Modern Evangelism vs. Puritan Evangelism

Is our modern style of evangelism effective and biblical? J.I. Packer does an excellent job of comparing the differences between our modern style of evangelism and the puritans style of evangelism in chapter 18 of "A Quest For Holiness." I'll try to summarize.

Modern Evangelism
1. It is viewed as an "extraordinary and occasional activity" of the church (i.e. Revivals, meetings, special preachers).
2. It is decision driven.
3. It was birthed by Charles Finney in the 1820's who believed in man's ability to chose God. He did not believe in total inability-"the belief that fallen human beings are totally unable to repent, believe, or do anything spiritually good without renewing grace" (pg. 293). Bad theology drives bad evangelism. With this false teaching it is not surprising that his evangelism efforts focused on moving people's will and emotions at the expense of rightly handling the word of truth.

Puritan Evangelism
1. There was a deep conviction that "the conversion of a sinner is a gracious sovereign work of divine power" (pg. 294). The puritans loved using the term effectual calling. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, answer 31, defines effectual calling as: "the work of God's Spirit whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our will, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel." There are three aspects of effectual calling.

• a. It is "a work of saving grace." "It is not something man can do for himself or for another...the elect sinner is brought by the Holy Spirit into a real, vital, personal union with his covenant Head and Redeemer. It is thus a work of free mercy on God's part" (pg. 295).

• b. It is "a work of divine power." Through the preaching of the Word of God the Holy Spirit enlightens and convicts the mind and births new life in the depths of the heart. "Ministers knock at the door of men's hearts, the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door. Grace is irresistible, not because it drags sinners to Christ against their will, but because it changes men's hearts SO THAT they 'come most freely, BEING MADE WILLING by grace" (Pg. 295, emphasis mine). The puritans took seriously the passages that man is "DEAD in sin (Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13), spiritually impotent (Jn 3:3, 5; 6:45; Rom 8:7; 1 Cor 2:14), radically depraved, sin's helpless slave (Rom 3:9; 6:20-22)" (Pg. 296).

• c. Effectual Calling is "a work of divine freedom." "Only God can do it effect it, and he does so at his own pleasure" (Pg. 296). Romans 9:16 says, "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, BUT ON GOD, who has mercy" (emphasis mine). Why did God forbid the preaching of the gospel in Asia or Bithynia (see Acts 16:9)? Why did God save Peter and not Judas? Johnathon Edwards defines God's sovereignty as "his absolute right of disposing of all creatures according to his own pleasure" (pg. 297). "The puritans taught that knowledge and conviction of one's sin, in its guilt, pollution, and ugliness, and of God's displeasure of it, must precede faith, since no one will come to Christ to be saved from sin till he or she knows from what sins salvation is needed" (pg. 298). The puritans would never counsel a person to flee to Christ unless there was evidence of a desire to flee from sin and a knowledge of specific sins commited. They were very cautious of creating "gospel-hypocrites." "There must be contrition before conversion can result" (pg. 299).