Center for Biblical Theology and Eschatology
Reforming Evangelism: Fundamental Principles
by Leonard W. Pine
My first day at college was a memorable one. I met one of my roommates as I was
unloading and we began to talk about where we were from, what our majors were, what churches
we attended, and so on. When I told him I was a Bible Presbyterian, he remarked, "Oh! So you
don't believe in evangelism then." He was suffering under the common, yet mistaken, idea that
Reformed theology kills evangelical zeal. Sometimes, I think Reformed people themselves are
under the same delusion, not realizing that truly Reformed theology is the greatest incentive to
evangelism ever!
Years later, my friend and I conducted a large youth rally in my home town of Grants
Pass, Oregon. His techniques and strategy were far different from mine. His Arminian
background dictated his emotional appeals to the will of man as the deciding factor in one's
salvation. My appeals were for submission to a sovereign, merciful God. What would your
appeals be like? Would you make any appeals at all? Historically, the greatest missionaries and
evangelists have been predominantly Reformed--why do we have a problem with evangelism
then? This article will examine [1] our motivation for evangelism, as well as [2] some principles
that will guide us as we set out to reform evangelism.
A good place to start is to define what we mean by evangelism. The word has taken on a
great deal of excess baggage over the years until many now equate evangelism with certain types
of activities within the church. That is, one is evangelizing when he or she is asking people to
come to church, or when he or she happens to mention God's name favorably in conversation, or
if he or she participates in an evangelistically oriented meeting, to mention a few examples.
However good these activities are, they are not evangelism per se. Our method must be
determined by what evangelism is, rather than defining evangelism in terms of method. Just last
year I filled out an application to work with a Christian organization that oversees all ministries
in Remann Hall, a juvenile detention center in Tacoma. On the application they asked me to
describe how I would lead a soul to Christ, outlining verses I would use, etc. It puzzled me,
because I hardly ever use the same approach twice. People's hearts offer different barriers that
guard their essential sinfulness. Therefore, different "demolition tools" are needed from situation
to situation. I came to realize that this organization had fallen into the same salesmanship trap
that many believers and their ministers havethat is, all one has to do is use a set package of
verses and appeals and God is sure to honor and bless because "we're doing evangelism!" J. I.
Packer writes, "There is only one method of evangelism: namely, the faithful explanation and
application of the gospel message."[1] I would add to this definition by referring to Proverbs
24:11, 12, which reads, "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those
stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Surely we did not know this,' does not He who weighs
the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to
each man according to his deeds?"[2] Evangelism is the urgent, compassionate, and faithful
(obedient to command and content) explanation and application of the gospel wherever and
whenever the Lord leads us to engage a soul.
Matthew 9:37,38 reads, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore
pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers in the His harvest." Everyone recognizes that
the need is great, but few believe it strongly enough to do something about it. If folks do pray as
Christ instructs them, they often think only in terms of others going besides themselves. (This is
what I call the "my-ministry-is-as-a-prayer-warrior" syndrome.) As Reformed people, we pride
ourselves on paying attention to the full counsel of God. Very well, what do the Scriptures say
about why we all should be telling others about the gospel?
We must evangelize to glorify God. I Corinthians 10:31 tells us that whatever we do must
be for God's glory. All of us are familiar with the Shorter Catechism's first question and answer
as well; glorifying and enjoying God are man's principle duties here on earth and for eternity. A
person's glory is simply the manifestation of his perfections; and evangelism is an essential part
of directing men to see (and bow before) God's perfections. Moreover, evangelism demonstrates
God's perfections in our own lives as we carry out his work.
For one thing, our testimony reflects the light of God. Jesus states in Matthew 5:16, "Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in
heaven." From where does our light come? John 8:12 has the answer: "Jesus spoke to them
again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but
have the light of life.'" Our lives and our words reflect the light of Christ that is in us. When
Christ reveals Himself, there is always glory, for His perfections shine forth, not ours.
