In parts of Africa, Eastern Europe, China, etc., there seem to be many people turning to Christ. What are the reasons for fewer conversions in the UK?
The need is there, the gospel is the same, Christ is the same, God is unchanging. Many factors may be suggested, sociological, political, economic, and above all spiritual.
Should we make appeals?
Calling people forward was popularised by Charles G. Finney, but the church grew marvellously for 1,800 years before Finney without that practice. Many great evangelists, such as George Whitefield and C.H. Spurgeon saw thousands converted without calling for such outward demonstrations. So this suggestion is not acceptable. But perhaps the question may be asked, has Reformed theology blunted our evangelistic zeal? Has belief in the sovereignty of God made us feel less responsible for reaching people with the gospel? Perhaps we can truthfully answer that it has not. We do not have to call people forward to appeal to them, to try to persuade them. The apostle Paul wrote, 'Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men'. Do we reason with them? Are we filled with eager zeal to see them saved? But perhaps the reason why our zeal has waned in our preaching, and our efforts to persuade men are not so strenuous, is because we see so few non-Christians in our services.
