This past Sunday, the men of our church studied an excellent chapter on evangelism in a great book by Rev. Terry Johnson titled When Grace Comes Home. Then today I started reading a spot-on sermon by John Calvin titled "The Call to Witness." Both authors have a strong conviction and belief in predestination and the doctrine of election. Both authors also have an equally strong conviction that every Christian is to be a witness for Christ and His gospel, since this is the means by which God calls His elect to Himself. Calvinism, contrary to popular opinion, does not destroy the motive to evangelize. Rather, since Calvinism is the truth of Scripture, it is the only proper motive for evangelism. Any other motive or method that leaves out God's sovereignty in saving men will end up relying on man-centered, fleshly methods which truly dishonor God.
John Calvin wrote, "Although God shows His glory and majesty in the gospel, yet the unthankfulness of men is such, that we have need to be exhorted, not to be ashamed of this gospel. If the gospel be not preached, Jesus Christ is, as it were, buried. Therefore, let us stand as witnesses, and do Him this honor, when we see all the world so far out of the way; and remain steadfast in this wholesome doctrine." Clearly, Calvin's belief in divine election did not hinder him from being a faithful witness for Christ or urging other Christians to do so.
Calvin appeals to God's grace in saving us in order to motivate us to bear witness to others. "Behold! God hath drawn us out of the gulf of hell! We were utterly cast away and condemned: but he hath brought us salvation, and hath called us to be partakers of it. Therefore, seeing God hath showed Himself so liberal, if we on our parts turn our backs to Him, is not this a shameful malice?"
Calvin goes on to remind us how deep God's grace and salvation run, even to His eternal election, so that we might be all the more thankful and zealous to serve Him and be His witnesses. "For He had no respect to our works or dignity, when He called us to salvation. He did it of mere grace. Therefore we shall be less excusable, if we disobey His requirements, seeing we have not only been purchased by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, but He had a care of our salvation before the world was made. Let us here observe that St. Paul condemns our unthankfulness, if we be so unfaithful to God, as not to bear witness of His gospel; seeing He hath called us to it."
Calvin writes, "Whereupon hangeth our salvation? Is it not upon the election and choice that hath been from everlasting? God chose us before we were. What could we do then? We were made fit, we were well disposed to come to God." With this understanding of our own salvation, we will give all the praise to God. And when we tell the good news to others, this is part of that good news, that "God chose us without any respect to our works, as we could have done nothing before: but we are debtors to Him for all; for He drew us out of the bottomless pit of destruction, wherein we were cast, and past all hope of recovery. Therefore, there is good reason for us to submit ourselves wholly to Him, and rely upon His goodness, and be thoroughly ravished with it. Let us hold fast this foundation, as I said before, unless we will have our salvation perish and come to nought. This doctrine is profitable for us if we can apply it well to our own use."
We are the most faithful witnesses of Christ's salvation, when we tell the whole story, that we were chosen from eternity, Christ atoned for us in the fullness of time, called us by His Spirit, justified us by faith and will glorify us forever. (see Romans 8:30)
John Calvin. Thirty-Six Sermons of John Calvin. Monergism Books. Kindle Edition.
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