In this article I will try to explain the Biblical Doctrines Of Grace (or T.U.L.I.P.) in a way that I hope you will be able to understand.
Total Depravity of Man
The first is Total Depravity of Man.
The Bible says that mankind is dead in his trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1 - 3 states this: "1 And you [hath he quickened,] who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."Another passage that speaks of the Total Depravity of Man is in Romans. Romans 3:10 - 12 reads: "10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Verse 10 is, I believe, a quotation of Isaiah 41:26 where we read: "26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, [He is] righteous? yea, [there is] none that sheweth, yea, [there is] none that declareth, yea, [there is] none that heareth your words."
Colossians 2:13 also proclaims that mankind is dead in his trespasses and sins as Paul speaks to them at Colosse: "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses"
Unconditional Election
So we have established, using Biblical evidence, the Total Depravity of Man. This brings us to the next of the Biblical Doctrines of Grace; Unconditional Election.
Again and again in the Bible God makes mention to his "elect" or his "chosen people" (Isaiah 42:1, 45:4, 65:9, 65:22, Matthew 24:24, 24:31, Mark 13:20, 13:22, Luke 18:7, Romans 8:33, Colossians 3:12, 2 Timothy 2:10, Titus 1:1, 1 Peter 1:2, 2:6, 2 John 1:1, 1:13, 2 Chronicles 6:6, Isaiah 43:20, Jeremiah 33:24) and he makes clear that it is not us who do the electing or choosing. God says in John 15:16: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you..." But perhaps the best supporting verse is Ephesians 2:8-9, where we read: "8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Not only does this mean that God only will only save "his elect" but it also means that God saves us and not we pray a sinners prayer, or do good works, or be sufficiently holy or any of that (Galatians 2:16). If God saved someone simply because they did "good works" then there would be, in a sense, respect of persons. And the Bible makes it very clear that "... there is no respect of persons with God." A host of other verses support this: Deuteronomy 1:17, Deuteronomy 16:19, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Proverbs 24:23, Proverbs 28:21, Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, James 2:1, James 2:9, 1 Peter 1:17.
Limited Atonement
Another thing about the idea of salvation by works is it violates the next Biblical Doctrine Of Grace, Limited Atonement.
Limited Atonement is the one that scares people the most. Very few people want to accept this one as Biblical Truth. Many who would deny this doctrine point desperately to Philippians 2:12 which says: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." And they put special emphasis on the words "...work out your own salvation..."
But while this verse may seem to support the idea of unlimited atonement we must search through the Bible to see if we can find harmony with what the rest of the Bible says. And in the very next verse we get a statement that puts the previous verse in harmony with what the Bible says about Limited Atonement: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure."
But this is not the only verse which supports Limited Atonement. The very doctrine of Unconditional Election supports Limited Atonement (hint: the Election part) so many of the same Scriptures that apply to Unconditional Election apply to Limited Atonement. Also, in the Old Testament, when God speaks of the "...remnant of Israel..." many times they are being used as a picture of God's elect. Jeremiah 31 verses 7 - 11 are a good example: "7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. 9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock. 11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he."
This is language speaking of salvation and it is directed at "...the remnant of Israel." Not the nation of Israel, not the children of Israel, no, here it says the remnant of Israel.
Christ did not endure Hell for the entire human race, he endured Hell for "...his people..." (Matthew 1:21)
Irresistible Grace
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. This verse sets forth the next of the Biblical Doctrines of Grace, Irresistible Grace.
The doctrine of Irresistible Grace in the Bible teaches us that if God has elected a man or woman (Unconditional Election) then that man or woman will become saved. And there is nothing that man or woman can do to prevent themselves from being saved (why would anyone want that?).
This doctrine also ties very closely with the next and last one, Perseverance of the Saints, which we'll get to in a minute.
But to get back to Irresistible Grace, John 6:37 sets it out very plainly: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me..." John chapter 6 provides much strong evidence for this doctrine, many of the passages apply directly to the next Biblical Doctrine of Grace also. Let's look at another.
Verse 44 says: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." This verse seems to speak of all five Biblical Doctrines of Grace. Take a look. "No man can come to me..." this is T (Total Depravity of Man). "...except the Father which hath sent me draw him:..." this is U (Unconditional Election) and L (Limited Atonement). "...and I will raise him up at the last day." And this is I (Irresistible Grace) and P (Perseverance of the Saints, which I'll get to in a moment). This is very plain language, it is teaching us that if God is going to save someone, then "the Father" will "draw him" and it is impossible to prevent God from saving that person.
Perseverance of the Saints
This brings us to the final Doctrine of Grace, Perseverance of the Saints. For starters examine John 6:44 again. Good. Now consider the following passage: "39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." That was John 6:39-40.
Now pay special attention to the words "...raise him up at the last day..." these are the key words to the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. This doctrine is what God teaches us (through the Bible) that once he has saved a person, nothing can cause that person to lose his/her salvation. Nothing. If that person is truly saved then he/she can never lose their salvation. The Bible says "...every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." Once a person is saved it is forever and God will "...raise him up at the last day."
Other verses we find that support Perseverance of the Saints are John 10:27-29: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." and Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Conclusion
The mankind is dead in his trespasses and sins. God did not look down through the corridors of Time to see which people did enough good works or prayed sinners prayers or even repented, he simply chose those who would be his elect unconditionally. Christ's enduring the wrath of God starting in the garden of Gethsemane and ending with his words "...it is finished..." (John 19:30) was only to pay for the sins of those who were God's elect. When God chooses to save one of his elect, there is nothing that the as-yet unsaved man or woman can do to frustrate God's plan of saving them. And likewise there is no way that, after becoming saved, they can lose their salvation, but God will raise them up at the last day.