Calvinism and the Doctrines of Grace in the Gospel of John

The Doctrines of Grace

The doctrines of grace focus on God’s grace in salvation. The acrostic TULIP is often used. T-Total Depravity; U-Unconditional Election; L-Limited Atonement; I-Irresistible Grace; P-Perseverance of the Saints

The gospel of John teaches these doctrines clearly and irrefutably.

The doctrines stand and fall together. To hold to one is to hold to all.

[Critical] The doctrines elevate God while humbling man.

Man remains dead in His trespasses until God pulls him from this state.

Problem with the Enlightenment and man’s free will

Argument for determined wills

“Modern theologians” have been against Calvinism, Andy Stanley, Leighton Flowers, George Bryson and his “Dark Side of Calvinism”, and David Hunt. Implementing post-Kantian ideas of human autonomy

H. Bavinck: The root principle of this Calvinism is the confession of God’s absolute sovereignty.  Not one special attribute of God, for instance His love or justice, His holiness or equity, but God Himself as such in the unity of all His attributes and perfection of His entire Being is the point of departure for the thinking and acting of the Calvinist.  From this root principle everything that is specifically Reformed may be derived and explained. It was this that led to the sharp distinction between what is God’s and creature’s, to belief in the sole authority of the Holy Scriptures, in the all-sufficiency of Christ and His word, in the omnipotence of the work of grace. Hence also the sharp distinction between the divine and human in the Person and the two natures of Christ, between the external internal call, between the sign and the matter signified in the sacrament. From this source likewise sprang the doctrine of the absolute dependence of the creature, as it is expressed in the Calvinistic confessions in regard to providence, foreordination, election, the inability of man.  By this principle also the Calvinist was led to the use of that throughgoing consistent theological method, which distinguishes him from Romanist and other Protestant theologians.  Not only in the whole range of his theology, but also outside of this, in every sphere of life and science, his effort aims at the recognition and maintenance of God as God over against all creatures. In the work of creation and regeneration, in sin and grace, in Adam and Christ, in the Church and the sacraments, it is in each case God who reveals and upholds His sovereignty and leads it to triumph notwithstanding all disregard and resistance. There is something heroic and grand and imposing in this Calvinistic conception. Viewed in its light the whole course of history becomes a gigantic contest, in which God carries through His sovereignty, and makes it, like a mountain stream, overcome all resistance in the end, bringing the creature to a willing or unwillling, but in either case unqualified, recognition of His divine glory. From all things are, and accordingly they all return to Him. He is God and remains God now and forever; Jehovah, the Being, the one that was and is and that is to come.

Total Depravity

Better understanding of it is Radical Depravity

John’s gospel provides a striking depiction of man’s depravity throughout

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Ignorance.

Sin has darkened the mind of every person born into this world (excluding Jesus).

John 1:1–9: Jesus is the light, yet the world does not know Him.

Despite the fact that no man had ever lived a life of holiness and perfection as Jesus did, the world did not recognize Him as the Son of God.

Recognition of Jesus occurs only through the life-giving activity of God.

The Lord veils His gospel to natural man (1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:3–4, etc.).

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Blindness.

Humanity cannot see the truth of Christ in its depraved condition.

John 3:3: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.” This involves ability, not permission

Rebirth and consequent proper sight demands the Holy Spirit’s activity.

Man’s Depravity Creates Enmity toward Jesus Christ.

John 3:19–20: There exists in the heart of man spiritual hatred toward Jesus Christ.

This hatred results from God’s judgment on sin.

The hatred takes the form of both active rebellion and passive indifference.

Depraved man abhors Christ all the more because He fears that the light of Christ will expose his evil practices in the darkness.

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Defiance.

All those in a state of spiritual unbelief disobey God.

John 3:36: the wrath of God abides in the unbeliever.

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Death.

All those outside of Christ exist in a state of spiritual death (John 5:25; Eph. 2:1;Col. 2:12–13).

Depraved man does not possess some sickness capable of curing through the use of antidotes. Sickness implies man’s ability to get better.

On the contrary, spiritual death reigns over the natural man (Eph 2:1-10)

Man must be “born again” prior to any other action

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Inability.

John 6:44ff: No one can place their belief in Jesus as the savior without instigation by the Holy Spirit.

John 15:5: “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 6:66).

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Bondage to Sin.

John 8:34: Everyone who sins remains in the bondage of slavery to sin.

The slave must obey, respond, and submit to his master.

Only the Son can set a slave to sin free, but a slave cannot serve two masters.

Man’s Depravity Creates Spiritual Bondage to Satan.

John 8:44: Natural man is born into the family of Satan.

He remains of his father the Devil until the intervention of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 4;Eph.2:2; 1Tim. 2:26)

Unconditional Election: God’s Loving Choice

John 6:37–39: Sovereign election remains rooted in God’s love for His Son and His elect, whom He determined to save from eternity past for an inheritance for His Son.

The word “all” in verse 37 refers to all the elect.

The activity of giving precedes the coming of the Son.

The Son cherishes and loves the gift given to Him by the Father: the elect.

Other verses testifying to sovereign election: Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 9:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 1:10

God’s Previous Choice

John 10: The flock of Christ belongs to Him long before the sheep come to Jesus by responding to His voice.

The image of the sheepfold encompasses all people, not just the elect.

