Five Points

1. God's Glory: The Ultimate Quest of the Soul

Enjoying God is the way to glorify God, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

Infinite Treasure. God is our greatest treasure, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all His perfections. Our soul's deepest longing is to know Him, be loved by Him, and become like Him, finding our "exceeding joy" in His completeness, permanence, and stability. Nothing in this world—wealth, power, popularity—can compare to the satisfaction found in Him.

Deeper Communion. The more we know God, the more we desire to know Him, and the more we feast on His fellowship, the hungrier we become for deeper communion. This profound satisfaction breeds a holy longing for the day when we will possess the very power of God to love God with the magnitude and purity of the Father's love for the Son. This quest for deeper knowledge and enjoyment of God is the very purpose of our existence.

Clear Vision. To truly enjoy God, we must know Him clearly, for "seeing is savoring." If God remains a blurry, vague fog, our intrigue will be fleeting; but when the fog clears, revealing His vastness and sovereignty, we are stunned with joy. Clear, biblical knowledge of God, especially concerning His saving acts, is the kindling that sustains the fires of affection for Him, making all wrestling with His word worthwhile.

2. Total Depravity: Humanity's Utter Inability to Save Itself

Our sinful corruption is so deep and so strong as to make us slaves of sin and morally unable to overcome our own rebellion and blindness.

Total Rebellion. Apart from God's grace, humanity's rebellion against God is total, manifesting as a complete lack of delight in His holiness and glad submission to His authority. Even outwardly "virtuous" acts, if not flowing from a heart of faith and love for God, are considered sinful because they do not honor Him. This depravity is primarily a condition in relation to God, not merely other humans.

All is Sin. Because our rebellion is total, everything we do apart from faith is sin, as "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Our natural minds are hostile to God, unable to submit to His law, and therefore cannot please Him. We are spiritually "dead in trespasses and sins," incapable of generating spiritual life or reforming ourselves.

Deserving Punishment. This total depravity means we are utterly unable to submit to God or do good in His sight, making us totally deserving of eternal punishment. The reality of hell underscores the infinite gravity of our guilt. Recognizing this terrible truth—that we are completely blameworthy without God's saving grace—is crucial for appreciating the glory and wonder of His redemptive work.

3. Irresistible Grace: God's Sovereign Power to Draw Us to Faith

The doctrine of irresistible grace does not mean that every influence of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted. It means that the Holy Spirit, whenever he chooses, can overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible.

Decisive Grace. Most Christians intuitively know that God's grace was decisive in their conversion, not their own wisdom or virtue. While humans can and do resist the Holy Spirit, irresistible grace means God is sovereign and can conquer all resistance when He wills, ensuring His purposes are never thwarted. This sovereign work overcomes our rebellious hearts and brings us to faith.

God's Drawing. Jesus explicitly states, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). This divine drawing is not merely an invitation that can be ultimately rejected, but an effectual work that produces coming. The "all" Jesus draws (John 12:32) refers to "all the children of God," "all of my sheep," or "all that the Father gives to me," indicating a specific, effective drawing for the elect.

New Creation. Irresistible grace never forces belief against our will; instead, it makes the unwilling willing by changing our hearts from within, creating new thirsts, hungers, and desires. This "effectual call" is like God saying, "Let there be light" in our hearts, removing spiritual blindness and causing the glory of Christ to shine with irresistible beauty. This is the miracle of new birth, where God creates faith, rather than faith creating new birth.

4. Limited Atonement: Christ's Definite Purchase of Salvation for His Elect

The atonement of Christ is sufficient for all humans and effective for those who trust him.

Actual Achievement. The term "limited atonement" (or definite atonement) addresses what Christ actually achieved on the cross for those for whom He died. It asserts that Christ's death did not merely make salvation possible for all, but decisively secured the salvation of His chosen people, purchasing for them the very faith and repentance necessary for salvation. This means irresistible grace is blood-bought.

New Covenant Guarantee. The biblical foundation for this is the new covenant, secured by Jesus' blood, which promises that God will sovereignly initiate and guarantee the conditions of faith and obedience in His people.

