“Do We Preach the Gospel to All?” (Rom. 10:13)

Series: “Reformation Day Sermons”Text: Romans 10:13

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: October 27, 2024

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: PM Service

Introduction

I was thinking about re-reading Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. There was a specific scene in The Two Towers which seemed appropriate to mention this evening: During the siege of Helm’s Deep, as the armies of Saruman press against the fortress walls, terror runs through the ranks. The people of Rohan, including women, children, and the elderly, are sheltered in the Glittering Caves behind the fortress of Helm's Deep. The soldiers defend the Deeping Wall and the fortress itself.

Of course, as many able-bodied men were needed as defenders. Imagine, though, if they instead began selecting who was worthy to hide in the caverns. The leaders, fearing limited resources or holding to some misguided view of worthiness, only spread word ahead of time to those “worthy” of protection. Those who were lame, or too old, or too weak, were ignored outside the fortress to face the incoming danger without protection. This tragic scenario illustrates a kind of selective gatekeeping that was happening in the church.

This morning, we discussed the true nature of the will. This discussion is perhaps as old as philosophy, and we saw that it erupted into a debate in the 400s between Pelagius and Augustine. Luther’s treatise on the subject, which we briefly considered this morning, modeled the views of the other Protestant Reformers.

With that being the case, a discussion on the bondage of the will today is often viewed a promotion of Calvinism, and it is indeed part of our understanding of the total depravity of man (the will is also corrupted by sin). As such, those rejecting the view are typically of a more Arminian persuasion (though, more properly, this is a discussion between those with a monergistic view of salvation and those with a more synergistic one).

It’s in part through a misunderstanding of these issues that the charge of Calvinists being anti-evangelistic arises; you Calvinists think it’s a waste of time to evangelize! This is despite the fact that John Calvin and most of the Calvinistic names we know from history, such as Charles Haddon Spurgeon, were all evangelical. They trained and sent missionaries with the message of God’s saving grace.

Yet, sadly, some “Calvinistic” writers and preachers have indeed said something along those lines. For instance, when the newly-ordained Baptist minister William Carey (a Calvinist) wished to engage in missions work, one of the older pastors at his church infamously said, “Young man, sit down! You are an enthusiast. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He’ll do it without consulting you or me.” They were waiting for certain signs first before they would preach the gospel.

Spurgeon likewise faced the scorn of some of his fellow Calvinists. They objected to the fact that he called all the sinners present in his services to repentance and faith, identifying Spurgeon as an Arminian who preached a “duty-faith.” In the minds of some, it is legalistic to preach Romans 10:13 without qualification. Spurgeon replied with Scripture and decried this form of Calvinism, describing it as “hyperism.”

Now, you don’t need to be a Hyper-Calvinist to have wondered about some of these underlying issues. The will is bound, not willing to naturally turn in Christ in faith and repentance, so God must regenerate the soul, changing its nature, before it can call out to Him for mercy and grace. To understand what you should do individually as well as what we should do as a church, we’ll follow Spurgeon’s lead and look to Holy Scripture for the answer. Iain Murray in his book, Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, outlines four planks in Spurgeon’s understanding, so let’s consider them together.

Gospel Invitations are Universal

As we turn to the Word of God, we see this point in every presentation of the gospel. We see this in this verse that we’ve read. It is not an Arminian position to believe the “whoever will” part; it is the Word of God. It certainly doesn’t say that some who call upon the Lord will be saved.

This is how Peter preached. In Acts 3:11, Peter stood in Solomon’s portico in the temple complex where he had just healed a lame man. People from all walks stand amazed at this miracle, there because they brought their offerings to receive the forgiveness of God. As he stood there, he opened the Scripture and exposed their sin. So, he says in Acts 3:19, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away.” The call was general, to the whole crowd, regardless of how ready the individuals in the crowd were (in fact, the Pharisees and Sadducees and the captain of the temple guard all decide to arrest Peter and the disciples for this sermon).

Paul likewise modeled this for the church. In Colossians 1:28, he records, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” This, of course, applies centrally to church members, but there is no reason to believe that Paul treated those coming to hear the gospel any differently. We don’t see him waiting for some sign of regeneration first, holding the gospel message back until later. Rather, he says, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”

Indeed. Consider how what our Lord says at the end of His Holy Word. In Revelation 22:17, we read, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” We should be able to preach that.

The gospel proclamation goes out in Scripture generally, meaning to all. Following the regulative principle in this regard, we have ample cause to extend the gospel to every man, woman, and child who can hear it. Indeed, we do this because the Holy Scripture grants a warrant of faith for all who believe. That is Spurgeon’s next point, so let us also consider it.

The Warrant of Faith

We read, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Of course, Scripture teaches that God must work within the heart of a sinner before he can receive the gospel. Yet, that doesn’t mean God commands us to first look for signs of repentance and regeneration before we can share the gospel message with someone. Moreover, a lost sinner must not wait for some shift in his inward affections, some sudden desire for God, before he can contemplate coming to Christ. As Murrey quotes Spurgeon on page 65 as saying, “The message is not, ‘Wait for feelings’, it is, ‘Believe and live’. I find Jesus Christ says nothing to sinners about waiting, but very much about coming.”

Spurgeon and others emphasized the Scripture’s warrant of faith over the way of faith. In other words, you should not wait to determine whether you are first experiencing the subjective experience of faith, nor should the pastors of this church tell you to wait for such before coming to Christ. Instead, we should all rest on the promise for life found in Scripture. If Christ invites the sinner to come, then He grants us the warrant to believe — it’s not based on something we find in ourselves or in others.

