The Highway Forums General Discussion Devotional Quotes Free Offer of the Gospel

JAMES BUCHANAN

(19th Century Scottish Presbyterian Minister and Theologian)

Of every man who reads or hears the Gospel, it may be affirmed that there is nothing betwixt him and salvation, except his own unwillingness to be saved. 'Ye are not willing to come to me, that ye might have life,' - that is the Savior's charge and complaint. 'Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely,' - that is the Savior's call and invitation. The warrant of every sinner to believe in Christ to the saving of the soul is clear, it is written as with a sunbeam in Scripture: it lies wholly in the Word, which is the Spirit's message and not at all in the Spirit's witness in the heart. The warrant of the Word is ample; but if any feels that, even with this warrant in his hand, there is something within which keeps him back - a depraved heart, a rebellious will, a reluctant spirit - oh! let him acknowledge his own helplessness, and cast himself, with the simplicity of a little child, on the grace of the Spirit of God!" (The Office and Work of the Holy Spirit BOT p.45)

HORATIO BONAR

(19th Century Scottish Presbyterian. Pastor, author and hymn writer. Great soulwinner. Defended DL Moody in Scotland and claimed "seldom have I heard the doctrine of the divine purpose in election more unreservedly and unequivocally stated than by Mr Moody.")

"Yet we honestly subscribe the Westminster Confession. We believe in Christ's redemption of His chosen Church; in the efficacy of His blood and the perfection of His righteousness. We believe in human impotence, in the bondage of the human will, in the enmity of the human heart to God. We believe in the sovereignty of Jehovah, and His eternal purpose. We believe in the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit's work, alike before and after conversion. At the same time we preach a free and world-wide gospel; we proclaim a free and world-wide invitation to sinners; we present to every sinner a gracious welcome to Christ, without any preliminary qualification whatsoever. We bid no man wait till he has ascertained his own election, or can produce evidence of regeneration, or sufficient repentance, or deep conviction. We tell every man, as he is, to go to the Savior this moment, assured that he will not be cast out or sent away." (The Old Gospel booklet, reproduced in: Evangelism: A Reformed Debate reprinted by the James Begg Society p.56)

LOUIS BERKHOF

(20th Century American Reformed Theologian)

"We believe that God "unfeignedly," that is, sincerely or in good faith, calls all those who are living under the gospel to believe, and offers them salvation in the way of faith and repentance… The offer of salvation in the way of faith and repentance does not pretend to be a revelation of the secret counsel of God, more specifically, of His design in giving Christ as an atonement for sin. It is simply the promise of salvation to all those who accept Christ by faith. This offer, in so far as it is universal, is always conditioned by faith and conversion. Moreover it is contingent on a faith and repentance such as can only be wrought in the heart of man by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The universal offer of salvation does not consist in the declaration that Christ made atonement for every man that hears the gospel, and that God really intends to save each one… It is not the duty of the preacher to harmonise the secret counsel of God respecting the redemption of sinners with His declarative will as expressed in the universal offer of salvation. He is simply an official ambassador, whose duty it is to carry out the will of the Lord in preaching the gospel to all men indiscriminately…" (Systematic Theology BOT p.397-398)

THOMAS CHALMERS

(19th Century Scottish Presbyterian - Prolific writer and theologian)

"No plan can be more injudicious, than to mix up the doctrine of election with the original overtures of the Gospel. The doctrine of 'goodwill to men' will light up joy in all, for all know they are men; but the doctrine of 'good will to the elect' will light up joy in none, for no man can tell at the outset whether he is elected or not. By implicating, as some theologians unwisely do, the final acceptance with the original offers of the Gospel. Instead of pointing it with a surer aim to any, they may virtually be said to deny it to all. In no part of the Gospel is pardoned offered to man on the ground of his being one of the elect but everywhere on the ground of his being one of the species. In the Gospel the flag of invitation waves in the sight of all. It is not written upon it, 'Whosoever of the elect will, let him come and take of the water of life freely;' it is not said, 'Whosoever of a select and favored few shall call upon me, shall be saved;' but 'Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." (Comments on Luke 2:13-14)

EZEKIEL CULVERWELL

(17th Century English Puritan)

"The general offer doth not make all partakers of Christ: nor does the special partaking of Christ, hinder the general offer. By Offer I mean only the outward calling by the Gospel which none can deny to belong to many that are not chosen… 'either there must bee some special mark of difference whereby it may be known, to whom the pardon is proclaimed, and to whom not, or else it must be general to all. But there is no such special certain difference between sinners before faith, whereby one may know the pardon is granted to him.—The only way whereby any may know himself to bee contained under the pardon, is this, that he hears that God in his Gospel doth proclaim forgiveness of sin in Christ, without exception, to all sinners: that whosoever heareth and believeth shall be saved." (A Treatise of Faith, p.151)

R.L. DABNEY

(19th Century American Presbyterian Pastor and Theologian)

"God's Indiscriminate Proposals of Mercy, As Related to His Power, Wisdom, and Sincerity". (Title of paper by R. L. Dabney)

"Let us now re-present to ourselves the large number of texts in which God entreats sinners to turn from the ways of destruction. They are addressed by him to all men, without distinction of elect and non-elect. When, for instance, the Redeemer commands us to "preach the gospel to every creature," it is impossible by any exegetical pressure to make the words mean, "every elect creature," because he adds in the next verse (Mark 16:16), "He that believeth not shall be damned." (God's Indiscriminate Proposals of Mercy, As Related to His Power, Wisdom, and Sincerity)

CANONS OF DORDT

(17th Century Calvinistic Synod in Holland which refuted the 5 points of Arminianism)

"This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of His good pleasure sends the gospel."(Second Head of Doctrine - Article 5).

