When we speak of the Evangelism of Despair we are often met with a mixed reaction. This is particularly so when we encounter Christians who are imbued with the modern version of evangelism. It is common today to speak of “seekers” – those who desperately want to be saved. It is extremely common to encounter this terminology in combination with worship, which gives us the hybrid “Seeker Service”. (Sadly, this terminology shows a lack of Biblical understanding on at least two points.)
The problem with the “seeker” concept is related to evangelism only in a secondary way. The primary problem has to do with the Biblical view of man. In history, there have been two primary views of man regarding his post fall status. One sees man as sick; the other sees man as dead! What you believe the Bible teaches concerning man’s estate, post fall, is going to influence your view of evangelism.
To put it simply, if man is simply sick, he only needs the provision of medicine. He has the ability within himself to reach out, take hold of, and ingest any medication offered to, or requested by, himself. The dead man can do none of these things. Even if a life-giving elixir is placed in a golden chalice and then put into his hands, it will avail naught.
Here, and only here, is the root of the discussion. Can you see this? To speak of a ‘seeker service’ or of the ‘seeker’ in general, is to state that you believe that man is only sick. It is to say that Christ’s death and resurrection are merely the offering of medicine that can heal. It is now up to the “sick” to seek out that medicine, make his way to, and ingest that medicine. In such a case, your evangelism theory and practice will be based in wooing, cajoling, and coaxing the sick man to the medicine in the hope that he has enough interest and strength to drink deeply and be healed.
However, we must ask, “What if your patient is dead?” What will coaxing and cajoling actually produce? The simple answer is that it will leave you short of breath and the dead man, dead.
These questions are not meant as impertinence, but as a means to make you think. This is necessary because most Christians never stop to ask that simple question – Is sinful man sick or dead?
Then we must ask concerning results. It would be fair to say that never in the history of the Church have there been so many evangelistic programmes and evangelistic endeavours. Yet, for all of these, we are simply not impacting the world in a noticeable way. Why? Could it be that we have based our evangelistic operations on a faulty view of man?
This then leads to the all important question: Which view of man is Biblical? Is man sick or dead? The Biblical answer is that man is dead!
This answer is not popular in our day, but it is nonetheless the revealed truth of Scripture.
The clearest statement to this effect is found in Ephesians 2:1 (see also v 5), where Pauls says, “You were dead in your trespasses and sin”. Not sick, but dead (Colossians 2:13). Paul also states that “There are none righteous; none who seeks after God” (Romans 3:10-11). However, it must be clearly understood that this is not an isolated Pauline idea. This is a thoroughly Biblical concept. John, 6:44, states that the Father must “draw” the sinner. Why? John 6:65 notes that none can come to Jesus unless the Father “grants” (C.f Matthew 13:11). Why?
These positions make no sense, if man is but sick. They make total sense, if man is dead!
Man not only needs the provision of salvation – the medicine (as in the case of the sick man); he needs the medicine to be applied. The dead sinner needs the complete application of salvation. The dead sinner requires nothing less than the authoritative command of God to “live!” – and this precisely because he is dead to God. (Ezekiel 37:1-10)