Preaching the Gospel to All

The following article appears in the April 2026 issue of Tabletalk magazine.

The doctrine of election can become distorted, leading to incorrect conclusions. For example, one can fatalistically surmise that God’s election makes Him unjust. The most persistent, misguided conclusion in the history of Reformed churches is this: If only the elect can be saved, then the gospel should be preached only to the elect.

In contrast, predestination should propel the church to offer the gospel freely to all. One of the most frequently quoted calls of Jesus serves as a testament to this truth. He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Here, the Lord gives three vital lessons demonstrating that the gospel is to be preached to all.

Always be ready to preach; do not wait until people are ready. When did Jesus issue this call? Matthew says that it was “at that time” (v. 25). The obvious question is, At what time? At a time when the Lord was condemning whole cities for not receiving Him. Matthew records, “Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent” (v. 20). These cities were in Galilee, where He was preaching and performing wonders (vv. 1, 5). Jesus said to them:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. . . . And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. . . . I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” (vv. 21–24)

Jesus is pronouncing judgment against these people. He then urges, “Come to me” (v. 28).

You can read the rest of the article here.