Biblical Calvinism

Biblical Calvinism and the Meaning of Reformed Baptist Theology

All right, so we are week 9 and our whole series is called what is a Reformed Baptist. Now we'll say this most of the time if you're out there in the highways and byways or whatever if you hear someone say I'm Reformed or I hold to Reformed theology probably what they mean or at least one thing they may mean is that they hold to the doctrines of grace.

I've tried to show you in this series that being a Reformed Baptist is so much more than just soteriology. Soteriology is the doctrine of salvation so so much more than soteriology. However what we're going to talk about tonight is an important component of being a Reformed Baptist and it's called biblical Calvinism.

So I don't know what when you hear that word what emotions you know. Maybe you're like well I don't even know what that means. Maybe some of you are like well is that bad like what does that mean. Well hopefully I explain it tonight most of people I would assume are on the same page but if not I'll have the opportunity to walk through some of this with.

You.

It wasn't long ago that Pastor Jacob taught on this in Sunday school. We went through the five solas and the five points of Calvinism. When was that brother. Was that like a year ago. About a year ago.

I don't remember so. Okay so well it's been a little while then. So anyway it's good be a good refresher. I'm going to try to do it in one. I'm going to try to do it in one lesson. So just to weigh in first Thessalonians 1, 4, and 5.

I'm just going to read it. We're not even going to come back to this text. Just kind of our starter text if you will. Paul says to the church in Thessalonica. For we know brothers loved by God that he has chosen you chosen that's the word for elect.

He has elected you he's chosen you. Well how do we know that you've been chosen because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of man we prove to be among you.

For your sake. I read that just to say that this kind of language is unavoidable in the Bible. It's in the Bible and we have to deal with it. So one time I remember a very sweet lady if I said her name some of you would know who she is.

She's never gone to this. Well maybe she used to go this church but way before way before I came here. But anyway she said to me one time you know well Quatro I just don't leave believe in predestination.

Well we got a pause for a second if you're a Christian you believe the Bible you believe in predestination. Now there are there are disagreements about what that word may mean but it's undeniable. It's in the Bible.

You understand. You can't you just like well I don't believe in Corinthians or whatever like well I mean that's it's a book of the Bible two books of the Bible. Right. You have to believe. Now we may have disagreements about what it means but it's there so Reformed Baptists subscribe to the doctrine of grace or as popularly termed in some circles Calvinism.

So I'll say this up front just get break the ice subscribe to this. We are Calvinist. However let me say two things about that one I wish the word wasn't necessary. Okay I just wish it wasn't. Secondly the word is so often misused and hated that I don't use it very often.

But if you give it the proper definition if I get to define it well then I am unapologetically Calvinist. And so is our confession of faith. The second London Baptist confession. But what's most important is it doesn't matter we could list all these names.

The names don't matter. The confession doesn't matter so much as what the scripture. If the Bible doesn't teach this then we need to reject it. Okay. So that's why I wish the word wasn't even necessary because of what I want to say is you know people like you just follow a man and I've trust the Bible.

And you're like stop I'm not following a man. There's much about Calvin's life that is good and we should learn from. And then there's some things that you say yeah I don't agree with that like baptizing babies.

But the point is I believe the Bible. I wish I could just say I'm a biblicist but fallen man has so misinterpreted and misapplied the scriptures that sometimes it's helpful to use terms. We use labels to understand what is meant.

And so tonight I'm just going to give an overview of biblical Calvinism. All right. So what is what do we mean by biblical Calvinism. I want you. So if someone says to you in the community if someone says you send you a message of like maybe some of you've got this I know the stuff goes out there sometimes like oh it was a Calvinist.

You know. You're like yes I know. And here's what that means. You know it was like he doesn't believe you pray or evangelize. Or you're just robots. Well that's not true. So hopefully I've proved to you that I don't believe those things by my actions.

The Sovereignty of God and the Confession’s Doctrine of Providence

All right. Number one biblical Calvinism. We mean first that God is God. No that sounds silly. Now let me explain that for just a moment. What I mean is that God really is who he says. He is in the scriptures.

He is eternal. He is unchanging. He is all-knowing. He is all-powerful. He is love. The attributes go on and on and on. God is God. This means that God is sovereign. Now this grates against human pride.

