A struggle arises over the Biblical teachings of election and the call to evangelism. The Word of God clearly teaches both. But why is there a need to evangelize if God, in His sovereignty, has already elected those who will be saved? A look into Scripture will show that, apart from the sovereignty of God and divine election, evangelism is fruitless.
Acts 16:31 states that one must believe in order to be saved, whereas Romans 9:11-18 clearly indicates that God has elected people to salvation. Lewis Chafer declares, “Election assures that those chosen will be saved, but it alone does not save them. People are saved through faith in the substitutionary death of Christ, and, of course, they must learn about the death of Christ somehow in order to have content to their faith. Thus election, the death of Christ, testimony of His death, and personal faith are all necessary in the salvation of an individual. Election alone does not save.”[1] Ernest Pickering agrees, “Those who respond to the evangelistic appeal were not chosen because they believed. They believed because they were chosen.”[2] II Thessalonians supports this, stating that man is saved because he is chosen and because he believes the truth. Therefore in God’s order, evangelism is God’s plan to bring His elect to salvation. Chafer encourages, “By faith we must assume that God chose the best possible plan and that if a better plan could have been put into operation God would have chosen it.”[3]
“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) People must hear the gospel in order to have faith in it unto salvation. Romans 10:14-15 says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” God has chosen to use believers in this step of bringing the lost to Him. What an awesome privilege to partner with Jesus Christ in His purpose and plan!
The Bible declares that the preaching of the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18). God has chosen to use evangelism as His powerful tool to bring the elect to Him. “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). God has placed this mighty tool in the hands of believers as the means by which the chosen hear and believe.
Evangelism is commanded by God (Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 4:2). “It is this sovereign, powerful God who has commissioned us to preach His Word and to evangelize the lost.”[4] Obedience to this command should come out of a heart of love for the Lord. John 14:21 says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:” The two great commandments are: Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matthew 22:37-39). A believer’s love for God is why he obeys God in evangelizing. Love for others is why he evangelizes, that the lost might come to saving faith in Christ.
Evangelism is part of God’s revealed will to man. J.I Packer reminds the believer, “While we must always remember that it is our responsibility to proclaim salvation, we must never forget that it is God who brings them to faith in Christ. Our evangelism work is the instrument that He uses for this purpose, but the power that saves is not in the instrument: it is in the hand of the One who uses the instrument.”[5] Proclaiming the gospel is the believer’s calling and responsibility. Packer encourages, “We should not be held back by the thought that if they are not elect, they will not believe us, and our efforts to convert them will fail. This is true; but it is none of our business, and should make no difference to our actions.”[6] Just as election and predestination do not take away man’s responsibility to accept by faith the gift of salvation, neither does it take away believer’s responsibility to evangelize. Charles Spurgeon says, “My business is to give the general call – the Holy Spirit will see to its application to the chosen.”[7]
God, in His faithfulness, promised to sustain the believer as he walks in faith, obeying God’s revealed will of spreading the gospel. II Corinthians 4 talks of the ministry believers have in preaching the Good News of Salvation to the lost. Verse one assures believers that the Lord will give them the mercy to fulfill this task. Verses 2-6 show how God has chosen to use the lives of believers to shine the light of the Gospel and the life of Christ to the unsaved. I Timothy 1:11 tells believers that the task of spreading the gospel was committed to their trust by God. I Thessalonians 5:24 gives confidence and assurance to the believer as he steps out in obedient faith, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” It is God that enables His children to fulfill His command. The encouragement to the believer is to be faithful to the faithful Father.
Evangelism is part of God’s doxological purpose. Scripture teaches that man is totally depraved. “It means that the corruption of sin extends to all men and all part of man so that there is nothing that is in man that can give him merit in God’s sight.” Romans 3:10-22 says, “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” No man or woman could or even would come to God on his own accord. But God in His abundant mercy and grace saved some. There is nothing that would bring God more glory than an unregenerate sinner coming to salvation. Pickering points out, “Evangelism is not presentation of ourselves, the glorification of the church, or the magnification of our program. It is the presentation of a wonderful Person who came into the world to save men from their sins.”[8] What a tremendous opportunity the Lord has given believers to preach the Gospel that God Himself might be glorified through it. “Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.” (Psalm 96:2-3). Do all for the glory of God!
Not only did God establish evangelism for His glory but also for His own pleasure. “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1Corinthians 1:21). “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presents. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord!” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29,31). Why evangelize? Because it pleased God to include evangelism in His faultless plan. Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in heaven: He hath done whatsoever He pleased.” In obeying to God’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel, believers bring pleasure to the Almighty and sovereign God!
“The sovereignty of God in grace is the one thing that prevents evangelism from being pointless. For it creates the possibility – indeed the certainty – that evangelism will be fruitful.”[9] In light of the total depravity of humanity, if God was not sovereign, if God did not elect, evangelism would be utterly futile. Apart from this there is no way anyone, not one person, would come to Christ as their Lord and Savior from eternal death. “We are participants in the victorious evangelism of a sovereign God!”[10]
[1] Ryrie, Charles, “Basic Theology” (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1999) 363
[2] Pickering, Ernest, “The Theology of Evangelism” (Clarks Summit, PA: Baptist Bible College Press, 1974) 32
[3] Chafer, Lewis, “Major Bible Themes” (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974) 233
[4] Pickering, Ernest, “The Theology of Evangelism” (Clarks Summit, PA: Baptist Bible College Press, 1974) 11
[5] Packer, J.I. “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977) 27
[6] Packer, J.I. “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977) 99
[7] Spurgeon, from his sermon “Election No Discouragement to Seeking Souls”
[8] Pickering, Ernest, “The Theology of Evangelism” (Clarks Summit, PA: Baptist Bible College Press, 1974) 3
[9] Packer, J.I. “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977) 106
[10] Pickering, Enesst, “The Theology of Evangelism” (Clarks Summit, PA: Baptist Bible College Press, 1974) 39
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