Posted on 04/10/2013 12:10:36 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
How can you evangelize if you’re a Calvinist?
Every once in a while someone will challenge me, specifically about how I can believe in the Reformed view of salvation and be into evangelism. Many know, that entails a view of God’s sovereign election and predestination. In plain English that means that God in the end gets to decide who will come to believe. Isn’t there a contradiction between that and evangelistic zeal? Truth be told, I’m not an argumentative Calvinist and would really rather talk about the other JC if given the chance. But I do believe in Calvin’s view and while I don’t like to force it, I don’t hide it either. And yes, I do have John 3:16 in my Bible just like everybody else does. When someone does ask me I usually point them to my all-time favourite passage from Calvin himself. Reading Calvin himself (something more people should do) is like trying to take a sip from a waterfall but this passage, aside from Scripture, has shaped my passion for sharing the Gospel more than any others. The logical order of these two sentences is important.
Men indeed ought to be taught that God’s loving-kindness is set forth to all who seek it, without exception. But since it is those on whom heavenly grace has breathed who at length begin to seek after it, they should not claim for themselves the slightest part of his praise.The first of these sentences confirms that the Good News ought to shared as widely as possible. Everyone needs to hear about Christ and His atoning work. Everyone needs to be told of the love of God that is offered to us through that work. Everyone needs to be challenged to repent and believe in the Good News. This is Gospel work – talking, persuading, explaining, inviting to believe. Personally I derive great pleasure from sharing about Christ with others. I love to ask questions to see where they’re coming from, and I love to talk about the One whom I love. There is no contradiction between telling everyone we can and the fact that God’s irresistible grace draws those whom He has called. We aren’t to preach pre-destination, we are to preach Christ crucified and risen. We are not to guard the Gospel Story for ourselves but to tell as many as we can. The invitation to believe is extended to all. Those who seek will find, that’s a promise from the highest authority. People need to be told that very thing, if they search for God they will find Him. The Gospel is like an open door above which reads: Enter All Who Will.John Calvin – The Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.3.10.
The second sentence is even more amazing. All who seek find but after the fact it can be realized that even the seeking was an act of God upon the heart. Above the open door is an invitation to all but once through, looking back we can read above the lintel: Chosen From the Foundation of the World. It turns out that it was wholly and completely God’s work from the very beginning. Why is the looking back part important? Because we don’t always lead off with the doctrines of grace. Those are primarily for enjoyment afterwards not necessarily part of the invitation. It is the looking back that produces thankfulness, humility, and confidence. Thankfulness because we see that God’s will has been acting on us the whole way. Our seeking was His drawing. It humbles us because we see that even as we may have seemed to choose to believe, there is not an ounce of self-congratulation to be had. It was Him all along. Confidence because when we tell others about Him, we don’t need to rest on our own ability. I’m all for being persuasive, but it is not up to us. I become much more confident telling the Gospel when I really believe that it is God’s sovereign will that makes any of us believers at all. First, we say “come”, then we say “it was Him”. That why He gets all the glory!
....There is no contradiction between telling everyone we can and the fact that God’s irresistible grace draws those whom He has called. We aren’t to preach pre-destination, we are to preach Christ crucified and risen. We are not to guard the Gospel Story for ourselves but to tell as many as we can. The invitation to believe is extended to all. Those who seek will find, that’s a promise from the highest authority. People need to be told that very thing, if they search for God they will find Him. The Gospel is like an open door above which reads: Enter All Who Will....
....All who seek find but after the fact it can be realized that even the seeking was an act of God upon the heart. Above the open door is an invitation to all but once through, looking back we can read above the lintel: Chosen From the Foundation of the World. It turns out that it was wholly and completely God’s work from the very beginning.
It wasn’t until I understood the Doctrines of Grace that I had the courage and confidence to share the truths of Scripture. Knowing that His sheep WILL hear and respond to the Master’s voice made all the difference.
Now, here is a terrific statement of truth. Discussions about the Gospel now have a well-designed outcome with the true Author of Faith at the helm. Thank you, my FRiend.
May wish to check the Book, sir.
So then it does not depend upon the man who wills or the man who runs, but upon God. And He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy and He will harden whom He will harden. Paul...Romans 9
You miss the entire point - it's very simple. The joy of the Calvinist is to act on the Father's will. Christ said "Go ye into all the nations...". And so we go...
If you can't accept that, then, methinks you be merely a rabble rouser...
Oh, my, these old attempts to undo the Reformation have been dispelled centuries ago.
Gal. has nothing to do with the argument. It is about folks returning to the Law as a means of salvation. Read the context, please.
Rom. 9...Godet should have kept reading.
“So then you will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will? On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing MOLDED will not say to the MOLDER, ‘Why did you make me like this,? “ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonor?” The topic is the rescue of men being God’s choice, not man’s.
And the text regarding Jacob & Esau, tells us that “...before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls.” Tough to get around.
Election, Grace, Predestination, etc. are not a problem for me because of my realization of one thing. Before God made even a grain of sand or a drop of water, He KNEW that the result would be that Adam would rebel, and that mankind would need a Saviour; hence....
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you...
Before God created anything, He KNEW who would accept His offer of Salvation and who would reject it; and in His Sovereign Will, he went ahead and did it.
It is strictly up to each individual. Some will accept and trust Christ. Some will reject Him. God knew how it would turn out. But the responsibility for their choice is strictly that of each individual. It’s 100% free will.
“Calvangelism. Does Evangelism Work With Calvinism?”
Of course it does.
http://evangelismexplosion.org/
Started by the late great PCA teaching elder D. James Kennedy.
Calling out the elect isn't to see more "souls saved". It is God giving us a blessing to be part of His work, co-parners and fellow workers with the Holy Spirit. Now what could be a greater reason for evangelism than that! And, when put into that context, it doesn't matter how many "souls" we "save".
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