Since God is Sovereign, Why Evangelize?

If there is one area of the church that is the weakest in our time it could easily be argued that it is our evangelism. In the last article, Micah broke down for us some of the necessary components of the conversation we must have here. 

He framed that by asking the question of whether evangelism should be viewed as a blessing or a burden and concluded with pointing out that since God is sovereign in ordaining both the means and the method, we can share the gospel in confidence without the burden of thinking that it depends on us to complete the work. God’s sovereignty is a blessing in our evangelism.

God’s Sovereignty in our Evangelism

In “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God,” J.I. Packer does a great job at connecting the dots between this failure and the theological implications in a way that is accessible to just about anyone.  In the introduction of his book, Packer states that divine sovereignty “embraces everything that comes into the biblical picture of God as Lord and King in his world, the one who “works all things in accordance with his will,” (Eph 1:11), directing every process and ordering every event for the fulfilling of his own eternal plan.”[1]

His basic argument is that divine sovereignty is a fundamental Christian doctrine that necessarily undergirds evangelism.[2] He and I agree here. He goes on to highlight what he believes is at the heart of the disagreement and how it relates to biblical interpretation of the subject at hand. To put it simply, the apparent contradictions between sovereignty and responsibility in the Scriptures are just that—apparent. Both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are genuine realities from a biblical standpoint and while seemingly at odds, must be wrestled with as both completely true and bonafide. 

The reason for taking up the subject is two-fold:

(1) disagreement over methods and means of evangelism and, more importantly,

(2) the fallacies at both ends of the theological debate.

Packer warns that there are two major temptations that we face in approaching the subject. The first is to focus exclusively on human responsibility and the second is to focus exclusively on divine sovereignty. [3] Either way, we are missing the picture of what God lays out in His Word.

Packer concludes by offering two propositions to answer the question of sovereignty and responsibility. The first is that the “sovereignty of God in grace” does not undermine the necessity or urgency of evangelism, nor does it interfere with the genuineness of the offer of the gospel or man’s responsibility to both proclaim and respond to this message.[4] The second is that the “sovereignty of God in grace gives us our only hope for success in evangelism.”[5] All throughout, he shows from Scripture that while sovereignty and responsibility may present an apparent contradiction, the conflict is only a matter of our limited ability to comprehend all the mystery of God’s grace with such finite minds.[6]

Sovereignty and Responsibility

My own perspective on these matters is very much in line with Packer’s view. It is quite clear from the Scriptures that (1) it is God who must act upon the hearts of men and women if they are ever to respond in faith and repentance and that (2) these very men and women are responsible for their decision. Acts 2:23 presents both sides of this equation—God’s sovereignty and human responsibility—in a way that clearly illustrates the position. 

“…this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

Concerning sovereignty in salvation, we find Jesus proclaiming the priority of God’s action in drawing men to himself in John 6:44. We see the sovereignty of God in salvation quite clearly and boldly in Romans 9.[7] We also find an idea in several places that conveys unregenerate men and women as “dead in their transgressions and sins” and unable to respond in faith, apart from the work of the Spirit.[8] This seems sufficient to accept the premise that God must first act if we are to then turn and believe. 

It should also be noted, however, that this idea is not limited to the teaching of the New Testament. The larger idea of God’s sovereignty in and over human affairs is clearly on display throughout the Old Testament.[9] Not only do we see the sovereignty of God in human affairs in general but also the peculiar sovereignty of God’s grace as it relates to the salvation of the people whom God chose for himself.[10]

Having presented this view as it concerns divine sovereignty, man’s responsibility must also be considered. One is not obligated to choose between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in responding to the gospel message. As mentioned in the book, the two “are friends and they work together.”[11] This side of the coin is seen in both the Old and New Testament as well. It can be said in general that there is both blessing and consequence for the decisions we make.[12] It is also clear that this applies to the gospel call in evangelism.[13]

Applying this View

With divine sovereignty and human responsibility in view as we approach the task of evangelism, it must be considered how to apply what we’ve learned. In this application, both must be considered, and both affect the perspective and the process of evangelism. 

Concerning divine sovereignty as the truth that undergirds and motivates, the Christian is not burdened with the task of converting someone to Christ. The power is not in the ability of the one who shares the gospel but in the God of the gospel. In this truth, the Christian rests in God’s responsibility to save and change hearts by sovereign grace while admitting their own inability to affect such change. It is, indeed, the gospel which is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16).

Concerning human responsibility, the Christian may gladly assume their duty to present this gospel and plead with men and women to embrace their responsibility before God concerning their sin.  A bonafide offer is presented in the gospel which is for all who believe. A real choice must be made, and the plea is for the sinner to turn from sin and to rest in God’s sovereign grace on display in the cross of Christ and the empty tomb. 

This reality is both freeing and motivating. Practically applied, it means that we can place great confidence in the message without being burdened by a task that is not ours to complete. The privilege of playing a role in this work is indeed a blessing from God. God alone can save. He alone can change hearts and he has chosen to do this work in and through the proclamation of a message: the message of Christ crucified, risen, reigning, and fast-returning. 

References:

[1] Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 13-14.

[2] Ibid; 21.

[3] Ibid; 30.

[4] Ibid; 95

[5] Ibid; 104.

[6] Ibid; 28.

[7] It should be noted here that the clarity of God’s sovereign choice as portrayed in Romans 9 is debated and unsettled for many. The view here presented is not the only possible explanation, but it is the one found to be the most consistent with both sovereignty and responsibility as delineated above.

[8] Eph 2:1,5; 5:14; Col 2:13; John 6:60-65; Ac 13:48; 16:14; Tit 3:5.

[9] Gen 18:18-19; 50:20; Ex 4:11; Ps 139:10, 15-16; Is 45:7; 46:9-10; Lam 3:37-38; Dan 4:34-35.

[10] Gen 25:21-23; 49:10; Ex 4:22-23; Dt 7:8; 10:15; 30:6; 2 Sam 7:12-16; Jer 31:33. 

[11] Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 40.

[12] 1 Sam 13:13; 15:11; Matt 12:36; 16:27; Rom 14:12; 2 Cor 5:10; 1 Pet 4:5.

[13] Matt 10:32; John 3:16; 6:37; Rom 10:11-13; 1 Tim 2:1; Rev 22:17.