"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the week: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." (I Corinthians 9:19-23)

I must confess that I tire of hearing and reading from people, who for the most part must be willingly ignorant, who say that believing in the Sovereign Grace of God, including election, predestination, effectual calling, or those who promote the so-called TULIP doctrines cannot be mission minded. They say that believing these great truths kills missionary zeal.

Anyone who would take this position is willingly ignorant of Paul the apostle. Paul was only one of the apostles that taught the Sovereignty of God in salvation, yet he probably taught more about it than the others. You can find it throughout his writings, but it is prominent in Romans 8 & 9, and also in Ephesians 1. You don’t have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to understand it. It just takes simple faith to believe that what God says is true, and simple prayer for the Holy Spirit to help guide you in it. I hope I am wrong, but I fear there is an element of pride in any who will not believe what the Bible teaches so plainly. They are like the Campbellites, who have promoted their baptismal regeneration heresy so long, pride will not allow them to turn from it and embrace the truth. Jesus taught Paul and Paul passed the truth of Sovereign Grace on to us by the Holy Spirit. If you do not believe that you just as well throw away your Bibles, because if that is not true, then none of it is true.

Since Paul was one of the great teachers of Sovereign Grace in salvation, then according to the afore mentioned critics of it, Paul should not have had any missionary zeal at all, but anyone who knows anything about the word of God, knows that aside from Jesus, Paul was one of the greatest missionaries of all time. He not only had zeal to spread the gospel to all who would listen, but he done it without charge. He labored building tents so as to supply his needs as he traveled and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. He went on three missionary journeys through which many churches were established. If you think believing and preaching the doctrines of the Sovereign Grace of God kills missionary zeal, maybe you better study more about how God worked through Paul.

Many believe that Arminianism promotes mission work. If it does, it does so ignorantly while working under a false premise. The Arminian believes that salvation is solely up to the individual. As if God has done all He can do through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. According to the Arminian God desires to save, but can only try to save the lost. They stir up the sinner to feel sorry for Jesus and make the first move. The Arminian also believes in his power of persuasion, and the power of the sinner to make a decision, or choose Jesus Christ. All kinds of gimmickry and unscriptural invitations (which bring shame to Jesus, because they exalt the sinner and abase Jesus) are used to obtain the desired end, i.e. the profession of the sinner. I certainly would not say that none are truly saved through this kind of preaching, because there may be many, but if they are, they are saved in spite of this kind of missionary work, and not because of it.

The Sovereign Grace missionary goes forth with all faith in God and a desire to see souls saved. He goes forth knowing that God is able to save whom He will. He knows that all he can do is preach the word, water with the word, persuade and reason with the word, but it is God that must deal with the heart of the individual to turn them away from sin to the Lord. He knows that a sinner is dead spiritually and will not receive the spiritual truth of Jesus as Saviour. He knows the sinner must be made alive by the Holy Spirit, so that he will be able to receive the spiritual things of God. He goes with confidence in the ability of God to save. That is one of the great differences between the Sovereign Grace missionary and the Arminian missionary. The Sovereign grace missionary’s confidence is not in the flesh, but in the power of God, whereas the confidence of the Arminian is not in God, but in the flesh, that is, their ability to persuade and the sinner’s ability and power to make a decision.

It might be well also to point out that early in our American history the first true Baptists that came to America were for the most part believers and preachers of Sovereign grace. How do you explain the rapid expansion of these churches across America? It was not due to Arminian missionaries, but rather Baptist churches and preachers which held to the truth of Sovereign Grace. The rapid spread of true Baptist churches at that time was primarily due to the zeal of Sovereign Grace Baptists.

Believe what you will, but it is nothing but ignorance that would accuse Sovereign Grace Baptists of not having missionary zeal. Believing in the Sovereign Grace of God in salvation does not kill missionary zeal, it enhances it. May God bless His word.