Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace Paperback – 20 Sept. 2013

A wonderful introduction on the 5 points of Calvinism it more importantly, the function of God’s grace in our lives as believers.

I really enjoyed the book. It was very simple to understand. I would recommend to anyone wanting learn about the 5 points of Calvinism

Although this book is challenging, I believe it to be a true reflection of the Bible. Christ's church today needs to realise the glorious truth of being His chosen and cherished bride.

excellent book,easy to read and understand ,for anyone that struggles to understand why they are saved and others are not this book answers all questions

Bought for someone,,it was not for me, don't know if the reader enjoyed it or not as it was a present at Christmas

great

Good quality product. Will do business with this company again.

excellent book!!!!

John Piper's treatment of this somewhat taboo subject is so easy to read, follow, and understand. The reader is brought to gain a proper perspective of God's absolute and total sovereignty.

An excellent summary of the scriptural basis for the doctrines of election. To all wrestling with this issue I strongly reccomend either reading his books or listening to John Piper's talks to get the best representation of the Reformed side of the debate.

Great primer on the 5 points of Calvinism from a new reformed perspective. I used it as a part of my devotional material as it is broken down into nice bite-sized sections.

We will leave it to future church historians to determine the reach and impact of the recent renewal of Reformed theology. While we do not know if, when or how it will fade out, we do know that John Piper has been one of the men at the forefront of the movement. His books, his sermons and his conferences have been instrumental in raising awareness of Reformed theology and in making it downright exciting. In his new book Five Points, Piper offers his explanation and defence of Calvinistic doctrine.One of Piper’s great strengths in representing and defending Calvinistic theology has been in not merely defending this doctrine, but in making it lead to wonder and to worship. “My experience is that clear knowledge of God from the Bible is the kindling that sustains the fires of affection for God. And probably the most crucial kind of knowledge is the knowledge of what God is like in salvation.” Of course this is what the five points of Calvinism are about—“not the power and sovereignty of God in general, but his power and sovereignty in the way he saves people,” which is exactly why these doctrines are commonly referred to as the doctrines of grace. He insists that he does not begin here as a Calvinist who sets out to defend a system, but as a Christian who holds the Bible above any system of thought.As with many modern Calvinists, Piper does not love the TULIP acronym that has become synonymous with Calvinism. He steps away from the acronym and the standard order, saying “I have found … that people grasp these points more easily if we go in the order in which we ourselves often experience them when we become Christians.”1) We experience first our depravity and need of salvation.2) Then we experience the irresistible grace of God leading us toward faith.3) Then we trust the sufficiency of the atoning death of Christ for our sins.4) Then we discover that behind the work of God to atone for our sins and bring us to faith was the unconditional election of God.5) And finally we rest in his electing grace to give us the strength and will to persevere to the end in faith.In short, here is how he explains each of the points:1) Total Depravity: Our sinful corruption is so deep and so strong as to make us slaves of sin and morally unable to overcome our own rebellion and blindness. This inability to save ourselves from ourselves is total. We are utterly dependent on God’s grace to overcome our rebellion, give us eyes to see, and effectively draw us to the Savior.2) Unconditional Election: God’s election is an unconditional act of free grace that was given through his Son Jesus before the world began. By this act, God chose, before the foundation of the world, those who would be delivered from bondage to sin and brought to repentance and saving faith in Jesus.3) Limited Atonement: The atonement of Christ is sufficient for all humans and effective for those who trust him. It is not limited in its worth or sufficiency to save all who believe. But the full, saving effectiveness of the atonement that Jesus accomplished is limited to those for whom that saving effect was prepared. The availability of the total sufficiency of the atonement is for all people. Whosoever will—whoever believes—will be covered by the blood of Christ. And there is a divine design in the death of Christ to accomplish the promises of the new covenant for the chosen bride of Christ. Thus Christ died for all people, but not for all in the same way.4) Irresistible Grace: This means that the resistance that all human beings exert against God every day (Rom. 3:10-12; Acts 7:51) is wonderfully overcome at the proper time by God’s saving grace for undeserving rebels whom he chooses freely to save.5) Perseverance of the Saints: We believe that all who are justified will win the fight of faith. They will persevere in faith and will not surrender finally to the enemy of their souls. This perseverance is the promise of the new covenant, obtained by the blood of Christ, and worked in us by God himself, yet not so as to diminish, but only to empower and encourage our vigilance; so that we may say in the end, I have fought the good fight, but it was not I, but the grace of God which was with me (2 Tim. 4:7; 1 Cor. 15:10).Each of these points is not only explained and defended, but also celebrated. The passion that has marked so much of Piper’s ministry is fully present here; his desire is to elevate God and to draw his readers to see and revel in the glory of God. As the book draws to a close he provides a personal testimony of “What the five points have meant for me.” Here he describes how rightly understanding God’s sovereignty in salvation has led him to stand in awe of God and has led him into the depth of true God-centered worship; how these doctrines make him marvel at his own salvation; how they make him alert to any man-centered alternatives to this good news; how they make him hopeful that God has the will, the right and the power to answer prayer; and so much else.Five Points was edited and published on the far side of the Atlantic and as with Finally Alive before it, I immediately noted a difference—a good difference. I consider Five Points as readable and enjoyable a book as Piper has ever written. He covers those five doctrines that have been the subject of so many books, but does so with a kind of fire, an infectious enthusiasm for the display of God’s splendor. This is sound doctrine in the hands of a skilled and passionate writer and it makes a great combination.

