augustine obtained his views, without doubt, through the Spirit of God, from the diligent study of the writings of Paul, and Paul received them of the Holy Ghost, from Jesus Christ the great founder of the Christian dispensation.

When I was in my second year in college, a dear friend and brother in Christ, Ben Selph, gave me a cassette tape series from a Founders Ministries conference called "A Southern Baptist Explanation Of Calvinism" by Pastor Fred Malone. It was a 6 tape series on the 5 points of Calvinism. I was amazed at what I heard, and the Scriptural truth I was hearing was undeniable. What an amazing, all-glorious, all-powerful, all-sovereign God is God! After listening to this series, my friend gave me book after book on these truths, my hunger and thirst for God and theology increased, and eventually God led me into the ministry.

This is Ben's dad, Pastor Robert Selph, with me and a book he wrote that helped me better understand God's power and sovereignty: Southern Baptists And The Doctrine Of Election.

May beholding God in this way lead you to praise, thanksgiving, and worship as well:

1. TOTAL DEPRAVITY:

Men are so bad, depraved, sinful, and dead spiritually that they do not have the desire or ability even to seek God, trust God, or come to God without God first causing them to be born again and giving them spiritual life and a new heart.

John 3:3: Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John 3:19-20: And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John 8:34: Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin."

Matthew 7:11: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children . . . .

Matthew 7:18: A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Mark 7:21-23: For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

John 6:44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION:

God, from before the foundation of the world, chose those whom He would save, not based on anything they have done or would do in the future, and not based on anything He would foresee them doing in the future, and not based on their free will to choose Him, but based only on His love and sovereign will to choose them first.

John 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you . . . .

Luke 10:21: In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”

John 17:9: I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Mark 4:10-12: And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'"

Matthew 11:27: All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

John 5:21: For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

Matthew 24:22: And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

John 1:12-13: But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Matthew 22:14: For many are called, but few are chosen.

Shai Linne: Election (feat. Willie Will)

3. LIMITED ATONEMENT:

Jesus died for those whom the Father chose to save, and in His death, He purchased everything necessary to justify, sanctify, and glorify all of God's elect, including their faith, repentance, sanctification, and perseverance in the faith unto glory. Jesus did not die to purchase a potential salvation but an actual and effective salvation. No one for whom Christ died will end up in hell because that would be a grave injustice in which the penalty of hell is inflicted by God twice - once on Christ on the cross and a second time on those who reject Christ. Jesus actually suffered all God's wrath toward the elect so that there is no more wrath burning toward them forever.

John 10:11, 26: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep . . . but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

John 11:51-52: He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 1:21: She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Acts 20:28: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Philippians 1:29: For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Acts 11:18: And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

2 Timothy 2:25: God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth

For an excellent essay on this, please read J. I. Packer's Introduction to John Owen's The Death Of Death In The Death Of Christ.

Shai Linne: Mission Accomplished

4. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE:

The Holy Spirit of God will finally overcome all resistance in the human heart of those God chose and those for whom Christ died, and He will cause them to be born again, grant them new hearts, and apply the work of Christ to them such that they will most certainly repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

John 5:21: For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

John 6:37: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 6:44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

John 6:65: And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

John 10:27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 17:1-2: When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him."

Matthew 13:11: And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given."

Matthew 16:17: And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven."

Luke 14:23: And the master said to the servant, “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS:

Every single one God chose, the Son died for, and the Spirit regenerates (causes to be born again) will continue to grow in faith and repentance and grow in holiness and Christlikeness until they are fully and finally sanctified and glorified in the presence of King Jesus. None will fall away, and Christ will lose none of those whom the Father has given Him.

John 10:28-29: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

John 5:24: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:39-40: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 3:36: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 17:12: While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

This article, Calvinism Fact Sheet, is a very helpful summary of what Jesus taught.

Spurgeon powerfully stated again:

I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

If you have any doubts about the five points, please read Romans 9:1-24. Jesus, Who inspired this chapter and all of the Bible, makes it undeniably clear there that God is absolutely sovereign over salvation. The god of Arminianism is a false god.

To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.