Spread of the Gospel⤒🔗

For some time Clarion has been publishing a column written by Rev. Dick Moes on evangelism. The column is entitled reformedevangelism.com. It is just one example that within the Canadian Reformed Churches and our sister churches, there is a love and appreciation for the spreading of the gospel. It is seen as our calling. We take our cue from our Lord Jesus Christ who said at his ascension in Matthew 28, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Moreover, mission work, evangelization and personal witnessing is not something new to the Reformed or Calvinistic churches. History shows that John Calvin and the early Reformed churches were heavily involved in mission work throughout Europe and as far away as Brazil.

An Alleged Problem←⤒🔗

The Reformed churches also hold firmly to the decrees of election and reprobation. It is in our confession, as we read in the Canons of Dort I. 6:

That God in time confers the gift of faith on some, and not on others, proceeds from His eternal decree. For He knows all His works from eternity, and He accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will. According to this decree He graciously softens the hearts of the elect, no matter how hard they may be, and inclines them to believe; those not elected, however, He leaves in their own wickedness and hardness by a just judgment. And here especially is disclosed to us the profound, merciful, and at the same time just distinction between men equally worthy of condemnation, or that decree of election and reprobation which has been revealed in God’s Word.

Before the world was made God elected some men to salvation by grace alone, but others are reprobated and eternally condemned due to their own hardness of heart. These teachings are irrefutable if you hold to an infallible, inerrant and authoritative Word of God. Romans 9, Ephesians 1 and 1 Peter 2 speak clearly about these decrees of election and reprobation.

The question is whether the doctrine of God’s predestination conflicts with evangelization. There are those of an Arminian or pseudo-Calvinistic position who object that the Reformed, Calvinistic teaching about election negates all evangelism endeavour. To believe in a sovereign decree of election where God determines who will be his children, even before the world was made and by grace alone, is to render any need of evangelization null and void. The reasoning goes something like this: how can you seriously, sincerely and generously proclaim the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ to anyone when it is predetermined who will be saved? If it is known by God who will be saved, then what have we to do as the church of Jesus Christ? God will save the elect in spite of us and without us. Moreover, how can anyone evangelize on the basis of the decree of election and reprobation? What are you going to do, go to people and say: here is the gospel, after you hear it, sit back and wait to see whether you are elect and then you can be saved? How ineffective is that? How can anyone evangelize in that way? I think we will all agree: you cannot evangelize in that way. But is that what Calvinism does? Or is this a pathetic caricature of how a Calvinist evangelizes?

God’s Way←⤒🔗

From Scripture, we see that God elects people to salvation even before the world was made, and He does that by grace alone on the basis of Christ’s blood alone. But how He works out that election in time and history is his way and his program.

Think of Paul’s letter to the Romans. He writes in chapter 1 that the gospel ... is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. We will all agree with that. Then Paul goes on to outline that we are all sinners who have no hope except in the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is imputed to us through faith. In Romans 9 he writes about election and reprobation, stating unequivocally, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” But then comes Romans 10 where Paul writes about the good news of Jesus Christ and the absolute necessity to believe Jesus Christ in the heart and confess him with the mouth. There he writes:

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written,  How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

In other words, God elects his people before the world was made, but the manner in which He works out his election in time is in sending his Son to die for sinners and then sending heralds of good tidings who call for the response of a believing heart and a credible confession of faith.

This is Calvinism. This is the Reformed faith (which simply means we go back to what the Bible says). We confess, for instance, in Canons 2.5:

The promise of the gospel is that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise ought to be announced and proclaimed universally and without discrimination to all peoples and to all men, to whom God in His good pleasure sends the gospel, together with the command to repent and believe.

We see here how God’s election is worked out in evangelization or the preaching of the gospel. From our point of view we have no idea whom God has elected. We might meet a bum on the downtown streets of our local city and even shudder in horror at his lost condition. We might in an intemperate moment declare: this can never be a child of God! But for all we know, God has elected him. We don’t know. We have one task and that is to bring the good news of salvation to this lost soul. All we can do is sow, it is God who in his power and grace decides whether our ministry will draw this person to Him or drive him deeper into darkness. It is God who decides whether the gospel will be a fragrance of life or death. We preach or share the gospel. And in that gospel proclamation, it is God who will work out his decree, either saving or not saving. But it should be very clear to us as Calvinists or Reformed churches: Jesus Christ has left us with the great commission to preach the gospel to all, indiscriminately and well meant! And we have the comfort and assurance that as we proclaim the gospel, it does not depend on our abilities to save anyone – what a scary thought that is – but it is God in his sovereign power who will bring his elect to faith and salvation!

Real Power!←⤒🔗

Unlike Arminianism which can easily become a gentle prodding or plea to make one’s decision for Christ in response to the declaration that Jesus Christ died for everyone and loves everyone, there is real power in Reformed evangelism. The emphasis is on the sovereignty of God. The good news to a broken-hearted sinner is that it is not man’s goodness or choice which saves, but the sovereign grace of God. This is what Paul makes clear in Romans 7 when he contemplates the wretched sinfulness and inclination to sin in his own life:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!

It is God in Jesus Christ and through the work of the Holy Spirit who saves us through faith, from start to finish. He chose us, He redeemed us and He renews us for holy living before Him. To hear this gospel while trembling over sins is to stand in awe and comfort before God! Not only does his electing love save us, but it inspires us to go out with a heartfelt and well-meant gospel offer to let everyone know about Jesus Christ and his work of redemption. This will continue until all the elect are gathered in and our Lord Jesus Christ returns on the clouds of heaven to take us to himself for eternity. Soli Deo Gloria!