The Spirit of the Lord is the

Spirit of truth, holiness, and

unity. He is also the Spirit of
evangelism! The prophet Isaiah
spoke prophetically of the Spirit
of the Lord who would come
upon the Lord Jesus to equip
Him as prophet to proclaim the
good news concerning the
Kingdom of qod, Luke 4:18-
19. Jesus commanded His
Apostles to remain in Jerusalem
until the Spirit of Promise came
and when He
comes "You shall
receive power and
you shall be
witnesses unto Me
in Jerusalem, JUdea,
Samaria, and unto
the utter most parts
of the earth," Acts
1 :8! And that same
Spirit is the Spirit
who is promised and
given to all who repent, Acts
2:38. Where the Spirit of the
Lord is there is the Spirit of
evangelism!
The three marks of a true
church are: 1. The faithful
preaching of the Word of qod,
2. The faithful administration of
the sacraments, and 3. The
faithful administration of
Biblical church discipline. Of
late, however, a number of
theologians and preachers have
felt the necessity to add number
4., The faithful practice of
Biblical evangelism. Cireg
Bahnsen adds a fourth and fifth:
4. Inwardly, fellowship in
worship toward Ciod and
mutual concern for His people,
Acts 2:42, 44-47, Hebrews
13:15-16, I Cor. 12:7-2.7; and
5. Outwardly, service toward
the world in evangelistic
outreach, Acts 2:40, 41, 47,
Mat. 28:18-2.0, and seeking
transforming holiness in every
area of life, Rom. 12:1-2, I Peter
1 :14-16, Col. 1 :9-23, Mt. 5:14-
16.
The practice of evangelism is
a mark of the church. Joe
Morecraft has written, "A
church which is not being
faithful to the Cireat
Commission of Mat. 28 is a
shame. It has the form of
godliness, but denies the Vitality
and vision thereof. A church
that preaches the Bible,
administers the sacraments, and
practices church discipline, but
which is unfaithful to the Cireat
Commission is a disobedient
church in rebellion against her
Lord." As one has said, the
church exists by mission as a
fire exists by buming, John
17:17-21. A church not
buming with the fire of
commitment to making the
world's nations Christ's
disciples is ingrown,
unbalanced, arrogant, self-
centered, ugly, and dead. As
R.J. Rushdoony has written, "If
the church indeed is the Body of
Christ, it must function as if it is
alive. A dead church is a non-
16 t THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t September, 1995
functioning church; it is salt
which has lost its savor and it is
fit only to be cast out and
trodden under foot by men,
Mat. 5:13. This is a grim
possibility in our time. We
cannot say that in all places the
church today is dead, but in too
many areas it is badly arthritic
and feeble. Christ the Lord of
life, commands us saying, 'I say
unto thee, arise!''' nne
Chalcedon Report,
May 1988).
What is
" evangeliSll1
U
l
Whose task is itl
What is the motive,
the message, the
methodsl What will
be the resultsl It has
been said that one of
the more common
ways of avoiding evangelism is
to study and write about it!
That is certainly not our purpose
or intent. Rather, we would
state that in view of the sad
state of the church and the
world in the view of extensive
evangelism that the church
should stop and ask if it has got
the message and the methods
right. More stUdy should be
done before people go off to do
personal evangelism. Jesus
prepared His Apostle-Disciples
for three years before He sent
them out. We cannot use the
argument that people are dying
and going to hell while we are
studying unless we are willing
to criticize Ciod for not sending
His Son into the world sooner,
Jesus for not dying sooner, and
the Holy Spirit for not coming
sooner.
We are living at the end of
the most evangelistic century in
the history of the church in
terms of the extent and the
intensity of evangelistic and
missionary activity. That,
however, is not to say that aU
that goes under the name of
"evangelism" is Biblical. Indeed,
we must question whether
much of what has occurred in
the name of evangelism has
resulted in the darkening of the
(jospel, the decline of the
church, and the destruction of
culture and society. There is
"zeal without knowledge"
(Rom. 10:2) even on the part of
those who have been
regenerated by the Spirit of
evangelism. Yet, on the one
hand, we do not want to be
rebuffed like the woman who
complained to D.L. Moody that
she did not like his method of
evangelism. He responded, ..
Well, Madam, I like my
method of doing evangelism
better than your method of
NOT DOIN(j
EVAN(jEUSM!"