You know I want to be in control. You want to think that you've got your whole life together and everything that's happened in your life. You don't like. Well yeah it's me. And God helps me. Sometimes whatever you want you want to.

You want to be in control. And the Bible slaps you in the face and says you're not actually God's in control. I'll give you a couple verses. We could spend all night just on this but they're on your sheet.

Isaiah 46 9 and 10 I am God. And there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning. Now how can he declare the end from the beginning. And from ancient times things not yet done. Saying my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose.

How can he declare the end from the beginning. The text is not saying because he just knows it's gonna happen. But he's saying his what his counsel his counsel he will accomplish his purpose. Job. At the end of Job we got to love Job at the end of it he puts his hand to his mouth and he's humbled.

And he says to God I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. If anybody has the right to complain. You think well maybe it's Job. But then God shows up to Job is like where were you when I put Orion's belt on.

You know the stars in that amazing imagery. Where were you at when I laid the foundations of the earth. And and Job is humble and he says okay I get it. You are God and I'm not. No purpose of yours can be thwarted.

So biblical Calvinism is not letting God be God. You can't let God be God. Right. He's already God. You don't give him permission. Biblical Calvinism is acknowledging that God is actually God. Now I understand the arguments.

I've heard them I've dealt with them. I've held to this position for not 20 years but Steph and I have been married next week 19 years and so about 17 years. Then I would say 6 17. So I've heard all the arguments.

I've heard the questions like well God has set up the world in such a way that he man has free will and he just knows everything that's going to happen. Well I don't know of a better statement than the English in the English language than our own confession.

So this is on your sheet. But go read it and read the proof text. This is chapter 3 of our confession paragraph 1 and 2. From all eternity God decreed everything that occurs without reference to anything outside himself.

He did this by the perfectly wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably. Yet God did this in such a way that he is neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any in their sin.

This decree does not violate the will of the creature or take away the free working or contingency of second causes. On the contrary these are established by God's decree. In this decree God's wisdom is displayed in directing all things and his power and faithfulness are demonstrated in accomplishing his decree.

God knows everything that could happen under any given conditions. However his decree of anything is not based on foreseeing it in the future or foreseeing that it would occur under such condition. So this is here's the easiest way you can think of it.

God does not look down in time and learn something. You know that you know. God has never learned anything. God's never learned anything about you. God's never learned about you know. God doesn't have to do science experiments and learn and gather information.

He doesn't learn. He decrees he knows. So if you want a verse to go with this like well I don't know. Is this true. Well look at Ephesians 111. It's in. It's in your sheet Ephesians 111. In him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined.

That's a different issue. We'll deal with that later according to the purpose of him. Here's our issue. Who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Now I'm not being silly here. But what does God work according to the text.

What does God work according to the counsel of his will all things. Is that hard to wrap your mind around. I would actually argue that biblical Calvinism is not hard to understand. It's not for the elites or whatever.

It's not hard to understand. It's hard for fallen man to accept and understand and to submit to. So God has predestined his people and works all things works all things. What does this mean. Well first the word for works is in.

You could probably understand you could probably understand that word. You could hear what what English word comes from that word in or gay. Oh it's energy. It's by the energy of God. That's not a great way to put it.

It's his active working. So works all things. Is not if this coming at God. And he's just spinning all these plates. And he's like oh man this is coming up. And I didn't know Joseph was gonna get sold into slavery.

And how am I gonna figure all this stuff out. And just juggling. Juggling. Juggling. Throw him another chainsaw. And you're like no that's not how he's doing it. He's active. He's working all things according to the counsel of his own will.

This is God's universe. It's not yours. And he has ordered all things. Every particle of dust every presidential election every electric bill every water heater going out. He has ordered all this from eternity past in his sovereign decree in his eternal unchangeable sovereign plan.

Hi. You're just making no. No. This is what the text says. He works all things according to what the counsel of his will. So this universe is not operating haphazardly. It's not operating by the whim of Satan or whatever it functions.

Every planetary orbit every raindrop every meteor in the far reaches. Oh yeah. Is there some sort of alien spaceship barreling towards Earth right now. I don't know. I don't remember what's that one called h1b 625.