That truth leads us to the second aspect of glorifying God, which is that our testimony
directs praise to Him. Only God can create a new person, and the world knows it. Psalm 40:2,3
describes God's act of re-creation and the effect it has upon men: "He also brought me up out of
a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has
put a new song in my mouthpraise to our God; many will see and fear, and will trust in the
LORD." Do you want to glorify God? Then spend your life praising and testifying of the God
who redeemed you!
We must evangelize out of obedience to God. The command and urging to evangelize is
an important part of the message and ministry of Christ (for examples, the sending out of the 12
and the 70). Both Matthew 28:19,20 and Acts 1:8 strongly emphasize the commissioning by
Christ of the disciples to the task. Paul follows up in II Cor 5:18-21 with the insistence that we
all fulfill our role as Christ's ambassadors, following Paul's example. Peter writes with similar
thinking behind his discussion of the priesthood of all believers. Of course, the Old Testament is
full of calls to declare God's glory and dominion to all nations: a duty sorely neglected by Israel
out of pride and self-service. We dare not follow their example. God gives us strong warning in
Ezekiel 3:18 that as watchmen we must be faithful to proclaim what God has said to whom He
has said it, for their sakes as well as ours. We do have an obligation to others. Paul was able to
declare in Acts 20:26, "I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all." He could
say this because he had testified faithfully out of obedience to God and commitment to his fellow
creatures[3].
We must evangelize out of compassion for others. This third motivating factor arises
naturally out of the one that precedes it. We have just seen that Paul was concerned more about
souls than a head count. He didn't travel throughout the Mediterranean world just so he could
carve notches in his gospel gun. He was aware of God's command that we love our neighbors as
ourselves. I met a Baptist preacher in Columbia, South Carolina, who had gotten a hold of just
enough Reformed theology to make him dangerous. He was truly a hyper-Calvinist who went
about deciding on his own initiative who were the elect and who weren't. We were talking about
a rebellious student that attended the little Christian school his church operated. This preacher
told me, "God doesn't love that kid and never will." (He had decided that since he didn't love
Johnny, God must not either.) When I objected, he jumped down my throat: "The idea that God
loves the sinner but hates his sin is a lie from hell!" Now, I understand the doctrine of
reprobation, but it is not up to us to decide who is reprobated so that we can excuse ourselves
from loving souls.
We need to follow Christ's example. In Luke 15:1, 2 the evangelist tells us of the
complaints of the Pharisees about Christ's habit of fellowshipping with traitors (which was the
prevailing view of tax collectors) and sinners. We often have the same repugnance toward the
lost, forgetting that apart from God's grace we would be as they are. The lost gathered around
Christ because He loved them more than himself. We are not told that Christ only received the
elect around Him. The word received is an interesting word. It comes from the verb
prosde/comai and means to welcome, take up, or receive. Paul uses the same word elsewhere
(Romans 16:2; Philippians 2:29) of welcoming someone in the Lord. Following Christ's
example, we will welcome sinners rather than shun them as we seek to obediently proclaim to
them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If, however, we seek to follow Christ's example using our capacity to love, we will
sorely fail. Christ's love must be the driving force behind our labors for souls. Paul writes in II
Cor. 5:14 that "the love of Christ compels us." Paul's recognition of the condition of man was
only the beginning: it had to be coupled with the love of Christ.
As we show Christ's love in our testimony to others we are also acting out Christ's
mercy. Jude 21-23 expresses this thought vividly: "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making
a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments
defiled by the flesh."
After all, what is a Calvinist? A Calvinist is one who has looked into the fires of
Hell and seen its terror. A Calvinist is one who knows that he is a Hell-deserving sinner.
A Calvinist is one who has been drawn to the foot of the cross and seen Christ in all His
glory as a Savior for sinners. A Calvinist is one who knows that Hell is where, but for
the sovereign grace of God and no other reason, he belongs. A Calvinist is one who has
experienced compassion and thus should be one who is filled with compassion.[4]
I hope that by now you are convinced that evangelizing is not an option, or just
something that only a privileged few are supposed to do. If so, great"but now you very well
may be one of the millions who say "Yes, I need to witness more" but never do because they
don't know HOW. Every situation is different. But there are some basic principles that will
help you get started down, and stay on, the right track.
