The work of missions is concerned with the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Missions is rooted in the eternal purpose of God. It is also grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just like an oak tree, or a mahogany tree, the sturdy trunk holds up the heavy crown while being firmly rooted in the ground. It is the trunk of the tree that we wish to consider here. The trunk connects the roots to the crown of the tree. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which accomplishes the salvation of the elect, arises from the Eternal Covenant, or the Covenant of Redemption. The message of what He has accomplished by His death and resurrection constitutes the gospel which is proclaimed in fulfillment of the Great Commission. The finished work of Christ undergirds the Great Commission.
The Gospel That We Preach
Fulfilment of covenant promises
The gospel of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” is simple enough to be understood by a child, and profound enough to engage the attention of the philosopher. The trunk of the tree is appreciated best by those who have studied the roots. To Adam and Eve was revealed the coming of a Seed of the woman who would bruise the head of the serpent while being bruised in His heel by the serpent. This is generally recognised as the first proclamation of the gospel. Adam and Eve were commanded to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). The second Adam, viz. Noah, was similarly commanded (Gen. 9:7). Adam and Eve, therefore, had many descendants through Noah. The One who was going to bruise the serpent’s head was described as a Seed of the woman, and not “of Adam” or “of Adam and Eve”. This was to show that while the Saviour would be truly human but without sin, He would not be a descendant of Adam and Eve. Instead, He would be the Son of God who came down from heaven to be born of a woman, viz. Mary (Luke 1:35; John 1:14; 3:13, 31; 6:33). What was said of John the Baptist was true also of Adam, “…he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth (John 3:31).” It is different with Christ, for “He who comes from heaven is above all.” Adam is the head of the fallen human race, while Christ is the Head of the redeemed race (Rom. 5:12-19).
The Seed promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:7 refers primarily to Jesus Christ, and secondarily to the elect who share the same faith as Abraham. It says in Galatians 3:16-18,
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 12 included the promise, “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This is explained in Galatians 3:6-9,
…just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
Christ bore the punishment due to the elect for breaking the law. We are told in Galatians 3:13-14,
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:26-29 further makes clear,
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
By faith in Christ our sins are forgiven, for Christ has paid the penalty on our behalf. By faith in Christ we are reconciled to God because Christ’s perfect righteousness is reckoned to be ours. This taught in Romans 3:20-26,
Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The resurrection of Christ secures for us new life, and reconciliation with God. Romans 5:10-11 says, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” The resurrection of Christ, and the consequent certainty of resurrection of the dead, featured much in the preaching of the apostles (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 2:31, 4:2, 33; 17:18, 32; 23:6). Those reconciled to God are indwelled by the Holy Spirit who is the seal and guarantee of our inheritance in Christ (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit also means that we are adopted as the children of God, as made clear in Romans 8:9, 14-17,
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. …For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
The forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God by the imputed righteousness of Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Sprit, and adoption as the children of God constitute ‘atonement’. William Tyndale (1494-1536) was supposed to have coined this word, after not being able to find a word that covered all these concepts. The death and resurrection of Christ not only secure the forgiveness of our sins but also reconciliation with God — we are made ‘at one’ with God, in a moment, leading to the word “atonement’ (at-one-ment). As noted, the word includes also other concepts — propitiation (i.e. the turning away of God’s wrath), imputed righteousness, and adoption by God. All these were typified by the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament. So rich is the concept of the atoning work of Christ!
The content of the gospel
The master of any art knows far more than what he imparts each time. What we know of the atoning work of Christ must be effectively preached in public and in personal evangelism — in sufficient fulness to accomplish the intended purpose, in the right proportion so as to avoid overload, and in as attractive a way as possible to retain the attentiveness of the hearers. The Holy Spirit is pleased to make effectual what is effectively preached. The gospel (or ‘evangel’, i.e. good news of salvation) is expounded at length by the apostle Paul in the book of Romans as “justification by faith” (Rom. 3:28), which is by God’s grace “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24).” The same truth is stated more fully in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This is looking at salvation with God as the reference point. The sinner has to be justified (declared not guilty and treated as righteous) before God, with God as the judge and the offended party.
