Grace Gate

Premise: 

It is an important prerequisite in understanding these five points of contention, to understand their historical beginnings; therefore it is strongly urged for the reader to have completed section (D-0).  This section will demonstrate the Scriptural rationale behind the five points represented by the Reformed view.

♦ Please pay special attention to ITEM 2; the two videos by Bruce Ware.

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ITEM 1 OF 16

A Brief Comparative Study of: Arminianism and Calvinism

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ITEM 2 OF 16 [2 videos in this item] 

Independent Hands of God and Men: Providence in Classic Arminianism [video], by Bruce Ware

Coordinated Hands of God and Men: Providence in the Reformed Tradition [video], by Bruce Ware

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POINT #1
(Free-will/Human Ability VS. Total Inability/Total Depravity/Radical Depravity)

ITEM 3 OF 16

All Men Are Born Evil, by Paul Washer 

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ITEM 4 OF 16 (4 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

Total Depravity, by John Piper  

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Video (2 OF 4) switch to last

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POINT #2 
(Conditional Election VS. Unconditional Election)

ITEM 5 OF 16 (2 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

Unconditional Election, by John Piper

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Video (2 OF 2)

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ITEM 6 OF 16

Pastoral Thoughts on the Doctrine of Election, by John Piper

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ITEM 7 OF 16 

For Whom Did Christ Die?, by C.H. Spurgeon (Unconditional Election)

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ITEM 8 OF 16

According to His Choice, Not Our Works, by R.C. Sproul (Unconditional Election)

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ITEM 9 OF 16 (3 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

Unconditional Election, by John MacArthur

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POINT #3
(Universal Atonement/General Atonement VS. Particular Redemption/Limited Atonement)

ITEM 10 OF 16 (3 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

Limited Atonement, by John Piper 

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ITEM 11 OF 16

The Love of God and the Intent of the Atonement, by D.A. Carson (Limited Atonement)

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ITEM 12 OF 16

God Owes Us Nothing, by James White (Limited Atonement)

Imagine if every Evangelical pastor started with that premise in the role of God’s grace in our salvation. Imagine if every Evangelical affirmed this with their entire heart. Recently I was listening to a lecture by Dr. Paul Lim on the extent of the atonement. He commented that years ago students approached their grade from the perspective of a zero with the aim of increasing the points to a letter grace of D, C, B, and hopefully an A. He said this is not the case anymore since students today assume that they start with (deserve) an “A” and only the possibility of losing their points or grade level. Dr. Lim’s point is obvious: many approach the blood of Christ today assuming that God is obligatory in his grace. And since the blood of Christ is predicated on his love, the same is said of the love of God. It is not demanded; it is freely bestowed — not on everyone, but to those whom he chooses based on his infinite, wise counsel. The person who demurs that God is free to confer his electing grace on his chosen, cannot with any honesty believe that “God owes us nothing.” But if God owes us something (which he does not), why would we think so highly of his love and grace? It would be expected and deserved.

All of this is a good reason why the term “limited atonement” should probably be jettisoned from the Reformed vocabulary. It suggests that all deserve the atonement (everyone starts with the letter grade “A”), and therefore God “takes away” something that he is obliged to bestow. The reality is everyone starts with an “F”, and thus God in his wisdom, freedom, and love, bestows grace to a particular or definite undeserving people.

It is one thing to say that we are undeserving sinners; it is another to be consistent and apply that to the love and blood of Christ. As it is often said in Reformed circles, we dare not ask for a “fair” God since fairness and justness would require us to suffer for our own sins in eternal perdition. We do not want a fair God, rather our hope is in a merciful God whose willing Son absorbed the wrath on the cross as our glorious substitute.

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POINT #4
(Resistible Grace VS. Irresistible Grace)

ITEM 13 OF 16 (3 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

Irresistible Grace, by John Piper

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ITEM 14 OF 16

Effectual Calling, by Thomas White (Irresistible Grace)

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POINT #5
(Falling from Grace/Losing Salvation VS. Eternal Security/Perseverance of the Saints)

ITEM 15 OF 16 (4 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

Perseverance of the Saints, by John Piper

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ITEM 16 OF 16 (5 VIDEOS IN THIS ITEM)

10 Effects of Believing TULIP, by John Piper

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Ω ENRICHMENT VIDEO (LENGTHY) 1 OF 8

Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Loraine Boettner

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Ω ENRICHMENT VIDEO (LENGTHY) 2 OF 8

An Introduction to Reformed Theology, by Dr. James White

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Ω ENRICHMENT READING 3 OF 8

Introductory Essay to John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, by J.I. Packer

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Ω ENRICHMENT VIDEO (LENGTHY) 4 OF 8

Limited Atonement: “Is That Biblical?“, by Dr. James White

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Ω ENRICHMENT READING 5 OF 8

What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism, by Bethlehem Baptist Church [Pastor John Piper]

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Ω ENRICHMENT READING (LENGTHY) 6 OF 8

Charles Spurgeon on Reformed Theology

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Ω ENRICHMENT VIDEO 7 OF 8

Norman Geisler’s Farmer Parable: Examined and Refuted, by James White 
(Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace)

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Ω ENRICHMENT VIDEO (LENGTHY) 8 OF 8

What Does “Total Depravity” Mean?, by James White