Doctrines of Grace: Class 01 Introduction

Video Lesson:

What is Reformed theology? and What does it mean to be Calvinistic?These terms are often used interchangeably, but they are not identical. Many Christians describe themselves as Calvinist, others as Reformed, and some as both. Yet those labels carry more theological freight than we often realize.

To understand Calvinism properly, we first need to understand where it fits within the broader theological landscape of the Reformation, how it relates to covenant theology and confessionalism, and why it ultimately centers on the doctrine of salvation. Only then can we grasp what Calvinism actually teaches and why it matters.

What Is Reformed Theology?

When we hear the word Reformed, our minds naturally go to the Protestant Reformation. We think of figures like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli. All of these men played important roles in the Reformation movement, but they did not all agree on every theological point.

Because of that, Reformed theology is not simply a summary of everything all the Reformers believed. Rather, Reformed theology refers more specifically to the Calvinistic stream of the Reformation. Over time, that stream developed its own theological framework, confessions, and distinctives.

Historically speaking, Reformed theology is marked by three defining features. All three conveniently begin with the letter C.

First, Reformed theology is covenantal. Second, it is confessional. Third, it is Calvinistic.

Covenant Theology as a Framework

Covenant theology is a whole Bible framework that seeks to explain how Scripture fits together from Genesis to Revelation. It is not simply about individual covenants but about the overarching structure of redemptive history.

Classic covenant theology is built on three primary covenants. The first is the covenant of redemption, which refers to God’s eternal plan before creation to redeem a people for Himself through His Son. Scripture never uses the phrase “covenant of redemption,” but passages such as Ephesians 1 speak of God working all things according to the counsel of His will before the foundation of the world. The idea is theological rather than explicitly textual.

The second is the covenant of works, which is associated with Adam in the Garden of Eden. In this covenant, life was promised upon obedience and death upon disobedience. Again, the word covenant does not appear in Genesis 1–3, but the concept is inferred from the structure of God’s command and its consequences.

The third is the covenant of grace. According to classic covenant theology, everything after the fall of man falls under this category. God’s dealings with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and ultimately Christ are all viewed as gracious administrations of the same covenant of grace.

In this framework, the Old and New Covenants are not fundamentally different covenants but different administrations of the same covenant. This point becomes crucial when we discuss baptism and covenant membership.

Confessionalism and Reformed Identity

The second mark of Reformed theology is confessionalism. Historically, Reformed churches have articulated their beliefs in formal confessions of faith. The most influential of these is the Westminster Confession of Faith.

This is where Baptists must pause. Baptists cannot affirm the Westminster Confession, not merely because it teaches infant baptism, but because it is built upon a covenantal framework that Baptists do not share. The issue is not one isolated doctrine but an entire theological structure.

For that reason, Baptists who are Calvinistic are often described as not truly Reformed, at least in the capital R sense. There is some truth to that. Baptists did not simply inherit Reformed theology wholesale. They continued reforming, particularly in their understanding of the covenants and the ordinances.

Little “r” Reformed and Baptist Covenant Views

Baptists who embrace Calvinistic soteriology but reject classic covenant theology are often described as little r reformed. That distinction matters.

Within Baptist theology, there are several covenantal perspectives. Some twentieth-century Baptists attempted to adapt classic covenant theology into a Baptist framework. Others, often associated with the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, argued that the covenant of grace is properly identified with the New Covenant alone, while the earlier covenants point forward to it without being the same covenant.

Another approach, often called progressive covenantalism, emphasizes that the New Covenant is not merely new in time but new in substance. It fulfills and replaces the Old Covenant rather than functioning as its continuation. This view highlights the fact that the New Covenant makes the Old Covenant obsolete, as the book of Hebrews clearly teaches.

What unites these Baptist perspectives is a rejection of the idea that covenant membership automatically includes one’s children. That rejection directly affects the practice of baptism and the understanding of the church.

Why These Distinctions Matter

All of this matters because covenant theology shapes how we read the Bible. It determines how we understand the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the promises made to Israel, and their fulfillment in Christ.

Every promise of God finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. There are no promises that bypass Him or exist independently of Him. If Christ is the fulfillment of the promises, then our theology must be Christ-centered from beginning to end.

With that foundation laid, we can now turn to the third defining feature of Reformed theology: Calvinism.

What Does It Mean to Be Calvinistic?

Calvinism addresses a specific area of theology known as soteriology, which is the doctrine of salvation. It seeks to answer the question of how a sinner is saved and how that salvation is accomplished by God.

Calvinism is often summarized using the acrostic TULIP, representing five doctrinal points. Yet the labels themselves frequently create confusion. Total depravity, for example, does not mean that human beings are as evil as possible. Limited atonement sounds as though it diminishes the work of Christ. Perseverance of the saints can wrongly place the burden of faithfulness on the believer rather than on God.

To understand Calvinism properly, we must look beyond the labels and focus on the doctrines themselves.

Total Depravity and Radical Fallenness

The doctrine of total depravity teaches that man, in his natural condition, cannot respond positively to the gospel apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not a statement about how sinful a person appears outwardly, but about spiritual inability.

Human beings are capable of acts of kindness, courage, and self-sacrifice. Yet none of those acts bridge the spiritual chasm between sinful humanity and a holy God. Sin has affected every part of our nature, including the will.

A better term for this doctrine, coined by the late R.C. Sproul, is radical fallenness. When Adam sinned, humanity fell with him. Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin. That death spread to all because all sinned in Adam. In Adam, all die. In Christ, all who belong to Him are made alive.

This is why Scripture says we are born dead in our trespasses and sins. We are by nature children of wrath. That condition cannot be overcome by moral improvement or personal effort. It requires divine intervention.

The Necessity of Grace

If we do not understand the depth of the fall, we will never understand the necessity of grace. Salvation is not God helping willing sinners take the final step. It is God raising the spiritually dead.

This is why the Reformation emphasized the bondage of the will. The human will is not free in the sense that it can choose God apart from grace. It is bound to sin until God sets it free.

Once we grasp that truth, the rest of the doctrines of grace begin to make sense. Unconditional election flows from human inability. Irresistible grace flows from divine power. Perseverance flows from God’s faithfulness rather than human strength.

Conclusion

Calvinism is not a replacement for the gospel, nor is it a test of salvation. Faithful Christians can disagree on these doctrines while genuinely loving Christ. Yet Calvinism seeks to articulate what Scripture teaches about the seriousness of sin, the sovereignty of God, and the sufficiency of grace.

If our theology does not arise from Scripture, it must be changed. But if our theology does arise from Scripture, then it must be believed, taught, and defended with humility and confidence.

Understanding Calvinism is not about winning arguments. It is about understanding how a holy God saves helpless sinners for the glory of His name.