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Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solo Christo, Soli Deo Gloria
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* Justification And The Mass -- 10 Mr. Pike's Cross-Examination Rebuttal |
Why Calvinists Are The Best For MissionsIt is indeed an odd fact that many people consider Calvinists to largely ignore and avoid mission work. After all, the argument goes, no one who believes that God has already sovereignly decided who would be saved and who would perish in their sins would actually concern himself with going out and evanglizing. Why waste the time? Why waste the effort involved? God will save His elect regardless of whether or not we go out and evangelize. But such thoughts are not consistent with Calvinism. Calvinism does not start with the Bible for the logic of salvation and then cease to use the Bible when it comes to other matters of the Christian walk. Indeed, we read the same passages that the Arminian reads about the Great Commission, and because we hold to the Bible it is a philosophy alien to Calvinism that states missionary work is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that Calvinists make the best missionaries. There are several reasons for this, ranging from the philosophical to the logical to the Biblical reasons. First is the attitude behind missions work. For the Calvinist "failure" is an option in missions work. This seems to be an odd statement, but read the context so you can understand what is being stated here. Calvinists recognize that it is up to God to move in a person's heart. We know that God can change anyone, from the most hardened heart to the softest heart out there. None can resist God when God plans to do something! As a result, the burden of conversion is not upon the backs of the missionary workers. We are only required to preach the Word of God, not to convert souls. That is God's job. As a result, when a Calvinist evangelizes to a group of people who reject the Gospel message, in the eyes of humanity they have failed. The Calvinist, however, recognizes that it is not failure to obey the commands of God, and it is up to Him to save someone. So failure, in the eyes of man, is an option for the Calvinist. We do not need so-called "successful" ministries to be faithful to God's command. Since God is capable of reaching the hardest heart in existence, then we have assurance that we need not fear proclaiming the Gospel. As a result, it is the Reformed ministries that you see reaching to areas considered difficult by the mainstream believers. I have two examples. First, my parents are currently in Ukraine, a former Soviet country. Despite Third World living conditions, they have been there since 1998. James White's Alpha and Omega Ministries has been witnessing to Mormons for almost two decades now. The reason he reaches them? He is Reformed and knows that God will work out His will! Because I know that God is powerful and none can resist Him, I have no fear standing up and debating atheists (considered by many to be the most hardened individuals in the west--especially the philosophical atheists). Since I have no fears and no worries, I witness to atheists whenever I can, debating them on points, and trying to throw a stone in their mental shoe. Because of this knowledge, I run this site. Many people who are concerned about going into the missions field are concerned because they fear their personal safety. Calvinists, recognizing that God is sovereign over all aspects of their life, know that no one can harm a Christian unless God allows it to happen. As a result, we know that no matter how fearful a situation might be, we can have confidence to stand up and evangelize. Calvinists do not fear the governments of "closed" countries, because we know that God is more powerful than any man-made institution. We also know that if God does call us home to Him, it is to His glory. Calvinists can rest in the knowledge that their life is not wasted if they show up in a country on their first mission trip and get killed before they can witness to anyone at all. God is in control and God remains sovereign no matter what. This knowledge has enabled me to speak to people whom I would have avoided. It gives me the ability to remain unconcerned when someone is flaming me, because I know that personal insults mean nothing in the long run. I can be slandered all day for the sake of Christ, because I know that no one will harm me without His permission. And if it comes that I am harmed or killed, that too is part of the will of God and it serves a purpose. There are no accidents, and so I have confidence to go forth and speak boldly. The conclusion that we should come to is that any Bible believing Christian should go forth and evangelize. Those who understand God's purpose in doing this, the Calvinists, should be the most willing to go to the mission field. Calvinists make the best missionaries because of the hope and the confidence that comes in knowing that God has got your back covered. Arminians do not have this same confidence because of their belief that free will trumps God's sovereignty. There are a few Calvinists who will refuse to evangelize. They come up with excuses about how it is not needed. This ignores the fact that God ordains the ends and the means to that end. It also ignores the fact that those who practice this are living in sin while they do so. God has commanded us to be able to present a defense for the hope that is within us (2 Peter 3:15), and he has commanded us to go forth and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16ff). Just because there are some people who are inconsistent, following Scripture on some points but not others, does not make the system itself wrong. The fact of the matter is that Calvinists make the best missionaries simply because of the Godly attitude that is already present. It is easy to go from believing salvation is dependent upon God to the knowledge that He will do what He has promised to do. We have confidence in God because of His faithfulness to us. As a result, we fear no evil, pain, or disaster. And because God is faithful, we know that He will carry out what He has promised to do. God's word never returns void. It always accomplishes what it was intended to do. Sometimes that intention is the salvation of another person. Sometimes, it is further condemnation when they reject it. In all cases, the one presenting the Word is blessed by their obedience to God. Through it all, God is glorified. This is why all Calvinists should be in the ministry! |
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