Cannot imagine anyone not accepting the tenets of the Gospel summarized in the points of Calvinism. How one could read Eph 1 and not be a calvinist amazes me.
Premise: God is sovereign. Man is not God.
T - Man is dead and completely, utterly incapable of doing anything right in the sight of God. He is deserving and bound for hell, without hope or help.
U - God the Father, before creation, selected to show His grace. He knew (intimate loving relationship) an loved His chosen ones that would be shown grace, a small number of mankind
L - God the Son came to atone (take away) for the sin of those chosen by the Father. He did not lose one of them.
I - God the Spirit regenerates those selected and atoned for individuals, giving them repentance and faith so that they will come to Christ. Without this new nature, they cannot seek, come, call or even want to come (see "T" above). All men are commanded to repent and believe the Gospel. No one can "believe" without the gift of faith.
P - God the triune godhead will keep all those selected, atoned for and regenerated children of God for all eternity
BTW, I feel no pity for those who know the truth (like "whosover believes" is a mistranslation of the participles "the believing ones") and still purport and preach the error.
I believe man is totally depraved that all mankind were born with a sin nature and are sinners. That all mans righteousness are as filthy rags.
I don't believe God chose those who would and would not be saved, I believe based on His Omniscience that God predestinated those He knew would choose to believe on Christ to be the children of God. He Predestinated their place based on His foreknowledge (omniscience) as to the choices they would make.
I believe Christ atoned for the sins of all, changing the issue from a sin issue to a Son issue. Have you believed on the Son who paid for your sins and not yours only but the sins of the whole world.
I believe we are all saved by Grace. That God's Grace is available to all who will believe, but that the beckoning of the Spirt can be resisted and rejected by anyone. That many are called but few answer that call, therefore they are not chosen based on their rejection of Christ and it goes back to God's Omniscience.
I believe that once saved one cannot lose their salvation. That Christ holds us in his hands and the father holds us in His too. I believe a believer can become carnally minded but is still saved because we are kept safe because of our faith.
So as you see I don't believe in the T.U.L.I.P for several reasons. Mainly they have no scriptural backing, in fact scripture refutes many of the points.
I guess this would be the main one:
When Christ was judged on the cross for sins, He paid for the sins of the entire human race -- not just for the elect. Unlimited atonement is seen throughout scripture.
Romans 5: 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 4:9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
11These things command and teach.
Titus 2:11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
1 John 2:2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.