Evangelism question

[Edm]

Let me start this by saying that I believe we should spread the word because Jesus said to. I believe in election and that all who are elect will be saved and Jesus will lose no one the Father gives to him.

That said, I am trying to understand the purpose of missions etc. I am not a hypercalvinest who believes that we should not have missionaries because if you are elect God will find you. But, since all who are elect will be saved, is the purpose in missions to spread the Word so that people will know God sooner than if we didn't? I ask on a shallow level...I also understand that by spreading Gods word, we are drawn closer to God and learn more as we go and many other benefits..this stems from reformed podcast where they mention that if you ( the unsaved) don't submit to Christ you will be damned and they don't want to see anyone doomed. That is a true fact, but if they are elect they will come to Christ.

I may not be explaining my question well...im having a hard time putting my question into a precise sentence.

 

[Romans922]

God uses means to save His people/elect. Ordinarily, He uses the means of the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer.

WCF 14, "I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened."


Of course the elect will be saved. The question you are asking is how? Throughout the Scriptures the answer is always by God's Spirit AND by His Word.

 

[Edm]

Thank you. We are the means the word is spread, because God uses us to fulfill His will. I guess the part that I'm confused about is that I hear people saying we should do this so people aren't lost. When they should be saying we do this so people aren't lost for as long.

 

[Miss Marple]

How about this: "We should do it because the Lord commands it, and because we love our neighbor as ourselves."

 

[Romans922]

No that is not correct. We ought not to say that we do this so people aren't lost for as long.

God hasn't decreed that His elect will be saved and yet leave them to believe until some time (random) in their lives. That thought would deny God's sovereignty as well.

WSC 11, "Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?
A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions."

So God is not partly sovereign, or sovereign only over salvation (which is perhaps at random times) where one could be saved 'sooner'. God's elect are saved (i.e. one believes unto salvation) at an exact time according to His eternal plan.

Why do we evangelize? We evangelize because God is sovereign and there are in the world and in our homes the elect of God who must hear the Word to believe. We evangelize because we are commanded to show forth the works of God to all nations. We evangelize because we are commanded to love our enemies.

I hear people saying we should do this so people aren't lost

This is hopefully correct. We do evangelize so people aren't lost. Romans 10, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!""

And that passage shows that one's focus of evangelism should be on the public worship of God (the reading/preaching of the Word)

"Q. 89. How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation."

 

[jambo]

Who is or is not elect is not our concern. We preach the word and it is up to the Lord to call out his elect through the Holy Spirit convicting sinners as they hear it.

 

[Edm]

Who is or is not elect is not our concern. We preach the word and it is up to the Lord to call out his elect through the Holy Spirit convicting sinners as they hear it.

I agree totally. Like I said, Jesus said do it so I do it.