"The presupposition of God's election is behind our preaching to spiritually dead men. The doctrine of election, if properly understood, is not a handicap to evangelistic zeal, but rather its stimulus. We preach because we know it is not hopeless. God's elect must hear, and He will save them. The elect are many and exist in all places. Their salvation awaits our coming with the gospel, and it is our responsibility to reach them with it...The doctrine of election ought not to be preached to Christians only to comfort and reassure them...The doctrine of election should be a stimulus to good works and especially to witnessing."
From MISSIONS: THE BIBLICAL MOTIVE AND AIM,
by JOHN M.L.YOUNG, Pittsburgh: Crown and Covenant
Publications, 2007(1962). p. 25.
_________
Note:
*picture courtesy of Eddie Eddings, Calvinistic Cartoons.
This is very a very good post bro! Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteJohn M.L. Young defines missions as “the work of the Triune God, through His Church, of sending Christ’s ambassadors to all nations to proclaim His whole Word for the salvation of lost men, the establishment of indigenous churches, and the coming of God’s kingdom, all for the glory of God.”
ReplyDeletewow! this is meat! - hope my Armin bros hear this...
ReplyDeletethere are many who are in "The Doctrine of Election" are expert in debating the Armin brothers here on the internet but are NOT actively doing some type of evangelism, don't even have the desire to give out tracts, or do house to house evangelism, or preach on streets...Hummm...im just wondering why...any answer?
ReplyDeleteIn a topsy turvy world dominated by modernism, some doctrines skewed from soundness of biblical truth. We live in a day of gross ignorance with regard to sound theology.Christians must continually yearn for sound, wholesome, and healthy doctrine (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18).When we have a right knowledge of God, our lives begin to demonstrate the resulting godly fruit e.g. prayer, evangelism, missions and etc..
ReplyDeleteDoes calvinism nullifies evangelism?? I think not.
This one is from Internet Monk:
"Calvinism is fired up about missions. Contrary to the press releases, it is a bunch of Calvinists who are fueling the missions movement among the college age Christian community. The influence of John Piper is massive, and honest Arminians admit it (as they did in the debate I observed.). His book, The Supremacy of God in Missions, has become highly influential in frontier missions circles. Louie Giglio's Passion movement is God-centered and missions-centered and he has said Piper will always speak at those gatherings. The supreme optimism of Calvinism that God has a people to be called and saved in every nation, and that a sovereign God can move in the Muslim world, is winning the hearts and minds of many young missionaries. Check out www.frontiers.org and see what I mean. That is very cool."
Calvinist are not Pragmatist. They do not report so and so data of conversion, etc.
Good point bro. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBut I am still challenging those young Calvinist in this new generation who are zealous in sharing "Calvinism" to other believers...to go out and do something to evangelize,
I will quote what you've said..."The elect are many and exist in all places. Their salvation awaits our coming with the gospel, and it is our responsibility to reach them with it..."
Now is the right time!
Thanks! Those are very encouraging words....
ReplyDeleteElection having once pitched upon a man, it will find him out and call him home, wherever he be. It called Zaccheus out of accursed Jericho; Abraham out of idolatrous Ur of the Chaldees; Nicodemus and Paul, from the College of the Pharisees, Christ’s sworn enemies; Dionysius and Damaris, out of superstitious Athens. In whatsoever dunghills God’s elect are hid, election will find them out and bring them home.
ReplyDeleteJohn Arrowsmith (1602-1659)
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