Very often, those who are not Reformed/Calvinist/Sovereigntist demonstrate a misunderstanding of what it is that we believe and teach. (It doesn’t help matters that many have been exposed to hyper-Calvinists or others who hold to perversions of these historical doctrines.) One of the primary misunderstandings is just what it means to be elect.
So let me just clarify something: within the framework of Reformed theology, “elect” and “saved” are not synonymous.
Reformed theology does not teach that if one is elect, it then means that one is automatically already saved and nothing needs to happen to bring that to pass. Rather, it teaches that if one is elect, that one will certainly – at some point – respond to the gospel and become saved. So (within the confines of time) all who are saved are elect, but not all who are elect are (yet) saved.
This is key in answering questions such as, “Why preach, then?”
Hi there!
I saw that you entered to win the Soap Nuts giveaway at “Passionate Homemaking” blog. Wanted to let you know that I am currently holding a giveaway at my blog (Happily Domestic) for a 80 load size bag of NaturOli soap nuts! Ends 9/28 and there are MANY ways to enter. 🙂
I do hope you will stop by and enter. And hope you enjoy reading my blog as well.
Here is the direct link for the giveaway:
http://happilydomestic.blogspot.com/2009/09/naturoli-soap-nuts-review-and-giveaway.html
Have a great day!
~Beth
http://www.HappilyDomestic.blogspot.com
Even more important, we must witness and “preach the gospel to every creature”. We are here on Earth to worship and praise God as well as to bring others to the Lord. We do not know what the results will be but need to be let others know about the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, most churches today would rather invite people to church than to tell them about Jesus; this is not the same and the unbeliever may never come to church. But many people in the Bible were saved without going to church first (the thief on the cross, the Ethiopian Eunich, etc…)
Absolutely, Shannon! Unfortunately, many people believe that Reformed theology discourages the preaching of the gospel because they mistakenly believe that we believe that the elect are already saved – that’s why I think that clearing up this misunderstanding is key in answering these sorts of questions. Because we don’t believe the elect are all already saved, we must preach the gospel. Because we don’t know who is elect, we preach the gospel to all. (This is all besides the fact that God commanded it!)