Calvinism is No Excuse for No Evangelism
There is almost no subject more heatedly debated in Christian theological circles than that of sovereignty and free will. More often than not, the critic of sovereignty will pose the following question: If God is sovereign, won’t his purpose be accomplished without human intervention? The question that frequently follows that is if God has, in His sovereignty, ordained some to eternal life, why should the Christian have to witness? A sovereign God, they propose, would not have need of humankind’s services to carry out his divine purpose; to say so would undercut the legitimacy of that sovereignty. God’s sovereign power is portrayed as a concept that leads the saved to inaction and fatigue in spreading the Gospel message. As it is frequently portrayed, the doctrine of total sovereignty is more detrimental to Christianity than it is beneficial. However, upon close examination it becomes clear that evangelism is most certainly not impeded by the concept of God’s sovereignty, but rather a proper view of God’s sovereignty enhances the way in which we evangelize.
God’s sovereignty is something that mankind will never be able to fully grasp. The depths of God’s character are impossible to be comprehended by the fallible, sin-bound human mind. Isaiah 55:8 says “For [God’s] thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways [His] ways.” Nonetheless, critics will propose several arguments. First, they may propose that a belief in the sovereignty of God justifies the believer in neglecting evangelism because of a belief that God’s sovereign will must be accomplished without human action in order to be truly legitimate. It is important to first point out that at least in part that statement is true. God does not need humans to do anything. He could accomplish His purpose regardless of human actions. However, that belief in itself should never lead to a rationalization of inaction. Psychologist and theologian Arthur Custance contends that lack of motivation in evangelism is, more often than not, not a result of a particular theological belief but rather due to a lack of personal courage (286). It is easy to cover up a personal weakness by invoking a high idea of a mighty God and claiming that action would denigrate His sovereignty. In contrast, J.I. Packer proposes that the absence of a belief in absolute sovereignty causes hesitation because we “are afraid to go all the way in accepting the authority of God, because of our secret uncertainty to look after us if we do” (Knowing God 270). The logical next step is to examine the reasons why the believer should evangelize, given the view of God’s adequacy.
The fact that God is sovereign does not in any way contradict the nature of duty of evangelism. Packer explains that “[w]e are to live our lives by the light of His law, not by our guesses about His plan” (Evangelism 96). In Mark 16: 15, Christ commands his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the news to all creation.” Acts 1:8 more forcefully says that Christ told his disciples that they would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. There was no room left for discussion. His command was clear. This command naturally extends to Christ’s modern day disciples. It is the responsibility of every Christian to tell the good news of Christ’s saving grace to all people. Logically, this feeds the argument against inaction. Again Packer states that “[n]o revealed truth may be invoked to extenuate sin. God did not teach us the reality of His rule to give us an excuse for neglecting His orders” (Evangelism 34).
Additionally, leading reform thinkers did not use the concept of Divine sovereignty to justify such inaction. In particular, early theologian John Calvin objected to such accusations. Calvin believed that believers had an individual and corporate responsibility to evangelize, not simply because of Christ’s command, but also because that an expansion of the kingdom of God would bring glory to His name. Calvin believed that evangelism was necessary because man was created in the image of a holy God and because that same holy God had provided grace for all of his creation (Calvinistic 59). One may question how that theory of common grace did not contradict Calvin’s belief in election. Quite simply explained, election to salvation does not preclude common grace. After all, salvation is only possible through an intervention of the Holy Spirit, breaking down the barriers that sin has put up between the natural man and comprehension of spiritual things (Packer, Evangelism 114). His belief was that active evangelism would cause the world to become “a theatre of [God’s] glory” as lives were changed. It is also interesting to note that Calvin was the only early reformer who planned and enacted foreign missions programs (Calvinistic 61). Clearly, appeals cannot be credibly substantiated that Calvin advocated passivity.
