With years of experience and a wealth of Biblical knowledge, J.I. Packer addresses a number of difficult theological issues in Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. In four chapters, this short read tackles questions regarding divine sovereignty, human responsibility, and evangelism.
Packer starts by telling the reader that he doesn’t intend to spend any time convincing his audience that God is sovereign in salvation. They already believe it, and there are two ways they show it – first, they thank God for their salvation, and second, they pray for the conversion of others.
He then concentrates on what he refers to as “the antinomy of divine sovereignty and human responsibility” showing that these two truths must be held together and not used against each other. Dangers exist when we are exclusively concerned about either divine sovereignty or human responsibility. As C.H. Spurgeon once said when asked about reconciling these truths, “I wouldn’t try. I never reconcile friends.”
In his longest and most involved chapter, Packer focuses on evangelism – what it is, the specifics of the evangelistic message, the motivation for it, and the means and methods we should use in its practice.
Packer concludes his book by showing the reader that the sovereignty of God is a motivating factor and not a hindrance in evangelism. After all, evangelism would be a fruitless endeavor without God’s intervention.
Packed is unashamedly reformed, but writes about the sovereignty of God only as “is necessary for right thinking about evangelism.” Whether you consider yourself a Calvinist, an Arminian, or somewhere in between, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God will stimulate your thinking about evangelism and increase your desire to join God in his work. It is easy to see why InterVarsity Press has republished this book as one if its “IVP Classics.”
Reviewed by Todd Sauve
