Present Day Evangelism. 2
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First, the man to whom these words were spoken had just witnessed the miracle-working power of God. "Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!" (Acts 16:26).
Second, in consequence thereof the man was deeply stirred, even to the point of self-despair: "He drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled" (Acts 16:27).
Third, he felt the need of illumination: "Then he called for a light" (Acts 16:29).
Fourth, his self-complaceny was utterly shattered, for he "came trembling" (Acts 16:29).
Fifth, he took his proper place before God—in the dust —for "he fell down before Paul and Silas" (Acts 16:29).
Sixth, he showed respect and consideration for God's servants, for he "brought them out" (Acts 16:30).
Seventh, then, with a deep concern for his soul, he asked, "What must I do to be saved?"
Here then, is something definite for our guidance, if we are willing to be guided. It was no giddy, careless, unconcerned person who was exhorted to "simply" believe; but instead, one who gave clear evidence that a mighty work of God had already been wrought within him. He was an awakened soul (Acts 16:27). In his case there was no need to press upon him his lost condition, for he obviously felt it; nor were the apostles required to urge upon him the duty of repentance, for his entire demeanor betokened his contrition. But to apply the words spoken to him—unto those who are totally blind to their depraved state and completely dead toward God—would be more foolish than placing a bottle of smelling salts to the nose of one just dragged dead from the water. Let the critic of this article read through Acts and see if he can find a single instance of the apostles addressing a promiscuous audience, or a company of idolatrous heathen, and "simply telling them" to believe in Christ!
Just as the world was not ready for the New Testament, before it received the Old; just as the Jews were not prepared for the ministry of Christ until John the Baptist had gone before Him with his clamant call to repentance—so the unsaved are in no condition today for the Gospel, until the law is applied to their hearts, for "by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). It is a waste of time to sow seed on ground which has never been ploughed or broken up! To present the vicarious sacrifice of Christ to those whose dominant passion is to take their fill of sin—is to give that which is holy unto the dogs! What the unconverted need to hear about, is the character of Him with whom they have to do, His claims upon them, His righteous demands, and the infinite enormity of disregarding Him and going their own way.
The NATURE of Christ's salvation, is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell—rather than a Savior from sin! And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire—who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness! The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is—"You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people...[not "from the wrath to come," but] from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, and who long to be freed from its terrible dominion. And He is a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing with which to charge the Holy One!
Should the reader exclaim, "I was not conscious of the heinousness of sin nor bowed down with a sense of my guilt when Christ saved me." Then we unhesitating reply—Either you have never been saved at all—or you were not saved as early as you supposed. True, as the Christian grows in grace, he has a clearer realization of what sin is—rebellion against God—and a deeper hatred of and sorrow for it; but to think that one may be saved by Christ whose conscience has never been smitten by the Spirit, and whose heart has not been made contrite before God, is to imagine something which has no existence in the realm of fact. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor—but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). The only ones who really seek relief from the great Physician, are those who are sick of sin—who long to be delivered from its God-dishonoring works, and its soul-defiling pollutions.
Inasmuch then, as Christ's salvation is a salvation from sin—from the love of it, from its dominion, from its guilt and penalty—then it necessarily follows, that the first great task and the chief work of the evangelist, is to preach upon SIN: to define what sin (as distinct from crime) really is, to show wherein its infinite enormity consists, to trace out its manifold workings in the heart, to indicate that nothing less than eternal punishment is its desert. Ah, and preaching upon sin—not merely uttering a few platitudes concerning it—but devoting sermon after sermon to explaining what sin is in the sight of God—will not make him popular nor draw the crowds, will it? No, it will not, and knowing this, those who love the praise of men more than the approbation of God, and who value their salary above immortal souls, trim their sales accordingly. "But such preaching will drive the people away!" We answer, far better drive the people away by faithful preaching, than to the Holy Spirit away by unfaithfully pandering to the flesh!
The TERMS of Christ's salvation are erroneously stated by the present-day evangelist. With very rare exceptions, he tells his hearers that salvation is by grace and is received as a free gift, that Christ has done everything for the sinner, and that nothing remains but for him to "believe," to trust in the infinite merits of His blood. And so widely does this conception now prevail in "orthodox" circles, so frequently has it been dinned in their ears, so deeply has it taken root in their minds—that for one to now challenge it and denounce it as being so inadequate and one-sided as to be deceptive and erroneous, is for him to instantly court the stigma of being a heretic, and to be charged with dishonoring the finished work of Christ by inculcating salvation by works! Yet, notwithstanding, the writer is quite prepared to run that risk.
