The Disappearance of a Pied Piper

Sweet Perfume of The TULIP

"Let's review and move forward, Pace," Bud said. "The Lord will choose whom He wishes to be near Him forever. Since we are completely dead, spiritually, we don't have any idea of what He is doing, until He regenerates one of us unto faith. 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV) Please, be aware that both Grace and Faith are the Gift of God. There will be no bragging in the Presence of the Lord."

"Why can't we do anything to be saved?" Pace asked. "We might miss out on it if we don't try something, isn't that right?"

"From the human perspective you're right, but God doesn't operate on a human perspective," Bud said. I've been out on accident calls in which one of the people (or multiple people) in the vehicles had died. That individual couldn't try something in order to come to life, again. The only hope for a dead person on the side of the road is for an EMT to put 200 joules into the chest, praying that the Lord would bring the person back to life. Death requires the intervention of someone, who is alive. Total Depravity is Total inability to do or see anything spiritually until God puts life into the spirit."

"How do I know, if God has put this life into me?" Pace asked.

"That's the next letter, the U of TULIP, which means Unconditional Election," Bud said. "This points to the homeowner, who will only let into his house, those He chooses to let into his house. This, also, emphasizes the fact, that dead people in car crashes do not will themselves alive, again. They are not alive until a skilled EMT resuscitates the individual. Unconditional Election points to the Free Will of God, Who saves, Whom He will, and lets the rest alone to choose their own will."

"Is God capricious?" Pace asked.

"Hardly. He is the wise master builder, who plans how He will build His house, putting into His house everything in His Wisdom, that He knows is the best, leaving all other materials out of the construction of His House," Bud said. "In this case, God is creating a wife for His Son, Jesus, the Christ. He only wants the best individuals to be part of The Bride of Christ, since He created each of these individuals to be the best."

"Still. It doesn't seem fair," Pace said, "to choose some, and to not choose the rest."

"It doesn't seem fair from the human perspective, Pace," Bud said, "but, again, God is not bound by the human idea of fair. In the ancient world, the Father in the family would choose a bride for his son, since his perspective, included years of wisdom. The Father wanted the best for his son, and the choice was not made until the best choice was chosen."

"This is hard to grasp, Bud," Pace said.

"I know, Pace," Bud said. "Let's press on to the L in TULIP. As we move further through these concepts a lightbulb may turn on. Be patient with yourself, and with me, your teacher. I'm still learning how to express the TULIP. The L stands for Limited Atonement. This means that Jesus shed His Blood on the cross only for the ones, who had been chosen, and who would be saved in God's perfect timing."

"You mean He didn't die for the sins of everybody in the world?" Pace asked. "That would mean it's not like I've always heard, 'Salvation is an election. God has voted for you. Satan has voted against you. How do you vote?"

"That's a great illustration for Arminian pastors, who don't follow the TULIP, and who believe, that anyone can be saved, if 'You will receive Jesus into your heart, trusting Him as your Lord and Savior.'"

"Again, I ask. I can't get saved anytime I want to get saved?" Pace said.

"Sadly, Pace, we humans think way too much of our abilities in every realm of life," Bud said. "Follow the progression. (Total Depravity) Dead spirits can know nothing and can do nothing. (Unconditional Election) God is the Only One, Who can choose to do anything and everything for the dead spirit. (Limited Atonement) Jesus is wise with the dispensing of His Perfect, Royal Blood. He wastes nothing. To bleed for the soul, who would ultimately go to Hell would be to waste Jesus' Precious Shed Blood. The L of the TULIP is a strong declarative, that Jesus Alone has the wisdom to save 'lost sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins.' He chooses, Who He will, and he leaves the rest to choose for themselves what they really want. The chosen have Jesus' Blood applied to their spirits with their names written in The Lamb's Book of Life, since the Foundation of the world. The dead can't choose for Jesus. Jesus chooses The Elect, and saves The Elect, based on the Blood of Jesus, Who paid the sin-debt and placed substitutionary Perfection on that same spirit. As the old hymn, 'Rock of Ages' goes, 'to save from wrath and make me whole.'"

"I feel kind of helpless, regarding what I've heard," Pace said.

"I can understand that," Bud said, "but wouldn't you rather have the Wisest Person in all of Eternity to choose for you, since His choosing can't be undone, and salvation, that He affects can never be lost, ever?"

"When you put it that way, it does seem much more comforting," Pace said, "but can I ever be sure, that I have been saved?"

"Yes," Bud said. "Do you care about these things, Pace?"

"I'm starting to care," he said.

"But you haven't always cared about these things have you?" Bud asked.

"No," Pace said.

"How did your heart change?" Bud asked.

"Oh. Jesus changed my heart," Pace said. "Does this mean, that I've been regenerated?"