The next argument critics often present is the apparent uselessness of witnessing if some who hear the Gospel have no chance of spiritual rebirth. The first argument is that evangelism is, as Calvin proposed, the spreading of God’s glory by making know His great grace, regardless of whether anyone ever responds to it (Packer, Evangelism 75). Secondly, it is God who knows who will be saved, not the believer. Custance proposes that “[t]he same message must be presented to the elect and the non-elect alike, though the response will be exactly oppositeâÂ?¦We can never know whether we are addressing ourselves to one who is yet to be born again or whom God will permit to go his own way” (282-283). As a result evangelism should not be influenced by the prospect that a person might not be a member of the elect. It would be irresponsible to make a judgment call without that knowledge and then to base actions on a faulty assumption. The believer must put their trust in God when they evangelize, remaining faithful to God’s command. God promises that when the believer does His work it won’t be worthless (Packer, Evangelism 118). Calvin also brings up an interesting point, asserting that it is better to speak God’s truth to all “so that he who is able to understand may understand” (137) than to remain silent “so that not only do both not understand, but alsoâÂ?¦he is made worse who is more intelligent-he from whom, if he heard and understood others might learn” (137).
The next important subject to investigate is what will motivate the believer to witness in light of God’s sovereign grace. Packer proposes two main motivations for evangelism within this context. The first is promotion of God’s glory and the second motivation is love and concern for fellowman (Evangelism 73). The concern for the glory of God is explained more in depth in the discussion about Calvin’s theology. Suffice it to say that the more who know of God’s grace, regardless of their spiritual state, the more glory that will be brought to the name of the Savior. The act of evangelism should be a “spontaneous outflow of love” (Evangelism 75) from the heart of the believer. Our concern for fellowman should spur us to evangelize. Packer continues, asking “[w]hat greater good can we do to any man than to set before him the knowledge of Christ?” (Evangelism 75). Love should always be the central motivating factor in evangelism. However, there is still more to understand about God’s sovereignty. Not only is it not an impediment to evangelism, it is actually provides unique reason why evangelism would be more effective as a result as well as reasons to prefer such a mindset.
We must remember when evangelizing that it is God who saves. Otherwise, it is easy to fall into the trap that the mode in which we present the message determines the effectiveness. The presumption of the performance-based mindset becomes problematic in that it can lead to a “battle of wills” (Packer, Evangelism 28) between the believer and the non-believer. Packer goes on to say that “our philosophy of evangelism would become terrifyingly similar to the philosophy of brainwashing” (Evangelism 28). Certainly that is not the intention of the evangelist, but one must be careful not to accidentally lapse into such a mindset.
Motivation as a result of God’s sovereignty is also a key subject. Packer argues that a proper view of God’s sovereignty should motivate believers to evangelism in three areas. The first is that we will become more bold in our witnessing because “no heart is too hard for the grace of God”(Evangelism 118). James M. Boice explains that “[if] God is sovereign inâÂ?¦all other mattersâÂ?¦then we can be bold in evangelism, knowing that God by grace may use us as channels of his blessing” (123).
Secondly, it will motivate believers to be patient. God works in His own time according to His own plan. As long as it is not up to us, then we should be content to do exactly as He commands. Packer continues to explain that modern times have made Christians highly dependent on quick solutions. A mentality of expediency is inappropriate in the context of evangelism. Rarely will a person become a believer unless there has been significant preparation and witnessing before the conversion (Evangelism 119). He also says that along with patience, God’s sovereignty provides the only genuine hope for successful witnessing. He says that absent this concept “evangelism would be the most futile and useless enterprise that the world has ever seen, and there would be no more complete waste of time under the sun than to preach the Christian gospel” (Evangelism 106).
Thirdly, God’s sovereignty should drive us to our knees in prayer. After all, in light of God’s magnificent grace we are rendered powerless and must acknowledge that only He can enable us to present the message he commands. We should understand that He will save who He wills, but continue to pray and ask Him to prepare the hearts of those He is sending to us (Evangelism 122).
It is a privilege that Christ has entrusted us with the message of salvation and that should spur us to evangelize and share that wonderful news. There is something fundamentally wrong with a Christian who would not naturally respond in that way (Packer, Evangelism 77). It is because of that trust and sovereignty of God that the Christian realizes that they are compelled to witness, and that the same sovereignty is volitionally motivating for everyday life. “With God’s sovereignty as basis, God’s glory as goal, and God’s will as motive, the missionary enterprise can face the most difficult of all missionary tasks” (Calvinistic Action Committee 64).
Works Cited
Boice, James Montgomery. Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive and Readable Theology. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1981.
Calvin, John. Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God. Trans. J. K. S. Reid. London: James Clarke and Co. Calvinistic Action Committee. God-Centered Living. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1951.
Custance, Arthur C. The Sovereignty of Grace. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1979.
Holy Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
Packer, J. I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1961.
Knowing God. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993.
