Salvation Belongs To Our God
In this six-week series, Pastor Cole Cleveland leads the church through a rich, biblical study of the doctrines of grace — the unchanging truths that reveal how God saves sinners from beginning to end. Often summarized by the acronym TULIP, these doctrines are not a system invented by man, but the consistent testimony of Scripture: salvation is all of grace, all of God, and all for His glory.
Lesson 1: The History of the Doctrines of Grace traces how the church has defended these truths from the days of Augustine and Pelagius to the Reformation and the Synod of Dort. In every generation, the same battle has been fought — between man’s pride and God’s sovereignty, between the false hope of human ability and the saving power of divine grace. We see that the doctrines of grace are not new ideas, but the historic faith of the church rooted in the Word of God.
Lesson 2: Total Depravity confronts us with the reality of human sin. Man is not morally neutral or spiritually weak; he is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1–3). Every part of his being — mind, will, and heart — is corrupted by the fall. Until we see the depth of our depravity, we will never understand the height of God’s mercy. The doctrine of total depravity humbles us and prepares us to worship.
Lesson 3: Unconditional Election reveals the sovereign grace of God in salvation. Before the foundation of the world, God chose a people for Himself in Christ, not based on foreseen faith, good works, or merit, but according to His purpose and love (Ephesians 1:4–6; Romans 9:11–16). Election is not cold fatalism; it is divine mercy. God chooses not because of us, but in spite of us — to the praise of His glorious grace.
Lesson 4: Limited Atonement (or Particular Redemption) teaches that Christ died not to make salvation possible but to actually secure it for His people. The cross was not a general attempt; it was a definite accomplishment. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). His atonement is sufficient for all, but efficient for the elect — completely satisfying divine justice and guaranteeing the salvation of those the Father gave Him.
Lesson 5: Irresistible Grace shows that the Holy Spirit effectually applies the redemption Christ purchased. When the Spirit calls, the sinner comes. The same power that said, “Let there be light,” shines into the hearts of the elect, bringing them from death to life (2 Corinthians 4:6). This grace is not coercion but liberation — setting captives free to love and obey Christ.
Lesson 6: Perseverance of the Saints concludes the series with the glorious truth that all whom God saves He keeps to the end. The believer’s security rests not in human effort but in divine faithfulness. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). Those whom the Father elected, the Son redeemed, and the Spirit regenerated will be preserved forever.
Together, these five doctrines form a single, unified confession: salvation belongs entirely to the Lord. The Doctrines of Grace deepen our worship, strengthen our assurance, and magnify our view of God. Because when we finally see that man is completely unable and God is completely able, our only response is humble worship:
“Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Psalm 3:8).
Lesson 1: The History of the Doctrines of Grace traces how the church has defended these truths from the days of Augustine and Pelagius to the Reformation and the Synod of Dort. In every generation, the same battle has been fought — between man’s pride and God’s sovereignty, between the false hope of human ability and the saving power of divine grace. We see that the doctrines of grace are not new ideas, but the historic faith of the church rooted in the Word of God.
Lesson 2: Total Depravity confronts us with the reality of human sin. Man is not morally neutral or spiritually weak; he is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1–3). Every part of his being — mind, will, and heart — is corrupted by the fall. Until we see the depth of our depravity, we will never understand the height of God’s mercy. The doctrine of total depravity humbles us and prepares us to worship.
Lesson 3: Unconditional Election reveals the sovereign grace of God in salvation. Before the foundation of the world, God chose a people for Himself in Christ, not based on foreseen faith, good works, or merit, but according to His purpose and love (Ephesians 1:4–6; Romans 9:11–16). Election is not cold fatalism; it is divine mercy. God chooses not because of us, but in spite of us — to the praise of His glorious grace.
Lesson 4: Limited Atonement (or Particular Redemption) teaches that Christ died not to make salvation possible but to actually secure it for His people. The cross was not a general attempt; it was a definite accomplishment. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). His atonement is sufficient for all, but efficient for the elect — completely satisfying divine justice and guaranteeing the salvation of those the Father gave Him.
Lesson 5: Irresistible Grace shows that the Holy Spirit effectually applies the redemption Christ purchased. When the Spirit calls, the sinner comes. The same power that said, “Let there be light,” shines into the hearts of the elect, bringing them from death to life (2 Corinthians 4:6). This grace is not coercion but liberation — setting captives free to love and obey Christ.
Lesson 6: Perseverance of the Saints concludes the series with the glorious truth that all whom God saves He keeps to the end. The believer’s security rests not in human effort but in divine faithfulness. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). Those whom the Father elected, the Son redeemed, and the Spirit regenerated will be preserved forever.
Together, these five doctrines form a single, unified confession: salvation belongs entirely to the Lord. The Doctrines of Grace deepen our worship, strengthen our assurance, and magnify our view of God. Because when we finally see that man is completely unable and God is completely able, our only response is humble worship:
“Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Psalm 3:8).
Articles
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 7
November 10th, 2025
Key ScripturesEphesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”Romans 9:15–16 – “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”Jo...
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 6
November 8th, 2025
Key ScripturesRomans 9:11–16 – “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls… So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”John 10:14–15, 26–29 – “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me… and I lay down my life for the s...
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 5
November 6th, 2025
Key ScripturesRomans 1:16–17 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of wor...
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 4
November 5th, 2025
Key ScripturesRomans 4:4–5 – “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”Ga...
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 3
November 3rd, 2025
Key ScripturesRomans 3:10–12 – “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”Ephesians 2:1–5 – “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved ...
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 2
November 1st, 2025
Key ScripturesEphesians 1:3–6 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will...
The Historical Tracings of the Doctrines of Grace | Part 1
October 30th, 2025
Key ScripturesJonah 2:9 – “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”Romans 9:15–16 – “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human wil...