Where is the Beef in Calvinism?

by Charles King
Four Soils Ministry

God Is!

Many use the acronym TULIP to explain the basic concepts of Calvinism. However I would like to suggest that TULIP leaves out the Beef, which is God himself. The acronym starts with man and not God. Therefore if one starts with the wrong assumption they usually end up with the wrong answer.

To prove my point I first want us to look at God. "In the beginning God" and then He created all things including man. Let us spend a few moments laying a foundation of "who God is" before we look at His creation.

First of all, the Bible describes God to have the characteristics of being all-powerful (nothing happens with out His approval), all-present (everywhere simultaneously), all-knowing (knows all things past present future), and unchanging (the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow).

We also need to remember His character traits of being holy, just, righteous, and impartial. God's actions do not violate either His characteristics or character. Therefore when we meditate upon the Word of God we should always use the understanding of "who God is" as a key ingredient in our Bible interpretation.

For example if God is unchanging then He deals with man the same from creation till the second coming of Christ. If He is just and impartial, He plays no favorites. If He is all-powerful He could force anything to take place that He desires. Yet the Bible says "He wishes all to come to repentance." However the Bible demonstrates that all do not choose repentance. How does one reconcile what seems to be a contradiction?

The acronym does not address the contradiction, but builds a case that since God is God (sovereign) He can do as He pleases. This approach violates God's character as described such as being just and impartial. Therefore where in the Bible can we find an answer that does not contradict God's character? We find it in understanding God's covenant. God keeps His covenant, which describes what He expects of man and how He will deal with them. Therefore God restricts Himself (limits).

We resolve this apparent contradiction through understanding His covenant relationship with man. God's covenant defines the boundaries of man's freedom and God's expectations of man. The Covenant also defines the blessings (rewards) and curses (punishments). Therefore you cannot jump into the TULIP before you understand the Creator and His covenant with His creation.

The first picture of this covenant relationship starts with God's commandment to Adam when He says don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil or you will surely die.

Let us meditate upon this simple command. Did God not define to Adam what was required and what the blessing and curse would be. The requirement was obedience and the blessing was life (implied) and the curse was death.

If one traces the covenant relationship revelation, we will see that the revelation of God's written covenant in Deuteronomy states "I lay before you life and death, a blessing and a curse, choose life." Let us again meditate upon this revelation. God has stated His requirements and both the blessings (rewards) and curses (punishments). Now God can be just and impartial when He deals with man. If He is to be faithful, He must honor His Word. This is how God restricts Himself and this restriction is an important piece of God's consistent (unchanging) nature.

The Bible states God is faithful to keep His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments for a thousand generations. This is the blessings of the covenant. If you will read the context of this scripture you will see that He also keeps His covenant (curses) with those who do not love Him and do not keep His commandments.

Now that we have laid the foundation of "who God is", we will move on to the concept of "who man is" in our next article with and then into a discussion of the acronym TULIP, character by character.

My God bless our desire to not only understand who He is but what He expects of man.

Article submitted Wednesday, January 09, 2008 & read 137 times.

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