Nevertheless, we do not have
to accept or adopt every
"successful" method of
evangelism as appropriate for
the church. I heard of a man
who was saved through falling
down a well. We don't,
however, go around pushing
people down weUs as an
evangelistic method.
At the time of the 1960
Olympics a magazine carried an
amusing cartoon showing the
celebrated runner from
Marathon arriving in Athens
and falling exhausted on the
ground while he mumbles, with
a blank look on his face, "1 have
forgotten the message." This is
much the same case with
evangelism in the 20th
Century. The (jreat
Commission, Mat. 2B:16-20, is
not simply a commission to go
and make decisions for Jesus; it
is a commission to go, or
"going," (evangelism at home
and abroad), make disciples
(evangelism that results in
discipleship) of aU the nations
(not just individuals but people
as nations ), baptizing them and
teaching them to observe
everything that He has
commanded us (establishing
churches for worship,
edification, and evangelism).
Isaiah 61 propheticaUy sets
forth the fruit and results of the
outpouring of the Spirit of
evangelism. Michael (jreen
says concerning this passage,
'The passage in Isaiah was
highly significant. It relates to
the period after the Babylonian
exile; and the messenger,
anointed with (jod's own
Spirit, announces (jod's signal
victory, His kingly rule. It
betokens nothing less than the
dawn of a new age, and one
from which the heathen are not
excluded. The days of salvation
have arrived. The people of
(jod are ready and waiting for
Him like a bride for her
husband, their unworthiness
covered by a robe of
righteousness, their relationship
with their (jod established by
an everlasting covenant. There
are days of liberation, days of
healing, days of great good
news, which is meant to spread
like wildfire. (jod is reaching
out from a rebuilt Jerusalem to
make His ways known to the
(jentiles. All that, and more, is
contained in the chapter of
Isaia h from which Jesus read
this manifesto at the
inauguration of His good news
for the world," Op. Cit., pg. B.
Isaiah 61 introduces the
MESSEN(jER OFTHE
(jOSPEL, the one who
introduces the blessings
announced in Isaiah 60.
I. 61:1-3, THE PVRPOSE
OF HIS MISSION. Not only
are we introduced to the
messenger who is identified in
Luke 4:1B-19 as the LordJesus
Christ, but also his method
(preaching), his message ( good
news of restoration and the bad
news of (jod's judgment), the
objects of evangelism (the meek,
the mourners; see Mat. 5:1 ff,),
and the results (joy, strength,
and righteousness), vs.3.
II. 61:4-11, THE
BLESSIN(jS OF HIS
MISSION are announced.
A. The ancient ruins will be
rebuilt by those who mourn in
Zion, vs.4, Mat. 5:4.
B. The (jentiles will be
included among the people of
(jod and serve (jod's church,
vs.5.
C. The inhabitants of Zion,
Jew and (jentile, will be priests
unto the Lord, vs. 6-7, I Peter
2:9ff. They shaU inherit the
earth, Mat 5:5.
D. The covenant promises
will be fulfilled and
righteousness will prevail, vs. B,
Jer. 31 :27-44.
September, 1995 t THE COUNSEL of Cha1cedon t 17
E. Their seed will be husbands, that the word of (jod follow Christ and to be sent
recognized among the nations
may not be blasphemed.
into all the world following His
as blessed of (jod.
Likewise exhort the young men
death, resurrection,
111.61:10-11, THE
to be sober-minded, in aU things
ascension,and the outpouring of
RESVLTS OF HIS MISSION.
showing yourself to be a pattem
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As
of good works; in doctrine
they go (evangelism and foreign
A. The church of (jod, the
showing integrity, reverence,
missions) they are to make
elect, the true Israel worships incorruptibility, sound speech
disciples of all the nations,
and rejoices in the (jod of her that cannot be condemned, that
baptizing them (establish
salvation, vs. 10. one who is an opponent may be
churches) and to teach them to
B. The growth of the
ashamed, having nothing evil
obseJve all that he commanded
kingdom, vs. 11, Mat.13.
to say of you."
