In Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer attempts to clarify the relationship between three realities: (1) God’s sovereignty; (2) human responsibility and; (3) the Christian’s evangelistic duty. Divine sovereignty is a topic so vast that it encompasses everything that comes into the biblical picture of God as Lord and the One who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1: 11) and directs every process and orders every event for the fulfillment of His own eternal plan (9). Does that mean that the doctrines of divine sovereignty and human responsibility mutually exclusive? Why should Christians engage in evangelism if God is going to save His elect anyway? What should be the motive, method, and means of evangelism? These are some of the questions that the author attempts to answer.
Summary
In Chapter 1, Packer states that all Christians affirm the sovereignty of God. Those who have freely received the gift of salvation thank God for their conversion (12). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Christians who acknowledge that God is sovereign over their salvation also pray for the salvation of others. Through prayer, they recognize that God alone can bring the unconverted people to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Chapter 2, Packer explains that the topics of divine sovereignty and human responsibility are both taught in Scripture. This means that we must deal with an antinomy in God’s revelation of Himself in His Word. The author defines antinomy as an “appearance of contradiction” and in theological terms it is not a real contradiction but an “apparent” one (18). He states that modern physics faces an antinomy in its study of light. There is evidence to show that light consists of waves and there is equally cogent evidence that it consists of particles. It is apparent that light can be both waves and particles but neither rules out in favor of the other. How should Christians deal with this antinomy of divine sovereignty and human responsibility? They should accept it and learn to live with it. They should refuse to regard the apparent inconsistency as real and “put down the semblance of contradiction to the deficiency of their own understanding” (21). Christians must come to the conclusion that a God whom we could exhaustively understand and whose self-revelation confronts us with no mysteries would be a God made in our own image (24). A comprehensible God is no God at all. Packer points out that the temptation for many is to assert human responsibility in a way that excludes God’s sovereignty or to affirm God’s sovereignty in a way that it destroys human responsibility. Christians must guard against both extremes. It is our responsibility to proclaim the message of salvation but we must never forget that it is God who saves (27). Packer warns that it is never right to regard ourselves as responsible for securing converts and look to our own enterprise and techniques to accomplish what only God can accomplish (29). This would be tantamount of intruding ourselves into the office of the Holy Spirit and to exalt ourselves as agents of new birth (29). Christ’s command for us is to engage ourselves and devote our resources to the task of making the gospel known in every way to every person. Hence, unconcern and inaction regarding the task of evangelism is inexcusable (34).
In Chapter 3, Packer attempts to answer from Scripture four questions concerning the Christian’s evangelistic responsibility: (1) what is evangelism? (2) What is the evangelistic message? (3) What should be our motive for evangelism? (4) Which means and methods should be implemented in evangelism? According to the Archbishop’s Committee, evangelism is defined as presenting “Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit that men shall come to put their trust in God through Him, to accept Him as their Savior, and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His Church” (38). In other words, it is a work of communication in which Christians make themselves mouthpieces for God’s message of mercy to sinners and anyone who faithfully delivers that message under whatever circumstances in a large meeting, or a small meeting, a pulpit, or in a private conversation, is evangelizing (41). The message that Paul preached was the good news about Jesus of Nazareth - “It was the news of the incarnation, the atonement, and the kingdom – the cradle, the cross, and the crown – of the Son of God” (47). Paul’s ultimate aim in evangelism was to convert his listeners to faith in Christ (49). The second question that Packer attempts to answer is the content of the evangelistic message. According to Packer, “the evangelistic message is the gospel of Christ, and Him crucified; the message of man’s sin and God’s grace, of human guilt and divine forgiveness, of new birth and new life through the gift of the Holy Spirit” (57). What are the signs of true conviction of sin? First, conviction of sin is an awareness of a wrong relationship with God. Second, conviction of sin is a sense of guilt for particular wrongs done in the sight of God from which one needs to turn and be rid of them. Third, it is the conviction of one’s own sinfulness – a sense of one’s complete corruption and perversity in God’s sight and one’s need for a new heart (63). The New Testament calls for placing our trust in Christ and His finished work on the cross – faith in (en) or into (eis) or upon (epi) Christ (66). Faith is not a mere optimistic feeling any more that repentance is a mere regretful or remorseful feeling. Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. Faith is casting and resting of oneself on the promises of mercy which Christ has given to sinners and repentance is having a change of mind and heart by denying oneself and following the Savior. The third question that Packer attempts to answer is the motive for evangelism. The two motives that should spur all Christians for evangelism are (1) the love of God and the concern for His glory and; (2) the love of man and concern for his welfare (73). The glory of God should be the foundational principle of our evangelism. The task of evangelism allows us to tell the world the great things God has done for the salvation of sinners and God is glorified when His mighty works of grace are made known (75). The second motive for our evangelism is the love to our neighbor and the desire to see them saved. The sincere desire to win the lost for Christ should spontaneously outflow from the heart of everyone who has been born again (75). The fourth question that Packer attempts to answer in this chapter is the legitimate means and methods that Christians should employ in their evangelistic endeavors. Packer is critical of the mass evangelistic meetings that are known more for their “entertainment value” and less for “God’s majesty” (83). He states that the glamorizing of the Christian experience in these crusades gives a false and romanticized impression of what being a Christian is like. The deliberate use of sentimental music to stir the emotion of people tends to produce ‘conversions’ which are simply psychological and emotional upheavals and not the fruit of spiritual conviction and renewal (83). It is important to understand that Christ through the Holy Spirit enables His servants to explain the gospel truly and apply it powerfully and effectively (85). In the final analysis, there is only one method of evangelism and that is the faithful explanation and application of the gospel message. “It is a gross insult to God,” says Packer, “and a real disservice to men, to cheapen and trivialize the gospel by one’s presentation of it. Not that we should put on an affected solemnity when speaking of spiritual things; there is nothing more essentially frivolous than a mock seriousness and nothing more likely to make hypocrites out of our hearers” (90).