Looking at man as the reference point, we may ask what has been done to, and for, him in order to make him acceptable, and accepted, by God? God takes the initiative by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die as the perfect sacrifice in the place of sinners to make atonement for sin, for which reason He is called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” We may say that the sinner is redeemed (set free through payment made) by Christ’s death, while His perfect righteousness is reckoned (accounted to) the sinner who believes (2 Cor. 5:18-19, 21). This is imputation — the imputation of sin to Christ, and the imputation of His righteousness to the sinner. God has been propitiated, i.e. His wrath upon the sinner has been turned away, to fall upon Christ who died on the cross (Rom. 3:21-26).
The mechanics of salvation has been explained in the language of the Bible, which has its own set of terminology. It is the preacher’s job to make things clear by explanation, illustration, and application. This constitutes the preaching of the gospel. If it is asked what constitute the content of the gospel, Paul gives us the answer, “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). The two basic elements are clear — the person of Christ and the work of Christ. Jesus Christ would need to be proclaimed as the Son of God who has come from heaven to take upon Himself perfect human nature, who is the only Saviour appointed by God to save sinners, as promised in the Old Testament Scripture. As to His work, redemption from sin in His death on the cross and reconciliation with God by His resurrection would need to be proclaimed. This is what is meant by everlasting life, for the death and resurrection of Christ liberates the sinner from eternal damnation in hell, and secures for him a living relationship with God, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Both the mechanics of salvation and the content of the gospel are not to be altered — by addition, subtraction or perversion (Gal. 1:6-9).
From any passage of Scripture
In Luke 24:44-48, the risen Lord said to His disciples,
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.
The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms are the three divisions of the Old Testament Scripture. The Old Testament Scripture does not merely prophecy the coming of a Saviour but it also reveals that “it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day”. Passages such as Isaiah 53:3-6 and Psalm16: 10-11 come to mind,
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
The Luke 24:44-48 passage does not stop there but goes on to say, “…and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations…” Passages such as Isaiah 62:10-12 and Joel 2:32 come to mind,
Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones, lift up a banner for the peoples! Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.’ ” And they shall call them The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken.
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:32 is quoted in Acts 2:17-21 in reference to the gospel age. It is quoted in Romans 10:10-13 in reference to the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles, through faith in Jesus Christ, saying,
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Our main point concerning the Luke 24:44-48 passage, however, is this: the gospel message of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” is to be found in every passage of the Old Testament and, by extension, in every passage of the New Testament. This understanding is different from the idea that the gospel message is hidden in some particular passages of the books of the Old Testament. Many writers who hold to the latter view have scoured various Old Testament books to show how “Christ crucified” is taught, viz. in the prophecies, theophanies, and types. The view we are advocating, however, is that when preaching to non-believers, the gospel may be drawn from any passage of Scripture. It is the task of the preacher to determine what constitutes a passage of Scripture — where it begins and where it ends — from which to draw out the message of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. Typically, a passage would consist of five to ten verses. This is not to say that in the systematic exposition of any book of the Bible, the gospel has to be drawn out from every passage. The purpose of the occasion has to be considered. Teaching through a book of the Bible in church is different from a one-off evangelistic meeting or the weekly outreach of the church in which a number of groups are reached with a distinct message of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. The four Gospels of the New Testament, however, by virtue of their main purpose, would yield the gospel most of the time when preached through systematically. The important point to note is that the hearers must see that the message is derived from the passage read. Our authority in preaching lies in the word of God, shown by the open Bible.
The view we are advocating will liberate many churches from limiting themselves to preaching “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” only from the four Gospels, or from some books of the New Testament. The pastor will be able to show to those doing outreach for that week how the passage he is expounding in the pulpit yields the message of “Christ crucified”. The passage concerned may be a portion only of what he is expounding in the church. Exposition in the church is done with the luxury of having the time allocated for preaching, whereas outreach to a number of groups is limited to, say, 10 minutes only each time. This will be explained further.
