Encouraged by Arminians

I'm not big into "Christian" music these days, which is why I had not heard the cd my mom was playing in the car. It was a band called Casting Crowns. They seemed to have some talent, so I copied the cd to my puter and listened all the way through.

I recognized a few of the tracks which happen to be common praise songs in many churches. I was jamming away, listening to the cd, when track six started to play. The words were very moving. Here's the song:

Here I Go Again
Lyrics by Mark Hall
Music by Casting Crowns

Father, hear my prayer
I need the perfect words
Words that he will hear
And know they're straight from You
I don't know what to say
I only know it hurts
To see my only friend slowly fade away

So maybe this time I'll speak the words of life
With Your fire in my eyes
But that old familiar fear is tearing at my words
What am I so afraid of?

Chorus:
'Cause here I go again
Talkin 'bout the rain
And mulling over things that won't live past today
And as I dance around the truth
Time is not his friend
This might be my last chance to tell him
That You love Him
But here I go again, here I go again

Lord, You love him so, You gave Your only Son
If he will just believe; he will never die
But how then will he know what he has never heard
Lord he has never seen mirrored in my life

This might be my last chance to tell him
That You love him
This might be my last chance to tell him
That You love him
You love him, You love him

What Am I so afraid
What am I so afraid
What am I so afraid of?
How then will he know
What he has never heard

(c) 2003 Club Zoo Music / SWEC Music
(Admin. by Club Zoo Music) / BMI.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

***Disclaimer - Obviously, this song is not theologically sound. The artist is not shy about their Arminian theology. I disagree with their approach to evangelism: telling people that "God loves them" ... especially equating this somehow with preaching the gospel. That said...***

I was encouraged by this artist's passion for evangelism. The author of the lyrics, Mark Hall, is plain about his desire to see his friend(s) come to know Christ in salvation. What a wonderful desire this is!

This song has inspired me to renew my passion and my zeal for the unregenerate. I want to see the lost saved. As Christians, we ought to boldly proclaim the gospel of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Here I Go Again" was based on two passages of Scripture:

2 Cor. 5:16-21: "16Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

and Romans 10:14: "14How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?"

Romans 10:14 has been a favorite verse of mine for many years now. As an Arminian I gave a certain emphasis to it, that Casting Crowns seems to place on the text as well. As a Reformed Christian, I now recognize that God has not only predestined the ends, but also the means to reach those ends. God has elected some for salvation, and we are the means God uses to proclaim His message. For indeed, "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). Because we do not know who the elect are, the general call of the gospel is for every individual, knowing the Lord will save men "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). We should strive to follow after Paul's example: "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:10).

The gospel should be our greatest concern. We need to study the gospel. We should be prepared to explain with clarity the basis for our justification before our holy God (justification by faith alone, imputation, etc). Is there any reason why we should not be passionate for the good news that saved us from our sins? I will conclude by citing another favorite evangelism passage:

"3Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3).

Rusty