I received this question via facebook and thought it would be good to post here.   (I removed the person’s name who submitted the question).

Question:

Hello Pastor Brent,

I hope you are having a good week. I really enjoy listening to your sermons. I now realize our goal is not say or get someone to say a prayer, but rather to make disciples.  However, I have a question that I didn’t have the presence of mind to ask on Thursday. I would have posted it to the “i want access” discussion board but it is more of a question for you than for everyone. You quoted Jesus saying, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” You said that it is not our job to get people saved, it is God’s job. Which leads me to ask, wouldn’t God draw everyone? Wouldn’t he try to save everyone? My belief is that men have a choice, and I’m sure yours is, too. But what is Jesus saying here and how does it affect your message?

Blessings

Response:

Good question. First remember that I said “it is not your job to save anyone.” But we should do everything in our power to help people get saved – it is our duty to share the gospel and evangelize to others (Romans 10), but we cannot save people – only the Holy Spirit can do that. But we must point them to Christ. In 1 Cor 1:18 Paul says that the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. Literally, it doesn’t make any sense, it seems like stupidity. But Paul goes on to say that those who are being saved (have had a life changing encounter with Christ), that the gospel is the power of God. Notice these people have had a life changing experience with God, they’re changed because of a revelation of Christ and what He did on the cross – I believe, and scripture supports, that this change only comes by the Holy Spirit. Our part in this, is to point people to the cross, to do everything in our power to help them have an encounter with Christ, then believe God to do His part and change that person’s heart. Literally, to call them into relationship with Himself.

Jesus said in Jn 6:44 that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them. Your question regarding if God calls everyone is dependent upon how you interpret scripture – from an Arminian viewpoint, or a Calvinistic viewpoint. If you are a Calvinist, which it does not sound like, then you would say that God only calls the elect and those who are not a part of the elect are not called, and by default condemned to hell. An Arminian would say that God calls all people, and that because God has given mankind free will, they have the choice whether to respond to His call with faith and repentance, or to reject His call and choose to live their life without God. Being a Wesleyan-Arminian I believe that God calls all people into relationship with Himself, but that every man having free will must choose to respond to God’s grace with faith and repentance. But again, this starts with God – His call, and then our response.

Free will is a huge topic in Theology and if you are interested in learning more, Roger Olson wrote a book called “Arminian Theology” which deals with Arminian free will and Calvinistic determinism. Very good read.

I hope this helps. Remember, we are called to make disciples, to evangelize the world and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul said all he proclaims is: Jesus and Jesus crucified. If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Shalom!
Brent