Does Reformed doctrine reject/nullify evangelism? June 2, 2008
Posted by JP in Bible Study/Reference, Scripture.trackback
This is the question I’m exploring now.
Reformed doctrine teaches the biblical principals of God’s soveriegnty, election, and predestination. This has been claimed by some to nullify the idea of evangelism, and I want to explore if that truly is the case. What I am up against though, is an argument that I have not seen fully fleshed out. The claim has been made, but the support has not been given.
Thus I am at a disadvantage when trying to work through all the ins and outs of the assertion, and I am in danger of supporting the truth that reformed doctrine does not nullify evangelism by creating strawmen and other logical fallacies.
So, the call goes out to any and everyone who believes that reformed doctrine does indeed nullify or reject the idea of evangelism to tell me why you believe this is the case. I will be honest up front and say that I doubt your arguments will sway me from the truth of scripture, but I’m sure they will provide me with a better understanding of what is not understood in scripture and the reasons it may be misunderstood.
why would I want to go through the social discomfort of reaching out to lost souls if I know that they cannot actively will to surrender their hearts to Christ. I have been in a reformed church for 4 years now, and I have come to find that my previous zeal for evangelism is totally dead. I can’t even work it up, it’s not even there. Once I carried the joyful burden of being a reaper of some sort in the Lord’s harvest..afterall Jesus did say we should pray for laborers…but since grace is so irresistable, i guess God can drag those He wants saved into the kingdom, they can’t resist. I spend my time enjoying starbucks meetings fellowshipping with college educated who can understand the great writings of other reformed preachers.
Cathy, I had a follow up post entitled “Reformed doctrine and evangelism… ”
I would be interested in what you have to say after considering what I have offered there.
Happy Sunday to you, JP. I do have quite a bit of time this morning before service, so I’m happy to respond again. I read the post to which you directed me, and also the comments following. Interesting. I am persuaded that the Reformed stance to evangelism is more logical than anything else. Christ told us to do it, so we will, but it is in absolute contradiction to the Calvinists argument that no human agency is necessary in the work of God. Scott, in his comment to your post had said God does not need man, he chooses man, but He can do without us. This is simply not true. Please read the scriptures…God said He “sought a man who would stand in the gap.” The prophets are a clear example of human agency, but not only that, but that God asks them, never forces them, they are not blind puppets in the arena of God’s mission. Dialog clearly takes place, and god builds and encourages them to carry out the work. With some, such as Elisha, there is even a personal striving for the “double portion” of anointing for Gods work. Apostle paul tells us to earnestly covet God’s gifts…obviously for the work of the ministry. This is nothing short of human agency. If we don’t use our natural inbuilt passions to strive after God’s mission, we will use it at the ball games, our teens will use it for video games, etc. We have inbuilt passions and they must be God-directed, rather than squelched in an attempt to uphold Calvin’s theology. My problem, JP, is that the fine details of TULIP - reformed theology, violate my conscience towards God, particularly in regard to a passion for the lost. Angels will not preach this gospel, it was committed into our hands by Christ himself. And as we have read when peter preached, men were cut to the heart and asked “what must we do to be saved?” Man does have a responsibility to respond to the gospel. Outside the law, Cain was given an opportunity by God, but he turned away from it. Our responsibility is to repent of our sins, and receive the grace of God through faith in Christ. That is an active use of our will. If this is not the case why did God give us a will? Why does Romans chapter 1 tell us that we are without excuse? Why will God hold man accountable for his rejection Jesus Christ, if God in his sovereignty already rejected them. God is still just and will not violate his nature. In the OT, God says He says Israel kicking and squealing in his blood and he said to Israel “live” and then cleaned her up and prepared her to be his bride, then Israel rejected Him, then He punished Israel. Truth is that Jesus died for ALL, while we were yet sinners…not while the elect were yet sinners. Since Christ died for all, the gospel must be preached to all. The efficacious blood of Jesus will justify as many as will come to him. Any person has a chance of being saved as long as the blood of Jesus was truly efficacious for all. That is why William Carey