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Essay on personal evangelism
Strengths and weaknesses of individual evangelism
Strengths and weaknesses of individual evangelism
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“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned or unprayed for” (Spurgeon 13). Too often Christians think they are exempt from sharing the Gospel because the power of salvation rests in God’s hands, which is true, but God uses means. “We should stop excusing ourselves from evangelism on the basis that God is sovereign” (The Gospel and Personal Evangelism 28). Many people think because God is in control and already has an elect, that Christians can neglect their calling to witness. “Maybe, when it comes down to it, …show more content…
God’s plan of salvation cannot be thwarted. Calvinism states that since the beginning of time, God has chosen a people of His own, not because of any foreseen merit in them, but because of His sovereign good pleasure. This doctrine almost seems cruel, as if people are void of the opportunity to be saved, because there is already a fixed number of saints in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Believers alike would agree that not every person will be saved, but rather all have the opportunity to come to Christ. Some choose to reject the grace of God in exchange for their …show more content…
He has some valid arguments against God, so what can prove him wrong? Descartes reasoned and concluded that if he was an imperfect being, and he cannot describe a perfect being perfectly, then God exists (Cowan and Spiegel 23). Believers struggle with who God really is which affects the way they view themselves and others. God is not just harsh and law-bounding in the Old Testament, and He is not just all loving in the New Testament. Dawkins projected himself in the character of God. To him, He is those things, but Christians and even some unbelievers will see it differently. In one of his sermons, Pastor Michael clearly proved that how one views their sin will determine whether they resent or revere the justice of God
Since God was eternal, He had always known who would be saved. In naive terms (and Calvin himself was never simple), God made a list of those to be saved at the start of time and thus the list itself was eternal. Those not on the list had no hope for eternal salvation because salvation was a gift from God to those who were on the list. So they were only working to stay in God’s grace while they were there on Earth. Subsequently, those not on the list of God (highly unlikely in Calvin’s opinion) still got to heaven, but had to suffer God’s wrath while on Earth. Calvin believed that his name, of course, was on the list, as did everyone who followed his way of thinking. Calvin’s ideas about predestination spread across Europe, to Scottish Presbyterians and the Dutch Reformed Church. His ideas also had a weighty effect on the Puritans who later settled in colonial New England.
... is playing favorites in whom he wants to grant salvation to while they are alive on Earth, there is no incentive for anyone to care. If God is so merciful, then these Calvinistic Puritan doctrines should not exist and everyone should be granted spiritual salvation and grace while they are alive on earth at all times. Edward Taylor’s arguments and symbolic imagery of the beauty of God and how gracious he is are highly questionable and shoddy – similar to God and Puritan theology.
Instead of stating reasons for why God wills certain events to happen, it would have been helpful if Calvin gave scriptures that would demonstrate each point he made. Instead of just stating, “To correct their wicked affections and tame their lust” it would have been beneficial to give a biblical account for God doing this (211). Calvin is a well-known and trustworthy interpreter of the scriptures, but providing these scripture passages would be helpful for his argument. Calvin also makes a generalization in that everything shows the glory of God. Unbelievers might take this statement as God not loving the created beings and being selfish. In order to strengthen the argument it would have been a good idea to treat this issue with the fourth premises about God being perfectly
Statement # 1(From The Cradle, The Cross, and The Crown Chapter 20, Loc 25622 of 28382, 1st Paragraph)
Many people believe that today’s Christians are too sheltered and oblivious to the real world around them. When asked, many outsiders compared today’s Christians to “The Titanic - a ship about to sink, but unaware of its fate” or “a hobby that diverts people’s attention” (Kinnaman 120). It is important Christians to not just stay secluded in one group (church group), but to be talking to others (outsiders) so we are aware of the problems and thing that are going on in the world around us. As Christians we are called to be disciples of Jesus by reaching out to those in need, praying for those around us, and calling people to become the church. In “Unchristian” David Kinnaman outlines three main things we as Christians should include in our lives: accepting responsibility, not being fearful, helping the desperate, being prepared, and keeping a balance.
