The Extent of Our Predicament
When evangelists make getting a response their primary goal, they become salesmen who must conceal a truth of first importance: that the unregenerate can’t respond. Iain Murray writes:
Where ‘receiving Christ’ is made the first object in evangelism, then the primary concern may be to do nothing to hinder that result, nothing should be said to antagonize or to awaken resistance, so man’s impotence and helplessness, his being ‘dead in trespasses and sin; his condition as an individual who ‘is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be’—come to be related as truths likely to put off those who are to be won, for the same reason the wrath of God (a truth spoke of ten times in the Epistle to the Romans) is often considered to be a hindrance to the reception of the message.
The problem with this thinking is the assumption that somehow, after all, salvation is ultimately in the sinner’s own hands, and that nothing must be done to provoke his resistance. But such thinking is really to deny that man is in the condition that God has revealed. Either it is true or it is not, that ‘the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God’ (1 Cor. 2:13). If it is true, then conversion does not come about by the preacher gaining the sinner’s acceptance of his message. Paul’s whole argument in the passage in 1 Corinthians, where he asserts the impossibility of the natural man receiving spiritual things, is that all men are offended by the preaching of the cross—‘a stumbling to Jews and folly to Gentiles.’ It is that fact that makes the intervention of divine grace and power essential: ‘Faith is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God’ (Eph. 2:8). Instead, then, of hiding their helplessness from men, and avoiding what might offend, the preacher needs to show the full extent of their predicament and their dependence on the mercy of God. The unregenerate are as unable before the invitations of the gospel as they are before the claims of the law, yet their lack of faith is no more to be excused than their disobedience to the law. Indeed unbelief heightens guilt (1 John 5:10).
—Iain Murray, The Old Evangelicalism (Banner of Truth, 2005)
The Thirsty Theologian: The Extent of Our Predicament.
Iain Murray has written some excellent books, particularly his 2 volume set on the biography of Dr D Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
Thank you for the heads up Brother. I started reading Murray’s ” The Forgotten Spurgeon ” last evening. This is my second reading of it after about a year. I love his attention to details. I quit buying books for a long time because I have over four thousand books in the topic section of my E-Sword program, but I must admit I miss having the actual book in hand. Again, thanks for the information.
GOD BLESS YOU & YOUR HOUSE BROTHER
I know what you mean about holding a real book; there is nothing that can really substitute it, but I will say this though, that through unfortunate circumstances, I lost almost all of my theological library that had taken years and years to build and cost quite a lot of money. Amazingly, God has restored exceedingly far more than what I lost, at no cost. Even though they are in pdf form, I thank God for them. It’s the words rather than the work of art that matters most. Murray’s book, ‘The Forgotten Spurgeon’ is really good. I haven’t read it since the late 90’s.
God richly bless you too, Brother.
I got hooked on PDF’s about eight years ago. A year ago I put them all on flash cards so I don’t need to take my laptop with me all the time. I have one of the older versions of E-Sword Bible Study Programs, version 8. I was told three years ago that I would need to reload many of my files to do an update and that I might lose some of them. I’ll stick with what I have until I buy my next PC. I love E-Sword though, it’s been free the last few years. Plenty of free files at the E-Sword website. Some folk came together and built a website called ( http://www.biblesupport.com/ ), they have thousands of free files for E-Sword. If you know of anyone that needs such a program it’s all free.
GOD BLESS YOU & YOUR HOUSE BROTHER
I’ll take a look at this and be sure to pass on the info – thank you!