FreeTruth

My entries for the past several weeks, as I have shared with you excerpts from my reading, have been focusing on some of the ways in which the truth of the Biblical doctrine of election practically applies to our lives. It is vital we see that all of the truths revealed to us by God in His word are meant not only to be believed, but also to have their sanctifying effects upon us. This is no less true regarding the doctrine of election. So, before leaving this subject there are a few additional implications of this truth, and how it should affect us, that we should note, and which I will point us to in this post and the next two.

The Reformed or Calvinistic position concerning God’s sovereignty in salvation is often criticized as undermining and being contrary to evangelism. Yet, the reality is just the opposite. The truths of God’s sovereignty and election unto salvation, rightly understood and genuinely embraced from the heart, actually serve as powerful motivators to evangelism. Listen to this very helpful statement:

Election compels evangelism, for all the elect must be saved by the Word brought to them. When Paul feared to go to Corinth, God sent a messenger to assure him: ‘Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city’ (Acts 18: 9b-10). What an encouragement this was for Paul and for us today to spread the gospel.

We do not know how many people God has elected in our cities. We trust there are many. But many or few, they are the Lord’s, and He has given us means to find them. So we must faithfully pray, speak, and visit people, always abounding in Christ’s work and always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us to anyone who asks (1 Peter 3:15).

Election gave courage to the great Calvinist missionaries of the past to press on with the Lord’s work, even in danger and self-sacrifice, because they were confident that the Lord would bring in His chosen ones. Election gave courage to David Brainerd, William Carey, John Elias, Adoniram Judson, John Paton, and a host of missionaries who gave their lives for the gathering in of the elect. They believed, as Blanchard says, that "in the Bible, election and evangelism meet with joined hands, not clenched fists" (Acts 13:44-49).

What courage election still brings to evangelism today. It makes us bold for Christ, removing our fears, our shyness, and our indifference. It drives us to prayer, confident that the elect are in God’s hands, and He will use evangelism to draw them in. And it makes us patient, reminding us that while evangelism is an urgent work because sinners are dying and going to hell every, it is not a desperate work, for God, in His way and in His time, will gather in all of His elect. (Living for the God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism, pgs. 70-71)

I think it might be helpful for us who are theologically Calvinistic in our understanding of the Bible to ask ourselves how deeply we are really believing these things. Are we believing them to the point that their radical God centered effects are becoming increasingly evident in our lives? In the area of evangelism, are we demonstrating courage because of our confidence in a saving God? Are we in fact, because God is sovereign, becoming bold for Christ, overcoming our fears, our shyness, our indifference, driven to prayer, confident that God will use evangelism to draw the elect to Himself?

Labels: Confidence, Election, Evangelism, Guest Post