Posting #10
The Message
of Missions
With letters eight inches tall the sign in front of a conservative
Calvinist church read:
You are not a nobody.
You are a child of God.
So many questions can be
asked about this sign! Was the sign intended only for the members of
this church? Placed, as it was, facing a rather busy street it apparently
was addressed to all who passed by. Is this a greeting that ought to
be extended to everyone? Is the sentiment expressed by this sign "The
Message of Missions"? One wonders what, if any, biblical/theological
consideration went into posting this sign.
For centuries, the Church
has worked with the assumption that "All persons will be finally
lost except those who the Bible declares will be saved." This leads
us to think that the sentiment expressed by the sign ought to be limited
to those who have given some indication that the saving grace of God
is already at work in them.
Jesus said, "Do not
give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs" (Matt.
7:6). The Apostles were told to "shake the dust off your feet"
in protest against those who would not receive them or listen to their
words (Matt. 10:14, Acts 13:51). Some individuals, it appears, are unworthy
of being told "You are a child of God."
Furthermore, the need of
forgiveness must be felt before anyone can appreciate being told "You
are a child of God," implying that their sins are forgiven. Repentance
is an essential part of the "good news" that is to be proclaimed
(Mark 1:14,15). These facts seem to require that in outreach ministry
we must first tell sinners how great their sin is, secondly, how they
can be delivered from their sin and finally show them how their entire
life ought to be an expression of gratitude to God for that deliverance.
BAD
NEWS TOGETHER WITH A GOOD SUGGESTION
Thus, the Gospel has become
"bad news" accompanied with a good suggestion. The bad news
is "You are a corrupt sinner under the judgment of God's wrath."
The good suggestion is, "Believe and you will be saved from your
sin."
This view of the message
of missions assumes that sinners are not aware of their need for forgiveness.
Such is not the case. God has already spoken to all sinners about his
wrath. "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against
all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by
their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them" (Rom. 1:18, 19). "The
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences
also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing them . . ."
(Rom. 2:15).
Because God's wrath against
sin has been made plain to all men, "Many are asking, 'Who can
show us any good?'" (Ps. 4:6). Henry David Thoreau was quite right,
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." Why desperation?
They are deeply troubled because they know they have provoked the just
anger of an awesome power. The extremes to which many have gone in sacrificing
their possessions, their bodies and even their own children in order
to appease the "gods," whom they consider to be against them,
testifies to the seriousness with which they view their plight.
WHITE-WASHED TOMBS
In civilized society the
"wrath of God" against the wickedness of men is so effectively
suppressed that we have the impression that the unbelievers we meet
do not feel the need of forgiveness. It hardly seems that God has made
his wrath "plain to them."
Despite thier external boasting of goodness,
sinners know better. At a deep level sinners are afraid, non-trusting,
insecure and self-defensive. We tend to evaluate these "white-washed
tombs" by their external appearance. "You are like
white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside
are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same
way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside
you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matt. 23:27, 28).
Some "suppress the truth,"
and teach their children so, by putting on a "good front."
They speak of the good they do and that they "try their best."
They want to convince others that they are "pretty good" because
deep within they know they are "pretty bad." A few try to
convince themselves that there is no God "out there" to whom
they are accountable. Others turn to external stimuli of all kinds or
to alcohol and other drugs to drown out their conscience. Still others
"suppress the truth" by living in open rebellion against nearly
everything their conscience tells them is good.
The Apostle Paul appeared
to have no qualms of conscience before his conversion. We think he needed
to be told: "Saul, you are a blatant sinner on the way to hell,
you had better make your life right with God." [The "bad news"
coupled with a good suggestion approach.] But the message that came
to him was "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for
you to kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14). Deep within Saul was
striving against what is good and it was "hard" for him to
do so. Later, as one of God's elect, he was approached by "an evangelist"
as "Brother Saul" (Acts 9:17) and heard a message of acceptance.
This, as is most often the case, was an expression of "God's kindness"
that led the chief of sinners to repentance.
What the masses of mankind
need to know is that the same holiness that accuses them has provided
a full and free forgiveness for their sins. Only then will they dare
to admit to themselves, to God and to others that they are sinners worthy
of judgment. John Calvin says, "We mean to show that a man cannot
apply himself seriously to repentance without knowing himself to belong
to God. But no one is truly persuaded he belongs to God unless he has
first recognized God's grace" (Calvin's Institutes, III, iii, 2).
To admit they are grievous
sinners worthy of God's judgment is suicidal for unbelievers, unless
they are first assured that God has removed their sin from them. The
instinct for self-preservation does not permit such spiritual
immolation. The Gospel is the good news for sinners that God has
redeemed them.