If viewed from the perspective of faith, Dawkins’ argument most likely seems offensive and his conclusions, (atheists are intellectually superior to religious people), false. If viewed from an atheist perspective, however, Dawkins’ argument is completely effective, and Dawkins himself would appear witty, clever, and engaging. Some might wonder why Dawkins takes such an aggressive approach. After all wouldn’t his argument be more universal if he was less dismissive of religion or condescending toward religious people? While making these changes would probably make him a more likable speaker, Dawkins’ intent is not to appear likable, nor is it to convince religious people of the superiority of his atheism. Dawkins’ aim is to inspire his fellow atheists to make a name for themselves; to make it no longer so that the people who are best suited for political office have to lie about their beliefs to get elected. He does not concern himself with the opinions of religious people. After all, they are not his audience, not even the ones who were actually present to hear him speak. He probably does not even believe they have the capacity to grasp the point of what he is saying. Therefore, Dawkins’ rhetoric ultimately strengthens his argument because it makes his argument more compelling to his intended audience. He is somewhat of a caricature artist, making exaggerations about both religious people and atheists to make his argument more favorable to his audience. That his argument, by stressing some of the less evidence-driven, more faith based, parts of religious faith, happens to offend religious people is an unimportant side-effect. His intention is to encourage atheists to stop being pushed aside by religious people by saying, “Look how much smarter you are than them, isn’t it right you should have a greater say in
Throughout the first 400 years that Christianity was present in the world it changed dramatically. It started small in an area near the eastern Mediterranean area but within these 400 years, it grew to encompass the whole of the Mediterranean and its surrounding. Throughout this time of growth, there was also much change within the beliefs of Christianity with the main belief centering around Jesus Christ. While Christianity grew and made it to new areas it was introduced to new people that interpreted the different scriptures and preaching of what it meant to be a Christian. Some of the most influential writings in these years came from Irenaeus of Lyons, a second-century writer, Christian, theologian, and bishop. He expressed his beliefs of what made a Christian a Christian within his writing. One of his most famous writings, The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, highlights the idea of the Holy Trinity and the Rule of Faith in the interpretation of the bible. Irenaeus believed that the Rule of Faith was ultimately necessary and required when reading and interpreting the word of Christianity saying, in the words of Isaiah, “If ye believe not, neither shall ye understand” (paragraph 3). In the eyes of Irenaeus, the Rule of Faith is one of the main things that makes a Christian a Christian.
In John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion he spends a great deal of time expounding his doctrine of God's Divine providence in all of creation. He explains not only how God continually governs the laws of nature, but also how God governs man's actions and intentions to bring about His own Divine Will. Calvin believes that God's providence is so encompassing in creation that even a man's own actions, in many ways, are decreed by God. Because of this belief there arises the question, "Does Calvin leave room for the free will of man?"
Awesome’s idea to create life led to the creation of Hades and the Lake of Fire, the Son’s promises, and Awesome’s writing two books, all before He laid the foundations of the world.
Calvin seems to present predestination not as an impending and sorrowful truth, rather a core component of the gospel itself. His belief in predestination is the culmination of the doctrine of sola gratis. Calvin is determined to contend that salvation begins not with faith, as Luther believed, but with election. Calvin refers to election as the “parent of faith” as Paul also declared. Calvin goes much deeper than Paul. God’s chose for us even before our existence and with no connection to our future faith. He declared that we would believe, not simply forgiven because of our belief, because of “God’s mere good pleasure”. The comfort this offers to the elect that our “salvation flows entirely from the good mercy of God”.
First, let us look at the Calvinistic view of eternal security. To support this view, Calvinists will use such verses as John 10:28, which says “…I will give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand”. Another common verse used is Romans 8:1: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” These verses support the belief that, as the Moody Handbook of Theology words it, “Since salvation is a result of grace, with the believer being chosen from the foundation of the world, being redeemed...
The statement by John, “Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire,” has an undertone which is connected to a theme which intertestamental Jews held. This idea was not related directly to the Holy Spirit and the work He would have at Jesus’ baptism or in Jesus’ ministry. A question such as, why would an unrelated belief have a connection to the Holy Spirit who was to come in the baptism of Jesus? This belief was the idea that a time of affliction or anguish would take place before the coming of the messiah. This was referred to as the birth pangs of the messiah. One reference which is used to support this is from the prophet Daniel, where in one of his visions he refers to war being made against the saints and until the ancient of days would come there would be judgment upon the saints (Dan. 7:21-22). The fire which john speaks about could be a fire of judgment for the people as well as a fire which would purify the saints. Various OT prophets confirm this idea of judgment by fire (Amos 7:4; Mal. 4:1) which the people would have to experience. Another reference to fire as judgment 2 Peter 3:6-7 where the fire is being stored up for the heavens and the earth until the day of judgment. The imagery of this fire in Jesus’ baptism is seen as a river or stream of fire (Dan. 7:10). Another element of this early held view of the fire of Jesus’ baptism was also dual purposed in its nature. As the fire would destroy the wicked it would also purge and cleanse the righteous. These references to fire help clarify the possible understanding of the differences between John’s and Jesus baptisms. This was not the sole purpose of His baptism; he was preparing the way (Matt. 3:3) for Jesus. One way the baptism of Jesus could be seen,...
Calvinism is a simple way of life in which you are to do good for others. The way into heaven was to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The. Work is done not for one’s own personal gain, but for the sake of God.
The central assertion of Calvinism canons is that God is able to save from the tyranny of sin, from guilt and the fear of death, every one of those upon whom he is willing to have mercy. God is not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of men because it is the unrighteous and the helpless that he intends to save. In Calvinism man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that, which is good and well pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it. This concept of free choice makes Calvinism to stand supreme among all the religious systems of the world. The great men of our country often were members of Calvinist Church. We had the number of Presbyterian presidents, legislators, jurists, authors, editors, teachers and businessmen. The revolutionary principles of republican liberty and self-government, taught and embodied in ...
It may seem a little bit strange, but my favorite place in town in none other than this beautiful Evangelic Church. However, it wasn’t always so.