About TULIP and Calvinism ...

Calvinism is not a theology... 

Calvinists will never identify with this title because they are not followers of Calvin but rather of Jesus Christ. Calvinists are simply a name attached to Christians in the Reformed tradition.

Some associate the acronym TULIP with John Calvin. That is not correct.

The TULIP-principles forms only a small section of the entire Reformed doctrine and it cannot fully describe the Reformed doctrine either.  The TULIP-principles originates from the Canons of Dort.  The Canons of Dort originated from a dispute between Arminianists and Reformed Churches.   Arminianism is based on the views of Jacobus Arminius and his supporters.

The  Synod of Dordrecht (Dort) (1618–1619) of the Dutch Reformed Church settled the controversy. The Synod had members representing Reformed groups from Europe and Britain. Among these groups were also Anglican delegates from the Church of England and the Church of Scotland.

The Synod concluded with a rejection of the Arminian views and concluded that:

•        total depravity 
•        unconditional election
•        limited atonement 
•         irresistible grace
•        and perseverance of the saints are biblically supported views.

T - Total Depravity

Humanity is stained by sin in every aspect: heart, mind and body. This means that no one can save him or herself. Humans do not have free will to choose for God. God must intervene to save people.

U - Unconditional Election

God chooses who will be saved. God picks them out of His sovereign will and gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He has selected to belong to Him.

L - Limited Atonement

Jesus Christ died for all the sins of those who belong to Him. His death was a substitutionary act in the place of those who belongs to Him.

I - Irresistible Grace

God’s grace cannot be resisted by those who belong to Him. God brings salvation through an internal call, which they are powerless to resist. The outward call to salvation is made to everyone who hears the Gospel. But the Holy Spirit brings to those who belong to Him a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation.

P - Perseverance of the Saints

Those who belong to God are kept in faith by the power of God and they can therefore persevere to the end. It is technically God who perseveres, not the saints themselves, because Christians always rely on the power of God.

Arminianists believe that:

1. Man is never so completely corrupted by sin. He can choose to believe the gospel when it is put before him,
2. nor is he ever so completely controlled by God that he cannot reject it.
3. God's election of those who shall be saved is prompted by His foreseeing that they will of their own accord believe.
4. Christ's death did not ensure the salvation of anyone, for it did not secure the gift of faith to anyone (there is no such gift); what it did was rather to create a possibility of salvation for everyone if they believe.
5. It rests with believers to keep themselves in a state of grace by keeping up their faith; those who fail here fall away and are lost. It offers no certainty because it depends on the person - not God.