The Gospel: A Call—Not an Offer
We have seen in past articles the truth that Christ died for His elect people (Matt. 1:21; John 10:28) who are chosen of God from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). For the wicked world Jesus will not even pray (cf. John 17:9), and, in fact, thanks God for hiding the things of salvation from the “wise and prudent” (Matt. 11:25). At the same time, He commands the labouring and heavy laden ones to come to Him (Matt. 11:28).
In spite of this clear teaching, many churches and preachers, in Christ’s name, insist on “offering” Christ to all who hear. The “free willist” (Arminian) insists that Christ died for all, God loves all and man has a free will to accept or reject Christ—therefore he can “offer” salvation to everyone. Though this is wrong, it is consistently wrong.
There is, however, another view of the “free offer of the gospel”: Some confess that Christ died only for His elect, chosen of God from eternity, yet all can be “offered” salvation on the condition of their believing (which is a gift from God given only to His elect). Texts as Ezekiel 33:11 are quoted. These also are not in harmony with Scripture—and are inconsistent besides.
1. Examine the sermons of Peter and Paul in Acts and also the sermons and instruction of Christ. Never is the word “offer” mentioned. Why then should so many insist that it is proper and even scriptural?
2. For God to “offer” to all that which He does not in fact have to give (Christ gave His life only for the sheep), is an insincere offer. One can sincerely offer to another only that which he in fact possesses to give.
3. If God “offers” salvation on the condition of our faith—which He must first give—again the “offer” is not sincere. For God to make an “offer” when the reprobate cannot “accept” because God will not give the necessary faith, is nonsense. To offer food to a dead man is not truly a “well-meant offer.”
How then must the church preach the gospel? We are to follow the pattern laid down by the apostles, especially Paul, in mission work as well as in the local congregations.
1. The particular call of the gospel is to be proclaimed promiscuously (Matt. 20:1-16). The call is to “labouring and heavy laden” ones, to “thirsty” ones—and that call must be preached over the whole world. Christ commands, “Come unto Me.”
2. That call of the gospel is at the same time a command (not an “offer”): “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31).
3. Those who hear that call of the gospel, and reject it, shall receive greater condemnation (Luke 12:47-48).
Let the church then faithfully proclaim the gospel promiscuously so that in this way Christ’s sheep may be gathered into His sheepfold. Rev. Hanko
A Call to Weary Sinners
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
Many times, various texts in Scripture which are calls of God or Christ to sinners are interpreted as general calls—that is, calls that come to all men and invite all men to come to Christ for salvation. Many interpret this text in this way. The meaning of the text then is that all men are labouring and heavy laden. To all men comes this call to come to Christ to receive rest.
There are many reasons why such an interpretation cannot be the meaning. One reason is the immediately preceding context. Jesus has pronounced terrible woes on Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum because of their unbelief. It would be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom than for these cities of Israel. Did the unbelief of these cities indicate in any way that the Lord’s ministry had been a failure? Not at all. It is precisely at this point that Jesus makes an astonishing prayer: “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
Jesus states that the unbelief of Chorazin and Bethsaida is rooted in the good pleasure of His Father; and He adds that He has come to do His Father’s will—which will He knows as the eternal Son (27). It would be strange then that Jesus would, in fact, oppose that will by earnestly seeking the salvation of all men.
The text in Matthew 11:28 is a beautiful one. Jesus here calls “all that labour and are heavy laden.” The translation is probably not entirely accurate. We could better translate: “all who are weary and heavily burdened.” Who are these? The word which means “heavily burdened” refers, according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, to those who are heavily burdened “with the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic law and of tradition and with the consciousness of sin.”
The law, because of the impossibility of keeping it, had become an impossible burden to God’s people. They could bear it no longer. And especially because the law worked the consciousness of sin, they grew weary under its heavy load, especially when the law came with the threats of the curse. The consciousness of sin is always a mark of the person in whom the Spirit of Christ has begun the work of salvation. While there may certainly be a certain consciousness of sin in the unregenerate, it is not that consciousness of sin which leads to great weariness.