Salvation is by grace, by grace alone—for a fallen creature cannot possibly do anything to merit God's approval or earn His favor. Nevertheless, divinegrace is not exercised at the expense of holiness, for it never compromises with sin. It is also true that salvation is a free gift—but an empty handmust receive it, and not a hand which still tightly grasps the world! But it is not true that "Christ has done everything for the sinner." He did not fill His belly with the husks which the swine eat and find them unable to satisfy. He has not turned His back on the far country, arisen, gone to the Father, and acknowledged his sins—those are acts which the sinner himself must perform. True, he will not be saved for the performance of them, any more than the prodigal could receive the Father's kiss and ring, while he remained at a guilty distance from him!
Something more than "believing" is necessary to salvation. A heart that is steeled in rebellion against God cannot savingly believe—it must first be broken. It is written: "Unless you repent—you shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Repentance is just as essential as faith; yes, the latter cannot be without the former: "You... repented not afterward, that you might believe" (Matthew 21:32). The order is clearly enough laid down by Christ: "Repent—and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Repentance is a heart-repudiation of sin. Repentance is a heart-determination to forsake sin. And where there is true repentance, grace is free to act, for the requirements of holiness are conserved, when sin is renounced. Thus, it is the duty of the evangelist to cry, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him" (Isaiah 55:7). His task is to call on his hearers to lay down the weapons of their warfare against God, and then to sue for mercy through Christ.
The of WAY salvation is falsely defined. In most instances the modern "evangelist" assures his congregation that all any sinner has to do in order to escape hell and make sure of heaven—is to "receive Christ as his personal Savior." But such teaching is utterly misleading. No one can receive Christ as his Savior—while he rejects Him as Lord! It is true, the preacher adds, that the one who accepts Christ should also surrender to Him as Lord—but he at once spoils it by asserting that though the convert fails to do so, nevertheless heaven is sure to him. That is one of the devil's lies! Only those who are spiritually blind, would declare that Christ will save any who despise His authority and refuse His yoke! Why, my reader—that would not be grace—but a disgrace—charging Christ with placing a premium on lawlessness!
It is in His office of LORD, that Christ maintains God's honor, subserves His government, enforces His Law. If the reader will turn to those passages (Luke 1:46-47; Acts 5:31; 2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:1) where the two titles occur, he will find that the order is always "Lord and Savior," and not "Savior and Lord." Therefore, those who have not bowed to Christ's scepter and enthroned Him in their hearts and lives, and yet imagine they are trusting in Him as their Savior—are deceived! Unless God disillusions them—they will go down to the everlasting burnings with a lie in their right hand! (Isaiah 44:20). Christ is "the Author of eternal salvation, unto all those who obey him" (Heb. 5:9). But the attitude of those who submit not to His Lordshipis, "We will not have this Man to rule over us!" (Luke 19:14). Pause then, my reader and honestly face the question: Am I subject to His will? Am I sincerely endeavoring to keep His commandments?
Alas, alas, God's way of salvation is almost entirely unknown today, the nature of Christ's salvation is almost universally misunderstood, and theterms of His salvation misrepresented on every hand. The "Gospel" which is now being proclaimed is, in nine cases out of every ten—but a perversion of the Truth! Tens of thousands, assured they are bound for heaven—are now hastening to hell as fast as time can take them!
Things are far, far worse in Christendom than even the "pessimist" and the "alarmist" suppose. We are not a prophet, nor shall we indulge in any speculation of what the Biblical prophecy forecasts. Wiser men than the writer have often made fools of themselves by so doing. We are frank to say that we know not what God is about to do. Religious conditions were much worse, even in England, one hundred and fifty years ago. But this we greatly fear: Unless God is pleased to grant a real revival, it will not be long before "the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people" (Isaiah 60:2), for the light of the true Gospel is rapidly disappearing. Modern "evangelism" constitutes, in our judgment, the most solemn of all the "signs of the times."
What must the people of God do, in view of the existing situation? Eph. 5:11 supplies the divine answer: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness—but rather reprove them;" and everything opposed to the light of the Word is "darkness." It is the bounden duty of every Christian, to have no dealings with the "evangelistic" monstrosity of the day, to withhold all moral and financial support of the same, to attend none of their meetings, to circulate none of their tracts. Those preachers who tell sinners that they may be saved without forsaking their idols, without repenting, without surrendering to the Lordship of Christ—are as erroneous and dangerous as others who insist that salvation is by works, and that heaven must be earned by our own efforts!
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