By Pastor Stephen Hess –
Reformed Christianity has always been known for having a high view of God’s sovereignty. We believe Scripture teaches that all of human history—from the greatest events of world history to the smallest details of our everyday lives—is governed by God who works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph. 1:11). Furthermore, we believe that God is sovereign in salvation and that he has chosen or “elected” who would be saved from before the foundations of the earth (Eph. 1:4-5).
Sometimes people wonder whether such a robust view of God’s sovereignty undermines the necessity and the motivation for evangelism. “If God has already chosen who will be saved,” they ask, “then why should we bother sharing the gospel with anyone?” Theologian J.I. Packer addressed this question over fifty years ago in his book called Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, which is now a Christian classic. Here are a few key observations that he makes.
First, the sovereignty of God does not affect the duty of evangelism. Sometimes when people ask me, “If God is sovereign, why evangelize?” my first response is, “Because Christ has commanded it!” In Matthew’s Gospel we are commanded to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). In Mark’s Gospel we are commanded to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16:15). In Luke’s gospel we are told that “repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Lk. 24:47). And in John’s gospel Jesus told us, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (Jn. 20:21). Christ has commanded his church to share the good news of the gospel and therefore it is our duty.
Second, the sovereignty of God does not affect the necessity of evangelism. Sometimes people assume that the doctrines of election and predestination make evangelism unnecessary. But nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that God has chosen his elect from before the foundation of the world, the proclamation of the gospel is the means by which he brings the elect to faith. As the Apostle Paul says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). The only way a person can come to faith is by hearing the gospel message, and therefore evangelism is an integral part of God’s sovereign plan to save his elect.
Third, the sovereignty of God is our only hope in evangelism. If it were up to us to convert people and bring them out of darkness and into light, then our task would be hopeless. We don’t have the power to change hearts or awaken sinners. But God is sovereign over all things, including the hardened hearts of fallen people. Therefore, instead of discouraging evangelism, God’s sovereignty should motivate us to share the good news. We can be assured that our evangelism will be fruitful because God’s power is behind it, not ours. As J.I. Packer writes, “So far from making evangelism pointless, the sovereignty of God in grace is the one thing that prevents evangelism from being pointless. For it creates the possibility—indeed, the certainty—that evangelism will be fruitful.”
In light of God’s sovereignty, what should our attitude be when it comes to evangelism? Packer says that confidence in God’s sovereignty should have three effects. First, it should make us bold because we recognize no heart is too hard for the grace of God. Second, it should make us patient because we recognize that God saves in his own time, and his word will not return void. Third, it should make us prayerful because we recognize that only God can awaken the lost, and so all of our efforts are totally dependent upon him. As Packer writes, “Far from inhibiting evangelism, faith in the sovereignty of God’s government and grace is the only thing that can sustain it, for it is the only thing that can give us the resilience that we need if we are to evangelize boldly and persistently, and not be daunted by temporary setbacks.”