Help From Reformed Theology
The Five Points of Calvinism
It is gratifying to see many today being drawn to Calvinist soteriology. The Evangelical Realignment following the Evangelical-Liberal Clash of 1910-1930 is still continuing, with gains and losses experienced by all groups. The Reformed Baptists have lost some men to the Reformed Presbyterians, and vice versa, over differences on Covenant Theology. The Reformed constituency has lost some men to the Charismatics, and vice versa, over differences on the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Reformed has lost some men to the Neo-Evangelicals, and vice versa, over social concerns and contemporary worship.
A number of Reformed churches have succumbed to the contemporary worship advocated by the Neo-Evangelicals, and become sympathetic to the continuationism of the Charismatics, much to the consternation of those who remain traditionally Reformed. A number of Charismatics have adopted the Calvinist soteriology of the Reformed while toning down on the practice of tongue-speaking and healing, replacing these with contemporary worship. A number of the latter group have called themselves “Reformed” simply because they hold to the Five Points of Calvinism, without any appreciation of the Five Sola’s of the Reformation, of Covenant Theology, of the value of a Confession of Faith, or of the Regulative Principle of worship. Instead, by claiming that they are not “extreme Charismatics”, while practising contemporary worship — in which the drum-set and other musical instrument feature prominently, together with the singing of contemporary gospel songs accompanied by hand-clapping and hand-raising — they are able to attract many youths. Their claim to being “Reformed” has confused and misled many. They are better described as “the New Calvinists”. (See Williams, 2014.)
We would wish for Reformed doctrine and practice to be more widely appreciated and adopted. Our purpose here is to show the relevance of Calvinist soteriology to missions. Missions, as we have noted, is the fulfilment of the Great Commission as given in Matthew 28:18-20, and other parts of the Bible. Calvinist soteriology impacts the Great Commission on at least three fronts: firstly, in the content of the gospel, secondly on the approach to soul winning, and thirdly on the objective of evangelism. Our immediate purpose is to consider how it impacts the content of the gospel. Its impact on the approach to soul winning will be considered under the Order of Salvation, while the impact on the objective of evangelism will be considered under the Three Faculties of the human personality.
Calvinist soteriology has been summarised under the Five Points of Calvinism, easily remembered by the acronym TULIP. In Total Depravity, man is seen as totally depraved in all his faculties — mind, heart, and will (Eph. 2:1-3). The “total” is not in degree, but in extent. Man is not as bad as he possibly can be because God’s common grace operates to restrain him from becoming worse. Since he has inherited a sinful nature from Adam and Eve, all his faculties are affected by sin such that he is unable to do work good enough to make up for the sins he has committed, nor is he able to improve himself sufficiently to be accepted by God. In Unconditional Election, God chooses certain individuals out of fallen mankind from “before the foundation of the world”, and “according to the good pleasure of His will” to be saved (Eph. 1:3-14). Those chosen will in due time hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ. Salvation is by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. In Limited Atonement, Christ died with the express intention of saving the elect (Rom. 5:15-19; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; 2:10). In view is not the value of His death but the purpose, not the number of people His death could have saved but for whom He came to die. His death would have been more than sufficient to save the whole human race, but it was not the intention of God to save everyone. The total number of elect is uncountably big (Rev. 7:9-10), although the number of those who perish in their sin is expected to be much bigger (Matt. 7:13-14; 22:14). In Irresistible (or Invincible) Grace, the Holy Spirit will draw the elect to faith in Christ despite whatever initial resistance, doubts, or hindrances in him (John 3:3; 6:44). The preacher does his part of preaching the gospel (Rom. 10:17). He is the instrument used by God, while the hearing of the word is the instrumentality of salvation. The response of repentance and faith may be regarded as the means of salvation. The Holy Spirit is the agent who uses the instrument, via the instrumentality of the proclamation of the word, to save (John 16:8). In the Perseverance of the Saints, the elect who has come to faith will persevere in the life of faith (Rom. 8:30, 38). This will be in spite of the trials that accompany true faith (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12). Those who profess faith but fall away without repentance are not truly elect — they are apostates (Matt. 7:21-23; Heb. 6:4-8). The apostates, the unbelievers, and the non-believers (i.e. those who have not heard the gospel) are the reprobates — i.e. those left out by God in His choice of the elect.
