From a sermon by Rolfe Barnard : Why we preach the Gospel and Particular Redemption. [Modified slightly]
The issue is whether or not we are proclaiming the Gospel. They say if you do not preach universal redemption and tell everybody that God loves them, and that Christ died for them; if you don't preach that, you don't have any Gospel. And I contend that if you do preach that,you do not have any Gospel.
...And we contend that those of us who refuse to get up before a public audience or a private individual and say :"My friend, God loves you and Christ died for you." We cannot possibly say that; we know that is not the Gospel. We do not believe that is any business of the preacher or the hearer. God's Word says He does not love everybody. [ And then he quotes Malachi 1:2b and 3,Romans 9:11-13, Psalm 5:5b, Deuteronomy 32:19, Psalm 11:5b and John 14:21.]
Do you believe what the Bible says?
What does it mean to preach the Gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ? In order to preach the Gospel to all people, we do not mean that we are to tell people God has set His love on each of them and that Christ died to save each of them. Now I labor on this because that is what is being preached today. I've heard and you've heard preachers who say we must assure sinners that God loves them, and that Christ died for them in their stead. When we tell sinners that God has set His love on them, that simply means that if that is true, all of humanity must be saved. It absolutely impossible to tell someone that God has set His love upon them and that Christ has died to save them, to then say that there is anything wrong with them. If God has set His love upon you, and Christ has died to save you, then praise God the joy of salvation, the assurance of salvation, the victory of salvation is yours, as you look to somebody who possibly saves; but the One who does.
The issue is whether or not we are proclaiming the Gospel. They say if you do not preach universal redemption and tell everybody that God loves them, and that Christ died for them; if you don't preach that, you don't have any Gospel. And I contend that if you do preach that,you do not have any Gospel.
...And we contend that those of us who refuse to get up before a public audience or a private individual and say :"My friend, God loves you and Christ died for you." We cannot possibly say that; we know that is not the Gospel. We do not believe that is any business of the preacher or the hearer. God's Word says He does not love everybody. [ And then he quotes Malachi 1:2b and 3,Romans 9:11-13, Psalm 5:5b, Deuteronomy 32:19, Psalm 11:5b and John 14:21.]
Do you believe what the Bible says?
What does it mean to preach the Gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ? In order to preach the Gospel to all people, we do not mean that we are to tell people God has set His love on each of them and that Christ died to save each of them. Now I labor on this because that is what is being preached today. I've heard and you've heard preachers who say we must assure sinners that God loves them, and that Christ died for them in their stead. When we tell sinners that God has set His love on them, that simply means that if that is true, all of humanity must be saved. It absolutely impossible to tell someone that God has set His love upon them and that Christ has died to save them, to then say that there is anything wrong with them. If God has set His love upon you, and Christ has died to save you, then praise God the joy of salvation, the assurance of salvation, the victory of salvation is yours, as you look to somebody who possibly saves; but the One who does.