PRESENT-DAY EVANGELISM
by Arthur W. Pink (Mifflinburg: Bible Truth Depot, 1958)

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:18)

Most of the so-called evangelism of our day is a grief to genuine Christians,for they feel that it lacks any scriptural warrant, that it is dishonouringunto God, and that it is filling the churches with empty professors. They areshocked that so much frothy superficiality, fleshly excitement and worldlyallurement should be associated with the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ.They deplore the cheapening of the Gospel, the beguiling of unwary souls andthe canalising and commercialising of what is to them ineffably sacred. Itrequires little spiritual discernment to perceive that the evangelisticactivities of Christendom during the last century have steadily deterioratedfrom bad to worse, yet few appear to realise the root from which this evil hassprung. It will now be our endeavour to expose the same. Its aim was wrong, andtherefore its fruit faulty.

God’s Objective In Evangelism

The grand design of God, from which He never has and never will swerve, is toglorify Himself: to make manifest before His creatures what an infinitelyglorious Being He is. That is the great aim and end He has in all that He doesand says. For that He suffered sin to enter the world. For that He willed Hisbeloved Son to become incarnate, render perfect obedience to the Divine Law,suffer and die. For that He is now taking out of the world a people forHimself, a people who shall eternally show forth His praises. For thateverything is ordered by His providential dealings, unto that everything onearth is now being directed, and shall actually affect the same. Nothing otherthan that is what regulates God in all His actings: “For of him, and throughhim, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Rom 11:36).

The Preacher’s Objective

That grand and basic truth is written right across the Scriptures with theplainness of a sunbeam, and he who sees it not is blind. All things areappointed by God to that one end. His saving of sinners is not an end initself, for God would have been no loser had every one of them eternallyperished. No, His saving of sinners is but a means unto an end: “to the praiseof the glory of his grace” (Eph 1:6). Now from that fundamental fact itnecessarily follows that we should make the same our aim and end: that God maybe magnified by us—“whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor10:31). In like manner it also follows that such must be the preacher’s aim,and that everything must be subordinated thereto, for everything else is ofsecondary importance and value. But is it so? Take the latest slogan of thereligious world, “Youth for Christ.” Well, what is wrong with that? Itsemphasis! Why not “Christ for Youth”?

Feverish Urge of Modern Evangelism

If the evangelist fails to make the glory of God his paramount and constantaim, he is certain to go wrong, and all his efforts will be more or less abeating of the air. When he makes an end of everything less than that, he issure to fall into error, for he no longer gives God His proper place. Once wefix on ends of our own, we are ready to adopt means of our own. It was at thisvery point evangelism failed two or three generations ago, and from that pointit has farther and farther departed. Evangelism made “the winning of souls” itsgoal, itssummum bonum (i.e., highest good), and everything else wasmade to serve and pay tribute to the same. Though the glory of God was notactually denied, yet it was lost sight of, crowded out, made secondary.Further, let it be remembered that God is honoured in exact proportion as thepreacher cleaves to His Word, and faithfully proclaims “all his counsel,” andnot merely those portions which appeal to him.

To say nothing here about those cheap-jack evangelists who aim no higher thanrushing people into making a formal profession of faith in order that themembership of the churches may be swelled, take those who are inspired by agenuine compassion and deep concern for the perishing, who earnestly long andzealously endeavour to deliver souls from the wrath to come, yet unless they bemuch on their guard, they too will inevitably err. Unless they steadily viewconversion in the way God does—as the way in which He is to be glorified—theywill quickly begin to compromise in the means they employ. The feverish urge ofmodern evangelism is not how to promote the glory of the triune Jehovah, buthow to multiply conversions. The whole current of evangelical activity duringthe past fifty years has taken that direction. Losing sight of God’s end, thechurches have devised means of their own.

“Results” vs. Sound Theology

Bent on attaining a certain desired object, the energy of the flesh has beengiven free rein; and supposing that the object was right, evangelists haveconcluded that nothing could be wrong which contributed unto the securing ofthat end; and since their efforts appear to be eminently successful, only toomany churches silently acquiesced, telling themselves “the end justified themeans.” Instead of examining the light of Scripture, they were tacitly acceptedon the ground of expediency. The evangelist was esteemed not for the soundnessof his message, but by the visible “results” he secured. He was valued notaccording to how far his preaching honoured God, but by how many souls weresupposedly converted under it.