(ordaining Elders for their
While evangelism is an
The point is not that we are
worship, instruction, edification,
essential and fundamental
not to be verbal witnesses of the
discipline, and mutual care of
(jospel, we are. But evangelism
function of the mission one another). They did
of the church, it is not
not command every
the only task. Nor does
converted disciple to
it command every leave their nets and to
Christian to leave their
go in tum. They
nets to become full-time commanded them to
evangelists or no,t forsake the
missionaries. Jim assembling of
Peterson points out the themselves together, to
"puzzling fact" that the love one another, to
epistles have no
does not call all of us to leave or
build up one another,
exhortations to "witness." "One
neglect our own nets or families
to care for one another, to love
would expect Paul's letters to their wives, to submit to their
abound with exhortations to
to go and do evangelism.
husbands, to bring up their
Evangelism, like charity, begins
Witness, to get out and
at home, in your neighborhood,
children in the nurture and
continue what he had begun,
admonition of the Lord, to
proclaiming the gospel to every
at work. And evangelism has as
honor and obey their parents, to
its goal restoring people to godly
person. But no such
and holy living as the people of
work hard at their jobs, to care
exhortations are there! Why
(jod in the world. This is the
and provide for their families
not!" Peterson in contrast also
platform for being light to the
and the needy, and to submit to
reminds us of what Paul did
emphasize in his epistles, as in
world, a true witness to the
and pray for those in authority
power, the truth, and the
over them in the church and in
Titus .2:.2-8, "The older men are
blessings of the (jospel. The
civil govemment.
to be temperate ... , the older
women likewise, that they be
impression, the message, the
R.J. Rushdoony has written
reverent in behavior, not
church has given the world is
that the work of the church, "Is
slanderers, not given to much
that salvation is only good after
a dominion ministry, and this
wine, teachers of good things;
you die and has very little
dominion is to be manifested in
that they admonish the young
relevance or hope for life now.
the life and the work of the
women to love their husbands, The (jreat Commission was
members .... lt is living and
to love their children, to be addressed to the Apostles of the
working in terms of obedience
discreet, chaste, homemakers, LordJesus Christ who had been
to Jesus Christ. Let me cite an
good, obedient to their called to leave their "nets" to example. A bank loan officer
18 f THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon f September, 1995
shook up more than a few Having said that we must also or require that to be a good
people, including bank officers, recognize that one of the most Christian or witness one must
by calling attention to the fertile and necessaIY evangelistic enter the Cjospel ministJY. "I f
financial penalties of long term fields is the pews of churches on evangelism happens at all in our
debt and the advantages of Sunday moming. Many of
Westem society, it is likely to
obedience to the Biblical law. those who have joined the
be in one of two main lypes of
He had brought the church into church, have been
presentation: the large crusade
the bank, and veIY practical "evangelized," but are not even
or the personal
consequences followed, saved. One of the most
conversation .... The more
dominion in the lives of those dangerous and deceptive places
aggressive evangelism of some
who listened to him." for people to be is in a pew at
of the parachurch movements
Rushdoony continues, 11 :00 am on Sunday moming
tends to be rather strong on heat
"Evangelism is the basic task of because people have false peace
and weak on ligh!''' Michael
the church. This is veIY much about their salvation.
Cjreen, Evangelism Through the
stressed in our time, and rightly Moreover, as Professor John
Local Church, pg. xiii. We must
so, but it needs to be followed Murraysaid, "while we
not limit evangelism to
by application. As members of generally understand the word
particular forms. Evangelism by
one of another, Christians need 'evangelism' to apply to the
definition is the verbal
to care for one another, for the propagation of the gospel
proclamation of the good news
sick, the elderly, the needy, and among the unsaved, we must
conceming Christ. How and
the troubled. Visitation is not in recognize that we cannot limit it
where and when that is done is
Scripture the duly of pastors but to them, ... when it is
as varied as eveIY person and
of Christians, Mat. 25:31-46, " remembered that many
situation. That is not to say that
R.J. Rushdoony, Systematic believers in Christ have so
the Church or Christians may
Theology, Vol. II, pg. 746. inadequate a knowledge of the
not develop a strategy or an
The work of the church is
gospel, and so impoverished a
outline to proclaim the Cjospel
not one, evangelism, but three-
conception of the Christian
in a particular context. But to
fold: MINISTRY DIRECTLY
faith, that a considerable part of
identify, to limit evangelism to a
TO CjOD IN WORSHIP,
the work of the church, properly
certain method, revivals, altar
MINISTRY TO ONE
regarded as evangelism, must
calls, evangelistic crusades, etc.,
ANOTHER IN CHRISTIAN
needs have as its aim the
so that if one does not use that
NVRTURE AND CARE,
instruction and edification of
method one cannot be
AND MINISTRY TO THE
believers. The evangelism that
considered evangelistic is
WORLD IN WITNESS AND
the true church of Christ
undertakes must therefore
wrong.