The Five Points of Calvinism was formulated to counter the five articles of faith propagated by the followers of James Arminius (1560-1609) in 1610, in the Netherlands. Arminianism, while teaching salvation by grace through faith in Christ, holds that man’s will is not in bondage to his fallen nature and is capable, by the help of “prevenient grace” given by God, to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Arminianism is a mediating position between Calvinism and Pelagianism, a teaching that was countered by Augustine (AD 354-430). Pelagianism does not believe in original sin and total depravity, claiming that man is born with a neutral nature that is moulded by nature and nurture, and has the innate ability to choose between right and wrong. Many Neo-Evangelicals today hold to Arminianism. Covenant Theology reveals that there have ever been only two methods of salvation placed before man — salvation by works or salvation by grace. Any attempt at crafting a mediating position will not succeed for, in the final analysis, it will fall under either grace or works. In the case of Arminianism, its clumsy effort at explaining the mechanics of salvation results in the preaching of a defective gospel, causing many to think that they are saved when they have only made a profession of faith. The use of the “Four Spiritual Laws” by the Campus Crusade for Christ in personal evangelism, and the altar call made during gospel meetings which was popularised by Charles Finney (1792-1875), are cases in point.
The Five Points of Calvinism helps one to understand the gospel of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”, and to be careful of the balance needed in the content of gospel proclamation.
The Order Of Salvation
The Order of Salvation (Latin, ‘Ordo Solutis’) is a prominent feature of Reformed Theology. It is based on the “Golden Chain of Salvation” found in Romans 8:29-30,
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
According to this text, the order of events involved in the salvation of the elect include: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. To these items may be added others such as regeneration, effectual calling, repentance, faith, and adoption — based on passages such as John 1:29; 3:3, 5; Acts 2:38; and Ephesians 1:13 — so that the Order of Salvation is refined and more complete. There has never been total agreement between those who have written and taught on the subject, although the order of the basic elements found in Romans 8:29-30 is followed. Among the Puritans, William Perkins and John Bunyan had their respective charts on “The Order and Causes of Salvation and Damnation” based on “the Golden Chain” in which are found agreement on the fundamentals while displaying some differences.
Having a clear understanding of the Order of Salvation will help the preacher and the spiritual counsellor to minister more effectively to others by their preaching and application of the Scripture. A minister of the gospel is a physician of souls. He does not deliver a sermon like a recording machine. Instead, there is dynamic interaction between the speaker and the hearers. Furthermore, he illustrates his message and applies it according to the local situation and the general needs of the people. He may not know the particular circumstances of the hearers and should not abuse the pulpit by targeting individuals known to him. Having said that, his message should be made relevant to the people based on the Scriptural passage being expounded. When counselling individuals, he has to determine the underlying spiritual problems and administer the correct biblical counsel. There is healing in God’s word, just as there is the wounding of hearts in preaching. Spiritual wounds and psychological sicknesses are a reality. In 1 Corinthians 11:30-32 the apostle Paul refer to those whose sickness and death were cause by sin. When Jeremiah was surrounded by enemies and feeling downcast he prayed, “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise (Jer. 17:14).”
Preaching wounds, and preaching heals. When the question was asked, “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there (Jer. 8:22)?” the answer expected was “Yes, there is!” The Lord was taunted, “‘Physician, heal yourself (Luke 4:23)!” not only because He engaged in miraculous healing but also because He was teaching truth that cut through the soul, as the context shows. The apostle Peter comforted persecuted believers by turning their eyes to Christ who “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed (1 Pet. 2:24).” The work of “rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15)” is not only in the explication of the text, but also in its application. Were not the hearers of Peter and Stephen “cut to the heart” upon hearing their preaching (Acts 2:37; 7:54)? Was not Felix afraid when he heard Paul preaching “about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come (Acts 24:25)”? It is the Holy Spirit who convicts hearers “of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement (John 16:8), by the preached word (Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 1:23). However, it behoves preachers to maintain spiritual sharpness so as to be used in the salvation of souls. A good grasp of systematic theology is important. Experience in preaching and evangelism is helpful. An understanding of the state of the hearers in relation to the truth of Scripture will facilitate evangelism and the task of counselling troubled souls. This is where an understanding of the Order of Salvation comes into its own.