God always begins the work of salvation in His people by revealing to them their sin. For, in this way, He shows to them the need of the cross and causes them to flee to the cross for a refuge. So it is to these people, first of all, that Jesus comes with that beautiful call: “Come to me!” So it is throughout the ages in the call of the gospel. Those in whom the Spirit has wrought the consciousness of sin are those who are called. They, knowing their sin, hear that call, for Jesus calls His sheep “by name” (John 10:3).
That call to come to Him is a sovereignly efficacious call, for “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). It is a call to the elect and regenerate sinner who finds no peace for his soul in his own works and who is overburdened with the grief and sorrow which is his lot because of his sins.
Jesus’ call still comes today to those bowed down with grief and sorrow over their sin. And when He calls, through the gospel, they hear, in amazement and wonder, that their Saviour calls them. To Him they come, anxiously and hesitantly perhaps, wondering at the greatness of it all, but rushing to Him to find their hope in this dark valley of grief.
That call is rooted in the cross. Jesus can and does call because He made perfect atonement for sin by His suffering and death. He tells His sheep of this great work and calls them to faith in Him. To come to Christ is to believe in Him (John 6:35).
To them who come is given rest. It is a rest which comforts the sinner in the consciousness of the full forgiveness of his sins. It is a rest which brings joy and peace, tranquillity and serenity to the troubled heart of the sinner.
To you, therefore, who are burdened by your sin, comes the great call of the gospel: “Come to Christ!” There in Him is rest for your souls. Prof. Hanko
Mid-Week Prayer Meetings
We have been asked whether the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church is opposed to “prayer meetings.” The answer is “No”—provided the requirements for proper prayer are met.
The question should be answered first: “What is a prayer meeting?” What is your definition? How many prayers ought to be offered up to God before a meeting is termed a “prayer meeting?” How many different individuals must be praying aloud before a meeting is a “prayer meeting?” How long must a meeting be? How long ought the prayers to be before this is a “prayer meeting?”
It should be noted, of course, that Scripture does not speak of nor require a sort of special “prayer meeting” each week. If such meetings are held, it should be because of the sense of deep need on the part of those who gather. There can be practical reasons, but surely no scriptural mandate, for regular prayer meetings. On occasion, the early New Testament church did meet to pray in time of great need (as when Peter was in prison: Acts 12:5, 12). Otherwise, Scripture emphasizes the calling to assemble together with the saints in regular worship on the Sabbath. There the prayers of the saints arise before the throne of the Almighty—and there they hear the word proclaimed.
There are evils which can arise in “prayer meetings.” It can often happen that the wrong things are prayed for or prayer is trivialized (cf. James 4:3). There are times when some would be praying for rain while others at the same time pray for dry weather. Such prayers easily deteriorate into man-centred concerns rather than that great concern to glorify the name of our great and glorious God.
There are times one receives the impression that when God has many prayers on the same subject come before Him, He will more quickly answer. But God is not a “politician.”
Christ also warns against the Pharisaical prayer—uttered to be heard of men (Matt. 6:5-8). Christ rather teaches that we “enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
God requires that prayer be made to Him. Christ taught His disciples how to pray (Matt. 6:9-13). God also would have His word proclaimed, calling sinners to repentance (Rom. 10:14-15). These are essential in the life of every Christian.
We come to God regularly in prayer at our meetings where we assemble to study God’s Word and hear the preaching of that Word. This prayer is conducted in an orderly manner with the attempt to conform prayer with that which Christ taught.
So we are not opposed to proper “prayer meetings.” We believe that ours are also “prayer meetings” even though these might not fit the definition nor follow the pattern of some. We pray earnestly for the salvation of God’s people and deliverance for His church. We pray for the sick and the sorrowing. We pray for the soon-return of our Lord Jesus Christ on the clouds of heaven. We pray for the forgiveness of sins through the blood of the Lamb. In times of discouragement or temptations, we pray, and in the way of asking we know that God provides.
Praise to His name alone!
