# Using verses intended for the church for evangelistic purposes?



## thistle93 (May 7, 2014)

Hi! Seems many preachers (especially those of non-reformed tradition) like use verses written to and intended for the church (believers) for evangelistic purposes (unbelievers). Here are some examples:

For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. (Hebrews 3:7-9 ESV)

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
(Revelation 3:20 ESV)

Do you feel this is an abuse of Scripture and to always be avoided or can verses like these have both application to believers and unbelievers? One danger I have seen from using these verses to apply to unbelievers is that many in non-reformed tradition use these verses as proof text against effectual grace and the denying the need for regeneration prior to faith. That the unbeliever has he same ability to the believer. Thoughts? 


For His Glory-
Matthew


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## VictorBravo (May 8, 2014)

thistle93 said:


> For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)
> 
> Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. (Hebrews 3:7-9 ESV)
> 
> ...



Context, context, context. The preacher must properly handle them, but these verses can be used effectively in preaching to the lost.

In preparing to quote these verses, if one has already laid the groundwork for what the state of unbelievers are in, and what they face, these promises are glorious incentives to come to faith.

Consider these two verses close to each other:

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

Verse 12 plainly speaks of a judgment according to our filthy works-- the Covenant of Works applied.
Verse 17 plainly speaks of salvation--to those who hear the voice of our Lord--the Covenant of Grace freely offered.

Often we are commanded to "hear him." We can't force people to hear him, but we can demand that they do, and by hearing, come to repent.


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## Jack K (May 8, 2014)

Matthew,

I don't think the key distinction to make is between verses that are "for believers" and those that are "for unbelievers." In many ways, there really is not much difference between the call for unbelievers to come to Christ in faith and the call for believers to keep clinging to Christ by faith. A verse like "if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in" _can_ speak to unbelievers even though the context is Christ speaking to his church. After all, aren't unbelievers externally called to receive Christ by faith? An occasion in which a preacher is urging church members to more fully repent and turn to Christ (the context of Rev. 3:20) can also be used to urge unbelievers to do the same thing for the first time in their lives. In fact, the context of the Laodicean letter suggests there may well have been unbelievers within that church.

So the key distinction to make is not "to whom is this addressed?" but rather "where does the power to respond come from?" It is an error to think that for either believers or unbelievers the power comes from anything other than the Spirit's work in the heart.


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## Brandt (May 8, 2014)

Context is so important. Not bothering with context is lazy, and that is something that we all should be aware of. With that being said, once you have context, you are more capable of bringing the redemptive point from the passage, and can be applied to everyone.


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## reaganmarsh (May 8, 2014)

Brandt said:


> Context is so important. Not bothering with context is lazy, and that is something that we all should be aware of. With that being said, once you have context, you are more capable of bringing the redemptive point from the passage, and can be applied to everyone.



Amen.


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## KMK (May 9, 2014)

VictorBravo said:


> Context, context, context.



I once heard a SoCal megachurch pastor attempt to persuade the lost by saying, "He stands at the door of your heart and knocks! That's not exactly the context of Rev 3:20, but it still applies."


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## Brandt (May 13, 2014)

I have thought about this for the past couple of days. I don't think using a text like Rev 3:20 out of context to reach the lost is the worst thing that you can do. However, I still think that we doing our hearers and ourselves a disservice when we do such things. Take for instance Rev. 3:20. The previous verse was written about God's love for those who are his and that he lovingly rebukes and disciplines his own. Also, this verse was written to a church that was lukewarm, which becomes even more illustrative when you consider the horrible lukewarm water that surrounded the region. So, here we have the picture of a church that is essentially useless because they are neither hot nor cold, and yet, our Savior is there at the door knocking, longing to come and sit at his children's table. And now imagine sharing this with an unbeliever, showing them that even when the church is so revolting to God, and he threatens to spit them out of his mouth, there Jesus is, knocking on the door. Personally, I think that is a much more powerful image and will probably be more effective than just simply saying "Oh, Jesus is at the door of your heart, wanting to come in." It's an image that would draw the regenerated heart to Christ, and hence, become part of his church, part of His people that He longs to sit down with for a meal, even when we are lukewarm.

Ok, I will quite my preaching for now, but the point is that the God given meaning of the text is so much more meaningful, truthful, and poignant than anything we could come up with.


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