Subject: Is there any practical difference? |
Bible Note: Tim: Actually, although Lionstrong seems to have pointed it out to you in his own cuddly way, Calvinists also believe that in most cases men will not receive Christ unless someone preaches Him to them. We simply say that God in His sovereignty WILL bring someone bearing the gospel to that individual. We hold that the Spirit of God works through the proclamation of His word (we call it a "means of grace"). I think that the difference in evangelism is in the presentation. For example, I am commanded by God to glorify Him and proclaim His truth to other human beings. Some of them are of the elect and some are not. While I certainly don't have a photocopy of the Book of Life, I also hold that everyone I share the message of Christianity with will continue in their stubborn unbelief unless God changes the disposition of his/her heart. Therefore, I strongly avoid the high-pressure, touchy-feely approaches to evangelism. Since it is the Holy Spirit who regenerates, any sugar-coating or soft-peddling the truth of God's holiness, man's depravity, and our utter helplessness before Him could lead to spurious conversions. That is, I do not want to be responsible for giving someone an emotional, warm feeling of being saved if the true possession of faith is not there. Of course, I can never be 100 percent sure, since it is not I who judges the heart, but woe is me if I give someone a false sense of assurance of salvation based on a misunderstanding of what true saving faith is. While I do not think that most Arminians present a false view of justification by faith alone, I do see a tendency to place a high value on packaging the presentation just right, to rely on technique a little too much. People can definitely be boorish when it comes to presenting the gospel, but the GOD LOVES YOU AND PLANS FOR YOU TO BE IN HEAVEN WITH HIM...(psst: sin)...JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! approach just doesn't seem to be the most biblical way of going about it. I guess that in the Calvinist view, with such a extremely God-centered perspective of the ultimate end of salvation, our presentation of the Gospel is much less on "what God can do for you" than "Here is what God has done for His glory." It is kind of hard to put into specific terminology, but there certainly is a less human-centered approach to evangelism in the Calvinist vein. --Joe! |