Is the Reformed doctrine of Election really that important? After two different conversations this weekend, one with a Roman Catholic and the other with an Evangelical, I had my belief reinforced that the standard evangelical apologetic is not able to withstand Roman Catholicism.
It was interesting to hear the same exact response from both positions against the historic Reformed position as stated in the LBCF and Westminster. One question that came up was "Why evangelize if God already has a specific people chosen and that nothing will stop them from believing? They are going to be saved anyway, right?"
This question seems to be a logical conclusion to those who reject the Reformed understanding of John 6 and Ephesians 1 and Romans 9. Yet it is not a logical conclusion. So I'd like to take a moment and list some reasons why I do evangelism and believe the doctrine of Election is important.
First I do evangelize because I believe I do not have to save people from hell. In fact, I do not believe I can save anybody. I evangelize because God commands that I do. As a believer in Christ, to proclaim the Gospel is to bring Glory to God whether God chooses to do a miraculous work in the salvation of sinners or their condemnation in their rejection of it.
The doctrine of election gives the minister of God confidence that God will do the work necessary in bringing about the salvation of His people. We, who have proclaimed the gospel, recognize the means of preaching as bringing this about. We do not have to use tricks or music or gimmicks. How many ministers of the past labored and toiled for decades before seeing the fruits of their labors?
By today's standards, these ministers would be seen as unproductive. With marketing techniques of Willow Creek and Purpose Driven Drivel on Larry King Live, we have seen mega churches filled with unregenerated people deceived into thinking they are saved.
God is Sovereign in His grace. This seems to really be the rub. Many may dispute as to which doctrine men truly reject, either Total Depravity or Unconditional Election, but the idea that God chooses whether a man will have the ability to be released from his sin is completely foreign to many Evangelicals. In fact, I would suggest they are as repulsed by it as my RC friend (understandably so).
Jesus taught in John chapter 6 that all that the Father gives to the Son will come to the Son. They all will be perfectly saved and raised up on the last day. This doctrine of Election gives me confidence that I as a believer in Christ know that Christ will not fail to do a perfect work. He is the Author of my faith, and He will also finish it. As I grow in the assurance of my Savior, I am able to see that "salvation belongs to our God".
Soli Deo Gloria
The Spiritual Gift Inventory I Believe In
6 hours ago
3 comments:
You don't need a doctrine of Election, and Reformed or Evangelical is irrelevant here. To justify Evangelism, you need the command of Christ, which by the way would be the core point here. Go, make disciples of all nations. And do the other stuff that Jesus said, too. That which is important in the Christian faith, most important, is that which is instituted by Christ. We can ask why, but we can't in good conscience say, "No! I won't!".
St. Francis said "Preach the Gospel at all times, use words, if necessary.". That's my motto. Better be, I guess, I'm a Franciscan. :-)
Warren
You bring up some good points. Election offends our man-centric, bootstrap sensibilities becuase it reveals our helplessness outside of God's mercy.
I would second your point that election doesn't relieve Reformed folks of their duty to proclaim the Gospel, and add that it rather frees them to do so without being burdened by the fear of doing it "right" each and every time and sufficiently to each and every person. The notion of a supremely and intimately sovereign God is scary and offensive at first, but it's librarting once we finally embrace it.
The burden on the non-Reformed person seems to not simply be to proclaim the Gospel, but to proclaim it perfectly and to each and every peson lest that poor soul be damned by a slip of the tongue, a miscontrued expression, or a lazy omission of conversation on the evangelist's part.
We should definitely take the Gospel seriously, and we should definitely speak the truth boldy and in love, but believing a man's eternal fate to rest so squarely on our presentation seems such a scary view of our responsibility!
Anyway, I enjoy your blog.
"it rather frees them to do so without being burdened by the fear of doing it "right" each and every time and sufficiently to each and every person."
Steven, this is such a great point. Over the years my wife has perhaps seen the cynical side of me when I hear poor preaching. So a few weeks ago she was going to have to explain the Gospel to children in our AWANA program since I was not well enough to go to church that day.
So my wife decides she needs to make sure she is going to present it properly. After a bit I simply had to console her by explaining that God isn't looking for her to be perfect but as she grows in her understanding to be willing to communicate to the best of the ability God has given her.
She really was panicked and perhaps that was my fault. So in the end, I used Pastor Don Fry's (as far as I know) saying that God can make a straight line with a crooked stick.
Thanks for your comment.
Post a Comment