The Canons of Dort and TULIP

The Canons of Dort are the judicial decision of the Synod of Dort (1618–1619) which formally articulated the Reformed position against Arminianism, resulting in what are popularly known as the Five Points of Calvinism. These points summarize the biblical teaching that salvation is entirely the work of God's sovereign grace.

The Origin of the Canons of Dort

The Canons of Dort were formulated in response to the 'Five Points of the Arminian Remonstrance,' which had challenged the traditional Reformed understanding of God's sovereign grace. The Synod of Dort convened to address these disputes, ultimately reaffirming that salvation is from God alone—a conviction rooted in the teaching that 'God is everything and man is nothing' (The Plan of Salvation — V. Calvinism). This defense was not merely academic but a pastoral effort to preserve the gospel of grace against a system that shifted the decisive factor in salvation from God’s purpose to man’s will.

The Five Points of Calvinism

These points serve to explain how God accomplishes the salvation of His people entirely by His grace (Eph. 1:4-6).

1. Total Depravity: Man’s nature is so corrupted by sin that he is spiritually dead, incapable of turning to God on his own (John 6:44).
2. Unconditional Election: God’s choice of those to be saved is based solely on His sovereign will, not foreseen human merit or faith.
3. Limited Atonement: Christ’s sacrificial death was intended specifically to secure the salvation of the elect.
4. Irresistible Grace: When God calls His elect, His Spirit works in them to make them willing to come to Christ, rendering the call effective.
5. Perseverance of the Saints: Because salvation is entirely God’s work, those He calls will certainly persevere in faith to the end (Romans 8:38-39).

A Gospel-Centered Perspective

At the heart of these doctrines is the comfort of the believer: we are more sinful than we ever dared believe, but more loved in Christ than we ever dared hope. As stated in the 1689 LBCF Ch.3 §6, the elect are 'kept by his power through faith unto salvation.' These doctrines do not lead to passivity but to profound gratitude. They reveal that because our salvation is anchored in the unchangeable will of God, it is secure, providing the believer with true peace in the face of their own weakness.