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Once a man makes the conversion of sinners his prime design and all-consumingend, he is exceedingly apt to adopt a wrong course. Instead of striving topreach the Truth in all its purity, he will tone it down so as to make it morepalatable to the unregenerate. Impelled by a single force, moving in one fixeddirection, his object is to make conversion easy, and therefore favouritepassages (like John 3:16) are dwelt upon incessantly while others are ignoredor pared away. It inevitably reacts upon his own theology, and various versesin the Word are shunned, if not repudiated. What place will he give in histhoughts to such declarations as “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or theleopard his spots?” (Jer 13:23), “No man can come unto me, except the Fatherwhich hath sent me draw him” (Jn 6:44), “Ye have not chosen me, but I havechosen you” (Jn 15:16)? He will be sorely tempted to modify the truth of God’ssovereign election, of Christ’s particular redemption, of the imperativenecessity for the supernatural operations of the Holy Spirit.

“Total Depravity” Ignored

In the twentieth-century evangelism there has been a woeful ignoring of thesolemn truth of the total depravity of man. There has been a completeunderrating of the desperate case and condition of the sinner. Very few indeedhave faced the unpalatable fact that every man is thoroughly corrupt by nature,that he is completely unaware of his own wretchedness, that he is blind andhelpless, dead in trespasses and sins. Because such is his case, because hisheart is filled with enmity against God, it follows that no man can be savedwithout the special and immediate intervention of God. According to our viewhere, so will it be elsewhere: to qualify and modify the truth of man’s totaldepravity will inevitably lead to the dilution of collateral truths. Theteaching of Holy Writ on this point is unmistakable: man’s plight is such thathis salvation is impossible unless God pits forth His mighty power. No stirringof the emotions by anecdotes, no regaling of the senses by music, no oratory ofthe preacher, no persuasive appeals, are of the slightest avail.

In connection with the old creation, God did all without any assistants. But inthe far more stupendous work of the new creation, it is intimated by theArminian evangelism of our day that He needs the sinner’s co-operation. Really,it comes to this: God is represented as helping man to save himself: the sinnermust begin the work by becoming willing, and then God will complete thebusiness. Whereas, none but the Spirit can make him willing in the day of Hispower (Ps 110:3). He alone can produce godly sorrow for sin, and saving faithin the Gospel. He alone can make us out of love with ourselves, and bring usinto subjection to the Lordship of Christ. Instead of seeking the aid ofoutside evangelists, let the churches get on their faces before God, confesstheir sins, seek His glory, and cry for His miracle-working operations. “Not bymight [of the preacher], nor by power [of the sinner’s will], but by my Spirit,saith the Lord.”

Fatal Omissions In “Gospel Preaching”

It is generally recognised that spirituality is at a low ebb in Christendom,and not a few perceive that sound doctrine is rapidly on the wane, yet many ofthe Lord’s people take comfort from supposing that the Gospel is still beingwidely preached and that large numbers are being saved thereby. Alas, theiroptimistic supposition is ill-founded and sandily grounded. If the “message”now being delivered in Mission Halls be examined, if the “tracts” which arebeing scattered among the unchurched masses be scrutinised, if the “open air”speakers be carefully listened to, if the “Sermons” or “Addresses” of a“soul-winning campaign” be analysed; in short, if modern “evangelism” beweighed in the balances of Holy Writ, it will be found wanting, lacking thatwhich is vital to a genuine conversion, lacking what is essential if sinnersare to be shown their need of a Saviour, lacking that which will produce thetransfigured lives of new creatures in Christ Jesus.

It is in no captious spirit that we write, seeking to make a man an offenderfor a word. It is not that we are looking for perfection, and complain becausewe cannot find it; nor that we criticise others because they are not doingthings as we think they should be done. No, no, it is a matter far more seriousthan that. The “evangelism” of the day is not superficial to the last degree,but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which tobase an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lackof proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than Hisholiness, His love than His wrath), but there is a fatal omission of that whichGod has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is notonly a reprehensible introducing of “bright singing,” humorous witticisms andentertaining anecdotes, but there is a studied omission of the dark backgroundupon which alone the Gospel can effectually shine forth.

But serious indeed as is the above indictment, it is only half of it—thenegative side, that which is lacking. Worse still is that which is beingretailed by the cheap-jack evangelists of the day. The positive content oftheir message is nothing but a throwing of dust in the eyes of the sinner. Hissoul is put to sleep by the Devil’s opiate, ministered in a most unsuspectingform. Those who really receive the “message” which is now being given out frommost of the “orthodox” pulpits and platforms today are being fatally deceived.It is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but unless God sovereignlyintervenes by a miracle of grace, all who follow it will surely find that theends thereof are the ways of death. Tens of thousands who confidently imaginethat they are bound for Heaven will get a terrible disillusionment when theyawake in Hell!