Whatever. Okay that's in the sovereign decree of God. He's not caught off guard. Every nail driven in the hands and feet of our Savior. It's all part of God's decree. Well that makes me have some. Okay I've got fun.

I've got some questions. What about cancer. What about childhood cancer. What about leukemia. They're reading a story today of George Bush senior daughter George Bush jr. Whatever. However you say their names.

His sister I forget her name. She passed away when she's less than four. She had leukemia. Okay what about these things. Okay. Well I have questions too. But I'm gonna give you four responses to that question.

One. God is unquestionably good. He is never the author of sin. He can never be accused of wrongdoing. Two. There are things that God has left us just simply not to know. You don't have a right to get to know all things.

That's why Deuteronomy 29 29 says the secret things belong to who Yahweh the Lord. Number three. God uses evil and wicked things to accomplish his good purposes. Okay. How is God using leukemia to accomplish his good purposes.

I don't know but I do know this. The the worst evil and atrocity in the history of man was the killing of the God-man Jesus Christ nailed to a cross of wood. And God has used that for the salvation of his people.

If God is able and he is to use the worst evil then he can use all for his good. And he does. And the good for sorry for the good of his people. In some way mysterious. And he does. And then fourthly I'm just kind of like if you have a question.

Well what about this. Well here's the fourth answer. If none of those answers work for you like I don't none of those those I still have questions. Okay. Number four. Then you have no right to answer back to God.

I'm not trying to be mean with it. But you're not God. God is not on trial. Don't treat God as though he's the one sitting on the bench and he's under oath. And you're standing there and you're pointing your finger at him and you're accusing him.

You have no right. He's the creator. You're the creature. If God is God and he is that means we're not. You're not the center of the universe. He is his glory is we'll not read it here for time's sake.

But I would also encourage you to go read chapter 5 on Providence in the Confession. It's beautiful. It's really good robustly biblical. And the question you need to ask yourself is if God isn't in control of everything how how are you trusting him.

Let's suppose there's one particle of dust. God is sovereign over everything. But there's one particle of dust in Perry County that he's not in control of. Well how do you know that that one particle of dust is not going to undo your entire day tomorrow.

They could. Of course we understand that God is sovereign even over that. So God is God. Second point biblical Calvinism understands that all sound doctrine ties together. All sound doctrine ties together.

Tom Hicks says the five points of Calvinism are inextricably linked with the doctrine of God the Bible's covenants the nature of Christ's work justification sanctification the church the last things etc.

So when someone says Calvinism what they usually mean is you believe in predestination. Well I do believe in that. It's in the Bible. I've already argued that it's a biblical term but the word means way more than that.

You know I'm a thousand-point Calvinist in the in the sense that all doctrine fits together. So you can't take a system and lay it over the Bible and make the Bible fit. Rather what we're doing is we are taking the Bible for what it says and articulating it rightly in all that it teaches.

Second Timothy 316 says all scriptures breathed out by God. All scripture breathed out by God and profitable. So there is much to glean from second Timothy 316. But one thing is all scripture is unified in its truth.

So we you can't just take one concept here one concept there and ignore the other parts. You need to have one unified understanding of the scriptures and it all goes together. This why there are some people who I would call Calvinist.

You know what I don't mind telling you. Some people try to hide these things but they shouldn't. The pastor at First Baptist Marlton he is a Calvinist. Okay he would he subscribes to these five points.

I'm going to say. But I would argue there's a difference between being a Calvinist and being reformed. So a Calvinist is over here. It's a subset reformed theology Calvinism falls in that and I've tried to show you we've spent eight weeks looking at other aspects of reformed theology.

Reformed Baptist theology and Calvinism is a subset of that. Does that make sense. So I differentiate between those two things. So not all Calvinist are reformed Baptist but all reformed Baptist are Calvinist.

Does that make sense. Hopefully that makes sense to you. Okay so third point. And this will spend the rest of time. This can be a super quick overview. Biblical Calvinism has a particular focus on soteriology.

Biblical Calvinism has a particular focus on soteriology. So soteriology is the doctrine of salvation. Okay so it's much broader than soteriology. I just said that but it does have a particular focus on soteriology.

The Five Points of Calvinism: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance

And this is where you get the so-called five points of Calvinism which are ordinarily summarized with the acronym TULIP. Okay T-U-L-I-P. So Calvinism I haven't told you this yet but I'll just explain it real quick.

It does get its name from John Calvin but he never wrote a book or anything like that called the five points of Calvinism. He did write a monumental work called the Institutes of the Christian Religion.

But he would not have called himself a Calvinist. Like if you saw John Calvin's like you're a you're the OG Calvinist. He might have slapped you. Right. No it's like he wouldn't have. He would not have saw himself as that and he would not have even liked that label.

So the term comes long after he's dead. And it really the five point the TULIP acronym at least the five points originates in the early 1600s in a in a meeting called the Canon of Doric where or the Synod of Doric and the canons of Doric come out of the Synod of Doric.

But the Synod of Doric was a response to a false teacher named Jacob Arminius and so they he gave his five points. They give their five points and that's that's how you get the five points of Calvinism.

But these five points that we're going to walk through are subscribed to by churches in various denominations Southern Baptists Presbyterians Dutch Reformed in years gone by even the Anglicans and the Methodists.

One of the early Methodists although he died before Methodism became its official thing. George Whitefield. But it's a staple belief of Reformed Baptists and I would argue it's our Baptist roots. Listen to this quote.

This is fascinating to me. How far we've moved this is comes from Thomas Kidd he says in 1793. So think about that barely after the inception of this nation in 1793 956 out of the 1032 Baptist churches in America were Calvinistic.

I don't know the math there but I mean that's like I mean that's very close to 95 right. 956 out of 1032 Baptist churches at the founding of our nation were Calvinist churches. So today what some people think is crazy.

I just tell you one time I was out there preaching I was out there preaching and a lady came out there and she was visibly upset and I didn't recognize her at first. Then I realized who she was and I was like you know hey is everything okay.

And she was like you're a Calvinist. You know. And I'm like look I'm out here preaching the gospel like you want to have. I mean we can have this discussion but can I evangelize right now and then. Maybe you know but she was just she was just very very upset about that.

And so I understand that people think that's crazy. But I would argue it's historical. It's our roots. It's and most importantly that and all that's whatever most importantly it's biblical. Tom Hicks wrote one may certainly believe the gospel without being a Calvinist.

But one cannot sufficiently explain and defend the gospel without those great biblical doctrines that go by the nickname of Calvinism. So the idea is you don't have to be a Calvinist to be a Christian.

I'm not saying I'll be clear clear clear clear clear. You do not have to be a Calvinist in order to be saved. Right. Everyone in heaven will be okay. But you don't have to be it. You understand what I'm saying.

I'm not okay. Don't don't misunderstand me about that. But I would say this all doctrine matters it matters. And so as Hicks notes the consistency and the biblical fidelity it's going to be compromised when one rejects these scriptural truths.

So reformed Baptist or Calvinist. Now what is biblical Calvinism. Well the focus on certain soteriology is often distilled to five points. Tulip t-u-l-i-p. When I walk through them it's gonna be real quick though.

So oh we got 15 minutes. Okay. T-u-l-i-p. Like it or lump it. It is what it is. That's the acronym. I think we could maybe come up with better terms at times. But these are pretty good. So number one it's all on your sheet.

Human Sinfulness and the Doctrine of Total Depravity

Total depravity. Number one total depravity. Total depravity. This is not saying that men are as sinful as they can possibly be but it is to say this total depravity. The entirety of man is tainted by sin.

What is affected by the fall. His mind his heart his will his affections his motivations. All of it every unregenerate person. Some are more sinful than others. We shouldn't balk at that. But all are totally sinful in every aspect of their being.

This has rendered them do the judgment of God. And it has also rendered them unwilling and unable to do any spiritual good. Read Romans 3 10 through 18. And Paul reiterates. None is good none is righteous.

No not one no one seeks for God. Ephesians 2 says that we're dead in our trespasses and sins. Romans 8 7 says that those who are in the flesh that is they don't have the Holy Spirit. Those who are in the flesh they cannot please God.

There's nothing a person can do. An unregenerate person can do to please God. Because whatever doesn't proceed from faith is sin. That's Romans 14. Even you help you help someone cross the street a little old lady you keep her from getting ran over.