JONATHAN EDWARDS

(18th Century American Congregationalist Pastor, Theologian and writer.

"Seeing therefore that it is so evident, that you refuse to accept of Christ as your Savior, why is Christ to be blamed that he does not save you? Christ has offered himself to be your Savior in time past, and he continues offering himself still, and you continue to reject him, and yet complain that he does not save you. - So strangely unreasonable, and inconsistent with themselves are gospel sinners!…That so glorious a person should be thus treated, and that when he comes on so gracious an errand! That he should stand so long offering himself and calling and inviting. As he has done to many of you, and all to no purpose, but all the while be set at nought. Surely you might be justly cast into hell without one more offer of a Savior! yea and thrust down into the lowest hell! Herein you have exceeded the very devils; for they never rejected the offers of such glorious mercy; no, nor of any mercy at all." (Sermon on The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners. Works, Vol 1 BOT pp.676,677)

"Pardon is as much offered and promised to the greatest sinners as any, if they will come aright to God for mercy. The invitations of the gospel are always in universal terms: as, Ho, every one that thirsteth; Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden; and, Whosoever will, let him come. And the voice of Wisdom is to men in general: Proverbs 8:4. 'Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.' Not to moral men or religious men, but to you O men. So Christ promises, John 6:37 'Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.' This is the direction of Christ to his apostles, after his resurrection, Mark 16:15. 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.' Which is agreeable to what the apostle saith, that 'the gospel was preached to every creature under Heaven.' Colossians 1:23" (Sermon on Pardon for the Greatest Sinners. BOT Book Jonathan Edwards on Knowing Christ pp.271,272)

J. GRESHAM MACHEN

(20th Century American Theologian and author)

"What a great mistake it is, then, to think that the doctrine of predestination is contrary to the free offer of salvation to all. Of course, it remains true in the fullest and richest sense that whosoever will may come. None who will trust in Christ is excluded. None, I say, none without any exception whatsoever.

Never have we any right to assume that any man or group of men that we can name is outside of God's plan of salvation; never have we any right to assume that any man upon this earth is beyond the reach of the grace of God; never have we any right to withhold the gospel from any man where ever he may be." (The Christian View of Man BOT p.78)

ROBERT MURRAY McCHEYNE

(19th Century Scottish Presbyterian Minister)

"No one ever came to Christ because they knew themselves to be of the elect. It is quite true that God has of his mere good pleasure elected some to everlasting life, but they never knew it until they came to Christ. Christ nowhere invites the elect to come to Him. The question for you is not, Am I one of the elect? But, Am I one of the human race?" (Sermon on Proverbs 8:4: "Unto you O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man" Remains of McCheyne BOT edition p.369)

JOHN OWEN

(17th Century English Congregationalist Minister, Theologian and prolific author.

"Perhaps some will say it is in this, that if Christ did not die for all to whom the word is preached, then how can they that preach it offer Christ to all? …Answer…What do the preachers of the gospel offer to them to whom the word is preached? Is it not life and salvation through Christ, upon the condition of faith and repentance? And doth not the truth of this offer consist in this, that every one that believeth shall be saved? And doth not that truth stand firm and inviolable, so long as there is an all-sufficiency in Christ to save all that come unto him? Hath God intrusted the ministers of the gospel with his intentions, purpose, and counsels, or with his commands and promises? Is it a lie, to tell men that he that believeth shall be saved, though Christ did not die for some of them?" (The Atonement)

WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH

"Are the elect only effectually called? Answer: All the elect, and they only, although others may be , and often are, called by the ministry of the word, and have some common operations of the Spirit, who, for their willful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never really come to Jesus Christ.") (Larger Catechism Question 68)

What is effectual calling? Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of all sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. (Shorter Catechism Question 31)

George Whitefield to John Wesley, complaining of Wesley's Arminianism:

"O dear Sir, what kind of reasoning—or rather sophistry—is this! Hath not God, who hath appointed salvation for a certain number, appointed also the preaching of the Word as a means to bring them to it? Does anyone hold election in any other sense? And if so, how is preaching needless to them that are elected, when the gospel is designated by God himself to be the power of God unto their eternal salvation? And since we know not who are elect and who reprobate, we are to preach promiscuously to all. For the Word may be useful, even to the non-elect, in restraining them from much wickedness and sin. However, it is enough to excite to the utmost diligence in preaching and hearing, when we consider that by these means, some, even as many as the Lord hath ordained to eternal life, shall certainly be quickened and enabled to believe. And who that attends, especially with reverence and care, can tell but he may be found of that happy number?"