The first principle is that Reformed theology is not your enemy! (or, Tulip or not Tulip?)
Some Reformed people almost seem apologetic about referring to the truths of Scripture. It is a
tacit admission that while these things are true, we don't want to talk about them because they
will drive men away. I am glad our Savior did not take such a timid approach to His evangelism.
He declared the truth, no matter how hard it was to hear, and the Holy Spirit applied the Word to
whomever He willed. With that in mind, a brief look at the so-called Five Points of Calvinism is
in order, since these are often the points of issue in evangelism.
1. Total Depravity
Understanding this keeps you focused on what the Bible emphasizesGod's mercy, not
man's ability. Most unregenerate men want to believe that there is some corner of their hearts
that is capable of reaching out to God on their own initiative. Challenge such belief with the
Scriptures. Man has to approach God on God's terms and no other. Learn what the Scriptures say
about man's ability, and that knowledge will change your entire "strategy" of evangelism. You
will not be content to let men blissfully plunge ahead into darkness thinking they have no need to
humble themselves before God. Remember the first Beatitude? "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for they shall see God."
2. Unconditional Election
Understanding this keeps you from despair in hard places and actually is a great source of
confidence. Because Jesus says in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep,
and and known by my own," we can proceed confidently knowing that the work of regeneration
is completely in God's hands. Christ will certainly gather in His sheep as He wills!
Furthermore, preaching about election is certainly appropriate: Jesus, after all, made it
clear that that Father had given Him a particular flock. Those whom the Holy Spirit regenerates
will respond to the message of God's love. Worrying about a person's response to this doctrine
is inconsistent with a biblical understanding of man's depravity. If a person is not humbled
before God when confronted with the gospel, the Holy Spirit is not at work! Don't cast pearls
before swine!
Again, the Bible's emphasis is on God's mercy, not man's deserving or twisted ideas of
"fairness."[5] If one's concept of depravity is wanting, his view of election will also suffer. Rather
than accepting that none deserve salvation, unregenerate men think that God should make an
exception in their case. Challenge such thinking from Scripture! Paul explains forcefully in
Romans 9:14-24 that God's election demonstrates his glorious mercy against a backdrop of
deserved reprobation. We must not apologize for the glory of our God.
3. Limited Atonement
Understanding this keeps you consistently Trinitarian. The operations of the Persons of
the Trinity are equal in extent. See I John 5:6,8; Rom. 8:28-31; Eph. 1:3-14; and I Pet. 1:2. The
Father's election, the Son's redemption, and the Spirit's sanctification are all particular. We must
point men to the God of the Scriptures, not an Arminian interpretation of the Living God. Theirs
is a God of confusion, for what the Father has desired the Son only partially accomplished, and
the Spirit's stirrings in men's hearts are hit-and-miss.
Regarding especially the work of the Son, we must understand that He is not greater or
lesser than the Father (does not accomplish more or less than the Father). The Son has equal
honor with the Father. (John 5:23) The Son redeems only those given Him by the Father. (John
17:6,9,10) In other words, He cannot redeem more than the Father elects. The "Lamb's book of
life" demonstrates that the number of the Father's elect is identical with the number that Christ
redeems. Finally, Christ redeems no more than the Spirit sanctifies. (IJohn 5:6,7) "Christ's
oblation is not of larger extent than the Spirit's operation."[6]
The Bible's emphasis is on the completeness and sufficiency of Christ's atoning work,
not man's deciding vote. The universalistic, Arminian position makes a mockery of sovereign
grace and manipulators out of evangelists. Preaching with understanding of God's particular
atonement will overflow with joy in the God who accomplishes surely what He sets out to do!
4. Irresistible Grace
Understanding this helps preach a full gospel. "The Holy Spirit never fails to to bring to
salvation those sinners whom He personally calls to Christ."[7] The first implication of this
statement is that faith and repentance are divine gifts. Secondly it implies that the Gospel is not
an option but a command. (Acts 17:30) Once again, the biblical emphasis is upon the work of the
Spirit, not the work of man's will. "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His
good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) The calling of the Spirit is not plaintive and timid but bold
and confident. When He regenerates, man's will is truly free to return to his God! Far from
violating the will, God's irresistible grace restores it to genuine ability, led by the Spirit to gain
the narrow way. Never hesitate to preach God's gracethere is no salvation without it.
