I believe that Dale Moody, in “The Word of Truth: A Summary of Christian Doctrine Based on Biblical Revelation,” has hit the nail on the head with respect to the issue of Calvinism versus Arminianism.
On page 358, Moody quotes Philip Schaff, who said, “The Bible gives us a theology which is more human than Calvinism and more divine than Arminianism, and more Christian than either of them.” I believe that a closer and more objective study of both sides of the issue will lead to the conclusion that the teachings of either, carried to extremes, lead to teachings about man’s salvation that are foreign to biblical truth.
Rather than engaging in controversy about the teachings of men, we might, to greater advantage, proclaim the simple truth of the Bible. Our mission is to “preach the word,” to declare “the whole counsel of God,” and to “preach repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Adequate and attractive facilities, ample parking space, good music and good preaching are excellent assets in reaching people for Christ. We need an attitude and atmosphere that says, “You are loved and cared for, and you are welcome here.” But more than all else, we need to be faithful in the proclamation of the word of truth.
The truth of the Bible is that men outside of Christ are not good people who need to “make a profession of faith and follow Christ in baptism.” Men apart from Christ are dead in trespasses and sin, and are without God and without hope in this world and the next. It is not our business to convict men of sin, but it is our task to tell the truth about sin and salvation.
It is the truth of the Bible, the good news that men, though separated from God because of their sin, can find grace and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the message of the Bible that is “quick and powerful,” and that has as its purpose to “teach, reprove, correct, and to instruct in righteousness.”
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the world that the sin of unbelief is the one sin that leads to condemnation, that God is righteous, that he demands that man be righteous, that righteousness is possible only through Christ Jesus, and that judgment is certain for those who reject Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation.
We cannot bring men to Jesus Christ, but we can bring Jesus Christ to men. When we faithfully do what God has assigned us to do, God can, and will, work through our efforts to bring men to saving faith in Jesus.
We need good resources, but we must recognize that it is not our exciting programs and music, our fine facilities or our desire to make people comfortable in our churches that will bring people to know Jesus. All of these may help them to feel good, but only a birth from above will change their lives.
We must confront lost people with the whole truth of man’s plight apart from God and the hope of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus. We must tell the truth, and live the truth we tell. A personal witness to the presence and power of Jesus in our own lives, and the reflection of that presence and power, will provide an attractive witness in an unattractive world.
The debate about Calvinism and Arminianism makes me think of Paul’s indictment of the Corinthians in the first chapter of his first letter to them. Forget about Calvinism and Arminianism, and lift up Jesus. An uplifted Christ is the magnet that draws people to him.
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