steadfast7
Puritan Board Junior
Straw man. I never made the claim that saving souls is the "focus" of the missionary.Dennis, your numerous threads as of late, have a common theme of some misinformed understanding that God needs us to save souls. Saving souls is not the focus of a missionary nor any believer. Glorifying God is always the goal. When that is replaced with anything, we miss the mark. No one should share the Gospel being predominately motivated by the 'great commission', nor some love for sinners, as important as they are. They should share the Gospel to exalt the Glory of The Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 1:5 Paul tells you this clearly. He does what he does 'for the sake of His Name'... Do a search in the scriptures how many times this phrase or something akin to it is used. For the sake of His name, His glory his etc etc. God is first and foremost about God!!!!
Speaking of doing a search for "for the sake of". Watch and learn:
Romans 9:3
For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race
1 Corinthians 9:23
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Ephesians 3:1
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
Colossians 1:24
Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Paul has many "sakes" for which he labours. God's glory is certainly ultimate and permeates everything, but the means by which God is glorified are multifacated. You are mistaking the ultimate goal (glory of God) with the immediate tasks (missions).
There is no substitute for the pure unadulterated Gospel of Grace to be proclaimed. The Sovereignty of God and His name, His glory is the highest motivating factor I have, not saving souls. Stop thinking there is some 'trick' for missions. We worry so much about the 'means' that God sees fit to use in His providence, that the details just screw it up. It is not about anyone wanting to see souls saved or churches planted, where did you get this idea from? It is not about what we want at all. Is God dependent on man? We are only instruments, nothing more, nothing less. The thought that God uses programs to bring people to faith is a terrible misguided idea. One you should immediately flush down the toilet.
This is precisely what the hyper Calvinists told William Carey when he implored them to evangelize India. "Sit down young man!" they said, "If God wants those heathen saved, he will do it without your help or mine." He then went on to write the Calvinist-missions classic:
An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. Maybe you should give it a read. Your position was put to rest over 200 years ago and the true Calvinists won. God ordains the elect, and he also ordains the means.
One more thing. I attended a conference where the speaker sounded like some motivational guru. It was like a pep rally that ended with the words: "Now you're ready, so get out there and save some souls"
I later asked the gentleman, what if I do not do it. He responded that many will end up damned because of not heeding God's call. I could not believe he said this. To think that the salvation of the elect is dependent on me is ludicrous.
I'll leave you with some quotes from a Calvinist you might have heard of ...
"I would sooner bring one sinner to Jesus Christ than unravel all the mysteries of the divine Word, for salvation is the one thing we are to live for."
"Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter."
"Lost! Lost! Lost! Better a whole world on fire than a soul lost! Better every star quenched and the skies a wreck than a single soul to be lost!"
"To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in the world. And with every soul you bring to Jesus Christ, you seem to get a new heaven here upon earth."
- Charles Spurgeon"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."