We reproduce here the Order of Salvation which has appeared in an earlier book (Poh, 2017:83-86). This order is a refinement of the order given by Dr. Peter Masters in his book, “Physicians of Souls”.
All three persons of the Trinity are involved in our salvation (Rom. 8:14; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 1:2). The Holy Spirit is the agent who applies the work of Christ to the elect (1 Pet. 1:22-23; Isa. 44:3). He does so by the instrumentality of the hearing of the word of God (Rom. 6:17; 10:17) and, in particular, the gospel of “Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 1:6-9). The Holy Spirit is irresistible, or invincible (cannot be overcome) in His work (Eph. 1:19-20; Rom. 8:11). Irresistible Grace is considered under the chapter on Effectual Calling in the 1689 Confession (Ch. 10).
The 1689 Confession (1689:3:6) gives the Order of Salvation as: Election (from eternity), Redemption (in Christ’s death), Effectual Calling “to faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season”, Justification (God declaring the person not guilty), Adoption, Sanctification (the process of growing in holiness), Glorification (preservation unto salvation). This is based on Romans 8:29-30. Together with 1689:10:1, it is clear that Effectual Calling includes the doctrine of Irresistible Grace. Logically speaking, and not necessarily occurring concurrently, there are three important stages in Effectual Calling — Conception, Gestation, and Conversion. Effectual Calling is followed by Reconciliation and Assurance, before Sanctification. Each of these stages consists of two elements:
i In Conception, the word is heard effectually, giving spiritual life to the person (the Internal Call), as the Spirit comes to dwell in him (John 5:25; Gal. 3:2).
ii In Gestation, the sinner is awakened to his spiritual condition and convicted of his guilt before God (1 Cor. 1:23-24; Acts 2:37; 16:29).
iii In Conversion, the convicted sinner is enabled to come to Christ in repentance and faith (John 6:37; 10:27; Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8-9).
iv Reconciliation with God is accomplished when He justifies us upon faith in Christ, and adopts us as His children (Rom. 3:28; 8:15; 2 Cor.. 5:18-21). Also, there follows the experience of forgiveness of sins and peace with God which, together, constitute Assurance. This is distinct from growing in holiness, which is Sanctification (Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 5:22).
v There might be resistance against the truth along the way, but the elect will finally be saved. God’s grace is irresistible/invincible (Isa. 55:11; Jer. 31:18, 33). Throughout, as the word is proclaimed and applied by the preacher, the Spirit is at work in regenerating the elect hearer, enabling him to respond.
A complete Order of Salvation would include Predestination, Redemption, Conception, Gestation, Conversion, Reconciliation, Assurance, Sanctification, Glorification. Effectual Calling covers the work of the Spirit, by the instrumentality of the word, in giving new life in Christ. It includes Conception, Gestation, and Conversion. The Gestation period may be short or drawn out. (See 1689:10:1 cf. para. 4 & 15:3). Some Reformed writers leave out Gestation, or place it before Conception, therefore treating Gestation as the work of the Spirit that is not yet saving, as happened in the non-elect who hear the gospel. Regeneration, i.e. the work of the Spirit in bringing about the new birth (John 3:3, 5; Tit. 3:5), results in Effectual Calling (1689:15:1 & 10:1, 2). God is the author of the Effectual Call, while the elect receive the Effectual Calling (cf. Eph. 4:1). Irresistible Grace looks more closely at the work of the Spirit in applying the word to the elect. Looked at from the point of cause-and-effect, Effectual Calling is the effect while Irresistible Grace — conveyed by the Effectual Call — is the cause.
