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Romans 10:14–15
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”
Some Christians reject the biblical doctrines of unconditional election and reprobation because they think that predestination unto salvation eliminates the need for preaching and believing the gospel. The thinking is that if the elect are going to be saved no matter what because God has chosen them, then there is no need to declare the good news of Jesus Christ to sinners. This objection, however, betrays an incomplete understanding of the Lord’s sovereign providence. God’s sovereignty in salvation does not negate the church’s responsibility to make disciples of the nations, for our Creator is pleased to use the means of gospel preaching to bring the elect to saving faith. Knowing that there is an elect people from every tribe and tongue should encourage us to evangelize lost sinners. It means that gospel preaching is never in vain but that there are certainly some who will receive Christ in faith.
Today’s passage demonstrates the necessity of gospel proclamation for salvation. The Apostle Paul asks several questions about how people will come to faith if they do not hear the gospel and a preacher does not share it with them (Rom. 10:14–15). Of course, the expected answer is that no one will believe without hearing the gospel. Historically, the Reformed tradition has insisted that everyone of sufficient intelligence to understand the basic gospel will not be saved if they never hear the gospel. Westminster Confession of Faith 10.4 states that “men, not professing the Christian religion, [cannot] be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And, to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.”
The necessity of hearing the gospel to be reconciled to God comes into the order of salvation under the terminology of the external, outer, or gospel call. This external call refers simply to the proclamation of the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to sinners. It follows divine foreknowledge and election to salvation and precedes the elect’s response of faith and repentance. Our Creator has chosen to save sinners through the means of gospel preaching, so the gospel must be proclaimed to all people. Not everyone who hears the gospel will believe, and even the elect may not believe in Jesus the first time they hear the gospel. Still, they will finally come to faith because somehow the gospel will reach them.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
God saves sinners through the proclamation of the gospel. Because of this, it is the responsibility of believers to share the truth of Jesus Christ as they are able. We can do this by talking to our friends and families about the Lord. We can also do it by financially supporting our churches’ missions and evangelism efforts as well as the distribution of Bibles, tracts, Christian literature, and so forth.
For further study
- Isaiah 52:7
- Nahum 1:15
- Mark 16:15–16
- 1 Corinthians 1:18–25
The bible in a year
- Song of Solomon 3–5
- Galatians 1