The last BLOG was devoted to looking at how the issue of “free-will,” which goes to the heart of justification by faith alone, reaches into and has terrible effects in evangelism as well. As we look back over some of the major writers on these issues, we can begin to see just how vital it really is and some of the real issues with free-will. It also begins to shed light on the nature of Reformed theology in the Reformation and in our day. Regardless of the creeds people hold to with the intellect and espouse with their mouths and pens, this is the heart of Reformed teaching regarding the extent of depravity and of the heart of justification by faith alone that is to the glory of God alone through Jesus Christ alone. If a person holds to the Arminian teaching of free-will, while that may not seem like such an enormous thing to many people, it reaches to the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the glory of God in the Gospel. It has an enormous impact on the way evangelism is done.
In past BLOGS we noted how William Cunningham (in Historical Theology) set out for us how this teaching reaches to the very heart of justification by faith alone. The Council of Trent (Roman Catholic) dealt with the issue of free-will in its section on justification. How a person deals with this issue determines in a large measure where s/he will end up on justification. If the will is indeed free, that is, if it has a power to act in a spiritual way apart from grace alone moving it, then salvation is at least partially the act of the will of man. We saw how Martin Luther sets out that man must give up all hope in himself and despair of anything he can do in order to be converted. Instead of trusting in our own will to do the slightest thing, we are to trust entirely in the will of God.
God has surely promised His grace to the humbled: that is, to those who mourn over and despair of themselves. But a man cannot be thoroughly humbled till he realizes that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of Another-God alone. As long as he is persuaded that he can make even the smallest contribution to his salvation, he remains self-confident and does not utterly despair of himself, and so is not humbled before God; but plans out for himself (or at least hopes and longs for) a position, an occasion, a work, which shall bring him final salvation. But he who is out of doubt that his destiny depends entirely on the will of God despairs entirely of himself, chooses nothing for himself, but waits for God to work in him; and such a man is very near to grace for his salvation.
Edward Griffin (powerful preacher and theologian of the Second Great Awakening) puts it like this: “The real question lies between the Calvinistic doctrine of divine efficiency and the Arminian self-determining power.” He goes on to quote some writings by David Brainerd regarding his conversion: “I at once saw that all of my contrivances and projects to procure deliverance and salvation for myself, were utterly in vain. I was brought quite to a stand, as finding myself utterly lost. I saw that it was forever impossible for me to do any thing towards helping or delivering myself. I saw that, let me have done what I would, it would not more have tended to my helping myself than what I had done.” In other words, his striving after righteousness by his actions did not save him any more than his sinful ones. The writer that published those words said this: “It was when he had thus given up all expectations of relief from his own efforts; when he was brought to see himself lost and helpless; when his former feelings were gone and he had left off all his selfish and resolute endeavors to bring himself into a better state; it was then-that unspeakable divine glory seemed to open to the view of his soul.” Edward Griffin then adds: “This was unlike the present plan of throwing sinners upon their own resources.”
Evangelism must have a goal in mind and a means of obtaining that goal. To obtain the goal it must have a view of the object that will be moved to where the goal is. The sinner being evangelized is the object that must be moved. How does the evangelist go to the sinner and what means does s/he propose to the sinner to get the sinner to the goal? Do we approach the sinner as dead in sins and trespasses or do we approach the sinner as having some power to obtain the goal him or herself? Do we approach the sinner as just needing to convince the sinner of certain things so that s/he will be convinced and make a decision or choice and so be saved? If so, we are throwing sinners upon their own resources. Do we leave anything for the sinner to do in his or her own power? If so, we are throwing them upon their own resources. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that sinners are saved by grace alone and of nothing that they can do of themselves. In our very evangelism we can be deceiving sinners. In teaching justification by faith alone it is possible to teach faith in such a way that the sinner is looking to self. That is not what Luther meant by justification by faith alone and it is not what Scripture teaches either.
God Loves... Himself 
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