“You can’t save anyone!”
In many evangelical churches this is a dogma that is frequently preached – only God can save people. It is easy to understand this. The Bible is clear that for a person to become a child of God they have to be reborn. People are spiritually dead and there is no hope for them unless God’s Spirit gives then new life.
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, . . . But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions.” Ephesians 2:1,4
“God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6
For spiritually dead people to give themselves rebirth is clearly impossible. Even the honourable Jewish leader, Nicodemus, had to be told by Jesus,
“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. “ John 3:3
Nicodemus clearly recognised that this was a literal impossibility,
“Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mothers womb to be born.” John 3:4
But the problem with this view is that this can lead to a ‘laissez-faire’ attitude with evangelism.
“Sit down, young man! If God wants to save the heathen, He’ll do it without your help or ours!”
These words were fired at William Carey when he expressed his longing to take the gospel to Asia in 1792. This was the attitude of most Protestants in Europe and America at that time. This same thinking appears to be widespread today. If a rebirth by God is needed then saving people is God’s work alone.
How common it is to hear preachers today say that we cannot save anyone. However this is not what the apostles taught. Paul wrote,
“Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.” Romans 11:13-14
“How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” 1 Corinthians 7:16
James also taught the same,
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20
Jude also taught this,
“Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire;” Jude 22-23
Reconciliation
How can these two views be reconciled? There is no doubt that all Christians have been called into God’s kingdom in order to glorify Jesus by promoting his claim to be the one and only Saviour of the world. He said to his disciples,
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..” Matthew 28:19-20
Peter also recognized this priority,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Paul similarly taught that all Christians had an obligation to win people for Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5 he gives three reasons why we should make winning others for Christ a priority.
1. God’s coming judgment of us all
“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuadeothers.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
2. God’s love for the lost
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 2 Corinthians 5:14-16
Paul then explains how the spiritual rebirth, the new creation comes about,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here. All this is from God . . .” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
3. God’s command to his people
This command to teach others the gospel is given twice, perhaps because some are slow to take it in.
“. . . God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18
“And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
In his letter to the Colossians Paul again emphasizes that this ministry of saving others was the responsibility of all Christians and not just the apostles. All Christians should be praying for opportunities and then grasp it by teaching clearly about the salvation Jesus can give.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2-6
Speak about Jesus
All Christians have been chosen by God to be his representatives or ambassadors. We have all been called to:
“Go and make disciples of all nations” Matthew 29:19
This involves informing people about the Lord Jesus.
‘Repentance and forgiveness will be preached in his name (Jesus) to all nations’ Luke 24:47
This cannot be fulfilled by just being nice, silent people of faith. Some have used the following quote attributed to Francis of Assisi,
“Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.”
This is a false quotation, as a search of the internet, will confirm and should not be repeated. Francis was a passionate evangelist and would not miss an opportunity to tell people, rich or poor, about his Saviour. He knew his Bible well and would not teach anything different. It is almost certainly a quote manufactured by someone who thought that what Jesus and his apostles taught was daunting and difficult.
By fulfilling this command to teach the gospel we will persuade some to believe in Jesus and so to be saved. People are saved by being persuaded about Jesus. Calm persuasion was Paul’s approach in his missionary work. In Thessalonica,
“He reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” Acts 17:2
In Athens,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks.” Acts 17:17
In Corinth,
“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” Acts 18:4
When Apollos went to Achaia,
“He vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.” Acts 18:28
At his trial before King Agrippa:
“Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. . . . Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian? Acts 26:25-28
The end of the book of Acts has this summary,
“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles and they will listen. . . . Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:28, 31
On what basis can we bring people to salvation? By teaching them the truths about Jesus. When people turn to Christ they have been promised the gift of eternal life. God has promised this. The following promises of God are key to the work of the church in saving people for God.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.“ John 5:24
“Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10 :26-27
Jesus was talking with Martha after Lazarus had died,
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’” John 11:25-27
This is the Christians message, this is the church’s message. This is how we bring salvation to people, we save them by persuading them to believe in Jesus.
BVP
