Since the days of the Reformation it has been customary for those of ‘The Reformed Faith’ to identify 5 particular doctrines of the Bible as being the very core and substance of God’s glorious revelation to man. They are spoken of as ‘The Five Points of Calvinism’ though they were understood to be central long before John Calvin was born!
They have been immortalised in the word TULIP. Each letter of that word is the initial letter of the 5 statements of the doctrines set forth in the Bible. The doctrines thus set forth are: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and the Perseverance of the saints.
You can see the word TULIP in the first letter of each doctrine stated.
Boys and girls, these are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES and if you can take in these truths and hold them in your heart and mind, then you will have a wonderful grounding in the TRUTH of God.
The first one is:
THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MANKIND
A hated truth. I have to say that this is a most hated doctrine for it declares that ‘there is no good thing’ in the unconverted sinner. Paul the apostle said of himself: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing,” Romans 7:18. For Paul to say that surely means that all men are as he and worse for he was one of the holiest believers that ever lived. For one of the purest of men to say that of himself means that utter sinfulness is universal amongst men. It is what stirred Cain to murder Abel. “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell,” Genesis 4:5.
This truth is hated because it hits at the PRIDE of man in himself. The Pharisee in the temple showed that pride. Luke 18:11-12. But man is fully described by God in Romans 3:10-19.
It is an essential truth. Without an embracing of this truth about ourselves none shall be saved. The man who has no sin has no need of a Saviour. We must accept wholeheartedly what Romans 3:23 says. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” and its companion text in Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Here is why ALL need to be saved.
It is a truth that God must teach men and women and boys and girls. We will not, cannot of ourselves see how utterly sinful we are. We are BLIND to our depravity. “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,” Ephesians 4:17-21. It is the Lord Jesus Who must teach us this truth about ourselves.
To see ourselves as God sees us is a humbling and indeed painful thing. David likened the experience of seeing his sinful self as like having his bones broken and being in danger of being cast out of God’s presence, Ps 51:8,11.
Without this humbling experience whereby our eyes are opened to our utter sinfulness we will not look to Christ for salvation.
Such was Lydia’s experience. Acts 16:14. Her heart was opened to obey the gospel.