Salvation and the Mission of God: Fred Sanders Part 2

In part two of his thoughts on salvation, Dr. Fred Sanders focuses on evangelism and ministry.

Salvation and Evangelism
It is entirely conceivable that a major difference over the order of salvation could lead to different styles of evangelism, and maybe even to incompatible practices of mission. But if the question is whether evangelical Calvinists of various kinds and evangelical Wesleyans of various kinds can share a common approach to evangelism, I would say they definitely can. The differences in the order of salvation tend to be underground or behind the scenes, rather than out in front as the focus of attention.

But the differences do sometimes surface in interesting ways. Specifically, we may present the gospel the same way, but if we then ask ourselves how an unconverted person can be expected to respond to the offer of the gospel, we give very different answers.

One of the classic Reformed answers is that when the gospel goes out and is received, the person who accepts it shows thereby that God has already regenerated them. It is in fact the new person within them, made alive by the Spirit, who is able to hear the good news as good. On this view, it is the born again person who repents and has faith; the unregenerate person by definition cannot behave as God’s friend by believing God’s promise. The evangelist confronts some listeners who are already born again and just waiting for the external call to draw them out. Read more

See also
Salvation and the Mission of God: Fred Sanders Part 1

The Anglican Church in North America's To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism, in contrast to the Anglican confessional formularies, takes a Wesleyan view of how an unconverted person can be expected to respond to the offer of the gospel. The Anglican confessional formularies take the Reformed view. On the other hand, the ACNA's proposed rite of baptism takes a Roman Catholic view. As Dr. Sanders explains this view, "what comes first of all is a sacramental or baptismal infusion of sanctifying grace, which implants the principle of grace whereby God moves the will to do meritorious works that sanctify and finally justify the believer." This is not the only discrepancy between what the ACNA's catechism teaches and its liturgies teach. There are also discrepancies between the catechism and the material annexed to it.

The Anglican Church in North America could have adopted a policy similar to that of the Evangelical Free Church and kept silent on key points of divergence or it could, as Dr. Sanders suggests, taught that there are two or three different views of a subject. Both approaches would have made the denomination more comprehensive. However, its leaders opted for a policy that favors an Anglo-Catholic and philo-Orthodox theological perspective over a Protestant and historic Anglican one.