TULIP, These tenets assert that humans are inherently sinful,
This is true: man is born into a state of separation from God, and even worse, he has not the righteousness by which he could be deemed sinless.
And that distinction might be worth considering: That man is inherently sinful does not equate to "He can do no good," and I think that is the extreme that is forced when trying to reject man's sinful condition.
Even when we are made one with Him, we are still sinful. I've yet to meet the person that lives without sin in its entirety. The only Sinless One is Christ. We are righteous in Him, based on His righteousness, never ours.
that God chooses who will be saved without considering any merit or action on their part,
What merit or action have you now, in the past, or in the future to offer to Christ that you might bring His Work to a point in which it can save you?
I'll be honest, this is surprising to me, that one might think they contribute to the Work of Christ.
that Christ’s sacrifice was specifically for those chosen by God,
Ultimately that is true. You shouldn't let it bother you that there are those who go to extremes in doctrine, and you should be careful you don't fall into that trap. This happens usually because someone has adopted a system and are unwilling to allow for error in that system.
R.C. Sproul embraced TULIP, but thought the "P" should be changed to Preservation. Because he acknowledged the implication of error in perseverance.
that God’s grace cannot be resisted,
It cannot be, if that is God's intent. He allows men to reject His grace, but there are times when He does not. Jonah is a good example. Peter as well. And let's not forget Paul. Paul did not set out on the road to Damascus with the intention of becoming a believer.
and that those elected by God will persevere until the end.
It's just a fact. If you have embraced the doctrine of the L.O.S.T. (Loss of Salvation Teachers) I would be glad to discuss it with you.
Going back to Sproul (and I am at odds with some of his views, but the man was a great teacher, and worth giving a listen to), he attributed the persevering to God and His grace.
That man, contrary to scripture, does nothing in regard to his salvation. Only God saves but He only saves those that first believe in Him.
I don't think that accurately represents the view of many who embrace TULIP. Many believe that men must first be regenerate in order to believe. I myself take the position that the event of salvation in one's life works in this order: God intervenes in the life of the unbeliever (who cannot understand the spiritual things of God, thus cannot benefit from the only thing that can save him on an eternal basis—the Gospel) through the Ministry of the Holy Ghost, Who reveals to that unbeliever the truth of the Gospel. Apart from this ministry the natural man cannot believe, because he cannot understand truth in reality. The next step is reactionary: the unbeliever—believes. Belief and faith go hand in hand. Both are results of God's convicting ministry (John 16:7-8). My favorite analogy for this is, if I threw a bucket of icewater on you on a hundred degree day, your knowledge that it was cold would be a result of my actions. So too, with the Comforter's ministry, belief is not optional. The unbeliever knows he is a sinner, that Christ is righteous, that Hell is real and that he is headed for it.
And it is at this point that man can exercise that inherent ability he does have: he can reject the truth.
Hebrews 10:26-29
King James Version
26 For if we sin wilfully
after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
2 Peter 2:20-22
King James Version
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Both passages show a willful rejection of the truth they have received. Hebrews compares the truth revealed to those under the (Covenant of) Law with those who have received the truth of Christ as delivered them by the Spirit. And it will be worse judgment for those rejecting truth than for those who rejected the Law.
The bottom line being, no man is born with an ability to understand the spiritual things of God, and at the peak of that mountain is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One might have an intellectual understanding, but they will not know the truth as described in Scripture. A man can know that pregnancy is painful, but he cannot know as a woman does.
I am not trying to offend, just trying to help. I would suggest, based at the animosity being displayed, that discussion is not at this time profitable for you. You might want to step back a bit. I'd also point out that we are going to find those on the forums who get their kicks antagonizing others. They have no real intention of learning more about Christ, or of teaching others about Him. They simply get their jollies upsetting other people. If we cannot interact with others without getting upset ourselves, we have only ourselves to blame. And when our doctrine is sound, we find there is no need to get upset.
Doctrinal debate is a great way for us to learn, because it is good for us to have our views challenged. Everyone can learn something from everyone. The question is, do we want to learn, or simply defend a system, or our personal views. There's enough of that going around already, which explains why brothers and sisters in Christ are at each others' throats. How are we going to change the world like that?
God bless.