Evangelism, Part 5

The Joy of Sharing the Good News

 Modern evangelistic methodology is often off base. The stress is often on reciting a prayer when Jesus commanded sinners to repent and believe (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). He called people to believe and follow him (Mark 8:34-38; 10:17-22, John 1:47-51; 7:37-44; 9:35-38; 11:21-28) and his apostles proclaimed the same message (Acts 2:37-41; 10:42-48; 13:38-48; 17:30-33; 26:19-29; 28:23-31).

Why then do Christians employ unscriptural terminology? How often have you heard or used the phrase yourself, “Invite Jesus into your heart”? Touching words but nowhere in the New Testament do we find Jesus or the apostles using this type of language. It is true that God takes up residence in our souls through his Spirit when we receive Christ in faith. I might even note that astonishing reality in a conversation with an unbeliever but this is not the call of the gospel.

Often an appeal for inviting Jesus into one’s life is based on Revelation 3:20 where the Lord declares, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Context is key. These words are directed to the church in Laodicea, not to people outside the community of faith.

The Laodicean church had become self-reliant and therefore self-deluded. Blessed with prosperity, they had convinced themselves they needed nothing, not realizing they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). In verse 19, Jesus reminds them that he reproves and disciplines those he loves and calls them to be zealous and repent. This sets up his declaration in verse 20. Commenting on this verse Robert Mounce writes, “In their blind self-sufficiency they had, as it were, excommunicated the risen Lord from their congregation. In act of unbelievable condescension, he requests permission to enter and re-reestablish fellowship.” Christians may wish to press Revelation 3:20 into the service of evangelism but the consistent call of the gospel is to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another phrase misappropriated by Christians in evangelism is, “Jesus died for you.” I have no problem proclaiming that truth to God’s people in worship but not in an evangelistic encounter.

J.I. Packer sets the record straight:

“The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. The basis on which the New Testament invites sinners to put faith in Christ is simply that they need him, and that he offers himself to them, and that those who receive him are promised all the benefits that his death secured for his people. What is universal and all-inclusive in the New Testament is the invitation to faith and the promise of salvation to all who believe.”

The simple fact is we do not know who the elect are. That is not our concern. We simply announce the good news to all. So, what can we say to unbelievers? We can say things like, “Jesus died for people like you and me,” “God calls you to come to Christ in repentance and faith,” and “Jesus promises eternal life to all who believe.”

In 1988, John MacArthur Jr. released a very important work for its time entitled, The Gospel According to Jesus. The subtitle was, What Does Jesus Mean When He Says, “Follow Me”? There he noted, “The pattern of modern evangelism is to take people through a formula, get them to pray a prayer, sign a card, or whatever, then tell them they are saved and should never doubt it.” Regrettably, many pastors and individuals have contributed to the false notion a person's one-time profession is more valid than the ongoing testimony of one’s life. James makes it clear, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (2:17).

MacArthur criticizes evangelistic appeals to “make a decision for Christ.” Some have called this “decisional regeneration.” It is true that a decision in and of itself means nothing. On that we can agree. We are to encourage biblical repentance and faith. Ultimately salvation is God’s decision for he is the author of salvation (John 1:12-13).

Nevertheless, we know that God disposes his elect in such a way that they freely choose to believe the gospel. Do we not make a choice or decision in some sense though moved irresistibly by God? I believe we do and on occasion MacArthur admits this himself. He writes: “Each inevitably must make a choice … Salvation is a choice each person must make” (pp. 178, 179). While he rightly states, "salvation is not ultimately a human decision," he also affirms, “people must decide to follow Christ” (p. 146).

The principle of deciding whom we shall follow is a scriptural one (see Dueteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15; 1 Kings 18:21). My point is this: while not encouraging false assurance in a decision itself, I think it is quite biblical to challenge people to decide to follow Christ understanding only the elect will truly repent and believe through the work of the Holy Spirit.  

Critics of MacArthur have accused him of advocating “Lordship salvation” as if one could separate Jesus as Savior and Jesus as Lord. They contend calling sinners to follow Jesus adds works to the gospel thereby nullifying grace. How odd since Jesus repeatedly calls people to follow him in the Gospels.

Some allege MacArthur presupposes perfect submission and understanding of the unbeliever.

If one reads his book carefully, it’s apparent such claims are false. He opposes, “a pre-salvation attempt to set one's life in order” (p. 163). He flatly denies “some pre-salvation works of righteousness” necessary to redemption (p. xiii). He rejects the idea that one “must understand fully all the implications of sin, repentance or the lordship of Christ” (p. 88). Even so, “no one can be saved who is either unwilling to obey Christ or consciously rebellious against the lordship of Christ” (p. xiv).

While the Spirit reveals the depth of our sin over the course of our Christian lives, MacArthur is correct when he says no one can come to Christ “knowingly or deliberately" holding something back (p. 197). Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24).

There is a difference between using language to explain and illustrate biblical concepts and using terminology as a substitute for the biblical principles of repentance and faith. Much of modern evangelism needs reforming. Our tradition believes we should always be reforming, that is to say, the church should continually seek to align itself more closely to the teachings of Scripture.