Many writers do not differentiate the call from the calling, i.e. between the subject or author, and the object or beneficiary, of the call. Also, the term “regeneration” is used instead of “initial regeneration” (Berkhof calls it “generation”), and is regarded as “a momentary act”, like justification and adoption. For many years the present writer followed Professor John Murray’s view of regeneration, treating it as “a momentary act” of the Holy Spirit in giving new life to the elect hearer of God’s word (Murray, 1955:87). This view was questioned by Dr. Peter Masters in his book, “Physicians of Souls” who argued for an “elongated” view of regeneration which allows for a period of Seeking before Conversion. Upon closer study of the subject, this writer came to be convinced of Dr. Masters’ position, which accords with the view of older Reformed writers. John Bunyan, in his chart on the Order of Salvation, shows that it is the operation of the indwelling Holy Spirit that causes conviction of sins, leading to faith. Louis Berkhof, says this of regeneration (Berkhof, 1941:465):
These terms [regeneration, to beget, to bring forth, to quicken with, etc.] carry with them several important implications, to which attention should be directed. (a) Regeneration is a creative work of God, and is therefore a work in which man is purely passive, and in which there is no place for human co-operation. This is a very important point, since it stresses the fact that salvation is wholly of God. (b) The creative work of God produces a new life, in virtue of which man, made alive with Christ, shares the resurrection life, and can be called a new creature, “created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them,” Eph. 2:10. (c) Two elements must be distinguished in regeneration, namely, generation or the begetting of the new life, and bearing or bringing forth, by which the new life is brought forth out of its hidden depths. Generation implants the principle of the new life in the soul, and the new birth causes this principle to begin to assert itself in action. This distinction is of great importance for a proper understanding of regeneration.
Diagram of the Order of Salvation:
The three faculties
The concern for effective counselling of troubled souls has led Jay Adams (Adams, 1970) and other men to create a unique system of “nouthetic counselling” (‘nouthesis’, confrontation with sin) which is claimed to accord with the the teaching of the Bible. A vast industry of Christian counselling has arisen and grown to such an extent that there are institutes and seminaries teaching “Christian Counselling”, with accreditation boards that are recognised by various western governments. Professional Christian counsellors are found in many churches to whom are channelled “the more difficult cases” of counselling the pastors are unable to handle. The Christian Counselling movement has obviously developed into something quite different from what was envisaged by the early founders. There are now voices of warning and dissent raised against the movement, e.g. that of Martin and Deidre Bobgan (Bobgan, 1994), and E. S. Williams (Williams, 2009).
In his classic book on missions, J. H. Bavinck devotes a part of the book to Elenctics (Bavinck, 1960). The term “elenctic” is derived from the Greek verb ‘elengchein’, and the noun ‘elengchos’ (conviction of guilt). From various New Testament texts, it is argued that the word is regularly translated as rebuking, including the idea of the conviction of sin and a call to repentance. The burden of Elenctics is to effectively preach the gospel on the mission field such that the heathens might be truly saved. The discussion on Elenctics intersects with apologetics, contextualisation, anthropology, philosophy, culture and religion. This field of study has not been isolated and absolutised, as has happened with Christian Counselling. Concerns have been raised, however, over the place of apologetics and the directions taken in contextualisation on the mission field. A tendency — if not a danger — of Elenctics is to be too wide-ranging in its coverage that the original end is lost sight of. There is a proper place to know the culture and religion of the target group. There is a proper contextualisation that is involved in the presentation of the gospel in a different culture. However, in all things that are right, good and true, the danger of going astray must be guarded against.
In both Christian Counselling and Elenctics, there is the commendable attempt to address the issue of effectively applying the word of God to win souls and to comfort troubled souls. It is recognised that the Holy Spirit alone effectually uses the word of God to transform lives. Here, we propose the application of truth to the hearer at a more fundamental level, viz. that of his personality. It is necessary to define the terms we use. A human person consists of body and soul (Matt. 10:28; 1 Cor. 5:5; 7:34; James 2:26). Some Bible verses appear to teach Trichotomy — body, soul, and spirit (1 Thes. 5:18; Heb. 4:12) — but they are capable of being explained reasonably by Dichotomy. The body is physical material while the soul is invisible spirit. The essence of the person is the soul, which is housed in the body to express life in a physical world (Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11). When a person dies, his lifeless body is buried and turns to dust, waiting to be resurrected on the last day. The soul lives on, going either to heaven or to hell, waiting to be clothed with the body when resurrected on judgement day. The living person expresses himself as a personality which consists of three faculties — the mind, the affection (or the heart), and the volition (or the will). In the Bible, the heart is often used in reference to the soul, or the inner being of the person, for example (Mark 7:21-23):
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.