When the sheep that God has given to Jesus hear His voice, they separate from the unelected and follow Him.

Jesus calls each member of His flock by name.

Zacchaeus, Lazarus, and other instances demonstrate Jesus’ personal call.

The personal nature of sovereign election should arouse humility in the believer, for this destiny of salvation occurs without any personal volition or will.

Sovereign Election in the High Priestly Prayer

John 17:2: Jesus possesses authority over all flesh and all whom the Father has given Him.

The first reference describes all of humanity.

The second reference describes the elect, further emphasizing the sovereign choice by God in salvation and eternal life.

John 17:6, 9: Jesus intercedes and goes to the cross not for the sake of the world but for those who God has called out of the world.

John 17:24: Jesus beseeches His Father on behalf of His elect and requests that the Father might preserve them so that they might see His glory and worship Him in heaven for all eternity.

The purpose of sovereign election is for the glory of God and the exaltation of the Son, who the elected saints will worship for all eternity.

This should instill joy in the heart of the believer, for nothing can compete with the privilege of worshipping our Savior in heaven for all eternity.

Irresistible Grace

Irresistible Call John 1:12–13

Regeneration of the heart enables an individual to receive the free offer of the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Regeneration does not occur through lineage.

Regeneration does not occur through human effort.

Regeneration does not occur through man’s will.

Regeneration occurs by the sovereign choice of God.

John clearly affirms a monergistic regeneration, in which God alone quickens the dead spirit unto life.

John 3:3–8 The metaphors of water and wind refer to the Holy Spirit.

One cannot predict where the Holy Spirit will go. Salvation was not explicitly for the Jews.

While the water washes and cleanses, the uncontrollable wind blows wherever and whenever it will.

Similar to the untamable nature of the wind, Jesus uses the metaphor of birth to demonstrate that human beings play no part in their regeneration. Just as a child cannot resist being conceived and brought into the world, so too a dead heart cannot ignore or reject the work of the Holy Spirit.

Irresistible Call

John 5:25: Spiritual resurrection

Coming to faith in Christ involves the resurrection unto life and belief of a spirit dead in its trespasses.

Like the resurrection of Lazarus, man cannot breathe life into his dead spirit, but only divine power can bring regeneration (John 11).

Repentance and faith follow the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration.

John 6:37–44: Spiritual drawing

The Holy Spirit must draw individuals that the Father has chosen to Christ.

The Greek word for “draw” in this passage means “to drag by force.”

Woo versus draw; the problem of John 12:32

The draw of the Holy Spirit occurs in conjunction with the new heart He places in the individual.

This activity on the part of the Holy Spirit is sovereign, supernatural, and irresistible, bringing depraved men into the fold of Christ.

John 10: Sovereign calling

Verse 1: Jesus refers to the religious leaders of Israel in His days as “robbers” and “thieves” because they did not own the “sheep” of Israel.

Verses 2–4: Jesus, the Good Shepherd, receives free passage into the sheep pen from the gatekeeper, wherein He calls to His sheep (believers), and they respond to His voice.

Jesus’ flock never dwindles or lessens, but all His sheep (Christians) will arrive home at the throne of God.

Perseverance of the Saints - Preserving Grace

Persevering Grace and Eternal Life

John 3:15: Whoever believes in Christ will have eternal life.

The verb “have” in this verse refers to a present reality and condition, not to the future.

Eternity reaches into this life.

The reference to eternal life in this verse pertains to the quality of life, for communion with God begins with regeneration, repentance, and faith.

The reference to eternal life in this verse also pertains to duration of life, a life never-ending.

John 3:36: Belief in Christ

Belief in Christ involves the mind, heart, and will.

An individual must consciously know and recognize their lost condition before they believe in Jesus.

The heart must be persuaded by the truth of the gospel.

he will must make the decisive choice to repent of sins and to surrender to Jesus.

Belief in Jesus brings eternal life.

John 3:16: Whoever believes in Christ will not perish.

By perish, Jesus assures the Christian that he will never experience the wrath of God, but he will receive His love for all eternity.

Although blunders and slip-ups may occur, nothing can rip a Christian from the love and security of God.

Persevering Grace is Never lost

John 6:39: Jesus will lose none of those given to Him by the Father.

This promise issues from before the foundation of the world.

It aims at resurrecting the dead on the last day, and Christians will worship Him in glory for eternity.

John 6:44, 54: These verses reaffirm the eternal security granted by the sovereignty election of God.

Forever secure

John 10:27–29: No one will snatch the sheep from the hand of Jesus.

Jesus may have had in mind both the religious leaders of Israel as well as demonic powers, particularly Satan.

Their attempts are futile.

John 10:28–29: The power of the divine Lord of creation assures the veracity of this promise.

Never die

John 11:25–26: No believer will suffer eternal death.

Jesus uses definite articles to demonstrate that belief in Him alone offers eternal life.

Even if physical death occurs, a believer can be confident he will never suffer eternal death, physical or spiritual.

Unbelievers will experience the “second death”: the eternal condemnation and banishment to hell.

Never abandoned

John 14:16–17: Jesus provides the Holy Spirit to dwell within Christians forever.

This act ensures the eternal perseverance of believers.

In conjunction with this, the Holy Spirit continues to clean and sanctify believers more and more in the image of Christ.