In Chapter 4, Packer states that evangelism is a task appointed to all God’s people everywhere and it is the task of communicating the message from the Creator to His creation (92). Packer makes an important distinction between God’s will of precept and His will of purpose. His will of precept is His declaration of what people ought to do and His will of purpose is what He Himself will do (94). The distinction is closely linked with God’s law and His plan. God’s law tells us what we should be and God’s plan tells us what we will be (94). How does one rise above the disillusionment in evangelism? First, we must acknowledge that our evangelistic methods, however creative, could yield results only by the Spirit of God. Second, we must realize that our evangelism can and may fail because of the condition of the human heart. Third, we should realize that we are called to be faithful and not successful. Fourth, we must always rest our labor on the sovereign grace of God. It is also important to realize that patience is indispensable to evangelism. This means that we must be willing to be patient and only then will God bestow His favor by enabling us to win souls (121). Furthermore, God will make us pray before He blesses our labors so that we learn to depend on God for everything (122).
Critical Evaluation
In Chapter 2, Packer states that God is both King and Judge. As King, “He orders and controls all things including human actions in accordance with His own eternal purpose” (22). As Judge, “He holds every man responsible for the choices he makes and the courses of action he pursues” (22). It would have been helpful if he explained the dilemma about God controlling all things including all human actions and holding them responsible for those actions. If God controls all actions what was the extent of God’s role in the Fall? Packer further states that the hearers of the gospel are responsible for their reaction and if they reject the good news, they are guilty of unbelief (22). What about those who have never been given the opportunity to hear the gospel? How does that compare with those who have heard and rejected? How does one respond to the seeming disparity of Adam’s sin being unconditionally imputed to all of mankind but salvation is not necessarily imputed to all mankind but only those who repent and believe?
In Chapter 3, Packer briefly touches on the topic of limited atonement. But it is not clear as to the meaning of limited atonement? Did Christ die for all people or only for the elect? He states that preaching the gospel means inviting sinners to come to Jesus Christ who through His atoning death is able to forgive and save all those who put their trust in Him (68). It is important to realize that Christ’s death is the ground on which Christ’s forgiveness is offered and the question of the extent of the atonement does not come into the story at all. Furthermore, we are commanded to be obedient and faithful in our proclamation of the gospel and not to surmise who the elect actually are.
Packer points out that Christians who engage in personal evangelism should first seek to establish a genuine relationship before they start proclaiming the gospel. This means that they must be willing to be vulnerable and authentic as they cultivate their friendship with unbelievers. Hence, Christians are called to shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). Packer makes an excellent point that the right to talk about the gospel must be earned and one earns that right by developing a real and authentic friendship (81).
In Chapter 4, Packer states that sinners will miss heaven not because they are not the elect but because they neglect the salvation and because they will not repent and believe. It would have been helpful if Packer expounded on whether regeneration precedes faith or faith precedes regeneration. If regeneration precedes faith then how does one account for two people who hear the gospel at the same time and one responds while the other rejects? If faith precedes regeneration then why don’t more people respond to the gospel? If human beings are “dead” in their transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1), how can they respond to the gospel by their own volition?
Conclusion
“How can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10: 14-15). The task of evangelism is for all believers and not just a select few. J.I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God is an excellent resource for both new and seasoned believers in understanding how God’s sovereign grace undergirds evangelism and upholds the evangelist. God ordains the “ends” as well as the “means” and it His sovereign grace that binds together our proclamation and prayer. On one hand, it makes us bold and confident before the unregenerate world and on the other it makes us humble and earnest before God (125). The Bible teaches both truths: (1) God is sovereign and; (2) human beings are responsible before God for their actions. As D.A. Carson points out, “the [divine] sovereignty - [human] responsibility tension is not a problem to be solved; rather a framework to be explored.”
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