• God will "put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33).
• He will "give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever" (Jeremiah 32:39).
• He will "put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me" (Jeremiah 32:40).
  Christ's death ensures these promises come true for a definite group, His "sheep."

Particular Love. Jesus explicitly states, "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:15), and prays specifically for "those whom you have given me" (John 17:9), not the world. His death was designed to gather "the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:52), ransoming people "from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). This reveals a particular, bride-purchasing love for His church, securing their future with absolute certainty, rather than merely offering a general possibility of salvation.

5. Unconditional Election: God's Sovereign Choice, Not Man's Merit

God’s election is an unconditional act of free grace that was given through his Son Jesus before the world began.

Prior to Faith. Election is God's choosing whom to save, and it is unconditional because there is no condition man can meet before God chooses him. Faith is not a condition for election; rather, election is a condition for faith. Those "appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48), and Jesus said, "You do not believe because you are not among my sheep" (John 10:26), demonstrating that God's choice precedes and enables belief.

Romans 9's Clarity. Paul emphasizes election's unconditionality in Romans 9, highlighting God's choice of Jacob over Esau "though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad" (Romans 9:11). This shows God's purpose of election continues "not because of works but because of his call." God's mercy is freely chosen: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy" (Romans 9:15), meaning salvation depends "not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."

Foreknowledge as Election. The "foreknowledge" in Romans 8:29 ("Those whom he foreknew he also predestined") is not merely God's prior awareness of human choices, but a special, electing knowledge—a choosing. Since God's "calling" (Romans 8:30) infallibly leads to justification (which requires faith), this calling is God's sovereign, faith-creating grace. Therefore, God's foreknowledge sees His own work of creating faith in the elect, whom He chose unconditionally before the world began.

6. Perseverance of the Saints: God's Unbreakable Promise to Keep His Own

We believe that all who are justified will win the fight of faith.

Enduring Faith. Our faith must endure to the end for salvation, meaning the gospel is God's instrument in both begetting and preserving faith. While there can be false starts or "believing in vain," genuine faith is evidenced by holding fast to the word and persevering through trials. This perseverance does not imply sinless perfection, but a continuous fight against sin, marked by repentance and return when we stumble.

Obedience as Evidence. Obedience, flowing from inner renewal by God, is necessary for final salvation, not as a meritorious work, but as evidence of authentic faith. Scriptures warn that those who practice immorality or do not strive for holiness will not inherit the kingdom of God. However, this is balanced by the understanding that "if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1), meaning perseverance is a fight, not a flawless performance.

God's Keeping Power. The elect cannot be lost; God's "ironclad chain" of foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification (Romans 8:30) ensures no dropouts. Jesus promises, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). This eternal security is rooted in God's sovereign love and commitment to cause His elect to persevere, not in our own fragile commitment.

7. The Doctrines of Grace: Transforming Worship, Prayer, and Mission

For those who have known the doctrines of grace truly, they have never been mere speculation for the head, but have always been power for the heart and life.

Awe and Humility. These truths cultivate profound awe of God, leading to deep, God-centered worship where His glory shines brightest when we are most satisfied in Him. They strip away all grounds for boasting, fostering brokenhearted joy and gratitude for our salvation, and guarding against trivializing divine things. This perspective makes us groan over the God-belittling nature of secular culture.

Confidence and Hope. Believing these doctrines instills confidence that God will finish the work He planned and began, both globally and personally. Our assurance of salvation rests not on our free will, but on God's free, preserving grace, which chains us to Himself daily. This certainty fuels hope that God has the will, right, and power to answer prayers for people to be changed, knowing He can overcome any human resistance.

Zeal for Mission. The doctrines of grace make evangelism both essential and hopeful, even among the spiritually dead. We preach the gospel, knowing it is "the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16), and that God uses this word to raise the dead. This conviction that God will infallibly gather His "other sheep" from every nation fuels fervent world missions, reminding us that God will triumph in the end, accomplishing all His purposes for His glory and our joy.

Last updated: December 14, 2025