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Response
Calvinism refers to a belief in the supreme sovereignty of God, particularly concerning salvation. Calvinists firmly believe that the Bible teaches the inherent sinful nature of man, making it impossible for him to earn God’s approval through his own efforts. According to Calvinists, God chose certain individuals from humanity for His own purposes in eternity past. Over time, God bestows repentance and faith upon His chosen ones, awakening them to their sinful condition and their need for grace. Those whom He saves will be eternally preserved by the Lord and will continue to follow Him faithfully; in other words, if they truly belong to Him, they cannot and will not lose their salvation because He ensures their security.
One aspect that leads some to question the importance of evangelism is the concept of “limited atonement” in Calvinism. This tenet asserts that Christ’s sacrifice was intended only for the elect. The theological rationale behind this is that if Christ had died for every individual throughout history, then no one would face damnation since their sins would already be paid for. However, since Scripture clearly states that many will be eternally separated from God, it implies that their sins were not covered by Christ’s atonement. This leads to the untenable conclusion that there are individuals in hell for whom Christ died.
Some argue that “Christ paid for everyone’s sins, but it is each person’s choice to believe in and accept Him.” This fundamental disagreement lies at the heart of the debate between Calvinism (monergism) and Arminianism (synergism). If man ultimately determines his own fate, how can God be considered truly sovereign? Moreover, if the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice hinges on human acceptance, then it contradicts the notion of it being the all-sufficient sacrifice as described in the Bible. (See Romans 5; Ephesians 1:3-14). The Bible teaches that we love Him because He loved us first.He first loved us.” , (1 John 4:19), not the other way around.
But Calvinism, and most anything else if out of balance, could hinder evangelism. The hypothetical argument raised against Calvinism is this: “Since God chose His own in eternity past; and, since He grants repentance and faith needed in order to come to Him; and, since all He has chosen will, in fact, come to Him “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” , (John 6:37); and all who come to Him are eternally secure; then, it follows that man isn’t involved in salvation.” But this is a wrong conclusion. Man is very much involved. God ordains the end—the salvation of lost man. But God also ordains the MEANS to the end—evangelism. God could have ordained any number of ways to communicate salvation. He has given a revelation of Himself in creation and conscience (Romans 1 – 2). But He has specifically chosen to communicate the Gospel message through believers sharing the message of salvation (Romans 10:9-17). So, whether one is a Calvinist or not, evangelism is the responsibility of all believers. Historically, Calvinism not only didn’t diminish the Calvinists’ burden for souls, it purified it! The Calvinists were among the greatest evangelists in the history of the church, motivated by love for their Lord and Savior who chose them and saved them “before the foundation of the world” “according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: “, (Ephesians 1:4).
Before we truly understand the sovereignty of God in salvation, we often think the burden is on us to “produce”
Decisions for Christ. We act as if a person’s salvation depends on us. So when we share the Gospel and it is rejected, we may think we failed to persuade that person to believe, and that we need a more skillful or refined presentation of the plan of salvation. We might be tempted to dilute the Gospel next time to elicit the desired response. However, once we grasp the Doctrines of Grace, the pressure to coerce a “decision” dissipates. Now, we bear witness because we desire to be faithful to our dear Lord. Evangelism among Calvinists is motivated by the familiar phrase “By His grace, and for His glory!” No, Calvinism should not impede evangelism. If anything, it should empower our witnessing with great boldness and pure motives.
