The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW

MATTHEW

1562

Question: What happens to a local church that fails to evangelize? Answer : They receive an F from God; one for fossilizing and the other for fighting . Oswald J. Smith noted: The church that doesn’t evangelize will fossilize. 5 Max Lucado in The Devotional Bible warns: When those who are called to fish don’t fish, they fight. When energy intended to be used outside is used inside, the result is explosive. Instead of casting nets, we cast stones. Instead of extending helping hands, we point accusing fingers. Instead of being fishers of the lost, we become critics of the saved. Rather than helping the hurting, we hurt the helpers. The result? Church Scrooges. “Bah humbug” spirituality. Beady eyes searching for warts on others while ignoring the wart on the nose below. Crooked fingers that bypass strengths and point out weaknesses. Split churches. Poor testimonies. Broken hearts. Legalistic wars. And sadly, poor go unfed, confused go uncounseled, and lost go unreached. When those who are called to fish don’t fish, they fight. But note the other side of this fish tale: When those who are called to fish, fish – they flourish! 6 The first reason that I do not believe God chooses some people to go to Heaven and others to go to Hell is because He told us to witness to everybody . If God purposely intends to put some people in Hell, why would He send us out to witness to them? Why witness to people who don’t need witnessing? 2. Salvation is not limited to a few, but is freely offered to all (I Jn 2:1-2, I Tim 2:1-4-6 & 4:10, Titus 2:11, II Pet 3:9, II Cor 5:14- 15,19 and II Pet 2:1 ) John the Baptist proclaimed in John 1:29: Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin ( singular ) of the world. Jesus died for the sin (singular) of the world, not just the elect. The second reason that I do not believe God chooses some people to go to Heaven and others to go to Hell is because salvation is offered to all . If God purposely intends to put some people in Hell, why make Jesus pay for all ? Why put Jesus through even more pain? 3. God does not elect some people to go to heaven and others to go to hell –men decide that for themselves ( Gen 4 :1- 7 , Acts 1:25 and Rom 9:22 ) The Scriptures are plain – Ye will not come to me , that ye might have life (Jn 5:40). The third reason that I do not believe God chooses some people to go to Heaven and others to go to Hell is because God doesn’t send people to Hell –people send themselves. If God purposely intends to put some people in Hell, why would He offer them the chance to say “yes” to salvation ( Acts 13:48 )? Why put the opportunity to be saved out there only to take it away? Romans 10:9-13 says: NOTE – Due in part to “intellectual” Christianity ( II Cor 11:3 ), certain doctrines concerning foreknowledge, election, and predestination have emerged. One such system of belief amongst Christians is Calvinism. The doctrines known as Calvinism owe their name to the French protestant reformer John Calvin (1509-1564). Although Calvin did not originate the doctrines that bear his name, according to Loraine Boettner, “it was Calvin who, wrought out this system of theological thought with such logical clearness and emphasis that it has ever since borne his name.” 7 Calvin began his search for God under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. By the age of twenty-one he had mastered the Greek language as well as law. Then three and one half years later at the age of twenty-four he understood the Gospel of Christ and was saved. Two years later (while still a babe in Christ) Calvin sat down and wrote one of the most influential works of the Protestant Reformation, called Institutes of the Christian Religion. It was this early work of his that has fueled Calvinism, as we know it today. What Calvinists believe today concerning foreknowledge, election, and predestination ( I Pet 1:2a and I Thes 1:4 ) appears to come from this work. Based largely on the works of Augustine of Hippo, some Calvinists have even preferred the term Augustinianism over Calvinism . Calvin himself in A Treatise on the Eternal Predestination of God notes: Augustine is so wholly with me, that if I wished to write a confession of my faith, I could do so with all fullness and satisfaction to myself out of his writings. 8 Laurence M. Vance in The Other Side of Calvinism notes: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord ( JESUS ) shall be saved.

The influence of Augustine upon history in general and Christianity in particular is incalculable–but not surprising– since, like Calvin, he was an extensively prolific writer… Yet whether or not this influence has been good or bad remains to be seen. 9