biblelighthouse
Puritan Board Junior
My cousin Jeremy just joined the Puritanboard . . . everybody give him a warm welcome!
He made this great post at the end of a long thread . . . but I think it's worth pulling out as a seperate thread. (I've noticed that we are generally a lot more responsive to new threads, than we are to new questions posed at the end of already existing threads.)
Anyway, everybody toss in your on this great question:
I think a lot of new Calvinists have similar questions. So, what are your thoughts?
He made this great post at the end of a long thread . . . but I think it's worth pulling out as a seperate thread. (I've noticed that we are generally a lot more responsive to new threads, than we are to new questions posed at the end of already existing threads.)
Anyway, everybody toss in your on this great question:
Originally posted by JeremyConrad
I'm new to the Puritan board. In fact this is my first post, so go easy on me!
I've read a lot about Calvinist vs. Arminian evangelists. And debating this is all well and good. But I have yet to read about HOW a reformed Christian evangelizes.
I understand that the "Sinner's Prayer" is not the way to get someone saved (although I think this is a good prayer of thankfulness once a person IS regenerated). I also understand that there is no list of "have to's" (ie: you have to believe that you're a sinner, you have to believe that Christ died for your sins, you have to confess and believe) that gets you saved. I believe those "have to's" turn into automatic responses only after a heart is regenerated.
My problem, however, is this. Having been raised Arminian and recently converting to Calvinism, I have the "Billy Graham" mentality of evangelism - even though I believe it to be wrong. So how do I change that? How do then go out and evangelize effectively to my lost friends and family?
Not bringing about a conclusion (confession of faith) to preaching the gospel to someone is, to me, kind of like an incomplete sneeze. Plenty of "Ahhh...Ahhh...Ahhh..." but no "Chooo!!" I believe that God has promised to complete the good work started in one who is elect, but do I just tell them and then stop and stare at them? Tell them and then walk away? Tell them and wait? What?
I think a lot of new Calvinists have similar questions. So, what are your thoughts?