Why do calvinists evangelize

I've been married to my dear wife since I've raised 4 kids, and am now a grandpa. I write Bible reviews, Christian book reviews, and articles for my site, SnydersSoapbox. The apostle Paul was not a Calvinist. This Predestination teaching began with the catholic Augustine and later, the just leaving Catholicism John Calvin borrowed from him and expounded on this teaching. What good will it do? Like Like. What source can you quote about the teaching of predestination being a doctrine made up by the Roman Catholics?

Modern Roman Catholics deny predestination as taught by the Bible. Augustine was not a Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church did not exist as it is now, when he was alive.

Augustine of Hippo lived AD. He was in Northern Africa, at the crumbling edge of the failing Roman Empire. This was to end the persecution of Christians. For years prior to that, Rome had been killing Christians. Constantine hoped to slow the fall of the Roman Empire by using and co-opting the elements of the Christian faith. The ordinary means by which God gathers his people is through their hearing and believing the gospel message. In Romans , Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

In Romans , he states that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things! Paul saw that it is the task of the church to proclaim the gospel.

The exhortation Paul gives in Romans 10 is sandwiched between chapters and Take some time and reread those chapters. Note especially all they have to say about God's sovereign purposes in election. Why am I, a Calvinist, so passionate about evangelism?

Several reasons immediately spring to mind. First, my Lord Jesus Christ commands me to do so Mark Second, given that my chief duty and delight is to glorify God, I am moved by the fact that the Father is honored whenever the Son is honored.

The supreme means of honoring the Father is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ John ! Third, I know that when the nonelect reject the gospel, as they are wont to do, preaching leaves them all the more without excuse when they receive the condemnation they justly deserve.

Otherwise that possibility would not be made available to him. In Theological Determinism, Alternative Possibilities from what is infallibly decreed to come to pass — do not exist.

It allows all kinds of incompatible and incongruent beliefs to coexist. You, meanwhile, will usually be accused of misrepresenting it, not understanding it, not articulating it precisely enough, etc. It makes me wonder exactly who is authorized to speak with finality on the topic. How many beatnik sessions over cigars and microbrews discussing string theory and deterministic theology are necessary before you earn your journeyman credentials — yet alone master craftsman credentials?

On that question — I think the answer is — whatever Calvinist is currently speaking! There is the joke: God decided to make man in his image and John Calvin decided to return the favor. And I think especially the non academic Calvinists have an internal sense that making god and Calvinism in their own image — is part of their spiritual inheritance.

End of quote. With those kind of tools you can make the scriptures say absolutely anything, why Holy God could even become the author of Evil. Excellent article as usual. Why does superman stand still letting bullets bounce of his chest — but then duck when someone throws a fist at him? Same answer as above. What is it? Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? James What prevents me from being baptized? Acts But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I needed them and came looking after becoming depressed over listening to John MacArthur. How can anyone live with hope with such a hopeless theology?

You are very welcome Annemarie! The Lord does move in wonderful ways. I can attest to that with the salvation of a number of people in my family. However, there were a few who passed away and I personally never knew whether they did or not. I will continue to pray for you — and especially for the testimony of life to your husband. Warm blessings! While free will is not listed as such in Scripture, we see many examples of it in the Old and New Testaments beginning with Adam and Eve. God had instructed Adam not to eat of one tree that was in the garden.

As we know, Satan used the serpent to come into the garden to tempt Eve. For her and Adam eating from this tree was a choice. It was not a choice orchestrated by God. We know that salvation is of God and we also know that none of us seek God on our own. No one comes to God except he or she is first drawn. This book surveys the entire biblical scope of teaching on the subject of evangelism. Kuiper defines evangelism quite simply as "the promulgation of the evangel. Kuiper explains that his book "is a plea for God—centered, in contradistinction to man-centered, evangelism.

The first chapters set forth some of the essential theological presuppositions for God-centered evangelism. Kuiper explains that God Himself is the author of evangelism, in that before the foundation of the world, He planned the salvation of sinners.

This leads directly into chapter-length discussions of God's love, His election of sinners, and His covenant. After setting forth these basic theological foundations, Kuiper then deals with various biblical aspects of evangelism, beginning with the sovereignty of God and the Great Commission. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of "all nations. The gospel is to be proclaimed to all. If we truly believe what Scripture tells us about the necessity of faith in Christ for salvation, then the urgency of evangelism will become evident.

A number of heterodox theologies undermine the urgency of evangelism by teaching that unbelievers will get a "second chance" after death.

There is, however, no biblical warrant for such teaching, and to assert it is pure presumption.