Man Centered or God Centered Evangelism?
Think Scripturally is “a Christ-centered ministry of Bible Study Foundation.”
These devotions are written and sent via email by Dr. Ed Wallen, president of Bible Study Foundation.
“Man Centered or God Centered Evangelism?”
Modern day evangelism is for the most part humanistic. The “invitations” given in most “evangelistic meetings” today ignore the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of sinners. Invitations such as; “Let Jesus come into your heart”, “receive Jesus into your heart”, “you take the first step and God will meet you half way”, take Jesus as your personal Savior are types of invitations not found in the Bible. These are man centered invitations.
Would it not be more Biblical if unconverted sinners were confronted with their state of condemnation before a Holy God and their inability to respond in faith to the Gospel message apart from the working of the Holy Spirit? God the Holy Spirit must convict the sinner of his sinful nature and acts of sin and reveal the glory of Christ before that sinner will ever surrender to Christ as the Lord who saves. This makes evangelism Christ centered not man centered. We are to implore sinners to plead for mercy, not make some kind of decision in the flesh. However there is a decision to be made for Christ, but as Charles Spurgeon said, “a revealed Christ.”
God help us in this generation of religious church goers to abandon all confidence in the flesh and fall prostrate at the feet of King Jesus and sue for mercy. As the old Hymn of long ago says, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down…”
This email devotional is a ministry of Bible Study Foundation
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We are grateful to Ed Wallen for granting Justification by Grace permission to publish Think Scripturally on our weblog.
I could not agree with you more! The devotional is rare, honest and transparent even if not shared by many. The following is a consensual comment requiring your investigative study. God bless you.
According to the Scriptures, GOD-CENTERED EVANGELISM or the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our sins, particularly, sins of complete ignorance of the truth about Christ (our Savior) is strictly time-sensitive and specific to Jesus’ self-revelation in his perfect and transfigurative death on the cross (John 8: 21-32; 14: 15-21; 16: 5-33; 19: 30-37).
It is deeply mysterious but powerfully life-transforming with the added scope for growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. AMEN.