Evangelism - My responsiblity?
Recently, I've been inundated from several sides regarding a particular issue. Have you ever noticed that, when God is impressing on you the need to study and respond to a particular issue, He uses many media to get your attention. In this particular case, I had been re-reading the Gospels, blogging with a couple of different people, reading a book (Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller), fellowshipping about this issue in my Sunday school class, and then hearing it from the pulpit during a service. I have found that, when God uses so many different media to get my attention, I'd better listen and respond - or, as has been my experience, God will gently (or not so gently) and lovingly continue the lesson until I do respond. :)
The issue I've been confronted with over the last couple of weeks is the issue of what, exactly, my first and most important responsibility to God (I've always thought is was evangelism).
I've long been convinced of God's sovereignty with regard to every aspect of life - including salvation. One of the basic tenets of this type of belief is that God 'saves' who He saves when He wants to save them and how He wants to save them - regardless of what anyone else wants, needs, desires, or demands of Him (Holy Trinity excepted). An extreme view of this doctrine is what some call 'hyper-Calvinism' which is the philosophy that it doesn't matter if we 'spread the Gospel' because God will save who He will save with or without us. This is NOT Christianity and, I'm afraid, most of those who hold this type of belief will have missed the boat, so to speak. True Christianity, as I see it, is 'spreading the Gospel' as we're commanded to do (Mat. 28 & Rom. 10) with both our mouths and our lives. But I've recently begun to understand a difference between 'living out Christ' - which is the 'spreading the Gospel with my mouth and life' - and evangelizing. I see evangelism as more of a proselytizing thing now than before. And, I've become convinced that it is not my responsibility to help God save those whom He has elected to save. Salvation is God's responsibility - period. My responsibility, I've come to understand, is to: love God with all my heart strength, mind, and soul.
Grace and peace to all,
Posttinebraelux
The issue I've been confronted with over the last couple of weeks is the issue of what, exactly, my first and most important responsibility to God (I've always thought is was evangelism).
I've long been convinced of God's sovereignty with regard to every aspect of life - including salvation. One of the basic tenets of this type of belief is that God 'saves' who He saves when He wants to save them and how He wants to save them - regardless of what anyone else wants, needs, desires, or demands of Him (Holy Trinity excepted). An extreme view of this doctrine is what some call 'hyper-Calvinism' which is the philosophy that it doesn't matter if we 'spread the Gospel' because God will save who He will save with or without us. This is NOT Christianity and, I'm afraid, most of those who hold this type of belief will have missed the boat, so to speak. True Christianity, as I see it, is 'spreading the Gospel' as we're commanded to do (Mat. 28 & Rom. 10) with both our mouths and our lives. But I've recently begun to understand a difference between 'living out Christ' - which is the 'spreading the Gospel with my mouth and life' - and evangelizing. I see evangelism as more of a proselytizing thing now than before. And, I've become convinced that it is not my responsibility to help God save those whom He has elected to save. Salvation is God's responsibility - period. My responsibility, I've come to understand, is to: love God with all my heart strength, mind, and soul.
Grace and peace to all,
Posttinebraelux
posted by posttinebraelux | 6:07 AM
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