Why Bother With Evangelism?

One of the things that people have against Calvinism is that we don't evangelize. Since we believe in the Sovereignty of God in the salvation of souls, some think we believe it is a waste of time because God knows who will be saved in the end. Yes, Calvinists do believe that God knows who is saved in the end. Yes, we believe that God has sovereign election regarding people's salvation.

1 Peter 1:3 says that God "caused us" to be born again. 2 Timothy 2:19 says "The Lord knows who are His." Jesus said that no can come to Him unless the Father draws (John 6:44). All of these are true. So, should we even bother with evangelism. The answer is yes. Christians are called to evangelize.

Jesus told the disciples to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Jesus also said, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). We see the Apostles proclaiming the gospel in the book of Acts. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were after saved one sermon.

The Apostle Paul asked the Colossian church to "pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ" (Colossians 4:3). He also asked the same thing to the Ephesian church (Ephesians 6:19).

Preaching the gospel is what calls the elect to God. The Bible says that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). Faith does not come by sheer intellect nor human compulsion. It comes from hearing the word of Christ. The Ethiopian Eunuch was reading through the Prophet Isaiah and God used Philip to proclaim the gospel to him. Imagine the opportunity you can have when you go to a non-Christian bookstore that sells Bibles and engage with someone reading it. They will not understand unless someone tells them.

Evangelism is a command from God. Yes, we know He knows who is saved in the end, but we don't. We would never tell a new convert they don't have to grow in their faith because God will sustain them in the end. Then why would we tell new and maturing converts that evangelism is a waste of time? The doctrine of election should fuel our evangelism. Consider 2 Timothy 2:8-10:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Here is John Piper in one of his "Look at the Book" videos explaining this verse: