Why You Will See Nonbelievers Saved When You Grasp These 3 Things by LARRY TOMCZAK for Charisma News
Belief determines behavior.
When I was born again, I glorified God in seeing nine of my closest family and friends born again as well. When my wife and her parents were converted, the six siblings at home all followed suit, and my close friend, Ché Ahn, also saw his entire family come to faith in Christ.
Coincidence? Or could it be cooperation with the plan of God that some don’t believe in or have never understood?
Now is your chance to support Gospel News Network.
We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
For over 50 years I’ve equipped God’s people not to “limit the Holy One of Israel” (Ps. 78:41 KJV) but be missional, persevering and trusting for His divine initiative and intervention in reaching lost family and friends.
Scripture teaches that God draws people to Himself through the creation and our conscience (Ps.19:1-6, Rom. 2:14-16) and through the truth of the gospel.
There are some important questions to ask yourself to cooperate with God and see people you genuinely care about converted. The miracle of salvation is a beautiful blend of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man with the accent on God from start to finish!
What Do You Believe?
What exactly do you believe about how people get saved? Does God want everyone to be saved? Does God predestine some people to hell? Do we have a free will?
What you believe about how people are converted to Christ is not an insignificant topic. It is not just a theological issue best left to the scholars and intellectuals. This is a matter of eternal importance that affects our entire understanding of God’s character.
Passivity in evangelism and intercession for those outside of Christ are usually byproducts of people who deep down inside don’t really believe God longs to redeem all humanity. Pastors who are so inclined usually don’t lead the people in much outreach, share personal illustrations of their evangelistic engagement and often delegate Great Commission work to an evangelism team, usually of energetic young people in “campus ministry.”
Asking questions today on doctrines often brings up embarrassing responses:
— “Are you a Calvinist?” A jeans designer? A character in Hobbs’ comic strip?
— “Are you Reformed?” A former criminal?
— “Are you Armenian?” Someone from a former Soviet republic?
I believe the time has come for a “theology for dummies,” examining a balanced approach to understanding the way people are saved.
Embracing the ABCs
To see those you love and care about saved, here are the scriptural ABCs:
A. Acknowledge: “God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3b-4).
B. Believe: “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23b).
C. Cooperate: “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you in Christ’s stead: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).
Calvinist View of Salvation
From the 1500s come John Calvin’s core beliefs on salvation, summarized by the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. There are hyper-Calvinists (beware), but historic Calvinism looks basically like this:
