Moriah Primitive Baptist Church
Madison County, Georgia
The Doctrine of Grace
Grace is unmerited favor from a sovereign God.
The doctrine of grace proclaims that a child of God obtains eternal
salvation by unmerited favor, that is without input from man
- Rom 4:4, 2Tim 1:9, Titus
3:5. This doctrine agrees with the
four unbreakable links found in Romans 8:30:
Moreover whom He did predestinate (#1), them He
also called ( #2):
And whom He called, them He also justified (
#3): And whom He justified,
them He also glorified ( #4).
Observe: 1) Man’s input is not present in this four link chain, 2) No man is able to fall out of this four link chain, and 3) no man is able to join himself to this four link chain - Matt 19:26, John 10:29, John 6:44. Everyone of those predestinated makes it into heaven, and only those predestinated make it into heaven.
This
article will briefly summarize four approaches used to describe salvation by
grace. I have seen the doctrine of
grace presented in four different manners:
the TULIP, the three states of man, the five phases and the trinity.
All four perspectives agree. Some
of the approaches even have points in common, although each perspective views
the same precious jewel, eternal salvation, from a slightly different vantage
point.
The
TULIP Approach
The TULIP Approach
is by far the most prolific and recognized among Christian readers. This perspective is academic in nature and is usually
associated with Calvinism. TULIP is
an acronym for:
·
Total
Depravity - natural man is incapable of recovering himself,
·
Unconditional
Election - man does not
influence God’s decision,
·
Limited
Atonement - Christ died
for only some of mankind,
·
Irresistible
Grace - man can not
refuse God’s effectual call, and
·
Perseverance (preservation)
of the Saints -
every predestinated man will be glorified.
The following chart
divides salvation employing the TULIP approach:
The
Three States of Man Approach
The
Three States of Man Approach is
the most traditional of the four approaches.
This perspective is theological in nature. It expands upon the doctrine of Total Depravity and
consolidates deliverance. Man’s
three states are as follows:
·
Man in a state of innocence,
yet able to fall - Gen 1:26-31,
2:15-17
·
Man in a state of sin, not
able to recover - John 6:44, Rom
8:6-8
·
Man in a state of grace, not
able to fall - John 6:37-39, Rom
8:30-39
1. Man can not refuse the
election of God - Rom 9:10-18,
11:5-6
2. Man can not refuse the
redemption by Jesus - Matt 1:21, John 17:2
3. Man can not refuse the
effectual calling of the Holy Spirit. -
John 5:25, Eph 2:4-5
The following chart
divides salvation employing the Three States of Man approach:
The
Five Phases Approach
The
Five Phases Approach is a
relatively new approach. This
perspective is practical in nature and is most helpful to the individual that
likes to have the who, what, when, and where’s answered.
·
The
Planning Phase,
the 1st division of salvation, is when and where an elect group of
people is predestined to spend eternity with God.
·
The
Legal Phase,
the 2nd division of salvation, is when and where the sins of the
elect are atoned and the sinner’s penalty is satisfied.
·
The
Vital Phase,
the 3rd division of salvation, is when and where the child of God is
given spiritual birth, creating a new creature.
·
The
Practical Phase,
the 4th division of salvation, is when and where an elected,
purchased, regenerated child of God obeys.
·
The
Final Phase,
the 5th division of salvation, is when and where saints (dead &
alive) are reunited (body, soul, & spirit) with the Lord.
The following chart
divides salvation employing the Five Phases approach:
If
one were trying to determine when and where Paul was saved he would have given
five different answers;
a planning answer, a legal answer, a vital answer, a practical answer,
and a final answer. If one were to
have asked Paul when was he sanctified, adopted, or justified Paul could have given five different answers as shown below:
The
Trinity Approach
The
Trinity Approach was used to
answer Question #3 in the FAQ section of this web site and closely parallels the
five phase approach. This
perspective is functional in nature identifying the person in the godhead
responsible for different portions of our eternal salvation.
The trinity has been labeled in the following verses:
·
Moreover whom He did
predestinate (the Father),
them he also called: and whom he called (the Holy Spirit), them he also
justified: and whom he justified (Jesus Christ), them he also glorified (all
three members of the Trinity). - Rom 8:30
·
…
to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in
Jesus Christ, and
called (the Holy
Spirit) - Jude 1
·
Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of
the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ …
- 1Pet 1:2
This article written by Elder Dolph Painter, Pastor, Moriah Primitive Baptist Church
This site created by Steve McCannon. This page last updated 12/17/2004