The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Concerns with the Process of Evangelization

Recently I have had concerns with evangelizing. I am certain that many of you have concerns as well. It is my hope that we can discuss them and learn from each other. As Christians, we are aware that it is God who elects, predestines, and justifies and the Holy Spirit who calls, convicts, regenerates and sanctifies.

Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:9).

But in the process of evangelizing, can we be certain that it is God who has elected the convert and that he is not simply responding emotionally either as a result of fear or a 'peer' pressure? How can we avoid producing a 'false' convert?

We know that many are falling through the cracks and becoming false converts. Many have been enticed into making professions and altar calls by an 'over easy ' soft gospel message or a 'prosperity 'gospel being preached by some preachers in some churches and on television. Yet by the same token a 'hellfire and damnation' message can result in a response produced by fear. But isn't it likely that either type of message could be used by the Holy Spirit? As I read the biography of Charles Spurgeon the message to which he responded appears to be one of the most inadequate that I can ever imagine. There was actually no gospel content provided. A lay preacher simply shouted Isaiah 45:22,

“Look unto Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothing to do but look and live.”

Obviously, the Holy Spirit engineered the time, the place and the message that was necessary and the calling was Irresistible. We know that God's Word does not return void.

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall. (Isaiah 55:11).

We know that he was fifteen years old at the time . Both his father and grandfather were ministers and that he had no doubt heard a 'general' gospel call many times, although he had never responded to it. It had simply remained dormant until the 'effectual call' at this time. The message in the simple, short form given was 'effectual' in accomplishing God's purpose. It most likely would not have worked with anyone else. But it was just the final nail needed in his case and the Prince of Preachers was born.

It appears that it may be difficult for us to judge a convert's true status. In many cases it may be difficult. The process of Sanctification is a lifetime process and often a slow one.
But Scripture tells us to: examine ourselves. It is our own responsibility to verify our progress.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5).

The following article should assist us in this effort:

Six signs of a false conversion. These are all taken from the “Parable of the Sower”.

Sign #1 – Immediate Joy That Doesn’t Last
Jesus says that a sign of a false convert is a person who is immediately filled with joy upon hearing the gospel message, but followed by a quick fading away. There are two problems inherit with immediate joy that doesn’t last. First, the joy is immediate. Second, the joy doesn’t last. Let’s examine these two things more closely.
First, the joy is immediate. There is no sorrow that precedes the joy. A person who has truly come to faith in Jesus Christ has faced the conviction of their sin. This conviction of sin shows in a person through a broken and contrite heart. Many people who hear the modern gospel message only hear about the joy of eternal life, and they accept it gladly. They have never heard and come to understand the need to repent of their sins. They don’t know the wrath of God that they have been saved from.

Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (NIV)

Joel 2:12-13 “‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” (NIV)
Second, the joy doesn’t last. This person may exhibit spectacular growth for a while, but over time the joy fades, and the person falls away. This is the person who hasn’t “counted the cost”, who hasn’t weighed all the issues.

Luke 14:26-30 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” (NIV)

Sign #2 – No Roots
False converts have no “roots,” that is, no foundations in faith and Christian learning, so they “dry up” like a plant with no roots. The Parable of the Sower, as recorded in Luke, states that these plants wither because they have no moisture. Roots are designed to gather in water and nutrients. Without these, the plant cannot live. Similarly, we as Christians must also have “roots” that seek out what we need to make us thrive as Christians – things like prayer, Bible reading, Biblical teaching, and fellowship.

Sign #3 – Unwillingness to Face Persecution
Notice in the Parable of the Sower that it is the intense heat of the sun which causes the plant to wither (verse 6). Jesus tells us that this intense heat in our lives is the heat of troubles, persecution, and times of testing. These things drive a true believer closer to Jesus, but they cause the false convert to wither and fall away. In either case, the worst thing that can happen in a person’s life is never having to face the intense heat of troubles and persecution.

Sign #4 – Preoccupation with Worry
The Parable of the Sower tells us that there are people who hear the gospel message and initially respond to it, but then fall away because they are more preoccupied with the worries of this world than with pursuing the kingdom of God. When our attention is fixed on the worries of this life, the gospel gets choked out of our life like thorns choke out good plants.

Matthew 6:31-34 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NIV)

Sign #5 – Preoccupation with the World
The Parable of the Sower tells us that there are other people who hear and respond to the gospel message, but then fall away because they are preoccupied with the pleasures this world has to offer. They are deceived by the glitter of wealth, possessions, and fame. And these things, which seem pleasurable for a season, choke out the gospel message.

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV)

Sign #6 – No Fruit
The true believer must bear fruit in his or her life. What exactly is this fruit that we should expect to see? The Bible answers this question for us quite well.

First, there is the fruit of repentance.

Matthew 3:7-8 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (NIV)

Second, there is fruit of good works.

Colossians 1:10 “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work” (NIV)

Third, there is the fruit of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.” (NIV)

Fourth, there is the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (NIV)

Fifth, there is the fruit of righteousness.

Philippians 1:9-11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.” (NIV)

What does the Bible say about the so-called “Christian” who bears no fruit? The Bible says that they will be cut down and cast away into the fire.

Matthew 3:10 “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (NIV)

John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (NIV)


http://www.bereanwife.net/2008/07/six-signs-of-a-false-conversion/

You can't. False conversions are of the natural man. Thus, if you want to be consistent with what you initially wrote; salvation is of the Lord and it is the Holy Spirit that regenerates and calls, then true conversion is the exception and not the rule because it is a spiritual phenomena and not one produced by man.

1. Spurgeon wasn't converted by a false gospel nor a truncated one, specifically but the hearing of just Is. 45:22. By Spurgeon's own biographical information and as you have rightly albeit briefly mentioned, he had heard the true gospel myriad times. Thus the simple but marvelous truth of how all that works is found here:

1 Corinthians 3:5-10 (ASV) What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.

2. The responsibility of the Christian in evangelizing, whether as one officially sent or a lay person in daily life is to bring the TRUTH to sinners. Anything less is to misrepresent God and all that is good and right. Again, 1Cor 3:5-10 is sufficient to demonstrate that what is revered as evangelism in our contemporary day is an affront to God and cannot be expected to see any genuine, Spirit-wrought fruit, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;..." (Rom 1:16a). The Spirit uses the true Gospel to draw sinners to Christ. Clever arguments, upbeat music, worldly devices nor secular marketing techniques can never bring conviction of sin nor evoke a desire in a sinner to seek after Christ in order to be reconciled to God and receive remission of sin. The true Gospel as found in God's inspired Word is the ONLY means by which God has ordained to save sinners through the sovereign, secret and silent work of the Holy Spirit.

Pilgrim

Thank you for your clarification.

I appreciate your comments. That's why I am here- to learn. Sometimes we allow ourselves to get to feeling overly responsible for getting the gospel message to someone,that it all depends upon us, when it is actually the sovereign responsibility of God. As stated in 1 Corinthians 3:5-10 He will get the call out to the elect by whatever means He chooses. It may be by Word or example.