What are the Doctrines of Grace?
The doctrines of grace are those teachings of the Bible that reveal our complete dependance on the grace of God for salvation. These teachings are summarized by what has become known as the five points of Calvinism or the acrostic TULIP — total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Total depravity does not mean that all men are as bad as they could be. Rather it means that every man is corrupted by sin in every aspect of his being. By nature man is spiritually dead and blind to the truth. His will is in bondage to sin. Because of this condition, man is not inclined to repent, believe or obey God, and he will not do so unless he is spiritually reborn by the Holy Spirit. (See Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3; Mark 7:21-23; John 3:5-7.) Unconditional election refers to God’s free choice to elect some of fallen humanity to be redeemed from sin and inherit eternal life. Those who receive God’s favor
