NT Framework - TULIP In Focus, Pt2

Jeremy tests the claims of Calvinism and Arminianism against Scripture and ask how a person can have real assurance. We track irresistible grace, regeneration before faith, and perseverance of the saints, and contrast them with the plain order of “believe and be saved.”

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and
our series on the New Testamentframework.
Today, a smaller, bite-sizedpiece from the larger lesson.
We hope you enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
Right.
Or 1 John 2.2, he is apropitiation for our sins and
not ours only, but for the sinsof the whole world.
Again, how do you how do howexactly are you fitting that
verse into this concept?
See?
So again, another place wherepeople struggle, there are
limited atonement.

(00:32):
And that one has been challengedsince around 1635, Mois Amirat,
who gave rise to the concept ofAmiraldianism.
But we're not doingAmiraldianism today.
We're just doing Arminianism andCalvinism.
But just know there's a lot ofother ideas, okay?
These are just the leadingideas.
The fourth one is in the eye inTulip is irresistible grace.

(00:57):
And this is the idea that Godwill draw the ones that He has
elected to Himself irresistibly.
And the way that He does that isby regenerating them.
You'll sometimes hear in thesecircles, if you read, you'll see
it all the time, thatregeneration precedes faith.
Have you ever heard that?

(01:17):
In Calvinism, regenerationprecedes faith.
This is the idea that God makesyou alive before you've even
believed.
Because you're so dead, pointone, total depravity, that you
can't believe.
And so God has to make you alivefirst, regenerate you, then you
can believe.
And you say, no, wait a minute.
Again, most of you who are justfamiliar with the Bible, you

(01:39):
think, did I ever read thatanywhere?
Does the Bible say be saved andbelieve?
Or does it say believe and besaved?
Which is the order.
Acts 16, 31, the Philippianjailer said, What must I do to
be saved?
What did Paul and Silas say?
Did they say, well, be saved andbelieve?

(02:00):
And you know, no, they said,believe and you will be saved.
See, so always in the Bible, thebelieving comes before the being
saved, or in this case, beingregenerated.
Right?
But they have verses, you know,they'll quote John 3.5,
Nicodemus, Jesus said, You mustbe born again.
Well, they would say, well, thatmeans that God's got to make you

(02:21):
born again first, then you canbelieve.
But that doesn't seem to fit.
John 3.16, believe in the LordJesus Christ.
Or Acts 16, 31.
Uh, why not why why is a personunder the wrath of God?
Because they haven't believed.
John 16.
I'm sorry, John 3 also, samechapter.
So believing is talked about inJohn 3.
You can't just say, well, it'sjust be regenerated, and then

(02:44):
you'll uh be believe after that.
So there seems to be, again, belike, eh, what's going on here?
And then uh perseverance of thesaints.
This is the last, this is the Pin tulip.
This is the idea that those whoare the elect, the subset of the
human race that God chose beforethe foundation of the world,

(03:04):
will persevere in faith andobedience.
They will persevere to what?
They will persevere to the endof their life in faith and
obedience.
Can they have lapses?
They'd say, yeah, you can havesome lapses.
But you'll always come back,you'll always be, you know,
persevering in faith andobedience to the end.
And this is how you prove thatyou really are what?

(03:24):
Saved.
That you really are elect.
Because you can't really know,can you?
I mean, how would you know?
Do you have a sign again thatsays you're elect?
No, you don't.
Um the Puritans, who basicallywere the strength of our nation
in the early, you know, whenyou'd have Jamestown and all

(03:46):
that in the 1600s and up to theup to the uh Declaration and
finally the Constitution in1789, these people were the
strength of America, okay?
They were hard workers.
They put in a lot of work, andtheir ethic, their work ethic
was strong.
These were biblical people inmany, many ways.
But one of their areas that ifyou read them is very

(04:06):
interesting is the introspectivenature of uh the Puritans.
They're very introspective intheir writings.
They're always looking inside tosee whether they have the right
stuff, the right fruit in theirlife.
Um, because it was veryimportant for them to have the
right fruit, because if theydidn't, they weren't really

(04:28):
elect.
See, because you could alwaysmeasure whether you were elect
or not by the fruit that isbeing produced, that's coming
out of you.
And so they were veryintrospective type of people.
And um the reason was theyweren't sure that they were
saved, because if you really aresaved, you really are elect,

(04:48):
you'll persevere to the end ofyour life in faith and good
work.
And and that's the same thingtoday among Calvinists, you'll
see that there really is no 100%assurance.
They don't you can't say thatbecause if you're not at the end
of your life, you're not at theplace where you could say, I've

(05:09):
made it to the end andpersevered.
And so there's always questionsin if you're a Calvinist,
whether you're really saved ornot.
Um but you know what?
That's very similar to the lossof salvation.
So while they would say, No, youcan't lose your salvation.
If you're really saved, you'reyou're saved.
Um the Arminian would say, Well,you're saved, but then you could

(05:31):
lose it.
But both of them are in aprecarious situation, right?
Can you really know that you'regoing to be saved in the end for
either view?
No, you can't.
Because in law in Arminianism,maybe you won't persevere, maybe
you'll turn from grace and thenlose it when you're 78 years
old.
You know, I don't know.
You know, but that's you get thepoint.

(05:53):
Um, but if you're if you'reCalvinist, then what?
Well, you may not really besaved.
It really depends on if youpersevere to the end.
So that's a very introspectiveoutlook.
You're always kind of checkingto make sure you have the right
fruit.
You're doing the same thing inArminianism.
You're just always checking,make sure you have the right
fruit.

(06:13):
So I really don't um believeeither one of these views is
accurately depicting what thescriptures teach.
I think they're bothrationalistic systems, uh ideas
that were born in the 1600s, oneout of a response to strict

(06:34):
Calvinism, the other as aresponse to the Arminianism.
And what views when when someoneerects a counterview, what they
tend to do is overstep.
They tend to go too far.
And that's what has hashappened.
I mean, we're watching thisright now in some other areas in
theology, but um you have to bevery careful to do what?

(06:59):
Just keep your eyes on this,okay?
Viewpoint, not viewpoint, itdoesn't really matter.
What God says is the finalauthority.

SPEAKER_00 (07:08):
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls
with Jeremy Thomas.
If you would like to see thevisuals that went along with
today's sermon, you can findthose on Rumble and on YouTube
under Spokane Bible Church.
That is where Jeremy is thepastor and teacher.
We hope you found today's lessonproductive and useful in growing

(07:29):
closer to God and walking moreobediently with Him.
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And until next time, we hope youhave a blessed and wonderful
day.