Reformed and Evangelistic

If you think that “Reformed and Reaching the Lost” is a contradiction of terms, then read on and be prepared for a radical rethink. This is not so and, furthermore, it never was so. Of course, there have been a few from within the Reformed camp whose views on the Sovereignty of God have been so unbalanced as to make them enemies of Evangelism and Soul Winning. But they are indeed few and what is more – their stance is repudiated by those of strong Calvinistic faith. This supposed contradiction is mere propaganda  by those who speak either from ignorance or from malice (knaves or fools) but not from the platform of truth. As I say, read on:

REFORMED AND REACHING THE LOST VIEWED SCRIPTURALLY:

Here is the ultimate test. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20)

1)       YES, CALVINISTS BELIEVE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN ALL HIS WAYS:

Like Job, they believe that the LORD  “is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.” He is bounded only by His own attributes e.g. wisdom, holiness etc., and cannot deny Himself by doing anything contrary to these. But He is answerable to none and can decline to give reasons without incurring any suspicion.

Calvinists believe that God has decreed whatever comes to pass – either by direct command or by permission (usually defined by is morally acceptable to His revealed will) – and that this decree ranges from something simple like the falling of a sparrow to the incredibly important matter of the salvation of an individual, guilty, human soul.

Since the salvation of the elect has been decreed by God, “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” then they will be infallibly saved. Although there might be many adversaries hoping to overthrow what God has mercifully decreed, yet a great and effectual door has been opened. When all is said and done, every last soul chosen in Christ will be infallibly gathered in, even in the teeth of the hottest Satanic opposition.

2)       CALVINISTS ALSO BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED THE MEANS AS WELL AS THE END:

In other words, the “Why evangelise when the elect will be saved anyway?” line is not only redundant, but should be dead and buried forever in a Sadducee’s grave. The full story is that God has ordained the infallible ingathering of the elect through the appointed means of evangelism. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to sit back and wait for the elect to knock our church doors asking “What must I do to be saved?” How would they know that they needed a Saviour in the first place and where to find Him? On the contrary, the Bible does command us, in the great commission, to preach the gospel to every creature in a world wide setting. The very language of Scripture shows that this is not be viewed as a mere cold and formal stating of facts (see next paragraph for a further development of this) but that we are to employ the tactics of the fisherman seeking to lure fishes into his net and to be as wise as serpents, although as harmless as doves. Sometimes the going gets especially tough, but we are to “endure all things specifically for the elect’s sake.” In the Book of Acts, we witness the deaths of the first Christian martyrs because they sought to reach the lost for Jesus Christ in line with their belief that God ordains both the means (evangelism) and the end (ingathering of the elect.)

3)       CALVINISTS ALSO BELIEVE IN THE SINNER’S RESPONSIBILITY:

Not only is the Christian Evangelist expected to “go and do” but he goes to sinners who, although said to be “dead in trespasses and in sins,” nevertheless are not mere puppets or blocks of wood. The wily sinner, it seems, has enough in him to seek a doctrinal loophole to excuse his own inaction because of his love of sin. In this subterfuge, he is often sadly encouraged by those critics of Calvinism who misstate our position as stated above.

The term “Freewill” needs to be defined before we can either dismiss or affirm it. If it is taken to mean that the sinner has the innate power to receive Christ as his Saviour, then we must deny it, arguing that the will of man is bound by sin as much as any other part of his being. Jesus answered them, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant [bond slave] of sin.” On the other hand, we affirm that the sinner’s will is free to follow the dictates of his sinful heart and invariably does so, unless Divine grace intervenes. Believing therefore that the sinner is not a block of wood , without emotions or the God given ability to reason, we engage him accordingly. God Himself  says to the sinner: “Come now, let us reason together…”and so do we. We plead with sinners and exhort them – faithfully warning them of the consequences of their chosen sins and warmly inviting them to embrace the offered Saviour, assuring them of a guaranteed reception if they come in repentance and faith.

If anyone can show me from Scripture where in so believing and consequently so doing these things that I err, then please do me the great favour of letting me know exactly where so that I can adjust my creed and practices accordingly.

NEXT: REFORMED AND REACHING THE LOST VIEWED HISTORICALLY:

REFORMED AND REACHING THE LOST (PART TWO)

Even if you cannot bring yourself to embrace the Calvinistic doctrines of predestination and so on, I trust that my previous article has dispelled any notions you might have entertained that it is inconsistent for Calvinists to evangelise. To briefly recap, Calvinists just don’t believe that the sovereignty of God ordains the end i.e. the ingathering of the elect, but they also believe that God also ordains  the means to that end i.e. evangelising all men whom we treat as rational souls to be taught, invited, pleaded with and warned appropriately. Thus far the words. Let’s now look at the reality. Does history bear these arguments out?

