Inter-Varsity Press
God is sovereign and in control of His universe, yet man is responsible for his actions. This is difficult to understand. Still, both are taught in the Bible. Christians often solve the difficulty by either rejecting, or at least ignoring, one or the other. This is especially true in evangelism. But J.I. Packer says that both truths are important for a right understanding of evangelism.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God is divided into four chapters. In chapter one, “Divine Sovereignty,” Dr. Packer makes the case that all Christians believe that God is sovereign, whether they admit it or not. This is evident when they pray. “How then, do you pray? Do you ask God for your daily bread? Do you thank God for your conversion? Do you pray for the conversion of others? If the answer is “yes”—well, that proves that, whatever side you may have taken in debates on this question in the past, in your heart you believe in the sovereignty of God no less firmly than anyone else” (pg. 23).
The aim of chapter two, “Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility,” is to show that while God is in control of salvation, man still has the responsibility to evangelize. “God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are taught to us side by side in the same Bible; sometimes, indeed, in the same text….While we must always remember that it is our responsibility to proclaim salvation, we must never forget that it is God who saves” (pg. 34).
How both of these can be true is a mystery, yet Dr. Packer says that it is not a contradiction. Rather, it is an antinomy, which he defines as “an appearance of contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable, or necessary.” Despite the appearance of contradiction, we must remember: “A God whom we could understand exhaustively, and whose revelation of himself confronted us with no mysteries whatsoever, would be a God in man’s image and therefore an imaginary God…” (pg. 31).
In chapter three, “Evangelism,” Dr. Packer thoroughly answers four questions: “What is evangelism? What is the evangelistic message? What is the motive for evangelizing?” and “By what means and methods should evangelism be practiced?” This chapter is full of practical help grounded in sound theology.
The final chapter, “Divine Sovereignty and Evangelism,” answers the question: “Supposing that all things do in fact happen under the direct dominion of God, and that God has already fixed the future by his decree and resolved whom he will save and whom not—how does that bear on our duty to evangelize?” (pg. 104). The answer comes under two main heads:
1. “The sovereignty of God in grace does not affect anything about the nature and duty of Evangelism.”
“We are to order our lives by the light of His law, not by our guesses about his plan.” God’s sovereignty does not affect the necessity, or urgency, or genuineness of evangelism, says Dr. Packer. Nor does it affect the sinner’s responsibility for his reaction to the gospel.
2. “The sovereignty of God in grace gives us our only hope of success in evangelism.”
“We are to preach, because without knowledge of the gospel no man can be saved. We are to pray, because only the sovereign Holy Spirit in us and in man’s heart can make our preaching effective to man’s salvation…” (pg. 134).
This book exceeded my expectations. Dr. Packer gives sound answers to difficult questions. All Christians would benefit from this very helpful book; I highly recommend it.
Dr. J.I. Packer is Board of Governors Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is one of today’s most influential evangelical theologians. His best known work is Knowing God (1973).