For our purpose here, we will use the heart as the faculty of feelings, such as those of love, joy, anger, hatred, fear, persuasion, conviction. The will is the faculty that makes decision and choice, leading directly to actions. The mind is the faculty of thought, of reason, of understanding. Connected with the mind is the ability to remember, which we do not treat as a separate faculty. Augustine of Hippo was supposed to hold to the view that the human personality has five faculties, viz. the mind, the heart, the will, the conscience, and the memory. The Reformers and the Puritans generally held to the view we are propounding here, viz. that there are three basic faculties — the mind, the heart, and the will. This was their assumption which is discernible in their writings, and which seems to have biblical support (Rom. 1:21; 6:17; 2 Tim. 1:7; Phil. 1:27). Occasionally, they speak of the conscience as a separate faculty. Keach’s Catechism of the Particular Baptists, and the Shorter Catechism of the Presbyterians, have this question and answer,
Q. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, He does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.
The three faculties, as they relate to salvation, is explained by Berkhof (Berkhof: 1941:471) as follows:
The relative order of calling and regeneration. This is perhaps best understood, if we note the following stages: (1) Logically, the external call in the preaching of the Word (except in the case of children) generally precedes or coincides with the operation of the Holy Spirit, by which the new life is produced in the soul of man. (2) Then by a creative word God generates the new life, changing the inner disposition of the soul, illuminating the mind, rousing the feelings, and renewing the will. In this act of God the ear is implanted that enables man to hear the call of God to the salvation of his soul. This is regeneration in the most restricted sense of the word. In it man is entirely passive. (3) Having received the spiritual ear, the call of God in the gospel is now heard by the sinner, and is brought home effectively to the heart. The desire to resist has been changed to a desire to obey, and the sinner yields to the persuasive influence of the Word through the operation of the Holy Spirit. This is the effectual calling through the instrumentality of the word of preaching, effectively applied by the Spirit of God. (4) This effectual calling, finally, secures, through the truth as a means, the first holy exercises of the new disposition that is born in the soul. The new life begins to manifest itself; the implanted life issues in the new birth. This is the completion of the work of regeneration in the broader sense of the word, and the point at which it turns into conversion.
The above quote not only assumes the three basic faculties in the human personality, but also shows the relation between the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration to the instrumentality of the preaching of God’s word. Not discussed is the role, or the place, of the conscience. We consider the conscience not as a separate faculty, but the felt effect produced by the interaction between the three basic faculties (Rom. 2:15; 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 Tim. 4:2). When the action is not according to what is known in the mind as right or true, the heart will feel pangs of shame, guilt and even fear while the conscience will turn against self to condemn. The reverse is the effect when the action is according to what the mind knows to be right or true — the conscience will feel good. We may proceed a step further and say that the attitude of the person is the combined effect of the mind and the heart working together which might, or might not, issue in action. Reading the attitude, and probing the conscience, without being rude, presumptuous, or brutal constitute effective evangelism. The Lord put up with the rather forward attitude of the Samaritan woman while revealing the truth about Himself, finally exposing her dark life to true worship that is possible only through knowing Christ as the Messiah (John 4:7-26). In the case of the woman caught in adultery, the direct thrust made at the scribes and Pharisees skewered their mind, heart and action with such effect that their conscience rendered them powerless as they slunk away. At the same time, the woman’s wounded conscience was treated with kind words of grace — “no condemnation, sin no more” (John 8:1-11).
