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INTRODUCTION
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We are telling the truth. We have seen and heard with our own ears, a senior pastor of a large protestant church, teaching the congregation during his sermon, that John 9:4-5 is telling them that there is an urgency to proclaim the good news of Christ, because “night is coming when no one can work.” While is it important for those who have heard of the gospel of Christ to repent of the sins, turn to Christ and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, John 9:4-5 is certainly not talking about the urgency to proclaim the gospel. Whose urgency, is it? Will the end of the age come before all of the elect are saved? Will God suddenly come back in a hurry, before He saves all of His elect? If not, then whose urgency, is it?
1.2
Today, there are still career clergymen using the same tactics to create a crisis situation to drive God’s precious flock to do more, even though some of them are living very hectic lives trying to make a living. These while trying to hold down their day jobs, run their households, or do their studies or other related activities, are being pushed by career clergymen volunteer more time for the church. We doubt these career clergymen are called by God. Please do not misunderstand us. We are certain that many Christians serve out of love for their Lord and Savior. There is nothing wrong with serving the church more, but using John 9:4-5 to create a false crisis situation is deception. These so-called shepherds will face the true Shepherd and will have to give an account to Him one day.
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ANALYSIS
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John 9:4-5 (NASB95) states:
(4) We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. (5) While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
2.2
John 9:4-5 (KJV) states:
(4) I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (5) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
2.3
Matt 28:19-20 (NASB95) states:
(19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
2.4
Looking at the second half of the Great Commission in verse 20, we see that Jesus Himself said that He would be with His disciples always, even to the end of the age. Thus, from the time the Great Commission was given, all the way to the end of the age, we are to make disciples of all nations. There is no point in time when this work would have to stop. There is nothing in Matt 28:19-20 that offer any hint that the disciples would encounter a “night-time” event when no one can work. If there is this critical urgency to preach the gospel to all nations, Jesus would have started preaching in the synagogues immediately after He has risen, to convert as many as possible before going back to the Father. And since He came back alive, even more will believe in Him. But He did none of that as He only appeared to His disciples. Let us now take a look at Acts 13:1-2 and see if the Holy Spirit is in a hurry to proclaim the gospel.
2.5
Acts 13:1-2 (NASB95) states:
(1) Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (2) While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
2.6
Acts 13:1-2 stated that there were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch. These obviously are not babes in Christ. If the Holy Spirit was in a hurry, if there is such an urgency, why only send Barnabas and Paul? Why not send all of them? Everything is according to God’s perfect timing; it is all in His time. Therefore, this so-called “urgency” to save the lost is cooked up by career clergymen needing to meet key performance indicators so that their career growth can be enhanced, and their resume made to look more outstanding. Career growth resting on the efforts of God’s precious sheep who are mostly unpaid volunteers, of course. It sounds cynical we know, but we are stating true facts that we have experienced first-hand.
2.7
So, we look at John 9:4-5 again, what then is this “night” in verse 4 that is coming when no one can work? The key to understanding the meaning of the word, “night” can be found by reading verses 4 and 5 together. Verse 5 states that, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” So, if Jesus is not in the world, the Light of the world would be gone, is it not? Without the Light of the world, there would be darkness when no one can work. Hence this “night-time” event is referring to the time when He died on the cross. At that “night-time” event, Christ was not with the Father, and neither was He in the world. When Christ died on the cross, no one was able to work. In fact, all His disciples fled. All the works of Him and His disciples stopped momentarily for this period of time until He rose again on the third day.
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OUR DISCUSSION ON EPHESIANS 1:4-5 FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE
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Eph 1:4-5 (NASB95) states:
(4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love (5) He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
3.2
As seen in verse 4, before the world was created, that is, even before the elect existed, they were already chosen to be saved. So, is it possible that God would somehow forget some of His chosen ones and come back in a hurry? Is it possible that God in His rush to destroy the world, would somehow fail to remember His chosen ones from a long time ago? Absolutely impossible. Not even one of those whom He had chosen will be lost. These are PREDESTINED to be saved. That is, they will be saved no matter what happens. If a person is predestined to be saved, but he ends up being destroyed along with the rest of the world then God is not sovereign and His Word counts for nothing. But the word of the Lord endures forever (1 Pet 1:25). Where then, is this “urgency” to preach the gospel before God returns to destroy the earth (2 Pet 3:10)? Therefore those predestined to be saved will be saved in God’s perfect timing. Our job is the preach the gospel and leave the rest to God.
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CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
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Once again, not a single one of those whom God had chosen will be lost. Do not be deceived, Christ will not return in a hurry or in a haphazard manner. He will come back in His perfect timing. God is on time and on schedule. He will not be late and neither will He be early. Christians are to continue proclaiming the gospel in obedience to Him. Whether any person was chosen to be saved or not, is not for us to find out or to know. Only God knows, for He is One who did the choosing. Thus the lost are not saved by Christians. We emphasize again, the lost are not saved by us. They are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). That is, saved by God’s grace alone, through the faith of the believer, where even the faith he has to believe came from God. Nothing, apart from God, can be attributed to a person’s salvation.
4.2
Career church leaders who teach that their congregants must proclaim the gospel with urgency are indirectly telling them that the amount of people saved is dependent on how much effort they put in. This is not the truth. Such leaders do this to deceive those who refuse to read the Bible for themselves. Of course, not all church leaders are liars, there are also many church leaders who are truly saved and are true servants of our Lord. These are our true brothers in Christ.
4.3
In conclusion, we are confident that even if all Christians hide themselves in a large mountain and refuse to proclaim the gospel to anyone, those whom God has predestined to be saved, will still be saved. This is because the lost are saved not by us, but by His sovereign decision alone. We are just His instruments to save the lost – we all need to be clear in our minds about this.