Is This True?
I came across this quote from a popular Christian minister today:
"There are 2.6 billion Christians in the world affiliated with various faith communities and denominations. We may disagree over baptism, the Lord’s Supper, doctrine about Mary and a dozen other things. But, when it comes to training up evangelists, we’re not starting from scratch in the endeavor to partner in the Great Commission." (sbcstand.com)
This statement radically over-simplifies denominationalism and posits a doctrinally dismissive and vapid partnership as the simple solution. In essence it is, “Doctrine be damned! Let’s evangelize!” Devoid of important doctrines, one wonders what this zealous evangelism is so eager to teach its proselytes. It seems certain that while these proposed “partners in evangelism” admittedly disagree on innumerable doctrinal points, they all agree that…
If some folks don’t accept our gospel they’re going to split hell wide open
because Jesus Christ ALONE did not eternally save anyone.
What did Jesus Accomplish?
The idea that “Jesus Christ ALONE did not eternally save anyone” is as blasphemous as it is widely accepted among professing evangelicals in our day. The word of God does not teach this low view of the atonement. Christians do well to ask - What did Jesus Christ ACCOMPLISH? Consider the following:
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:33-34)
The 8th chapter of Romans teaches the absolute efficacy of the blood of Christ in procuring the eternal salvation of his covenant people. Simply put, if Christ died for you, there is nothing in the universe that could keep you out of glory. Look at what Christ’s sacrifice accomplished:
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14)
God’s covenant people are forever set apart by the Lord’s sacrifice. All of those for whom Christ died will live in glory without the loss of one (John 6:37-40). Whether His sheep have heard the explicit NT gospel as did those in the church at Corinth (I Corinthians 15:3-4), or had only types and shadows as Abraham (Genesis 22:13-14), or had no knowledge of these things at all like David’s infant son (II Samuel 12:23), all of them are eternally saved by Christ’s one offering to Father. That simple truth is disorienting to most evangelicals, but it is the PRESERVATION of the saints of God based on the absolute efficacy of Christ’s saving work (Jude 1:1). This is what is meant when the bible says:
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11)
What is the Great Commission?
So, what is the Great Commission? It is the command of Jesus to build His New Testament church, the pillar and ground of truth (I Timothy 3:15), the kingdom of God (Matthew 21:43). It does not have the purpose of imparting eternal life to men through the gospel. Rather, it instructs those who have the ears to hear in the truth regarding their savior (II Corinthians 5:21, II Timothy 1:10) so that they can follow him in discipleship as their reasonable service to God (Romans 12:1). The Great Commission is intended to make disciples and to bring them into the church (Acts 2:41,47), the sole religious order founded by the Lord for the benefit of His covenant people in this lifetime. The closing verses of the gospel of Matthew state:
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-19)
Whatever else might be said of the Lord’s Great Commission, the following observations are unavoidable:
The Great Commission involves BAPTISM. The only way for people who disagree about the proper participants, administration, mode, and purpose of BAPTISM to “partner” with each other in “fulfillment” of the Great Commission is for them to affirm that there is no absolute standard and that these matters are therefore unimportant.
The Great Commission involves TEACHING. Apparently one of the first things we are to teach them is that the participants, administration, mode, and purpose of BAPTISM is a matter of no importance. As long as you get "baptized” by someone, whether by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion, for any purpose be it conformity, ritual, or eternal salvation, then we have fulfilled the Great Commission and you have become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
It is not possible to engage in biblical evangelism while maintaining such a casual attitude about BAPTISM and TEACHING. Simply put, the Great Commission involves both BAPTISM and TEACHING. To casually dismiss that fact as a way to broaden evangelistic partnership betrays the purpose of gospel ministry. This unstable approach is ecumenism of the worst sort that downgrades Christian doctrine for the sake of pragmatism. While it may be a clever marketing scheme, it is a departure from the faith once delivered to the saints. What’s more it promotes a distorted form of Christianity that insists that the gospel minister is every bit as essential in the eternal salvation of sinners as the Lord Jesus Christ. That is an obnoxious teaching that God’s people everywhere should reject. It is my sincere prayer that as some Christians double-down on their woeful trajectory away from the truth that others will find solace among those who spread the good news that Jesus Christ saved his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
- Elder Daniel Samons