1/2 of 1% of youth between the ages of 18 and 23 have a Christian worldview.
Brothers, such a fact should startle us. Our country is spiraling downward into spiritual bankruptcy and almost every one of young adults--those who will comprise the next generation--are unbelievers. The question becomes, what are YOU going to do about it? I say, if this country is going to go to Hell at least let them go there despite our efforts! Friends, our people, the American people, are lost and without hope. Will we pass over these dead sinners and keep the saving gospel to ourselves? May God help us if we do!
I intend this short article to be something to drive us to a Biblical view of Christian ministry and missionary work so that we will be equipped to faithfully preach the good news. However, this is just an introduction. Such a lofty feat can not be done just by blogging. It is my prayer though that the Holy Spirit will use what is in here to spur us on to a Biblical understanding of these things.
1 Corinthians 1-3 contains Paul's views on Christian ministry and especially missions. My intent is to start at the beginning of his argument and work my way through so that we get a complete picture of what our mindsets should be as we preach Christ to those who are perishing.
His argument starts in 1:17 and is encapsulated in the first statement:
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
This is Paul's thesis. In Paul's thought the missionary has a central duty--to preach the gospel. So much for community service and baptized vacations for youth groups. However, he makes a strange statement. He says that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. But one might ask "Isn't everybody 'perishing'"? Yes. So it follows that the crosss is foolishness to everybody. How, then, does anyone go from perishing and lost to saved? The answer is unfolded throughout Paul's argument. For now we must suffice to say, though, that in his thinking there is one way to minister, and that is through the preaching of the gospel.
For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
Paul seems to make no sense. He seems to cling so closely to the message to be preached and yet he acknowledges that it is unacceptable to the world. I can hear a church growth guru scolding Paul saying "Forget it man! Nobody wants to hear the gospel, you admit it yourself!"
And such a protest would be partly true. Paul does acknowledge that this message is unacceptable. Paul's basic premise, the entire foundation of his view of missions is that no one will accept the gospel when he preaches it! It sounds strange, but it is evident in Paul's language. What group of people is there besides Jews and Gentiles? Absolutely none; that is the entire human race. And Paul knows that both Jews and Gentles will reject his method of evangelism. Thankfully, though, Paul doesn't leave us there.
but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."
Thus we see that in Paul's theology, the gospel will be effective because although the entire human race is hostile to it God has chosen a people, both Jew and Gentile, out of the world to be saved. And God has designed it in such a way so that in the end only God can be praised in the salvation of souls because (1 No one will come to salvation unless God has willed it and (2 God has chosen the least likely and the despised of the world to be saved. He has worked it out so that the people that the logical mind would say "Yes, God would choose him because he is wise, strong and able and could do much for God's kingdom." He has passed over and chosen the weak, the base, even the wicked and worthless.
The entire point of this teaching on God's election is that there is nothing in those who were chosen that moved God to choose them. It is based solely on His freedom, His prerogative. Let us examine the argument of foreknowledge at this point. The argument of the passage is that God didn't see people in time and say "You are wise, therefore I choose you." or "You are strong, therefore I choose you." Then wouldn't it be against this passage to say that God looked at mankind and said "You believe, therefore I choose you?" I would submit that the passage implies something that is completely contrary to the popular concept of foreknowledge.
So, God has chosen a smaller group of people out of the mass of fallen humanity to be saved. It is clear that this choosing is unto salvation since the choosing is to be in Christ Jesus, a good parallel would be the same argument that is made in Ephesians 1. Continuing with the study--
and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
In this passage our initial question is answered. We asked at the beginning of the study, "If all men reject the gospel, how will anyone be saved?" We then learned that God has chosen a people out of the fallen race to be saved. And here we learn how those elected come to faith: By the Spirit revealing the truth of the gospel to them in the inner man. Therefore it is not ultimately the evangelist who is the defining factor in the salvation of souls, but the effectual work of the Holy Spirit of God.
This is in fact the Biblical view of missions. God has a chosen people in the world and He will call them to faith by the Holy Spirit's power when the gospel is preached to them. It is our duty to be faithful to the call and preach the gospel to all creatures, trusting God to call His sheep unto Him. As Paul goes on to say, One plants and another waters but ultimately it is only the work of God that produces any crop.
Christian, will you obey the call? Will you deny the wisdom of man and cling to Christ and Him crucified as the sum and substance of your missions strategy? As a young man I am learning more and more that we MUST NOT waste our lives waiting for our future to happen; a wife, kids, a home. Rather, our focus must be on being fruitful to God now and making an impact for the kingdom. This is a call to all believers to GO! Preach the gospel to every creature with boldness, and do so trusting that God will be faithful to save as you speak. Be faithful to the call and give your life to the Lord's work. Lord, raise up bold and powerful ministers of Your word in this country, and above all may You be glorified in our efforts!
No comments:
Post a Comment