Predestination- To evangelize or not to?
Before I begin, I would like to say that I am glad to be back home after going to a vacation celebrating my bro's 8th birthday. But it didn't really feel like a vacation to me, considering I have been going to that same place for a vacation/time-out for nearly like, fifty times.
Anyway, I would like to begin by saying that predestination (or Unconditional Election) is a very unpopular doctrine. Of course, we have the very, very popular Arminian style Predestination (Which is not even "predestination") and the Calvinist style predestination.
Many evangelists (or missionaries) don't hold to Unconditional Election mainly because they think it makes their work a farce. But I don't think so. I think without predestination no one will come to Christ. The Bible clearly tells us that man is totally depraved and unable to come to Christ without God's help, that is, by the grace given to those who are of the elect by the Holy Spirit.
But since Unconditional Election also tells us that all of those who are elected beforehand by God will be eventually saved. The Arminian will gleefully say, "So much for evangelism."
But I disagree. Although all of God's elect will eventually be saved, one needs to understand that without people to bring the Gospel to them, they won't come to Christ. If some one doesn't do it, another person burdened by God will.
This is what William Carey did. Although during his time, the Christians (Who all held Reformed doctrines) didn't really went into mission trips to other countries. But the great missionary and man of God still believed that God will save all the elect eventually, but yet still went to call out the elect. That is what everyone should be doing.
Another objection is that Calvinists hold less soul-winning zeal. Although I don't know about all the Calvinists, I disagree. To know that someone is walking out there, waiting to be converted by God by just hearing the gospel is very, very, energizing.
For the Arminian, it is a chance game. They hope that those who listen to the gospel will repent and believe in Christ. But if they don't, then too bad.
To believe in an Arminian style of evangelism is to render unnecessary burden to the soul-winner. He is responsible for everyone he passes by who is not saved.
"Why didn't you tell me about Christ?" says the sinner to his Arminian friend when he goes to hell, if their doctrine is indeed true.
Of course one will counter that un-elected sinners will be moaning in hell why they weren't elected. This is untrue. The unregenerate sinner would never care less about going to heaven.
C.S. Lewis once described hell as being locked...from the inside. I think this is true. Those that God did not choose to go to heaven will never ever think about turning around and heading for the right path. This is true for the Christian who used to be unregenerate. Without God's intervention, no one will go to heaven.
So therefore, Predestination (or Calvinism, for that matterA), does not negate evangelism. It confirms it!
Anyway, I would like to begin by saying that predestination (or Unconditional Election) is a very unpopular doctrine. Of course, we have the very, very popular Arminian style Predestination (Which is not even "predestination") and the Calvinist style predestination.
Many evangelists (or missionaries) don't hold to Unconditional Election mainly because they think it makes their work a farce. But I don't think so. I think without predestination no one will come to Christ. The Bible clearly tells us that man is totally depraved and unable to come to Christ without God's help, that is, by the grace given to those who are of the elect by the Holy Spirit.
But since Unconditional Election also tells us that all of those who are elected beforehand by God will be eventually saved. The Arminian will gleefully say, "So much for evangelism."
But I disagree. Although all of God's elect will eventually be saved, one needs to understand that without people to bring the Gospel to them, they won't come to Christ. If some one doesn't do it, another person burdened by God will.
This is what William Carey did. Although during his time, the Christians (Who all held Reformed doctrines) didn't really went into mission trips to other countries. But the great missionary and man of God still believed that God will save all the elect eventually, but yet still went to call out the elect. That is what everyone should be doing.
Another objection is that Calvinists hold less soul-winning zeal. Although I don't know about all the Calvinists, I disagree. To know that someone is walking out there, waiting to be converted by God by just hearing the gospel is very, very, energizing.
For the Arminian, it is a chance game. They hope that those who listen to the gospel will repent and believe in Christ. But if they don't, then too bad.
To believe in an Arminian style of evangelism is to render unnecessary burden to the soul-winner. He is responsible for everyone he passes by who is not saved.
"Why didn't you tell me about Christ?" says the sinner to his Arminian friend when he goes to hell, if their doctrine is indeed true.
Of course one will counter that un-elected sinners will be moaning in hell why they weren't elected. This is untrue. The unregenerate sinner would never care less about going to heaven.
C.S. Lewis once described hell as being locked...from the inside. I think this is true. Those that God did not choose to go to heaven will never ever think about turning around and heading for the right path. This is true for the Christian who used to be unregenerate. Without God's intervention, no one will go to heaven.
So therefore, Predestination (or Calvinism, for that matterA), does not negate evangelism. It confirms it!
This entry was posted
on Friday, March 04, 2005 at 5:22 PM.
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