I remember speaking with someone who expressed surprise that Faith Church is a Reformed Church in light of the strong emphasis we place upon evangelism, seen in encouraging people in our congregation to share the truth of the gospel with those around them and regularly calling people in our worship gatherings to believe in Jesus. The reason for this person’s surprise is that a key distinctive of the Reformed tradition is the belief that “Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, God chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence and ruin” (Canons of Dort Point 1, Article 7). This individual thought this belief would lead one not to evangelize, as it means that God will save who He has chosen to save so it doesn’t really matter what we do.
This individual was not unique in this belief, as it is a common concern that people have when they hear about the doctrine of election. In fact, it was a reason that I was hesitant to believe this doctrine myself. However, further reading in Scripture not only convinced me of that belief but also addressed this concern, and further study and conversation showed me that people holding this belief were often the leading voices in the evangelization of their communities and world.
One of the most helpful books for me in thinking through this topic was J.I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. While it is over 60 years old, this book is filled with some timeless insights that I think you will find helpful if you are wrestling with this topic. It is a fairly short book (120 pages) that I highly recommend, but I recognize that not all interested in this question will have the time, capacity, or energy to read it, so I wanted to offer a few insights that I pulled from this book as well as others that I hope to explain why believing in election should not stand in the way of the evangelism.
It is Commanded by Our Lord
First and foremost, we need to remember that some of Jesus’s final words to his disciples was to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe everything that he taught (Matthew 28:19-20). The reason we evangelize is out of obedience to our Lord’s instructions. In order to fulfill those instructions (to teach people to observe all that he taught), we also need to tell others to go and do likewise. I believe the Bible teaches us what to believe and how to live, and I see the Bible teaching the truth of election (see this post from 2021 on the biblical basis for this belief), while also commanding us to evangelize. I also believe what the Bible teaches is consistent and cohesive, so these two things must not be seen as contradictory but rather as compatible.
There is a direct command from our Lord to share the gospel with others, but I also think there is an important indirect command to do so as well. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus tells us that it is to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-40). The most loving thing that someone can do for someone else is to tell them about the love of God that is found in Christ; hiding this truth from others is an unloving thing. Therefore, we are only able to fulfill the Great Commandment (to love God and love our neighbor) by fulfilling the Great Commission (to share the gospel with all the world).
It is the Means Through Which the Elect Come to Faith
There is a sense in which this post could end here – saying that Jesus tells us to do something is sufficient to explain why we do it! However, I figured it might be helpful to offer a few other thoughts to supplement that foundation. The way that those who God has chosen to save are ones who come to have faith, and the normal way that such faith comes about is through people sharing His Word. Just as the normal way we are fed is through someone (you or others) preparing food, so the normal way that people come to faith is through people sharing. Belief in God’s sovereignty does not negate the need to eat and it does not negate the need for evangelism.
The book of Acts demonstrates how people come to faith through the preaching of others. In Acts 2 the people are cut to the heart and then respond in faith and repentance to the proclamation of God’s work in Christ; it is through sharing what God has done that people come to have faith. We see that continue throughout the book of Acts; the Apostles don’t go to places to find that they already believe in God but rather share the gospel and see people believe. In fact, they are sent out to share this message with others (see Acts 13:1-2). When they hear it, God opens up their hearts to believe (Acts 16:14), with those whom God has appointed being drawn this way (Acts 13:48).
This link between people hearing and believing is also found in Romans 10, with Romans 10:14 asking, “And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” Belief requires hearing the message about Jesus and that happens through people; creation reveals God’s glory and His existence but the gospel is not put in sky-writing to see but rather proceeds from the lips of His people to others. God is able to work outside of those normal means – and will from time to time – but we should always utilize the normal means rather than presume for God to work outside of them.
It is a Privilege that God Gives to Us
Because it is a command from our Lord, there is a sense in which we can view evangelism as a duty and responsibility. But we should also view it as a privilege and duty. Each time we explain what Jesus has done to someone else, we are reminded of it ourselves! The way I came to really understand what the gospel means is when I started to share it with others, and every time I do so I am reminded of what Christ has done for me. In addition, it is a wonderful joy to see someone come alive and have their lives changed forever in part because of the way you have shared the gospel with them. God could have chosen to use other means, but He provides this gift to us to encourage us and grow us in our faith. Rather than doing it out of obligation, we thus do it out of joy and also as a way to draw closer to God and proclaim what He has done for us.
It is the Process that Proceeds Christ’s Return
Sharing the gospel with others is the way that those God has chosen will come to believe, and it is also the thing that must happen before Christ will return. Jesus says in Matthew 24:14 that before the end comes, the gospel will have been proclaimed throughout all the world. While many people look to wars, earthquakes, false prophets, persecution, and signs in the sky as things that will happen before Christ’s return, they overlook this element of Jesus’s teaching about the end.Interestingly, this element is the only one that would seem to happen directly through the agency of the church, as Christians must proclaim the gospel to the world before Jesus can return. Rather than sitting back and waiting for the other signs, there seems to be an indirect call for action to bring this element to reality.
In addition, the vision of heaven that we read about in the book of Revelation has people there from all nations and tribes and tongues (Revelation 5:9-10; 7:9-10). Since the normal way that people come to faith is through preaching, this implies that people have been faithful in proclaiming the gospel in all parts of the world before Christ returns. Preaching thus not only fulfills Jesus’ commands to us but also fulfills the plan of God for the world; we obey Jesus’s word by doing it, but we also express the way we look for and long for His return.
It is an Activity Whose Results Depend on God, Not Us
Packer notes in the book that belief in God’s sovereignty in all parts of life and especially in salvation means that His command to share the gospel is to do just that; to share it with them but to recognize that it is only through the work of God that they can believe. Thus, our job is to preach, not to save – that is God’s job. We sow and water, but it is only God who gives the increase; we do the work but leave the results to Him. That is good news for us. It does not excuse us from doing it but rather frees us from feeling like failures if someone does not believe. Rather than diminishing the work in evangelism, the idea of God choosing people and calling them as they hear His truth preached through messengers like us allows for us to do so with joy and also confidence; it should propel us to be more active in it. This is why so many who believe in this doctrine did not shrink back from evangelism but rather were some of the biggest evangelists seen in history and some of the biggest proponents of global missions.
Conclusion: How The Doctrine of Election Actually Helps Us in Evangelism
It’s my hope that these thoughts not only help us see why we can evangelize in light of the doctrine of election but also why we should and how we should. Thus, I want to conclude the way that Packer concludes his work, as he notes three ways how the doctrine of election and belief in God’s sovereignty affect our attitude when sharing the gospel with others.
First, he says that it should make us bold, not fearful or thinking that what we are doing is in vein. This boldness comes from a hopefulness in that we know that God is in ultimate control. Second, we can be patient. Instead of giving up when we don’t see results, we can trust that God is working in ways that we don’t see and can’t control. Finally, it should make us prayerful. Since it is not up to us, we should turn to God, asking for Him to use us in the process and to call those around us to faith in Him. May our beliefs shape us to be these bold, patient, and prayerful evangelists in our community for the glory of God.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible translations are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.
