Dec 3, 2008

Hyper Calvinism Definition II

Johnson wrote:

"Deliberately excluded from hyper-Calvinist "evangelism" is any pleading with the sinner to be reconciled with God. Sinners are not told that God offers them forgiveness or salvation. In fact, most hyper-Calvinists categorically deny that God makes any offer in the gospel whatsoever."

See here

James White recently made an attempt to defend himself against the charge of being a Hyper Calvinist. In this write up, which he made from London, during his debate with a Muslim, he said he was doing the work of an "evangelist" and that this proved that he was no Hyperist.

Anyone can say that they are not against giving offers in the gospel, to dead alien sinners, but do they actually do it? Do they beg and plead with sinners? Do they call upon them to confess Christ as Lord and be saved?

I think of James White as more of an apologist than an evangelist. It seems if he really wanted to do the "work of an evangelist," that he would go where "Christ is not named" or known, and teach them the basic facts of the gospel.

Are there any of his sermons on the internet, on u-tube, or on his web page, where he addresses the lost sinners? In the manner of Bunyan and Keach? In the manner of Spurgeon?

If Spurgeon were alive today, what would he be doing? What would he be saying about the heated verbal discussions among Baptists respecting Calvinism and Arminianism? Would he be on u-tube? How many of his sermons would be apologetic? Given in a debate mode? How many would be evangelistic and addressed particularly to those who are unreligious, or are simply sinners?

So, the big question for all preachers and teachers of the word is this - do we say we are evangelistic, or are we actually so? How much of our time is spent trying to win over the heretics and their followers versus winning over the irreligious and worst of sinners? How much time do we spend in support of mission work to foreign lands? Passing out gospel tracts?

Paul spoke of the practical atheist, the one who "says" that there is a God, "but in practice they deny him." So too there are those who "say" they believe in "offering" Christ to the lost, but do we see it regularly in their preaching? In actual practice? Do we see them close their sermons with exhortations to the lost? With beggings and pleadings that are sincere?

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