5. Perseverance of the Saints
Understanding this prevents "easy-believism." There is no distinction between being
saved and being a disciple in the Scriptures. That is, there is no salvation w/o submission. Titus
3:7 says that "being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life." Such hope implies the necessity of preaching repentance. Perseverance does not
mean that once saved, a person can then live unto himself and yet claim the blood and name of
Christ with the full expectation of being eagerly received by the Savior in glory. To such
persons, Christ has other words to say, "Depart from Me, I never knew you." Our witness will be
one that seeks to turn men to righteousness from evil. We will not water down the gospel so that
it is easier fro the wicked to swallow.
Further, understanding and properly employing the doctrine of perseverance will keep us
from decisional evangelism. We know if people are of God by their actions, not their decisions.
("By their fruits you shall know them...")
To summarize our first principle then, I assert that without Reformed theology,
evangelism is DE-formed! Do not fear to take up the standard and hold your ground. All too
many believers approach evangelism letting what the world wants to hear call the shots. As a
result, many who claim the name of Christ are no disciples at all. They are like the seed which
fell on stony or thorny ground: they spring up quickly with only shallow roots, only to whither
away into nothing when the Adversary comes.
We can cover our remaining principles in fairly short order. The second principle is to be
flexible! Paul declared that he was "all things to all men" in his efforts to win others to Christ.
(I Cor. 9:19-22) His discussion with the Athenians in Acts 17 on Mars Hill demonstrates
forcefully that Paul was amaster persuader. First, you have to know who your audience is, and
Paul had them pegged perfectly as intellectuals, philosophers, and people of position in Athens.
He addressed them respectfully, and approached them on their own terms. If you only think of
the gospel in terms that are natural to you, you will never be able to be flexible when faced with
an audience outside of your experience.
Second, you have to be familiar with what your audience knows. Paul established
common ground by speaking of the gods he saw on the way into the sity, and by quoting their
own peots to confirm his point in their minds. It was not the only proof he offered for his thesis,
but it was effective to demonstrate that even their own thinkers instinctively understood that
what he was saying was true. Don't be afraid to pull in current events, insights from pagans
(pearls in sow's snouts!), and other appeals to a person's culture to demonstrate that what God
has said is true and relevant to their hearts and lives.
Third, you have to be able to adjust to different people's needs. Don't operate from a
script. If you only know one way to prsent the gospel, you're in trouble, because hardly anyone
ever lets you just walze them through your presentation without questions, objections, or
comments that can throw you off-track. Operate rather from ideas that are firmly planted in your
heart. If you are a genuine believer, you know what God can do in a person's life. Talk about
Christ from your heart, not a list, and when objections come you will respond from the truths
within you. The knowledge in your head will follow. (These statements do imply that you are
truly regenerated and that you have studied your Bible enough to have some knowledge.) If you
think about it, you communicate this way every day. The way you explain an event you've
experienced will vary from listener to listener, but the essentials are there and you don't panic
that you might not get it right. It's the same in testifying of the good news of Jesus Christ.
The third principle is to remember Whom you represent! Imaging God is not just a
quality of the believer, but an action. (Jer. 6:27; Acts 22:15; I Peter 2:9, 10) As His
representative, your mouth must be filled with His message. It is God's Word that saves, not
yours. (I Tim.4:6, 7; Rom.1:16,17) We have authority because of Who God is, and only to the
extent that we remain true to His Word. This principle acts as a check to going overboard on
flexibility, a common problem among pragmatic religion. Being culturally relevant is no good if
we lose sight of the good news!