THE FIRST WORD SHOULD BE "Good News"
Therefore we should not make
God's wrath and judgment against sin the first words in our approach
to unbelievers. Jesus was anointed to "preach good news,"
proclaim freedom, "recovery of sight," "release to the
oppressed," and "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor"
(Luke 4:18). Paul says that Christ "came and preached peace to
you who were far away [Gentiles, non-Covenant people] and peace to those
who were near [Israelites, Covenant people]," because both were
reconciled "to God through the cross" (Eph. 2:11-22). "Or
do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience,
not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"
(Rom. 2:4).
Those who would bring "good news
of great joy that will be for all the people" must identify themselves
with those to whom they bring the message. They have biblical
warrant for saying with Paul, "In Christ God was reconciling the
world to himself not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting
us with the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for
Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf
of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our [your and my] sake he
made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we [you and I] might
become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:19-21).
When sinners give evidence
of remaining indifferent to this good news, or harden themselves against
it, God remains gracious as he, through his ambassadors, warns them
to flee his wrath that is sure to come upon all who persist in unbelief
and sin. This, however, does not mean that we ought to withold the "word
of peace" until there is a demonstrated worthiness to receive it.
Those who pray that they
may elicit a response of faith and joyful obedience from those to whom
they proclaim the good news must do so with the assumption that those
who hear are elect in Christ. Apart from such a union with Christ there
is no "good news" for them and there can be no spiritual harvest.
The gospel is not: "If sinners will do something then God will
forgive their sins." That is salvation by way of the law.
The gospel is: "God has forgiven their sins, therefore sinners
must do something." That is salvation by grace. Such
a message can be proclaimed only on the basis of a biblically warranted
assumption (See Posting #1).
NEEDED:
SOMETHING MORE THAN "A FRIENDLY CHURCH"
Every congregation and every
mission station has had "visitors" who attend for a while,
show interest in joining in fellowship, and then disappear. Later it
is reported that while attending they felt like "outsiders."
All kinds of initiatives are then suggested and implemented to make
certain that everyone feels welcome in "our church." The ads
read, "A Friendly Church."
But the problem is much,
much, deeper than lack of friendliness or feeling unwelcome. People
can feel welcome at the friendly local tavern "where everybody
knows your name." Due to the "eyeglasses" the Church
has worn for centuries (See Posting # 1) we tend to look upon everyone
is an "outsider" until they give evidence of some kinship
with us. Although not so intended many of the sermons we hear, the songs
we sing, the prayers we offer and the conversations we have convey this
"exclusive" attitude in little and subtle ways.
To view everyone as child
of God for whom Christ died engenders an attitude of oneness that is
far more profound than simply being a friendly church or a friendly
person. We must have a positive attitude in outreach ministries. The
particular words we may use are not nearly as important as the attitude
we have in our approach to unbelievers. "Whatever other commandments
there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as
yourself'" (Rom. 13:9).
With divine authority, we
announce the good news that God loves them and has reconciled them to
himself in Jesus Christ (Col. 1:19-22). We promise that whoever trusts
God in Christ will experience the joy of salvation (Rom. 10:9-10). We
exhort all who will listen to live the redeemed life (Titus 2:11-15).
Finally, if need be, we warn all those who remain indifferent toward
or reject this good news that if they so continue there is no hope for
them (Heb. 4:6, 7).
The sentiment expressed by
the sign referred to above is indeed "The Message of Missions"
proclaiming the good news. One would wish, however, that the signboard
was big enough and that the human heart and mind were not so crimped
by sin, so that those driving by at 45 miles an hour could assimilate
the extended message:
You are not a nobody.
You are a child of God.
Therefore you must live
like one. Repent, believe
the Gospel and live in
joyful obedience to him.
*NOTE
-- BIBLICAL UNIVERSALISM is the teaching that all persons are
elect in Christ except those who the Bible expressly declares will be
finally lost, namely, those who ultimately reject or remain indifferent
to whatever revelation God has given of himself to them whether in nature/conscience
or in gospel presentation.
Biblical
Universalism is based upon these three biblical facts:
1)
The so-called "universalistic" texts speak of a certain-to-be-realized
salvation as Calvinist have consistently maintained and they do so
in terms of all persons as Arminians have always affirmed (Posting
No. 2).
2)
We must accept the so-called "universalistic" texts as written.
We may allow only those exceptions that are necessarily imposed upon
these passages from the broader context of the Scriptures as a whole
(Posting No. 3)
3)
All persons, except Jesus Christ, are liable for and polluted by the
imputed sin of Adam (original sin). However, the Scriptures do not
teach or imply that anyone is consigned to eternal damnation solely
on the basis of their sin in Adam APART FROM actual, willful and persistent
sin on the part of the person so consigned (Posting No. 4).
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