Toward the close of his article appearing in the April number of the Reformed Journal Prof. Dekker uses the term “Evangelistic Approach.” Occupying the chair of Missions at our Seminary I take it that the gist of his articles which have appeared thus far are concerned with the matter of approach in the mission activity of the church.
If. however, our approach is to be evangelistic in the proper sense of the term, this should be Biblical in order to be truly evangelistic.
It is on this score that I have serious misgivings. Prof. Dekker argues extensively from John 3:16, and on the basis of this passage would approach one and all with the words: “God loves you,” and, “Christ died for you.” However, it should not be forgotten that this is not the word spoken to Nicodemus. Jesus has first of all pointed to the absolute necessity of the new birth, which even this Pharisee needed.
In verse 14 he alluded to the lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness by Moses. This was made necessary by the sill of the people. Jesus further states that in like manner he must be lifted up, namely to bring about pardon for sin. In making this provision God revealed his great love for a sinful race.
Now I am aware that Prof. Dekker distinguishes between “redemptive” and “redeeming” love. But, let’s be realistic. What interest does the man in Skid Row or the sophisticated club member have in such distinctions? None at all! This may be an interesting distinction in the privacy of one’s study, but it is meaningless to the man on the street or in the jungles of Africa whom we are seeking to bring to Christ.
But there is even more. This approach which Prof. Dekker champions is not even Scriptural. The Bible gives us a different approach. Both John the Baptist and Jesus begin their public ministry, not by emphasizing the love of God, but so altogether differently, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Matt. 3:2, 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3, 5) And the disciples whom Jesus sent out did the same. (Mark 6:12)
When Peter preached his powerful Pentecost sermon, he issued the same call to repentance (Acts 2:38). Not a word here of the love of God and Christ dying to them, And what a result -3000 repented and were baptized!
We have the same exhortation in Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” It was the sin problem that had to be faced and solved, and the solution was in the way of repentance.
Admittedly Paul was the greatest missionary of all time. What was his approach? In Acts 17 we have his address to the Athenians on Mars Hill. He is dealing not primarily with Jews but with Gentiles. In verse 30 he tells them, “But now (God) commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” And again, in Acts 26:20, speaking before King Agrippa, he states that he has preached to both Jews and Gentiles “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” In his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders he sums up his ministry in these words, “Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21). So this great missionary never approached his audience with the statement that God loved them and that Christ died for them. Instead he issued the call to repentance.
In the letters to the seven churches in Rev. 2 and 3 the call each time is to repentance, which includes acknowledgement of and sorrow for sin.
Especially instructive in this connection is the parable of the Prodigal Son. When the prodigal finalJy comes to himself he is overwhelmed, not with the love of his father, but with a deep sense of his own sinfulness. And so he resolves to return to his father with the full and frank confession, “Father, I have sinned.”
Perhaps that touches the crux of the whole matter. Sin is such an ugly thing that we soft-pedal it. Instead we prefer to speak of maladjustment, bad environment, ignorance, etc. But the Bible calls it sin and holds tile sinner responsible. Nor can you view sin as a separate entity and say, as is often done. that God loves the sinner, but hates his sin. There is no sin apart from the sinner.
A quotation of L. Nelson Bell in the June 5 issue of Christianity Today is much to tIle point. He states, “Why has ‘repentance’ become almost obsolete in theological vocabularies? This has not happened in a day, but as religious leaders have turned more and more from biblical concepts and terminology an entirely new philosophy has emerged. Sin is explained as something other than an offence against a holy God. Salvation is not something offered but something man already has—a universal condition.
Why repent for sins for which one is not responsible? Little wonder that the atoning blood of the Son of God shed on Calvary is ‘spurned’ and ‘profaned’ and the Spirit of grace is outraged!
“Nowhere is the church failing more in her God-ordained ministry than in neglecting to preach repentance for sin.”