3rd. Augustinian.-Which was adopted by all the original Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed. (a.) Man is by nature so entirely depraved in his moral nature as to be totally unable to do any thing spiritually good, or in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto. (b.) That even under the exciting and suasory influences of divine grace the will of man is totally unable to act aright in co-operation with grace, until after the will itself is by the energy of grace radically and permanently renewed. (c.) Even after the renewal of the will it ever continues dependent upon divine grace, to prompt, direct, and enable it in the performance of every good work.
In this post we will consider another massive ramification of the many from (a.) above. Last time I tried to look at a few ways that this teaching should change our preaching. This time we will ask and then try to answer a question on evangelism. How should and would it change our evangelism if we really believed these things as true and a necessary truth or background for the Gospel? First, let us reflect just a moment on the difference this view of human beings has with the other views. It tells us that the people we are talking to are totally unable to do anything spiritually good and cannot in any degree dispose themselves to do so either. Other views all think that a person can do something to some degree that is good spiritually or at the least can dispose themselves to do so. The other views would encourage us to speak to people and try to persuade them to do something of themselves so that they would be saved. What are we going to tell people to do if they are totally unable do anything spiritually good? If we tell them to do something in their own power, then obviously they are doing it from their own sinful nature. They might do something in their own strength and be deceived into thinking that it was spiritual.
If we really believe the Augustinian or Calvinistic view of the depravity of man it simply must change our evangelism. The methods and content of evangelism cannot be the same as the Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian systems. It simply is not possible. This should change what we do in telling unbelievers to believe, repent and obey. Not only does the unbeliever not believe, s/he is unable to do anything spiritually good. Even more, the unbeliever cannot “in any degree to begin or dispose himself thereto.” Surely we can see that if this is the case with the unbeliever, we cannot approach people with the same methodology as those who think that a person can do what is commanded or that a person can dispose him or herself toward doing what is commanded in order to cooperate with the grace of God.
What does the unbeliever need to see? All humans are commanded to repent and believe to be sure, but if they cannot do so of their own strength we are not to hide this information from them. If people are totally unable to do what is commanded by God, then in order for that person to do what is commanded he must know where to go to obtain what is needed to do so. In order for salvation to be all of grace, the unbeliever needs to see that it is grace that must bring him or her to Christ and not his or her own efforts. John 6:44 gives us one example of Jesus teaching this: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” Romans 4:5 is an example of Paul teaching this: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Jesus was not afraid to teach people that they could not come to Him apart from the Father drawing them. Paul told people that a person must not work in order to believe in Him who justifies the ungodly. The unbeliever needs to see his or her inability in order to see his utter need of Christ to save from beginning to end. The Gospel is not Christ purchasing salvation and then all who will apply it to themselves will be saved. The application of the Gospel has been purchased by Christ and it must be applied by the Holy Spirit. The command to repent and believe is not a command of what fallen man has the ability to do, but what He must have the Holy Spirit give him the ability to do. We are also commanded to be perfect, but apart from Christ that cannot be done. We are commanded to love God, but apart from the Holy Spirit we cannot do that. Neither can we repent and believe unless it is granted to us by God and given to us as a gift by grace.
The Gospel of pure grace must never be presented to men as if it depended on their will rather than grace alone. Romans 9:15-16 makes this point without qualms or hesitation: “For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION. 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” If God has compassion and grace on whom He will, then the logic of verse 16 is seen. Therefore, it does not depend on the will of man of the running of man. It depends on God and His mercy alone. This must be part of our evangelism or we are not presenting a true and whole Gospel of grace. Men are saved by grace, not by grace and man’s will.
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