Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 1:31:29 PM
We have spent some time supporting the claim that Calvinism didn’t originate with Calvin. The doctrines of grace are readily found in the writings of Augustine, who is rightly called the theologian of grace. Other than the apostle of grace, Augustine is the most quoted source of the Reformers.
Is the controversy over sovereign grace and free will just a matter of theological debate with no practical applications in faith and practice? Did Augustine contend for the faith in his controversy with the Pelagians and the semi-Pelagians? Did the Reformers contend for the faith in their rediscovery of the doctrines of grace? Yes! And what doctrine is it that they contended against? Men are not ruined and helpless sinners totally dependent on the grace of God. He is not dead in sin, rather he can cooperate with God in his spiritual rebirth.
We will demonstrate from church history that this controversy is not merely a matter of theological debate, but has very practical implications in the area of evangelism. These systems of thought produce a distinctive method of evangelism that is characterized by distinctively different results.
We plan to start with Whitefield and Wesley from the era of the Great Awakening and then cover Nettleton and Finney from the Second Great Awakening.
In our day more is known of Wesley and Finney. Whitefield and Nettleton are the forgotten evangelists from forgotten revivals. They have much to teach us since they preached a message that produced much lasting fruit. Their theology did not keep them from the work of the evangelist, rather it encouraged them in their labors, knowing that God had a people that would respond to the preaching of revealed truth.
In their day there were no need for the extra-Biblical doctrine of a ‘carnal Christian’ to explain why the churches had no power and the rolls didn’t match attendance. The gospel went forth with power and men fell under the conviction of sin and pleaded with God for mercy.
The Lord forces no one against his will. He renews the heart so that men can see their lost condition and see the glory of Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and King. A renewed man will not long be separated from the One that gave him life. He will repent and believe the gospel not only at his conversion, but whenever he falls into sin, he learns again that the grace of God is greater than our sin.