- Who is the gospel for?

2. To Whom is the Gospel to be Preached?

I have said these words in my response to your first charge. They will answer this second question adequately: “Preaching of the gospel, the ministry of the word is very important and most necessary, Act 6:4. The Great Commission puts the church generally, and the ministers of the gospel particularly, under divine obligation and necessity to preach the gospel to all creatures.” Even believers need to hear the gospel, Rom 1:7,15. The gospel is to be preached to all sinners without distinction. All who hear are to be commanded and reasoned and pleaded with to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. All who believe, as the Scriptures declare, HAVE eternal life – i.e., their faith in Christ evidences that they have been given eternal life. All who believe shall be saved! Shall be saved in what sense? We need to rightly divide the revealed Word of God.” We shall consider ‘saved in what sense’ later.

I repeat these words for a good reason. Despite these plain words, I now hear of lies that accuse Pastor Lau of believing that the Great Commission given to the apostles was applicable to the apostles only, therefore there is no more need of gospel preaching. Such a thing has not even crossed my mind! Some folks are seeing phantoms of their own imagination. Even though the Great Commission was given personally to the apostles, along with all the unique promises of signs and miracles, yet the New Testament church is to carry on the work of preaching the gospel and making disciples. That’s the pattern the apostles of Christ have left for the NT church to follow. The Apostolic charge to the pastors and teachers of the NT churches is: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry!


3. Who are Able to Trust in Christ Alone for Salvation?

It is only those whom the Triune God – God, Word and Spirit – have effectually called – justified, regenerated and adopted who are capable of any spiritual activities of turning from sins and trusting in Christ alone for salvation. It is only those who have been given eternal life who are able to turn from their sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation. I have provided some proofs in my reply to your second charge of error. The Scripture declares that only those who are effectually called to life are able to turn from their sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation. The Confession summarizes this Scriptural order in the application of salvation:

1689.10.1: “All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call... out of that state of sin and death which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ...”
1689.11.1: “Those whom God effectually calleth He also free justifieth...”
1689.12.1: “All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth... to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privilege of the children of God...”
1689.13.1: “They who are effectually called and regenerated... are further sanctified really and personally...”

The words “are further sanctified” remind us that they were already sanctified (simple past tense) in a specific sense, i.e., separated from the state of sin and death to grace and salvation at effectual calling. To be ‘further sanctified’ is ONLY possible after an elect is already effectually called and regenerated with eternal life. And this process of ‘further sanctified’ is stated in chapter 14.
1689.14.1: “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.” (2Co 4:13; Eph 2:8; Ro 10:14,17; Lk 17:5; 1Pe 2:2; Ac 20:32.)

“The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls...” is the beginning of the process when such elect are ‘further sanctified really and personally.’ This process of being further sanctified is ordinarily brought about by the preaching of the gospel and maintained by the ministry of the word. ‘Faith comes by hearing.’ The ministry of the word is ‘from faith to faith’ – the righteousness of God, in the gospel preaching, is declared or revealed from the preacher (with faith in the righteousness provided by God) to one with faith (one in whom the Spirit of Christ works the grace of faith to believe the good news of righteousness provided by God). Only one with faith can know and therefore “preach” the gospel, and only one with the grace of faith worked in his heart by the Spirit of Christ can “hear” the truth. For these reasons, Paul greatly desired to preach the gospel to the believers at Rome (Rom 1:8-17).