The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Various Evangelisms

John H. Girstner in his exposition of Edwardsian theology / evangelism used to present various approaches to evangelism by different religious groups within professing Christendom in terms of 4 'S'.

S #1 - Sacramentalism - If asked what one should do in order to be saved, the vast majority of professing Christendom would point to baptismal water - one must be baptized in order to initiate his or her salvation.

S#2 - Surrender - this is the answer of the predominant majority of evangelical Christendom - one has to surrender to God, let Him in, etc., in order to be saved.

S #3 - Shrug - this stands for a typical attitude of many Calvinistic pastors… This needs some elaboration: suppose a person in your congregation comes to you and says,
‘Pastor, I don't think I'm a believer. I just don't have that faith, love and desire for holiness, obedience and all. What should I do?’
‘Well, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, a good many Reformed pastor will say, and thou shalt be saved’.
But suppose, that parishioner continued –
‘Well, I know, pastor, I'd be saved if I believed, but I cannot believe; ‘you yourself preach emphatically about the utter inability of fallen men to ‘do any spiritual good and to believe unto salvation. What should I do?’
At this point, that typical Calvinistic pastor will shrugg his shoulders...In Girstner's opinion this is a typical situation for many Reformed ministers…And hence, the need for the last 'S'

S #4 - Seeking Salvation - in terms of that imaginary parishioner, the point of connection between him and the gospel, according to Edwards, Puritans at large and John Girstner, would be an exhortation to seek the LORD while He may be found. Girstner believes that this is the ONLY viable evangelistic option for Reformed people.
Now, aside from a peculiar notion of Edwards’ / Girstner’s, that genuine seeking can actually take place outside of Christ / covenant and result in nothing and be a promise-less affair, this presentation has a merit of presenting evangelistic approaches in a clear fashion. Now the first 2 Ss are so far off the Scriptural track, that they hardly need any additional refutation. They are clearly unbiblical. The 3d S, especially in the form of this spurious notion of the gospel “offer” is a little harder to combat within Presbyterian / Reformed Christendom, for it has, since the spread of Marrowism, gained a surprisingly wide acceptance within this camp. Not taking much time in specifically addressing this popular, yet unscriptural notion, I will only say in passing, that Christ in the preaching of the gospel, commands sinners to repent and believe, He does not “offer” them Himself, nor does He “offer” His salvation to their choice, as if Christ’s fulfillment of the covenant depended upon anyone’s whim to “accept” or “reject” that offer, as they please…
Johnathan Edwards and John Girstner and many others with them are certainly right in this: the point of connection with the gospel for unregenerate sinners is a consequential necessity for them to acknowledge themselves as “sinners”, as an absolutely indispensable prerequisite - starting point, to be called by Christ to repentance, for Christ came not to call the self-righteous, but sensible sinners to repentance.

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.(Lk.5:31,32)