Invitation or Summons

[Luke2427]

When we preach is ours a Gospel invitation or summons.

An invitation is not imperative. Their is no demand in view.

A summons is imperative. You are not invited to attend but commanded to attend.

Is the preacher to say, "I want to invite you to come to Christ today," or should he say, "God commands that you repent of your sin and yield yourself wholly to Jesus Christ"?

What think you?

 

[luke1616]

I think....... the unbeliever has to want what we have, shown by our lives. We are living epistles. A man is brought to repentance by the kindness of God. If we can show the unbeliever the love that only comes from God, it will draw them to God. If we pound out the summons message "If you don't join us, you are hell bound.", most will reject it as religious judgment. If you do get someone with that fear, then they are fear driven instead of love drawn. It is truth that believers are saved, and unbelievers are damned, but I don't think Christ intended it as a summons.:godisgood:

 

[convicted1]

I think....... the unbeliever has to want what we have, shown by our lives. We are living epistles. A man is brought to repentance by the kindness of God. If we can show the unbeliever the love that only comes from God, it will draw them to God. If we pound out the summons message "If you don't join us, you are hell bound.", most will reject it as religious judgment. If you do get someone with that fear, then they are fear driven instead of love drawn. It is truth that believers are saved, and unbelievers are damned, but I don't think Christ intended it as a summons.:godisgood:

I have heard some say, "I wouldn't give a nickel for scared religion!" I don't know about y'all, but if I hadn't been scared about the direction my life was headed, I would have never changed. Don't get me wrong, God is the one who sets up the Godly sorrow, and fear in one's life, and without this fear, I guess no one would have changed their ways. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. This fear I am talking about, will help to draw one to Christ, because they know He is the only one who can save them from this horrible place called the lake of fire.

i am I am's!!

Willis

 

[idonthavetimeforthis]

When we preach is ours a Gospel invitation or summons.

An invitation is not imperative. Their is no demand in view.

A summons is imperative. You are not invited to attend but commanded to attend.

Is the preacher to say, "I want to invite you to come to Christ today," or should he say, "God commands that you repent of your sin and yield yourself wholly to Jesus Christ"?

What think you?

Paul "summoned" in Acts 17:30 - "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent."

 

[Robert Snow]

It is an invitation. Only a Calvinistic twisting of the Scripture makes it any other thing.

[inappropriate language snipped]

 

[Luke2427]

It is an invitation. Only a Calvinistic twisting of the Scripture makes it any other thing.

Luke, if you spent half as much time studying about Christ and the Gospel as you do studying about a dead heretic, you would be much better off.

I study the Scripture usually hours every day. Any one who thinks that Calvin was a heretic does not have enough sense to be qualified to post on a site like this.

BTW, you broke the baptistboard rules- if Calvin was a heretic then so are all of us Calvinists.

Withdraw it or I am going to report you.

I don't appreciate it.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Obvious if God "COMMANDS" it, it is not a simple take-it-or-leave-it request; it is [duh] a command.

He commands men to repent and believe. If man doesn't (and we know man without a change inwardly by the holy Spirit man is incapable of doing anything good in the sight of God) then man is held liable for not obeying.

"Decisionism" is a false Gospel, started by Finney, propagated by the numbers-crazed and still (sadly) taught today by some so-called Baptists. It is the categorical opposite of a sovereign God, making MAN sovereign in his "decision".

 

[Dr. Bob]

I study the Scripture usually hours every day. Any one who thinks that Calvin was a heretic does not have enough sense to be qualified to post on a site like this.

BTW, you broke the baptistboard rules- if Calvin was a heretic then so are all of us Calvinists.

Withdraw it or I am going to report you.

I don't appreciate it.

Luke I already snipped it. We do not allow such vile attacks to stand nor the use of such language . . . and Bro Snow knows better.

 

[DHK]

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Clearly, an invitation.

 

[idonthavetimeforthis]

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Clearly, an invitation.

