Denominations

I had a conversation with my son the other day about Christian Denominations.  He was a bit confused about why there were so many denominations and what they all mean.  He asked such a broad question that I think he may have been angling for staying up later than usual on a school night, but it prompted a lively conversation for a bit.  We didn’t finish the whole conversation as bedtime intervened.

I thought a lot about our conversation after he was in bed.  And I thought about my own experiences with different denominations over the years.

To be clear, I currently attend an Evangelical Presbyterian Church and feel I am unlikely to ever leave.  Even were I to move I would seek out an EPC church in a different location.  Growing up, my family attended Methodist churches.  I think this was mostly a default as my grandfather was a Methodist minister all my growing up years.  Later in life, I attended Baptist churches and non-denominational churches.  I came to the EPC with my wife after attending a non-denominational “Bible” church where we met and were married.

I’ve discovered in the EPC a love for Calvinist thought on scripture.  The acrostic TULIP which is at the heart of Calvinist thought on Salvation fits best with Scripture as far as I can understand it as a layman.  For those of you who aren’t familiar, I’ve included a brief explanation of TULIP below.

T – Total Depravity.  Mankind is totally depraved and incapable of any good thing apart from God.  We are corrupted by sin that has twisted every aspect of our being.  R.C. Sproul referred to this as “radical corruption”.

U – Unconditional Election.  This is the hardest one for me to wrap my mind around.  God chooses to save certain sinners based on nothing about them.  His saving choice is not based on any good in us.  He did not choose us because He knew we would choose Him.  His love is completely unconditional and therefore will never cease.

L – Limited Atonement.  Not everyone is saved.  Salvation is for those God chooses to save.  Not everyone is saved by Christ’s atonement for our sin.

I – Irresistible Grace.  God’s grace is irresistible to us and cannot be thwarted.  If God wants us in His family, we will be in His family and we are unable to resist His call.

P – Perseverance of the Saints.  Ultimately, those who are called, justified, and saved by God’s irresistible grace will persevere until the end.  God will not allow any of His elect to fall away permanently.  We may struggle for a time and even turn from God for a time.  But in the end, we will be His.

This is obviously a very short description, but it gives you the high points.  I have found this to be such a comfort.  Knowing that God is in control, and all ultimately depends on Him has deepened my relationship with Him and helped me to overcome my fears and doubts.  I know that I am flawed.  I see evidence of it every day!  Yet I can rest in the love and work of Jesus Christ who has overcome all things.