COMPASSION. Cjod has
contemplate the bringing of the
TEN PRESVPPOSITIONS
called us into fellowship with
Him and each other to worship
gospel in its full import and
FOR BIBLICAL
Him, to grow in grace, in
demands to those Who, though
EVANCjELlSM
knowledge, righteousness, and
believers, are nevertheless the
1. CjODSAVES MEN BY
holiness of the truth through our
victim of ignorance,
HIS SOVEREICjN CjRACE,
individual gifts and graces in
unfaithfulness and
Acts 13:48, 18:10, Eph. 1 :3ff.
compromising associations,
"
the context of the fellowship of Biblical evangelism and most
believers in the church, and
Collected Writings of John
contemporaIY evangelism are
finally to support and pursue the
Murray, Vol. 1, pg. 124.
diametrically opposed. They are
task of proclaiming the Cjospe! Also, we must never define opposed because most
to those who have not heard or limit evangelism to a contemporaIY evangelism
both at home and abroad. particular method or to demand believes in free will. Therefore,
September, 1995 l' THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ;. 19
evangelism is the effort to get
one to change his -mind rather
than so presenting the qospeI
that qod changes the heart.
One campus worker said to a
preacher, "I use the soft sell, you
use the hard sell." While this
statement is revealing, it reveals
a much deeper issue. "Modem
evangelism is salesmanship! it is
also blasphemy .... True
evangelism does not
sell, it indicts, " RJR,
still under qod's wrath and
cO'ndemnation for sin and
unbelief.
3. EVERY CHRISTIAN
MUST BE A WITNESS TO
qOD AND HIS CHRIST.
People are particularly called of
Clod to be evangelists, pastors
and teachers, Eph. 4:11-12.
While not all Christians are
called to be preachers, evety
surrender to the Lordship of ,
Christ, and presents the Biblical
basis of assurance as rooted in a
life of obedience, faithfulness,
holiness, and perseverance, 2
Pet. 1:8-10, Heb.12:14., Mat.
7:2.1-23, 2.4:13.
4. THE MESSAqE OF
EVANqEL/SM is "The triune
Clod proclaims the kingdom of
qod as open to men through
Salvation and qodly
Rule,pg. 448. Modem
evangelism does not
believe inl otal
depravity" or
regeneration preceding
faith. Thus, evangelism
degenerates into
"While not all Christians
are called to be preachers,
every Christian is and
must be a witness."
the salvation made
possible by Jesus
Christ and his atoning
death, resurrection,
and ascension Acts
15:7, 20:24, 25, I
Peter 4:17, I Cor.
15:1-3. It is the gospel
of qod and His
Kingdom Mark 1:14,
"decisional
regeneration." The foundation
of evangelism is that qod saves
sinners. Salvation, the
conversion of sinners, is not a
"(l1atter of salesmanship.
2. qOD SAVES MEN
THROUqHTHE
MINISTRY OF HIS WORD,
Rom. 10:14ff, I Cor. 1:20. The
primaty means of evangelism is
still the preaching of the word
of qod by the man of qod, the
setting forth of the Word of
qod in truth. While inviting
people to church is not
evangelism in the proper sense
of the word, we need to get
people to where the Word of
qod is proclaimed. Sermons
ought to have an evangelistic
note and clearly distinguish for
the hearers that there is a
difference between those who
are believers and those who are
Christian is and must be a
witness, Acts 8:4, I Peter 2:9ff.
Methods must be flexible and
variable. The essential message
must always be the same.
While Christ calls us to be His
witnesses, it is His witnesses
that we are to be, ie, faithful to
the message. We are not to be
like the Pharisees who make
people doubly lost, Mat. 23:15,
by a truncated qospel that tells
people to "Just ask Jesus into
your heart," and give them
assurance and false peace.
Many of these will on
judgment day hear the words, "I
never knew you" or fall away
and become gospel hardened.