What is the Gospel?

Is it a message of glad tidings from Heaven to make God-defying rebels at easein their wickedness? Is it given for the purpose of assuring the pleasure-crazyyoung people that, providing they only “believe,” there is nothing for them tofear in the future? One would certainly think so from the way in which theGospel is presented, or rather perverted, by most of the “evangelists,” and themore so when we look at the lives of their “converts.” Surely those with any degreeof spiritual discernment must perceive that to assure such that God loves themand His Son died for them, and that a full pardon for all their sins (past,present and future) can be obtained by simply “accepting Christ as theirpersonal Saviour” is but a casting of pearls before swine.

Multiplying of Novice Preachers

The Gospel is not a thing apart. It is not something independent of the priorrevelation of God’s Law. It is not an announcement that God has relaxed Hisjustice or lowered His standard of holiness. So far from that, whenscripturally expounded the Gospel presents the clearest demonstration andclimacteric proof of the inexorableness of God’s justice and of His infiniteabhorrence of sin. But for scripturally expounding the Gospel, beardless youthsand businessmen who devote their spare time to “evangelistic effort” are quiteunqualified. Alas that the pride of the flesh suffers so many incompetent onesto rush in where those much wiser fear to tread. It is this multiplying ofnovices that is largely responsible for the woeful situation now confrontingus, and because the “churches” and “assemblies” are so largely filled withtheir “converts” explains why they are so unspiritual and worldly.

No, my reader, the Gospel is very, very far from making light of sin. TheGospel shows us how unsparingly God deals with sin. It reveals to us theterrible sword of His justice smiting His beloved Son in order that atonementmight be made for the transgressions of His people. So far from the Gospel settingaside the Law, it exhibits the Saviour enduring the curse of it. Calvarysupplied the most solemn and awe-inspiring display of God’s hatred of sin thattime or eternity will never furnish. And do you imagine that the Gospel ismagnified or God glorified by going to worldlings and telling them that they“may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their personalSaviour” while they are wedded to their idols and their hearts are still inlove with sin? If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insultChrist, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.

Scripture Wrenched From Its Setting

No doubt some readers are ready to object to our “harsh” and “sarcastic”statements above by asking, When the question was put ”What must I do to besaved?” (Acts 16:30) did not an inspired Apostle expressly say, “Believe on theLord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved?” Can we err, then, if we tellsinners the same thing today? Have we not Divine warrant for so doing? True,those words are found in the Holy Writ, and because they are, many superficialand untrained people conclude that they are justified in repeating them to alland sundry. But let it be pointed out that Acts 16:31 was not addressed to apromiscuous multitude, but to a particular individual, which at once intimatesthat it is not a message to be indiscriminately sounded forth, but rather aspecial word to those whose characters correspond to the one to whom it wasfirst spoken.

Verses of Scripture must not be wrenched from their setting, but weighed,interpreted, and applied in accord with their context; and that calls forprayerful consideration, careful meditation, and prolonged study; and it isfailure at this point which accounts for these shoddy and worthless “messages”of this rush-ahead age. Look at the context of Acts 16:31, and what do we find?What was the occasion, and to whom was it that the Apostle and his companionsaid, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?” A sevenfold answer is therefurnished, which supplies a striking and complete delineation of the characterof those to whom we are warranted in giving this truly evangelistic word. As webriefly name these seven details, let the reader carefully ponder them.

First, the man to whom these words were spoken had just witnessed themiracle-working power of God. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, sothat the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doorswere opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:26). Second, inconsequence thereof the man was deeply stirred, even to the point ofself-despair: “He drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposingthat the prisoners had been fled” (v. 27). Third, he felt the need ofillumination: “Then he called for a light” (v. 29). Fourth, hisself-complacency was utterly shattered, for he “came trembling” (v. 29). Fifth,he took his proper place (before God)—in the dust—for he “fell down before Pauland Silas” (v. 29). Sixth, he showed respect and consideration for God’sservants, for he “brought them out” (v. 30). Seventh, then, with a deep concernfor his soul, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”

Here, then, is something definite for our guidance, if we are willing to beguided. It was no giddy, careless, unconcerned person who was exhorted to“simply” believe; but instead, one who gave clear evidence that a mighty workof God had already been wrought within him. He was an awakened soul (v. 27). Inhis case there was no need to press upon him his lost condition, for he obviouslyfelt it; nor were the apostles required to urge upon him the duty ofrepentance, for his entire demeanour betokened his contrition. But to apply thewords spoken to him unto those who are totally blind to their depraved state,and completely dead toward God, would be more foolish than placing a bottle ofsmelling salts to the nose of one just dragged unconscious from the water. Letthe critic of this article read through Acts and see if he can find a singleinstance of the apostles addressing a promiscuous audience or a company ofidolatrous heathen and “simply” telling them to believe in Christ.

