T.U.L.I.P.

I was recently asked to consider the five points of calvinism. I find them to be in error compared to the scriptures, and therefore do not accept them. The five points are most often remembered with an acronym, TULIP:

Total depravity
Unconditional election
Limited atonement
Irresistible grace
Perseverance of the saints
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T - total depravity
Of the five points here, I think this is the most plausible one -- I don't think it's correct, but of the five, I think it's likely closest.

I find it incorrect because it doesn't work logically with what I find in scripture: (1) if it is true, then it means that God creates sin, because He is the creator of all men; (2) if it is true, then we cannot, even after we are saved, serve Him in "holiness and righteousness all the days of our life", as He promised to our father Abraham; (3) if it is true, and we still sin in thought, word, and deed daily...what has God done for us? we're still miserable wretched sinners who continue to disobey Him – “the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” – now, if we continue to do the works of the devil, has Jesus accomplished His purpose? And (4) if it is true, then Jesus had a sinful nature, since "verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." -- if we have a sinful nature, Jesus must have had one -- since we know that Jesus had no sinful nature, why must we suppose that we have one?

I would also note that I do not believe that man is inherently righteous. Sin and righteousness consist in our choice to obey or disobey God, not in an inherited trait of our human nature.
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U - unconditional election
This is the doctrine that God has already (from eternity past) decreed who will be saved and who will be damned.

This means that some people have no opportunity for salvation -- they are damned, period. This does not accord with scripture, for "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The way of salvation is open to ALL (not only some): "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Gospel is given to all -- to "whosoever will" -- and is not restricted to any select group.
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L - limited atonement
This is the doctrine that Jesus blood was sufficient only to save the elect.

It is wrong because it contradicts scripture. "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Jesus did not provide propitiation only for the elect, but for the whole world. If the atonement is only sufficient for the elect, then God is insincere in offering salvation to all, since He made no provision for all to be saved.
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I - irresistible grace
This is the doctrine that if God has elected you to be saved, you cannot resist His saving grace, and will (regardless of whether you want to or not) be saved.

It is incorrect because it means that we have no choice in the matter of salvation, when salvation is the one matter that it is of utmost importance to have a choice; it is this matter in which God himself demands a choice on our part: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" and "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

If God's grace is irresistible, God's admonishments to "Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings" could never be disregarded -- and yet, we find that they are.
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P - perseverance of the saints
This is the doctrine of "once saved, always saved", that those who are of the elect will persevere until the end. In short, that it is impossible to turn away from salvation.

This is false because it is backward from what Jesus said. Jesus did not say that those who are saved will persevere, He said that "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. " Salvation is, in some sense, the result of endurance; endurance is not the result of salvation.

Also, there are a host of dire warnings against turning away, or making shipwreck of our faith, or of falling away. If there is no possibility of our turning away, all these warnings are pointless. Some passages to consider:

Ezekiel 3:20; 18:20-28
Matthew 18:23-35; 25:14-30
Luke 12:42-47
John 15:1-6
Acts 8:9-24 (esp. verses 9 & 18-23)
Romans 11:13-23
I Corinthians 8:10-11; 9:26-27; 10:1-12 (esp. 10:12)
Galatians 5:1-4
I Timothy 1:19-20; 4:1; 5:8
Hebrews 2:1-3; 6:4-8; 10:26-31; 10:35-39; 12:15-17
James 5:19-20
II Peter 2:20-22
Revelation 2:4-5
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Other things I have noted about the calvinistic system:

One, that it works quite well with itself (all five are interlocking, and together comprise a complete system); if it is taken in totality, there is little contradiction within itself. However, the problem arises when it is compared to scripture, since, while it is logically coherent, it is not consistent with what scripture says.

Also, most churches that I have seen do not believe all five points -- generally keeping "T" and "P" and discarding the other three. This is an appealing course of action (since "U", "L", and "I" are the most offensive three of the five); however, it is logically unsound, since the five points all support each other, and the system falls apart if even one is removed.