Does Calvinism kill Evangelism??

-Jon Irenicus

Many contenders of the Reformed theology are ignorantly accusing Calvinism of abrogating the importance and necessity of spreading the Good news (or Evangelism). The main question of the said accusation is with regards to the doctrine of Predestination. According to them (perhaps the Arminians in particular), if the Calvinist is correct that God has already planned long ago every individual's ends, then there would be no need for Evangelism. Christ's Great Commission to spread the Gospel to all nations will be of no usefulness for all elect will, in the end, be saved.

Correctly understood, however, the doctrine of predestination has several significant implications, especially in the field of Evangelism. Dr. Millard J. Erickson enumerates these positive implications of the doctrine:

• 1) We can have confidence that what God has decided will come to pass. His plan will be fulfilled, and the elect will come to faith.

• 2) We need not criticize ourselves when some people reject Christ. Jesus himself did not win everyone in his audience. He understood that all those whom the Father gave to him would come to him (John 6:37) and only they would come (v. 44). When we have done our best, we can leave the matter with the Lord.

• 3) Predestination does not nullify incentive for evangelism and missions. We do not know who the elect and the nonelect are, so we must continue to spread the Word. Our evangelistic efforts are God's MEANS to bring the elect to salvation. God's ordaining of the end includes the ordaining of the means to that end as well. The knowledge that missions are God's means is a strong motive for the endeavor and gives us CONFIDENCE that it will prove successful [no matter what].

• 4) [Grace is absolutely necessary. While Arminianism often gives strong emphasis to grace; in our Calvinistic scheme there is no basis for God's choice of some to eternal life other than his own sovereign will. There is nothing in the individual which persuades God to grant salvation to him or her.]

Predestination gives us the confidence to talk about the claims of Christ with other people. Predestination encourages evangelism because we can know that the God who sends us into the mission field is the same God who controls whatever happens. He is the same God who is able to turn the most sin-hardened heart to faith in an instant! Their stubborn free wills don’t matter—God can change them. God could change Paul, the worst enemy of the Christian faith, into the greatest of missionaries in a flash!

So, will Calvinism kill Evangelism? Charles C. Reisingler answers the question this way:

"The answer to the question is yes and no. Yes, it will kill unbiblical man-centered evangelism and some of the carnal unbiblical methods employed in man-centered evangelism.

No, it will not kill God-centered evangelism where biblical methods are employed in the great work of carrying out our Lord's clearest command." [Charles C. Reisinger, Will Calvinism kill Evangelism?]

Let us, therefore, preach the Gospel to all nations as Christ commanded!

___________