“By the Law Is the Knowledge of Sin”

Just as the world was not ready for the New Testament before it received theOld, just as the Jews were not prepared for the ministry of Christ until Johnthe Baptist had gone before Him with his clamant call to repentance, so theunsaved are in no condition today for the Gospel till the Law be applied totheir hearts, for “by the Law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). It is awaste of time to sow seed on ground which has never been ploughed or spaded! Topresent the vicarious sacrifice of Christ to those whose dominant passion is totake their fill of sin, is to give that which is holy unto the dogs. What theunconverted need to hear about is the character of Him with whom they have todo, His claims upon them, His righteous demands, and the infinite enormity ofdisregarding Him and going their own way.

He Shall Save His People “From Their Sins”

The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day“evangelist.” He announces a Saviour from Hell rather than a Saviour from sin.And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wishto escape the Lake of Fire who have no desire to be delivered from theircarnality and worldliness. The very first thing said of Him in the NewTestament is, “thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people(not “from the wrath to come,” but) from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Christ is aSaviour for those realising something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, whofeel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it,who long to be freed from its terrible dominion; and a Saviour for no others.Were He to “save from Hell” those still in love with sin, He would be aMinister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God.What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing with which to charge theHoly One!

Should the reader exclaim, I was not conscious of the heinousness of sin norbowed down with a sense of my guilt when Christ saved me. Then weunhesitatingly reply, Either you have never been saved at all, or you were notsaved as early as you supposed. True, as the Christian grows in grace he has a clearerrealisation of what sin is—rebellion against God—and a deeper hatred of andsorrow for it; but to think that one may be saved by Christ whose consciencehas never been smitten by the Spirit, and whose heart has not been madecontrite before God, is to imagine something which has no existence in therealm of fact. “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that aresick” (Mt 9:12): the only ones who really seek relief from the great Physicianare they that are sick of sin—who long to be delivered from itsGod-dishonouring works and its soul-defiling pollutions.

Preaching That Will Drive People Away

Inasmuch, then, as Christ’s salvation is a salvation from sin—from the love ofit, from its dominion, from its guilt and penalty—then it necessarily followsthat the first great task and the chief work of the evangelist is to preachupon SIN: to define what sin (as distinct from crime) really is, to showwherein its infinite enormity consists; to trace out its manifold workings inthe heart; to indicate that nothing less than eternal punishment is its desert.Ah, and preaching upon sin—not merely uttering a few platitudes concerning it,but devoting sermon after sermon to explaining what sin is in the sight ofGod—will not make him popular nor draw the crowds, will it? No, it will not,and knowing this, those who love the praise of men more than the approbation ofGod, and who value their salary above immortal souls, trim their sailsaccordingly. “But such preaching will drive people away!” We answer, far betterdrive the people away by faithful preaching than to drive the Holy Spirit awayby unfaithfully pandering to the flesh.

“Grace” Never Compromises With Sin

The terms of Christ’s salvation are erroneously stated by the present-dayevangelist. With very rare exceptions he tells his hearers that salvation is bygrace and is received as a free gift; that Christ has done everything for thesinner, and nothing remains but for him to “believe”—to trust in the infinitemerits of His blood. And so widely does this concept now prevail in “orthodox”circles, so frequently has it been dinned in their ears, so deeply has it takenroot in their minds, that for one to now challenge it and denounce it as beingso inadequate and one-sided as to be deceptive and erroneous, is for him toinstantly court the stigma of being a heretic, and to be charged withdishonouring the finished work of Christ by inculcating salvation by works.Yet, notwithstanding, the writer is quite prepared to run that risk.