Is that good. Well from our perspective certainly it's a good deed and you ought to do that. But it's not a meritorious deed. It's not spiritually good because the part the unregenerate person doing it is not doing it in faith.

They're doing it in spite of God rejecting him on your sheet. First Corinthians 2 14. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are folly to him. And he's not able to understand them.

Not able to understand them because they're spiritually discerned. Right. I understand people from our perspective they do nice things. They do good things. I used to use my dad as an example and I can't anymore because he went and got saved.

So anyway when he was lost I would say about my dad that he was one of the nicest guys I knew and he would help you. He would do. You know. Quote-unquote. From our perspective good things. But these weren't spiritually good.

They're not bring him closer to God in his heart he rejected God and he went his own way. I'm not just picking on my dad. That's all unbelievers. That's with me before I was converted. All of us and we would have nothing to do with God.

Unconditional Election According to Romans 8 and Ephesians 1

Secondly unconditional election. So we're walking through tulip t-u-l-i-p. So the u stands for unconditional election. You don't have a problem understanding those words. Election. Right. I choose this piece of paper and not that piece of paper.

Okay unconditional. I choose it based on my own prerogative. Nothing within the paper. Right. Okay. Romans 8 29 and 30. For those whom he foreknew he also here's the word pre destined. It means in the Greek what it means in the English.

What's it mean. Destined. What. What's the prefix. Feet pre mean before destined before. And it's just what it means. For those whom he foreknew he also pre destined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined he also called. And those whom he called he also justified. And those whom he justified he also glorified. Now some people say well see it says for no there. And so God foreknew everyone's choice.

But that's not what the text says. Look at it yourself. For those whom he foreknew so not the choice but the people. Those that the pronoun those is the people. So he foreknew a people in eternity past.

What does it mean. To foreknow him means he look for love them. He loved them. He set his love upon his church. He chose them out of the mass of fallen humanity. He predestined them that is chosen beforehand that they would be saved unconditionally.

Not based on what they did but on his own sovereign grace. Spurgeon put it this way. Some people are dreadfully frightened at that word predestination. It is to be wisely handled. But it is not to be gagged and sent into the corner as it is by some.

The whole of God's truth is to be declared. And whatsoever we find in this book that we are to state and the keeping back of precious truth will be required of such as are guilty of it. At the last great day they ever tell you about the time that I picked up the Lifeway Sunday School curriculum and it was going through Romans.

And I thought well I wonder what they have to say about these verses. I'm the pastor of this church and I am responsible for the teaching. So what is being said here. So I flip them. I flip open. I was like okay let's see what's being said.

And it stops at like Romans 825. And it doesn't. It skips Romans 9 which is another big passage of the sovereignty of God. And it comes back in around Romans 10. Like are you serious. It just skipped it all.

Why. Last two. Controversial. Well here's the reality. I'm not saying it's not controversial but I am saying we as your pastors have the responsibility to teach what the Bible says this what it says. So why do I believe in predestination.

It's in the Bible it's plain. You have questions. That's fine. You're wrapping your mind and your heart around this and that's fine. That's fine. But you can't deny it. Continue to wrestle with it. Our confession says it beautifully by God's decree and for the demonstration of his glory.

Some human beings and angels are predestined or for ordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ. This is chapter 3 paragraph 3. To the praise of his glorious grace. Others are left left. God doesn't have to force him to go to hell or whatever either.

They're left to their own sin. That's what. Very good well-written others are left to live in their sin leading to their just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice. These predestined and foreordained angels are people and people are individually and unchangeably designated and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or decreased.

Those people who are predestined to life were chosen by God before the foundation of the world according to his eternal and unchangeable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will. He chose him in Christ for eternal glory purely as a result of his free grace and love without anything else about them serving as a condition or cause moving him to do so you can read 2nd Timothy.

I put that chapter 1 verse 8 and 9. Let me just read Ephesians 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Even as he chose us in him chose us in him. So people say. Well he chose the vehicle of salvation. Our disanalogy one time. He chose the plane the plane to go from point A to point B. He chose the plane.