2) REFORMED AND REACHING THE LOST VIEWED HISTORICALLY:

Authentic Calvinism stands the test where the rubber hits the road. My problem at this point is wondering just who to leave out in a long and glorious and ongoing list of Calvinistic evangelists and missionaries. It may (to some) beg the question and certainly be open to the charge of being anachronistic to say that the Apostles were Calvinists.  However, many in the Christian Church believe that they effectively were and that the man who wrote of the reality of reprobation in Romans 9 was probably the greatest missionary ever. If the definition of a missionary is one who leaves his homeland to preach the gospel is another country, then John Calvin himself was a missionary. His life was one of innovative and faithful missionary work, first in his native France where, among many other things, he engaged in door to door evangelism, children’s work, church preaching (both in person and by proxy where he gave sympathetic priests material for their sermons) etc., He considered “the salvation of souls, which is more precious than the whole world"  arguing “If we see then a poor soul going thus to perdition, ought we not to be moved with compassion and kindness, and should we not desire God to apply the remedy?” He certainly believed in the free offer of the gospel, observing that "God invites all indiscriminately to salvation through the Gospel, but the ingratitude of the world is the reason why this grace, which is equally offered to all, is enjoyed by few." These are not isolated quotes but are found permeated through his voluminous and still being reprinted writings.

 Calvin’s immediate successors, the Puritans, were strong believers in evangelism. For example, Joseph Alleine and Richard Baxter gave us their penetrating self explanatory books “Alarm to the Unconverted” and “A Call to the Unconverted” respectively - again, both still being reprinted by Calvinist publishers. Moving into the next century, Calvinism gave us illustrious names like George Whitefield (friend of the Arminian John Wesley) and Jonathan Edwards whose powerful sermons are associated, not merely with evangelism but great Revivals and Awakenings.

The man called “The Father of Modern Missions” was William Carey. Every anti Calvinist knows that his proposal to reach the lost was opposed by a professed Calvinist who told him that God would convert the heathen without anyone’s help. What the anti Calvinist propaganda machine never gets round to telling you is that Carey himself was a Five Point Calvinst and that the book that led to his interest was written by another Jonathan Edwards above or that Carey’s ministerial friends (Calvinists) raised funds for his endeavour. Carey sailed to India with Calvinist companions including the famed Andrew Fuller. While there, they received a letter of support from the Missionary Society of Princeton College which was a hotbed of Calvinist orthodoxy.

A century later on again, and we arrive at names like CH Spurgeon whose very fruitful ministry (preaching weekly to congregations of 6,000 plus without the attraction of modern day circus methods) is legendary. We come also to men like Robert Murray McCheyne and Bonar and Haldene Brothers whose evangelistic efforts in Scotland are breathtaking. It is with a massive feeling of restraint, indeed guilt, that I refrain from mentioning many other names from this era.

Today, Calvinists are very busy on the Mission Field evangelising. Those Calvinistic denominations, who still remain faithful to the Bible (as opposed to embracing modernism) all have missionary societies with active missionaries on the field. Other Calvinists are involved in non denominational causes like New Tribes Mission etc., working along side non Calvinistic Christians to reach the lost. Calvinistic Publishing Houses like the Banner of Truth sell recently written evangelistic booklets as well as republishing old Puritan tomes. If you hand out “Ultimate Questions” to interested enquirers, please remember that it’s author John Blanchard is a professing Calvinist.

3) REFORMED AND REACHING THE LOST VIEWED PRACTICALLY:

I see some dangers specifically here for Reformed Christians which ought to be addressed. The first is that we become too busy reading about the great Christian worthies and the Calvinistic controversies to actually go out and evangelise ourselves. If you pride ourselves that you have seen things which non Calvinist Christians have failed to see and that you stand in the finest line of the Christian Church etc., yet don’t forget to find yourself a niche in some evangelist effort and (to quote Calvin again) "|Even though we have tumult and toil, let us do as we are commanded and work to win the whole world to God and bring it in obedience unto him.” Another danger is to feel overwhelmed when we read of great Christian missionaries. We might be tempted to feel that we could never do the work they did. This is to elevate the clay rather than the Great Potter. Many of the great missionaries were just ordinary folk whom God used. Mary Slessor (another Calvinist) who was a drunkard’s daughter from Dundee in Scotland comes to mind.

In closing, is my reader a non Calvinistic Christian? Then rejoice with me in all that God has been pleased to do through Calvinistic Christians, just as I rejoice in the ministries of men like John Wesley and others.

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