As in personal evangelism, the objective of gospel preaching is to bring all three basic faculties of man into subjection to Christ as Mediator, who occupies the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. For this objective to be achieved, the gospel must be proclaimed in such a way as to appeal to the conscience. The apostle Paul imitated Christ in His preaching. Felix was alarmed by Paul’s preaching, Festus was agitated, and Agrippa was challenged (Acts 24:25; 26:24, 28). The 1689 Confession (8:10) says this of Christ’s three offices, “This number and order of offices [Prophet-Priest-King] is essential.” While regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit, the preacher is used as the instrument to bring the word of God to the hearer. His words, his personality, and manner of presentation of the message are all used by God to bring the sinner to faith. How much of a doctrine is to be explained, and where the emphasis is to be placed in his message, are affected by his interaction with the hearers. The preacher is to apply the truth to the conscience of the hearers, with the aim of bringing their minds to submit to Christ as his Saviour, their hearts to rely on the blood of Christ for cleansing, and their wills to be obey Christ as King. In all this, the primacy of the mind must be recognised (cf. Rom. 6:17; 10:17; 12:2; 2 Tim. 1:7). Change is to be brought about by addressing the mind with the truth of Scripture, in such a way as to convince or convict the heart, leading to resolve in the will to act. In a gospel message, and all teaching for that matter, there will be the explanation, illustration and application of the Bible passage. All these components of gospel proclamation are made to bear on the mind, to penetrate to the heart, and with the intention of moving the will to act. In that way, the hearers’ consciences will be pricked, nudged, and challenged. When the Holy Spirit is pleased to transform the total personality — in mind, heart, and will — leading to repentance and faith, true salvation has taken place. The dynamics of a soul meeting other souls will be discussed further under the Great Commission.
The process of gospel preaching, considered logically, may be illustrated by the diagram below:
The three offices of Christ also has application to the life of the local church. As Head of the church, Christ is Prophet, Priest, and King. The church that is submitted to Christ’s headship will want to be right in doctrine, corresponding to Christ’s prophethood. The number and order of Christ’s offices is essential. From correct doctrine, the church must proceed to have worship that is according to Scripture, corresponding to Christ’s priesthood, and then to have the biblical form of church government, corresponding to Christ’s kingship. The number and order of Christ’s offices also has relevance in the manner of accomplishing the reformation of the church. As a general rule, the doctrine, worship and government (including discipline) of the church must proceed in that order. When attempting to reform the church, the members must be taught the truth in the mind, and be convinced of the truth in the heart, before they are willing to implement change. Is it not the case that Arminian activism places the emphasis on the will, while Charismatic subjectivism places the emphasis on the heart? Woe to those who claim to be Reformed if they emphasise doctrine in the head at the expense of love in the heart and obedience to the word!
Summary
Missions is grounded in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. The death of Christ fulfils the covenants of promise in the Old Testament, and accomplished the salvation of the elect. Salvation is by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone. All three persons of the Holy Trinity are involved. The gospel content must include the person and the death of Christ, which may be drawn out from any identifiable passage of Scripture. A clear understanding of the content of the gospel is important, which is helped by a clear understanding of the doctrines of grace. A clear understanding of the Order of Salvation helps the preacher and the evangelist to assess the state of the hearers in order to tailor the message to their immediate needs, and to effectively counsel troubled souls. The human personality is made up of the three basic faculties of mind, heart, and will — the interaction between which produces the effect known as the conscience. Gospel preaching that pierces the conscience are more likely to bring the mind, the heart and the will under subjection to Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King.
References
1. Adams, J. E. 1970. Competent to Counsel. Zondervan Publishing House.
2. Bavinck, J. H. 1960. An Introduction to the Science of Missions. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
3. Berkhof, L. 1941. Systematic Theology. Banner of Truth Trust.
4. Bobgan, M. & D. 1994. Against Biblical Counseling: For the Bible. EastGate Publishers.
5. Bunyan, John. A Map Showing the Order and Causes of Salvation and Damnation. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/69/e6/bd/69e6bda2564841368c270b4ba65a7af0.jpg (Accessed 29 October 2018).
6. Masters, P. 2002. Physicians of Souls. Wakeman Trust.
7. Poh, B. S. 2017. Thoroughgoing Reformation. Good News Enterprise.
8. Williams, E. S. 2009. The Dark Side of Christian Counselling. The Wakeman Trust.
9. Williams, E. S. 2014. The New Calvinists. Wakeman Trust.
Recommended Reading
1. Bobgan, M. & D. 1994. Against Biblical Counseling: For the Bible. EastGate Publishers.
2. Masters, P. 2002. Physicians of Souls. Wakeman Trust.
3. Williams, E. S. 2014. The New Calvinists. Wakeman Trust.
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