John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books , including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Coronavirus and Christ

Grace is the heart of God to do you good when you deserve it least.

But do we really know how deeply we don’t deserve it? Only God can reveal that to us. He does it through the Bible. And when he does, the wonders of his grace explode with brightness as never before.

These five points are about how Christians come into being, and how we are kept forever.

It reaches back into times past when we were freely chosen.

It reaches forward into the future when we will be safe and happy forever.

It reaches down into the mysteries of the work of Christ, purchasing the gift of faith for all God’s children.

And it reaches into the human soul, glimpsing the mysteries of the Spirit’s work as he conquers all our rebellion and makes us willing captives of King Jesus.

Piper believes that our experience of grace grows with our grasp of God’s gracious work. He invites us to come with him on this quest.

“I do not begin as a Calvinist and defend a system. I begin as a Bible-believing Christian who wants to put the Bible above all systems of thought. But over the years — many years of struggle — I have deepened in my conviction that Calvinistic teachings on the five points are biblical and therefore true, and therefore a precious pathway into a deeper experience of God’s grace.” Twitter Tweet Share on Facebook

Table of Contents

Preface Historical Roots Total Depravity Irresistible Grace Limited Atonement Unconditional Election Perseverance of the Saints What the Five Points Have Meant for Me: A Personal Testimony Concluding Testimonies A Final Appeal