Salvation is by grace, by grace alone, for a fallen creature cannot possibly doanything to merit God’s approval or earn His favour. Nevertheless, Divine graceis not exercised at the expense of holiness, for it never compromises with sin.It is also true that salvation is a free gift, but an empty hand must receiveit, and not a hand which still tightly grasps the world! But it is not truethat “Christ has done everything for the sinner.” He did not fill His bellywith the husks which the swine eat and find them unable to satisfy. He has notturned His back on the far country, arisen, gone to the Father, andacknowledged His sins—those are acts which the sinner himself must perform.True, he will not be saved for the performance of them, any more than theprodigal could receive the Father’s kiss and ring while he remained at a guiltydistance from Him!

The Sinner Must Be Broken

Something more than “believing” is necessary to salvation. A heart that issteeled in rebellion against God cannot savingly believe: it must first bebroken. It is written “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Lk13:3). Repentance is just as essential as faith, yea, the latter cannot bewithout the former: “Repented not afterwards that ye might believe” (Mt 21:32).The order is clearly enough laid down by Christ: “Repent ye, and believe thegospel” (Mk 1:15). Repentance is sorrowing for sin. Repentance is aheart-repudiation of sin. Repentance is a heart-determination to forsake sin.And where there is true repentance grace is free to act, for the requirementsof holiness are conserved when sin is renounced. Thus, it is the duty of theevangelist to cry, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man histhoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him” (Isa55:7). His task is to call on his hearers to lay down the weapons of theirwarfare against God, and then to sue for mercy through Christ.

The “Lordship” of the Saviour

The way of salvation is falsely defined. In most instances the modern“evangelist” assures his congregation that all any sinner has to do in order toescape Hell and make sure of Heaven is to “receive Christ as his personalSaviour.” But such teaching is utterly misleading. No one can receive Christ ashis Saviour while he rejects Him as Lord! It is true the preacher adds that theone who accepts Christ should also surrender to Him as Lord, but he at oncespoils it by asserting that though the convert fails to do so neverthelessHeaven is sure to him. That is one of the Devil’s lies. Only those who arespiritually blind would declare that Christ will save any who despise Hisauthority and refuse His yokes: why, my reader, that would not be grace but adisgrace—charging Christ with placing a premium on lawlessness.

It is in His office of Lord that Christ maintains God’s honour, subserves Hisgovernment, enforces His Law; and if the reader will turn to those passages(Luke 1:46, 47; Acts 5:31; 2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:18) where the two titlesoccur, he will find that the order is always “Lord and Saviour” and not“Saviour and Lord.” Therefore, those who have not bowed to Christ’s sceptre andenthroned Him in their hearts and lives, and yet imagine they are trusting inHim as their Saviour, are deceived, and unless God disillusions them they willgo down to the everlasting burnings with a lie in their right hand (Isa 44:20).Christ is “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb5:9), but the attitude of those who submit not to His Lordship is “we will nothave this man to reign over us” (Lk 19:14). Pause then, my reader, and honestlyface the question: Am I subject to His will? Am I sincerely endeavouring tokeep His commandments?

Conditions Far Worse Than We Suppose

Alas, alas, God’s “way of salvation” is almost entirely unknown today, thenature of Christ’s salvation is almost universally misunderstood, and the termsof His salvation misrepresented on every hand. The “gospel” which is now beingproclaimed is, in nine cases out of ten, but a perversion of the Truth, and tensof thousands, assured they are bound for Heaven, are now hastening to Hell asfast as time can take them. Things are far, far worse in Christendom than eventhe “pessimist” and the “alarmist” suppose. We are not a prophet, nor shall weindulge in any speculation of what biblical prophecy forecasts—wiser men thanthe writer have often made fools of themselves by so doing. We are frank to saythat we know not what God is about to do. Religious conditions were much worse,even in England,one hundred and fifty years ago. But this we greatly fear: unless God ispleased to grant a real revival, it will not be long ere “the darkness shallcover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Isa 60:2), for the light ofthe true Gospel is rapidly disappearing. Modern “Evangelism” constitutes, inour judgement, the most solemn of all the “signs of the times.”

The Path For Those Who Care

What must the people of God do in view of the existing situation? Ephesians5:11 supplies the Divine answer: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful worksof darkness, but rather reprove them”; and everything opposed to the light ofthe Word is “darkness.” It is the bounden duty of every Christian to have nodealings with the “evangelistic” monstrosity of the day: to withhold all moraland financial support of the same, to attend none of their meetings, tocirculate none of their tracts. Those preachers who tell sinners that they maybe saved without forsaking their idols, without repenting, without surrenderingto the Lordship of Christ, are as erroneous and dangerous as others who insistthat salvation is by works, and that Heaven must be earned by our own efforts.