Lesson for October 15, 2025
Calvinism and Reformed Theology
Lesson 1
II Corinthians 11:13-15, “But what I am doing I will also continue to do, so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”
A popular teaching in many churches today is Lordship Salvation. This false gospel is typically taught by those who hold to a theological position known as Calvinism or Reformed Theology. This teaching claims to be based on grace, but states that a person is not a true believer in Christ if their life does not reflect “the righteousness of God” in their actions. Galatians 1:6-9, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
Lordship Salvation is a subtle ploy of Satan and “his ministers of righteousness,” who are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing, to deceive people. Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Calvinism uses an acronym called “TULIP,” to describe their system of beliefs. In addition to this false teaching, Calvinists have an unbiblical view of the sovereignty of God. Let’s begin by examining “TULIP.” Of course, like all false religions and denominations who teach this heresy, they have their favorite “proof texts” to propagate their false teaching. Remember that the Word of God is of no private interpretation, the Bible interprets itself using hermeneutical principles of interpretation. These principles include comparing Scripture with Scripture, interpreting the Bible in the time it was written, understanding dispensations, consideration of racial distinctions, knowing the differences between the Law of Moses and grace, understanding covenants, and examining the original text of Scripture. (II Peter 1:20-21)
TULIP
T- Total Depravity
Total depravity means that no one is able to save themselves or in any way contribute to their salvation. However, Calvinism adds that a person cannot understand and respond to the Gospel, until they are regenerated (made a new creation in Christ) by God. This doctrine is basically true, but Calvinism goes a step farther by teaching that only a person, who has been elected/chosen by God in eternity past, is able to respond to the Gospel when they are “regenerated.” They claim that God chooses who will believe in Christ and that God gives those “chosen ones” the faith to believe in Christ by an act of regeneration. If this teaching were true (and it’s not), a person would be saved before they actually believed in Christ as Savior. But this is not what the Bible teaches. Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him (Christ) with the Holy Spirit of the promise, Who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Regeneration is the theological term for being “born again,” when God creates a human spirit in believers at salvation. “Born again” is a poor translation of the Greek and leads one to think that the human spirit already exists and is simply being awaken from a dormant state. The Greek words for “born again” help us to fully understand the meaning: “born” – “gennao”, which means “to bear or to bring forth a child”; “again” – “anothen”, which means “anew or from above.” John 1:1-3, “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;this man came to Jesus at night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus responded and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” The word “regenerate’ in English can mean to be restored, to reform, to bring into existence again, but it can also mean to be made anew. However, the Greek word for regeneration is “palingenesia” and means a new birth. Regeneration is a new birth, a spiritual birth from above (from God). It is a new nature, that did not exist prior to faith in Christ. Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Prior to salvation, a person is “spiritually dead” or separated from God. Upon faith in Christ, a person becomes alive spiritually and is no longer separated from God. Regeneration, therefore, is the supernatural work of God whereby He imparts spiritual life to a spiritually dead person. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to act as the human spirit so that an unbeliever can understand the Gospel. Upon faith in Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit creates a human spirit in the one who believes in Christ. (Ephesians 2:1-7; Colossians 2:13; James 1:18; I Peter 2:24; Titus 3:5)
Spiritual death means that a person is “in Adam”, does not possess a human spirit, is minus the righteousness of God and has no ability within himself to remedy the situation. Being “in Adam” means that every member of the human race is born with Adam’s original sin, which was imputed to each person at birth. It is Adam’s original sin that condemns us at birth.
Spiritual life means that a person is “in Christ,” possesses a human spirit, has the righteousness of God, and that God has remedied their formerly hopeless situation. Being “in Christ” means that at salvation God the Holy Spirit places us into union with Jesus Christ. It is this union that removes all condemnation from a believer. (John 3:17-18; Romans 5:12-14, 8:1; I Corinthians 2:14, 15:22)
The Bible teaches that salvation is a choice of the free will of a person to believe in Christ as their Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Calvinists distort Ephesians 2:8-9 by claiming that it teaches that faith is the gift of God, not salvation. However, this does not agree with the original Greek text. “This” is a neuter noun and “faith” is a feminine gender noun. Therefore, “this” cannot refer to faith. However, “this” can refer to “saved,” referring back to the context of the passage. This confirms the fact that a person must use their own volition to choose to believe in Christ. Furthermore, the Bible says that salvation is a gift from God. (John 4:10; Romans 5:15 – 21; 6:23)
There is only one condition for salvation and that is faith. Faith is non-meritorious, meaning you cannot work for salvation. And salvation is given freely to a person who believes in Christ, based on God’s grace and no other factor. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Often Calvinists will take Scriptures out of context and use them as “proof texts” in an attempt to prove their false doctrine. For example, Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” This verse is referring to service to God within the body of Christ, not to salvation. Romans 12:1-2, begins by telling believers to present themselves as living sacrifices to God for His service, not for salvation.
Another false teaching of Calvinism is that a person who is dead can’t believe in Christ. They cite, as their “proof text,” Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” (KJV) This death is obviously referring to spiritual death, meaning separation from God, not the inability to believe. As a matter of fact, the Bible says this in Romans 5:8-9, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified (declared righteous) by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”