While we are not responsible
for all who do not persevere, we
are responsible to proclaim the
truth of the qospel that calls
men to discipleship, that calls
for faith, repentance, obedience,
20 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon September, 1995
Rom. 1:1, 15:16, 2
Cor. 11 :17, Mt. 4:23, 9:35,
24:14," RJR, The Journal of
Christian Reconstruction,
Symposium on Evangelism, ,
Vol. VII, Winter 1981, No.2,
pg.10.
5. THE TASK OF
EV ANqELlSM is given by
Christ to His church under the
oversight of His called,
qualified. and gifted 8ders,
Mat. 28:18-20, Acts 15,
20:17ff. We are called to
proclaim the "Apostolic"
message of the qospel. That
message has been committed to
the church under the oversight
of Elders, men called, qualified,
and sound in the faith. No one
was ever commissioned to
evangelize with a false or
erroneous message of the
gospel.
6. CONVERSION IS NOT
AN END IN AND OF
ITSELF. Conversion makes men
a part of the kingdom of qod.
The Christian has berome a
part of a new rommunity, a
new rulture. He is literally now
a foreigner to the world. He has
new rustoms, language, goals,
values. "Evangelism speaks to
lost men in a lost world, and it
summons all such to a new life
in Jesus Christ, and to a new
creation in and through Him.
Evangelism calls for repentance,
a total re-direction of life and
thought. It places men under the
dominion of the Lord and then
orders them to exercise
dominion in and under Him.
Having been made a new
creation, they are in faith and
obedience to their Savior-King
to make of their sphere and the
whole world a new creation,
R/R.
7.WITHOVTA
BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF
TIME THERE CAN BE NO
EVANqELlSM. It wi!! not do
to construct evangelism
programs in terms of man-
shortened chronologies (qary
North), or eschatologies. We
recognize that Christians have
different views of future events
and the timing of those events.
You must recognize the
evangelistic implication of those
various eschatological positions.
Much of contemporaJy
evangelism is predicated upon
the view that the rapture is
imminent, therefore, we need to
get decisions as quickly as
possible, and who cares about
the church, the family, or the
future of society. While there is
a Biblical urgency, that urgency
should not lead us to dilute the
message nor doubt the
sovereignty of qod. You can be
certain that the Lord will not
return until every last one of
His elect is converted.
8. EVANqELlSM MVST
BE TRVLY PERSONAL.
"Any successful evangelism
program must recognize the
personalities of the listeners and
the historical context of the
appeal. Men come with vaJying
capabilities, vaJying
backgrounds, and varying
insight into theological matters.
No program of evangelism that
isn't based on the idea of
maturing in knowledge is
realistic. No one-shot package,
no single tract, no one appeal is
going to bring men into a full
understanding of the gospel.
One-shot soul-winning systems
are generally promoted by
churches holding a limited view
of qod and His kingdom,'
qaJy North, The Journal of
Christian Reconstruction,
Symposium on Evangelism,
Vol. VII, Winter 1981, No.2,
pp. 4-5 That is not to say that
one cannot be born again
immediately. Rarely, however,
is it the case that one so
converted did not have some
prior knowledge of the Bible
and the qospel. We must be
careful of pre-mature deliveJy
that end in the still-birth of the
baby.
9. WEMVST
RECAPTURE BIBLICAL
BOLDNESS, Acts 4:13,8:4,
13:46, 14:3. Boldness comes
from confidence in qod, the
Spirit of qod, the Word of
qod, and in the knowledge of
the Word of qod. "What we
need is a dynamic, a
psychologically motivating
impulse to give godly men
confidence that their efforts are
not in vain, and that their work
for the kingdom of qod will
have meaning in the future, not
just in heaven, but in time and
on earth, " qaJy North,
Vnconditional Surrender.
10. WEMVST
PARTICIPATE IN BIBLICAL
PRAYER, Mat. 6, Acts 1 :13-
14, 2:1-4, 42, 4:22-31. "Prayer
starts the promises of qod on
their way to fulfillment," John
"Jack" Miller, Evangelism and
the Local Church. In Psalm 2,
the Father says to the Son, "Ask
of me and I will give you the
heathen for your inheritance."
"We need a thoughtful,
sustained, relevant presentation
of the Christian faith in word
and in action, embodied in a
warm, prayerful, lively local
church that has a real concern
for its community at aU levels,"
Michael qreen, Op. Cit., pg.
xiii. n
September, 1995 t THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t 21