"There's reason to believe you have been, based on your new affections," Bud said. "Let's go on to the last two letters of the TULIP. Only The Holy Spirit can confirm the Truth in your heart."

"What's next in this acrostic?" Pace asked.

"The I of Irresistible Grace is an interesting concept," Bud said, "and it is one that is much maligned. How can Grace be irresistible when so many people walk away from this Plan of Salvation? 'They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.' (I John 2:19, KJV) Someone, who can resist the arrest of God's Grace proves, that he or she is not part of The Elect."

"I guess God doesn't like resisting arrest any more than you do, Bud," Pace said.

"That's a good point, Pace," Bud said. "If I trail a perpetrator, then I will go after that individual as long as is necessary to have the criminal in custody. This is a great illustration of Irresistible Grace. Some people do seem to be running away from The Lord at the beginning of the arrest process, but God is better at law enforcement than I am. The spirit of the person, whose name is written in The Lamb's Book of Life will be saved no matter what, even if The Lord has to break an arm or a leg to slow that individual down long enough to consider the claims of Christ."

"God would do that?" Pace asked.

"'And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.' This Matthew 5:29, KJV," Bud said. "The Lord is so committed to the salvation of His Election, that wounding of the physical body is a small sacrifice compared to losing one's spirit and soul in Hell, going there with all your physical faculties.

"You mean many people can resist Grace because they are not part of The Bride of Christ, The Elect." Pace said, "and the Lord lets them go on their merry way, but He goes after His Chosen, Elect, children with everything He has in His toolbox."

"Nicely put, Pace," Bud said. "When they were still around, did you keep close tabs on your children?"

"Of course, he said. "When they were very small I knew where they were on a second-by-second basis. If anyone had tried to steal any of them away from me, I'd have been on the person, like 'white on rice.'"

"But you didn't keep tabs on my children, like that," Bud asked. "Why?"

"They weren't my kids," Pace said. "You'd have had a strong conversation with me if I had done that. And you should have."

"That's why Irresistible Grace is so important in the Plan of Salvation," Bud said. "Every member of The Elect is God's child. He keeps tabs on them. He goes out to bring them back when they've fallen off a cliff, like the shepherd, who left the ninety-and-nine sheep in the fold to retrieve the one, who had wandered away, but God is under no obligation to go after sheep or children, who do not belong to Him. Ultimately, God changes the heart, like a piano tuner tunes piano strings. When that member of The Elect is saved, it is because he or she has come into agreement with The Lord. At that point both The Lord and the individual want that person to be saved. Grace, you can't resist is Grace you no longer want to resist."

"I'm starting to see these Truths," Pace said.

"Your heartstrings are being tuned, Pace, by the Master Piano Tuner," Bud said.

"Finally, let's look at the P of TULIP, which stands for the Perseverance of the Saints. This concept should be the easiest one to agree to. Let's follow the systematic theology. (Total Depravity) A spiritually dead person can't understand the things of God because he is dead in the spirit. (Unconditional Election) A spiritually dead individual can be chosen by God unto Salvation, and he was so chosen before the Foundation of the world. (Limited Atonement) The chosen individual is regenerated and has the Blood of Jesus applied to his lost condition. The debt is paid, and the perfection of Christ is given to the new saint. (Irresistible Grace) The chosen one receives the Grace of God willingly. (Perseverance of the Saints) Anyone The Lord chooses is safe forever, and can never return to the life of being a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins."

"WOW, Bud!" Pace said. "That certainly does seem logical as well as being comforting."

"Have we covered the subject well enough?" Bud Asked. "Does anyone have any more questions?"

Liam asked, "Are you serious about God wounding people in order to save them?"

"Yes. Actually, I am," Bud said.

"Do you think God caused me to lose my eye in order to see everything you're talking about?" Liam asked. "The pain is still severe, but I'm understanding this TULIP thing."

"I'm so glad, Liam," Bud said. "It sounds like the Lord is working in your heart. Did I answer your question fully?"

Liam nodded, "Yes."

People all over the auditorium were in tears as they contemplated the Truths Bud had explained this day.

"Does anyone want to make sure the Lord has transformed his or her heart into one of The Elect?" Bud asked.

A few hands went up all over the church house, and Bud told the group, "You are now free to go, but be careful of the sun rays, and the hybrid creatures. I'm going to come around each person with a hand up to help you with any questions you may have. Since, I'm going to be taking time with every person, who needs help, please stay in your seats and get my attention when I come near your seat."

The questions ranged from how a person can be dead spiritually to how irresistible Grace is that attractive. Just as Bud had taken the vital signs of people at car crash sites, he was taking the vital signs of individuals in the church on that day of Salvation.

The whole service took about three hours, but when they broke up for lunch about a dozen people had shown the signs of being redeemed. Bud walked into the dining hall, wearing a big smile, regarding what The Lord had done.