The fourth principle is that the gospel must consume you! Aristotle wrote that there were
three primary proofs for any given argument: logos, or factual information; pathos, or emotional
appeals; and ethos, a person's character. He insisted that ethos was the strongest of all appeals,
because what a person says is less important than who he is perceived to be. (Which is why
politicians can lie and get away with it.) What kind of person are you? I Corinthians 4:20 reads,
"The kingdom of God is not in word by in power." Do you talk a good line, but fail to back it up
with depth of character? Are you an imitation, or a real Christian? People can spot a fake
quickly. As soon as such a person is under pressure the veneer wears thin, and the real person
shines through. Very simply, if you don't really believe what you're saying, neither will anyone
else.
Also, what do you know? Another way of asking this question is, how much do you
study? Just as a salt-water well can't produce fresh water, neither can a dry well produce any
water at all. Spurgeon used to speak of a water seller that he observed outside his hotel while on
a preaching tour. On a daily basis the man took bucket after bucket of water from the town well
to fill his water wagon. The man would then leave, only to return a short while later to repaet the
process. Others would come to fill a bucket or two for their own use, but this man came again
and again as he emptied his wagon. It dawned on Spurgeon that, in principle, the evangelist must
take the same course as that of the water seller. Not only must you fill up with the living water
for your own use from day to day, but you must also fill up enough to distribute to others. That
means coming to the well of life frequently. Do you care enough to do so?
Speaking of caring, what is your desire? Jonah was only interested in what served
himself best. He wanted the wicked to get their just deserts, with no possibility of parole. Paul,
on the other hand, held his own life in low esteeem if he might be used of God to bring men to
the Savior. Which example do you fit under?
Finally, who or what are you depending on? Do you pray? How? And how much? Does
concern for the souls of others burn within you to the point that you pour out your heart before
God for them? Augustine's famous statement from a funeral sermon is appropriate here: "We
weep for the body from which the soul has departed. How much more should we weep for the
soul from whom God has departed?" You cannot do the work alone, nor can you depend upon
men's techniques or efforts to accomplish God's task. Plead with Him, commune with Him,
before you ever say a word about the gospel to others. Since we are to be ready to give an
answer at any time of the hope that lies within us, that means "pray without ceasing!" Read again
Paul Murphy's view of the Calvinist's compassion (above, p. 4) as an excellent summary of this
fourth principle.
Conclusion
So what's stopping you? Far from granting you an excuse not to evangelize, our
theology provides the greatest of motivating forces and the most powerful of messages. By
God's grace, in His power, and with His Word, let's get busy.
Introduction
Definition of Evangelism
Motivation - Why we must evangelize
Paul T. Murphy summarizes the necessity of compassion well:
Guiding Principles - How we should evangelize
| Dr. Leonard W. Pine is Field Director of the Presbyterian Missionary Union, and Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology at Western Reformed Seminary. He has a M.Div., from Western Reformed Seminary, 1993; D.Min., Westminster Seminary California, 2002, was the assistant Professor of Practical Theology, Western Reformed Seminary, 1993-2002. Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology, Western Reformed Seminary, 2002-. |
End Notes
1. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, Downers Grove, IL:InterVarsity Press, 1961, p. 86.
2. All Scripture quotations taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
3. For Paul's feelings about the souls of men, a brief look at Romans 1 and 9:1-3 makes it clear that Paul was driven more than just fear of reprisal from God. He keenly felt an obligation to others. See also II Corinthians 5:10 and 11.
4. "Reformed Evangelism: A Challenge to Faithfulness," The Counsel of Chalcedon, 11/91, p.18.
5. Ezekiel 18:19-29 is an excellent discussion of the Lord's justice as opposed to man's ideas of fairness. There, Israel was of the opinion that God should reward them for the righteousness of their fathers regardless of their own actions. Inconsistently, they then also felt that the wicked should get what was coming to them (just as long as it wasn't themselves!) God's answer was that every man would answer for his own conduct before God: "The soul that sins shall die." (vs. 4, 20)
6. Christopher Ness, Antidote Against Arminianism, reprint ed., (Edmonton, AB, CN:Still Waters Revival Books, 1988, p. 64).
7. Paul T. Murphy, "Reformed Evangelism: A Challenge to Faithfulness," The Counsel of Chalcedon, 11/91, p. 19.