Tag: Evangelism

How Calvinism Informs Evangelism

~ fundyreformed ~ 25 Comments

Despite what many have said or heard, Calvinism does not negate or downplay evangelism. Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, William Carey, and Adoniram Judson were not exceptions to the rule. Rather, they are simply some noteworthy examples of evangelists and preachers who were both Calvinistic in theology and evangelistic in practice.

Of course, Spurgeon said it best. When asked why his doctrine of election did not move him to preach only to the elect, Spurgeon replied: “If you’ll go around and pull up their shirttails so I can see if they have an E stamped on their back, I will.”  ¹

That God elected people to salvation from before the creation of the world, does not mean He does not choose to use means — human means — to bring that salvation about. God has ordained that no one be saved apart from hearing the word (i.e. the gospel) — Rom. 10:17, 1 Pet. 1:22-25, James 1:18.

I’ve explored how Calvinism and Evangelism are not at odds, in an earlier post here. Today, I want to encourage you to listen to my pastor, John Piper’s most recent message which illustrates how Calvinism informs evangelism.

We don’t have to assume it’s all or nothing — that we must win the person to Christ in this one encounter, or else. We don’t have to be overly concerned with how well we do in presenting the gospel. Ultimately, God is the one who saves, and he uses every meager human attempt for His purposes. No labor for the Lord is in vain — Is. 55:11, 1 Cor. 15:58. Instead, we should be joyful partners with God in His task. We should open our mouths obediently, and fit in to God’s plan in the unique ways He’s gifted us.

I’d encourage you all to listen to this message. Especially those coming from a fundamentalist background. The message (which is actually a follow up to last week’s message), both liberates and challenges. May God help us all to implement some of the many practical tips, Pastor Piper shares. May we all strive to be better proclaimers of the glorious Gospel of God’s grace.

Here are the messages:

I’m Sending You to Open Their Eyes — April 13

You Are God’s Midwife in the New Birth of Others — April 6

 ¹ This quote is taken from John MacArthur’s account of this in his book Nothing but the Truth: Upholding the Gospel in a Doubting Age (Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 1999), pg. 151-152.

Great Read on George Whitefield

~ fundyreformed ~ 1 Comment

I recently read an excellent overview of George Whitefield‘s life and influence.

Apparently, he surpasses Charles Spurgeon when it comes to his preaching and lasting influence. 80% of the population of the American colonies heard him preach at least once, and he also ministered extensively in the British Isles.

His prominence stems solely from his passionate commitment to Christ and the gospel, rather than from any books or organizations he left us. He was truly a servant of Christ.

In all the political thoughts, take time to focus on Christ. If you have a little bit of time, contemplate Whitefield.

Other resources for additional study include:

Picture borrowed from Wikipedia article on Whitefield.

We Believe (#8): The Saving Work of the Holy Spirit

~ fundyreformed ~ 3 Comments

Part 8 in a series of Sunday posts celebrating the glorious Truth we believe as Christians. The readings are quoted from the Elder Affirmation of Faith, of my church, Bethlehem Baptist (Pastor John Piper). I’m doing this because every few weeks our congregational reading is an excerpt from this document, and every time we all read aloud the truths we confess, my soul rejoices. I pray these posts will aid you in worshiping our Lord on His day.

The Saving Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in the world, sharing in the work of creation, awakening faith in the remnant of God’s people, performing signs and wonders, giving triumphs in battle, empowering the preaching of prophets and inspiring the writing of Scripture. Yet, when Christ had made atonement for sin, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, He inaugurated a new era of the Spirit by pouring out the promise of the Father on His Church.

We believe that the newness of this era is marked by the unprecedented mission of the Spirit to glorify the crucified and risen Christ. This He does by giving the disciples of Jesus greater power to preach the gospel of the glory of Christ, by opening the hearts of hearers that they might see Christ and believe, by revealing the beauty of Christ in His Word and transforming His people from glory to glory, by manifesting Himself in spiritual gifts (being sovereignly free to dispense, as he wills, all the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:8-10) for the upbuilding of the body of Christ and the confirmation of His Word, by calling all the nations into the sway of the gospel of Christ, and, in all this, thus fulfilling the New Covenant promise to create and preserve a purified people for the everlasting habitation of God.

We believe that, apart from the effectual work of the Spirit, no one would come to faith, because all are dead in trespasses and sins; that they are hostile to God, and morally unable to submit to God or please Him, because the pleasures of sin appear greater than the pleasures of God. Thus, for God’s elect, the Spirit triumphs over all resistance, wakens the dead, removes blindness, and manifests Christ in such a compellingly beautiful way through the Gospel that He becomes irresistibly attractive to the regenerate heart.

We believe the Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. Thus neither the work of the Father in election, nor the work of the Son in atonement, nor the work of the Spirit in regeneration is a hindrance or discouragement to the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples and persons everywhere. On the contrary, this divine saving work of the Trinity is the warrant and the ground of our hope that our evangelization is not in vain in the Lord. The Spirit binds His saving work to the gospel of Christ, because His aim is to glorify the Christ of the Gospel. Therefore we do not believe that there is salvation through any other means than through receiving the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, except that infants and severely retarded persons with minds physically incapable of comprehending the gospel may be saved.

*Taken from the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, paragraphs 8.1 – 8.4. You are free to download the entire affirmation [pdf] complete with Scriptural proofs for the above statements.