Sounds like a summons to me. "Come" is in the imperative.

 

[webdog]

It's both. Ironically, both can be refused. We see this in the parable of the wedding guests.

 

[Baptist Believer]

I'm convinced it is both an invitation and a summons.

Since humankind is by nature in rebellion against God, many will ignore/resist the summons until their fragile physical life is ended. Then they will have no choice but to appear before The Judge of humankind and answer for themselves. God grants people the ability to harden themselves against Him (Exodus 8:15, 32), so resistance to God is possible for a time in God's economy.

We cannot appear before God without being summoned (John 6:44), however the call of God is often expressed to us as an invitation (John 7:37-38 as well as MANY other passages). So I believe this is a false dichotomy.

Invitations and summonses are not necessarily two different things.

 

[Luke2427]

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Clearly, an invitation.

I don't think so- it is a command much like the command to come to the wedding feast:

2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14For many are called, but few are chosen.

God destroyed those who did not come- it is not an invitation; it is a command with dire consequences.

It seems to me that we debase the Gospel by begging people to come.

 

[Luke2427]

It's both. Ironically, both can be refused.

Yes, this is because of total depravity.

 

[webdog]

Yes, this is because of total depravity.

What does that have to do with it? To refuse something means the option to accept is also there, or there is no refusal by definition.

 

[sag38]

Help me understand something Dr. Bob. How is this not an attack on those who don't agree with you? I am quoting from you response to Luke2427. still (sadly) taught today by some so-called Baptists. I guess in your mind I and many others on this site shouldn't even be allowed to post in this section then because we, God forbid, "invite" people. It's not very becoming for there to be a seeming double standard. Is this becoming the "Calvinist Board" or is it still the "Baptist Board"?

 

[Luke2427]

What does that have to do with it? To refuse something means the option to accept is also there, or there is no refusal by definition.

Why does it mean that? It does NOT mean that at all.

If my jaw is wired shut and I am offered barbecued ribs and I refuse, I had no option to accept. I wave my hand to signify that I refuse the offer. But I had no option to accept it.

Refusing something does not at all mean that one has the option to accept.

 

[Luke2427]

Help me understand something Dr. Bob. How is this not an attack on those who don't agree with you? I am quoting from you response to Luke2427. still (sadly) taught today by some so-called Baptists. I guess in your mind I and many others on this site shouldn't even be allowed to post in this section then because we, God forbid, "invite" people. It's not very becoming for there to be a seeming double standard. Is this becoming the "Calvinist Board" or is it still the "Baptist Board"?

You didn't seethe post to which he was responding- the person said that Calvin was a heretic. The clear implication is that Calvinists are all heretics. The rules CLEARLY condemn that.

The rules say nothing of the sort concerning your point.

 

[Robert Snow]

I study the Scripture usually hours every day. Any one who thinks that Calvin was a heretic does not have enough sense to be qualified to post on a site like this.

BTW, you broke the baptistboard rules- if Calvin was a heretic then so are all of us Calvinists.

Withdraw it or I am going to report you.

I don't appreciate it.

You can report me, but you don't need to. You have Dr. Bob to make sure the playing field is slanted toward Calvinism. He will allow the Calvinist to say whatever they want, such as calling Finney a heretic, while monitoring the non-Calvinists like a hawk.

You also said:

I study the Scripture usually hours every day.

I don't see how that is possible, you spend most of your day here on the BB!

 

[Luke2427]

You can report me, but you don't need to. You have Dr. Bob to make sure the playing field is slanted toward Calvinism. He will allow the Calvinist to say whatever they want, such as calling Finney a heretic, while monitoring the non-Calvinists like a hawk.

Finny was an open theist and a pelagian- that IS heresy.

No one is saying you can't call heresy heresy.

But Calvinism is NOT heresy and all educated people, including Arminians, understand this.

Jacobus Arminius would have you tossed out on your neck for calling Calvin a heretic.