He didn't choose the people that would get in the plane. You make that decision. Okay. That's a fine analogy. Yeah. It's just not biblical. It doesn't say that. It does not say he chose the plane. It says he chose us the passengers.

He chose us in him before when before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved.

It's very very very plain. Number three. T-u-l limited atonement. You might think I was gonna spend the longest on this one. I'm not. It's very simple concept. Ephesians 525. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Who did Jesus give himself up for the church. Now the atonement is not limited in power but it is in efficacy. That is the intent was ultimately to save the church. To save the elect in Christ before the foundation world.

That's God's plan. Now if you say well how do you preach the cross. I preach the cross that there's enough power in the cross to save any soul. Any soul that will look to Jesus Christ in faith they'll be saved.

Guess what if they look to Jesus whosoever calls on the name of the Lord. You believe those verses. John 316. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Not only do I not only do I believe those verses. You have heard me preach those verses. Not only do I believe those verses. You have heard me from this pulpit sometimes almost in tears pleading with people to come to Christ.

You have heard me on the streets. You've heard me in the Christmas parade and the other parades. You've seen me go door-to-door. You have seen one of your pastors pleading with people to be saved. So if anyone tells you a Calvinist doesn't believe in evangelism you can say well look maybe there's some out there somewhere.

But not our pastors. You've seen it. Right. Well if you think that this means that you don't plead with people to be saved you misunderstand it. Some of the greatest missionaries in the history of the world have been a thousand-point Calvinist.

Right. I made up that term thousand point. But you understand. Okay. Number four. Irresistible grace. So t-u-l-i irresistible grace. This is not saying people don't reject God. Of course they do. Of course they resist God.

But what this particular phrase means is that the only way sinners come to Christ is when God effectually draws them by sovereign grace. John 644. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him.

Okay. No one can. No one has the ability to come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. And listen to this now. And I will raise him up on the last day. So you say well God draws everybody. No.

No. The text says that the ones God draws are the ones he what raises up. So there is a specific effectual drawing that happens upon God's people. It's not giving grace or faith to all persons this way.

This how some people think they just haven't really pushed it to the end. They said just kind of let it sit here simmer at the top of their little brains. And then they haven't pushed it through. And that is God just gives grace and faith to everybody.

And then we choose to act upon it. Hmm. Problem. What is the ultimate decider in the salvation of men. It's not the grace of God. It's men. They're the ultimate. Yeah. But God gives it's all grace. And then you choose to act upon it.

No. I give you an analogy. Real quick real quick. You got two people. One person is overweight. He goes to the doctor. The doctor says you're fat. And he's just a blunt doctor. It's RFK. And he says you're fat and you need to lose weight.

And the guy leaves the doctor's office and he says that hurt my feelings. But he's right. I'm fat. I need to lose weight. So he starts jogging. He starts eating good. He lifts weights. He does all that.

Six months later he goes in and he's lost 30 pounds. The doctor's like see good job. Who gets to glory. The doctor. No not the doctor. The doctor just said hey he gets to glory. Okay. The second scenario though is the man has a heart attack and he's laying.

He's coated. He's on the operating table. The doctor does everything in his power and he is able by his work and all the things that he's able to do. And it's a six hour surgery. And he finally everything's good.

And he brings the man back and healthy. And the man lives another 20 years. Who gets to glory. Then the man. What he do. Nothing. He coated. He was dead. He was on the operating table. You know he gets the glory of the doctor.

Now listen. He said not a analogy. But this is the analogy of God's work and irresistible grace. We are not the fat guy. We're not the fat guy. Say okay this is what we got to do. Okay. I'll do it. No.

We're the dead guy. We're the dead guy. And God is the one that brings us to life. That's irresistible grace. Okay. Salvation is by grace alone. God draws his elect by his grace. When he issues that effectual and irresistible divine summons.

They come just like Lazarus. Lazarus of your own will reach inside yourself and decide if you want to come out of the tip. That's not. That's not it. Lazarus come forth. Okay. Number five. T-u-l-i-p.

Perseverance of the Saints. Now I joke. Everybody's the one. Not everybody but every Baptist. Well that's not true either. Sorry. There's a free will badges. A lot of people subscribe to this one. At least perseverance of the Saints.