had to go to India and rejected the counsel of the unlearned. That is why we must tell our youth that we “the elect” are not in a holding pattern, playing our xbox’ and hanging out with the elected while souls for which the blood of Jesus was shed are still unreached. That is why are passions and the joy with which we thankfully embraced our new birth must not be tempered with the doctrine of irresistable grace. I personally have to make the mental effort to be guided by the reformed theology, rather than respond to the Holy Spirit who is bound by no man’s doctrine. When I see the fruit of my life in the last for years, one thing is unfortunately evident…I have lost my zeal. I am lazy concerning my neighbors and where they will spend eternity. Yes, I might help them take out their trash, water their lawn and feed their cats when they’re out of town, but I am not moved about the state of their soul, that’s all in God’s hands , he can stay burdened in heaven over them, that his job, though I love him, he is not in nedd of my input, by faith i must resist my input into their hope of salvation. I’ll drive right past them and go once more to hang out with the elect few at starbucks - talk about the latest reformed books on the shelf, review the fine details of our depravity - our latest sins and the wonderful grace of forgiveness we enjoy. We’re never burdened about overcoming sin, Jesus will get us through the narrow gate, we are eternal secure. Isn’t life so bliss!
Cathy,
A few things you say strike a cord with me, I will touch on some, but they do require more discussion than I can devote here, now…
You said:
Scott, in his comment to your post had said God does not need man, he chooses man, but He can do without us. This is simply not true.
I would assert that Scott is correct in that God does not need man, but that He does indeed choose us to, as you say “fill the gap”. A gap created by God’s design for the special purpose of providing man a role to play in His plan of salvation. That we have that role does not deny the fact that God is sovereign and does not require our assistance in the fruition of His plan, but wants it and has provided for it.
Personally, I am of the ‘reformed tradition’ through self-study, and there are parts of ‘TULIP’ which I’m not fully comfortable with as of yet and am still working on. Mainly, it is a difficulty with how TULIP is taught and accepted by the religious adherents to reformed theology and NOT what the scriptures actually teach.
Limited Atonement is one such area as I feel the teaching from men is a little off center of the truth of scripture. That feeling goes towards Armenian as well as Calvinist beliefs. I think I made a post about that and plan on making a few more exploring the idea of balance in doctrine…
More to the point of your remarks though; God’s soveriegnty does not and should not preempt our passionate participation in the commission He has given us. Whether or not He needs us to spread His Gospel is not relevant to the passion He has given us regarding His Gospel, or the the fact that He has designed His plan with us as active participants in its success.
1Pe 4:9-11 Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him). (10) As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God’s many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor]. (11) Whoever speaks, [let him do it as one who utters] oracles of God; whoever renders service, [let him do it] as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever (through endless ages). Amen (so be it).
God doesn’t need the help of any man or woman to accomplish His purposes. However, He has chosen to spread the gospel by means of His children. As one person tells another the good news of Jesus Christ, the story of hope and love spreads around the globe.
Consider each modern Christian is a spiritual descendant of the original disciples. Those men spent several years with Jesus. After His ascension, they preached what they’d learned from Him to anyone who’d listen. They also offered a helping hand where needed.
The grace and mercy demonstrated in word and action had a ripple effect. It spread outward from those first followers of Christ. It went across distance and time to hundreds, then thousands and even billions of individuals around the world.
But some people still have never heard Jesus loves them and died for their sins. This is why we’re called to serve family, friends, and neighbors. Loved ones see God’s grace lived out when we offer a helping hand, share the gospel, or lift them up in prayer.
To deny this call is to sin against the Lord. Our purpose is to serve God. The primary way we do that is by caring for those around us.
We can offer God many reasons for not serving Him such as weakness, inadequacy, and fear. But no excuse changes the mandate of Scripture. We are the Lord’s feet, hands, and voice on earth. We go where He wills. We help those in need. We tell all about the love of Jesus.