This is validated in the Reformed confessions. In the Westminster Confession of Faith, we read that God “freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ” (VI/III). In the Three Forms of Unity, specifically in the summation of Calvinistic doctrine, the Canons of Dort, we find again the word “offer.” It is hardly an Arminian tenant to offer salvation to all others — it is proper for those who profess the sovereignty of God in salvation.

Is this not what we’ve already seen in God’s Word? For another example, remember that God addressed the leaders of Israel, who He calls “the rulers of Sodom … you people of Gomorrah” (Isa. 1:10). That’s a damning condemnation, but just a few verses later, He says, “ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool’ ” (v. 18) We see the law and then the gospel, in essence, condemnation and conversion.

That the Lord promises good news in His Word to sinners is a message we must proclaim. Again, Peter says to the crowd on Pentecost, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). This command is given alongside an assurance for all — those who repent will find the forgiveness for their sins that they need in Jesus Christ.

In fact, we can safely say that this free offer of grace comes with a command that you all must obey. We are commanded to believe, for 1 John 3:23 says, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” That brings us to the next point:

Human Responsibility

Here, we return to what sparked this whole discussion. Our will is inclined and even enslaved to sin. Yet, we are responsible for engaging in the sins we do. This must also include refusing to believe! The words “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” demand consequences for refusal.

God is not the author of sin. He uses sin in a sinless way for His glory, but He does not create sin nor does He tempt people to sin. The God of Light is not the author of darkness.

So, as moral agents, we are culpable for our sin, including unbelief. Spurgeon was standing in line with Reformation thinking on this matter, from Martin Luther (who wasn’t ultimately Calvinistic) to John Calvin on down through the Puritans. Other Calvinistic authors also saw human responsibility alongside God’s sovereign decrees — all are condemned for their sin, but God predestines some to salvation through the propitiatory atonement of Jesus Christ.

Still, some balk at this thought. Indeed, Paul anticipated this objection in Romans 9:19; “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” We don’t have the right to tell the Potter that we don’t like our lot in life; in fact, we should humbly realize we deserve eternal destruction for our sins.

If God offers grace to us so freely, then who are we to resist it? Will we not have to sit in judgment for that, as well? This is what we find in Scripture, for right after the grace of John 3:16, we read in John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

We’ve seen that it is proper to extend this message of salvation universally to others, regardless of the limitations on their will. We do this because we don’t know, despite our best guesses, who the elect might be. Indeed, if God grants the warrant of faith to some sinner with whom we converse to forgive him his sins, then the Lord may be using us to show divine love toward him. That brings us to our final point.

Hyper-Calvinism and the Love of God

Here’s where the rub comes in and we get confused. We tend to think of God’s love almost as a toggle with two positions — love or hate. Yet, is that how we experience love? Is it either burning passion for or against someone? No, we have the ability to love people with degrees. I can, for instance, say we need to love all the children, but I have a greater connection to my own than to anyone else’s. God can love the world while having a special love for His children.

One of the misleading points of doctrine is the idea of equal ultimacy. This unbiblical doctrine says that God sets His love and grace on the elect to save them (so far good), and that, with equal activity, He elects the rest of mankind to damnation. Nowhere does Scripture use the term “elect” to speak of God choosing some for hell, though, nor do we see Him causing some to sin so as to earn their damnation. Rather, Scripture only affirms that He saves or rescues some from their just fate.

What can we say of Ezekiel 18:23? The Lord says there, “ ‘Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,’ declares the Lord God, ‘rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?’ ” So, He calls all sinners to repentance, though everyone without the irresistible grace of God will choose to reject His call. “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We were in Romans 10:13, so look down to vv. 20–21. There, we see God seeking the salvation of the disobedient. “And Isaiah is very bold and says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.’ But as for Israel He says, ‘All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’ ” Why would God stretch His hands out to a people He knew would be disobedient and obstinate?

One word: love.

God loves all His creation, even if He is not pleased with it. We see the heart of God manifested in Jesus Christ when He looked upon the lost. In Matthew 9:36, we read, “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

Our God is full of love and compassion. In Psalm 36:7, we read, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” This general love goes out to all people, all Adam’s sons and daughter, which is why God is not overjoyed with the destruction of the wicked.

He loves. Of course, we must go one step further and note that He shows a special, salvific love to those He chooses. If you believe in Him, you need never fear that you are one of the elect — you believe because He set His affections on you in particular. If you don’t believe, though, He still desires that you come to faith and repentance, and He might even be calling you through this message to be His own.

Conclusion

We should be able as believers in the bondage of the will to preach the words, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This statement of God’s love is open to all. We’re not saying that God loves unbelievers just as they are, or that He loves their deeds of darkness. Yet, since they are still a part of His creation, made in His image, we can say He calls them to repent and be saved.

As far as our church is concerned, we don’t have altar calls here because we don’t want to risk emotionally manipulating people into a decision for Christ. We understand that there must be a genuine work of the Spirit of God for someone to be saved. We don’t need to manufacture an atmosphere to get people into a state of supposed receptibility.

Still, we do call sinners to repentance and faith. It’s God’s will for Christians to preach the gospel to every creature. The unbeliever is responsible for his sin, but the Lord has a warrant of faith for us in His Word.

So, dear Christian, share the gracious gospel of God among the Jews and the Gentiles! Proclaim the good news of Christ to all who would hear, letting them know of the love of the Lamb. Only trust the ultimate outcome to God, knowing the Lord of the Harvest will reap those who are His.