I remember fighting the doctrines of grace in Bible College. Perhaps it was the moniker, "Calvinism" that put me on edge. I remember believing in perseverance1781912521_b of the saints (inconsistently I might add), but rejecting the other points of Calvinism. While I affirmed the doctrine of sin, like all Arminians - I refused to embrace the doctrine of radical depravity. I held to election according to foreknowledge but denied the doctrine of unconditional election. I believed that God's grace could be resisted in an ultimate sense (which is rooted in a robust belief in libertarian free will) and I found the doctrine of limited atonement deplorable.I remember battling with my roommate in Bible College, mustering every argument I could to defend my rather fragile Arminian stance. However, it the late 80's my Arminian worldview came came apart at the seams. First, the book of Romans dealt a devastating blow to my man-centered theological views. Ephesians, the Gospel of John, and Galatians moved in and graciously woke me up. R.C. Sproul's book, Chosen by God confirmed what I was learning about the doctrines of grace and God's redemptive purposes. John Piper's book, The Pleasures of God played a huge role in my thinking during those days.Five Points by John Piper is a short but powerful summary of the doctrines of grace. The author's aim is to "persuade the mind concerning biblical truth and thus awaken a deeper experience of God's sovereign grace." And he succeeds at every level. The historical roots of the debate are explored which provide a helpful context context to this much debated topic. Piper maintains, "These five points are still at the heart of biblical theology. They are not unimportant. Where we stand on these things deeply affects our view of God, man, salvation, the atonement, regeneration, assurance, worship, and missions."The next five chapters unpack the doctrines of grace, carefully. While Piper rightly utilizes logic, the main driver is Scripture - which supports the five points throughout. The arguments are clear and compelling and serve to magnify the greatness of God's worth and lead worshippers to a deeper experience of God's grace.Piper includes some helpful personal reflections and shares how the doctrines of grace have revolutionized his life:1. These truths make me stand in awe of God and lead me into the depth of true G0d-centered worship.2. These truths help protect me from trifling with divine things.3. These truths make me marvel at my own salvation.4. These truths make me alert to man-centered substitutes that pose as good news.5. These truths make me groan over the indescribable disease of our secular, God-belittling culture.6. These truths make me confident that the work which God planned and began, he will finish - both globally and personally.7. These truths make me see everything in the light of God's sovereign purposes - that from him and through him and to him are all things, to him be glory forever, and ever.8. These truths make me hopeful that God has the will, the right, and the power to answer prayer that people be changed.9. These truths remind me that evangelism is absolutely essential for people to come to Christ and be saved, and that there is great hope for success in leading people to faith but that conversion is not finally dependent on me or limited by the hardness of the unbeliever.10. These truths make me sure that God will triumph in the end.In the end, John Piper makes his point and leaves no room for misunderstanding. This powerful little primer deserves a wide readership and is destined to help many as their navigate their way to the Celestial City. Soli Deo Gloria!