Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: Sept. 11, 2005
INVITATION SONGS WITH A CALVINISTIC SLANT
Roger D. Campbell
We often call the song that we sing at the close of a lesson or sermon a “song of
invitation” or “song of exhortation.” We are authorized to sing praises to the
Lord (Col. 3:16). We are authorized to exhort or admonish other Christians, as
well as those that are outside of the Christ (Col. 3:16; Acts 2:40). We are
authorized to extend the Lord’s invitation by encouraging men to humble
themselves and obey the gospel, or, if they are already members of the church,
be restored to their first love. In view of all of these authorized activities,
though the specific expression “song of invitation/exhortation” is not used in
the Bible, the principle is certainly there, and thus the practice of singing such a
song is scriptural. Such a song is not mandatory, but it is authorized.
Some of the most inspiring melodies in our songbooks are those of invitation
songs. Their sound really does stir the soul. However, with any spiritual song
we must also give attention to the words that we are singing. When we sing we
speak to and teach one another (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Thus, we need to be
certain that what we are singing is in harmony with the Bible.
Some verses and some expressions in our songs of invitation trouble me. The
specific matter that I presently have in mind are those exhortation songs that
mention the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is
God (Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4). The Bible also teaches that the Holy Spirit acts to
save and sanctify human beings (2 Thess. 2:13). Thus, it is proper to teach and
sing about the Holy Spirit’s work. In addition, we understand the principle of
“poetic license”— symbolic language is often used in songs, and we recognize the
need to allow song writers to have the freedom to speak in non-literal terms.
But, that being true, it is also true that in our songs we should not be singing
and teaching confusing, unclear messages. Some of our invitation songs are
downright Calvinistic-sounding.
John Calvin (1509-1564), founder of the Presbyterian denomination and after
whom the term “Calvinism” is coined, taught what many denominations call
“irresistible grace.” This is the notion which basically says that man is totally
depraved and spiritually dead, so because of that God must send the Holy Spirit
to directly open his heart and make him a believer. This is sometimes called
“the direct operation of the Holy Spirit,” meaning that the Holy Spirit supposedly
accomplishes the work of opening a person’s heart to receive the gospel in a
miraculous or mysterious way. Some people apply the same reasoning to
keeping a child of God faithful — the Spirit supposedly works directly on a
Christian’s heart to help him bear fruit and remain faithful. One denominational
writer explained it this way:
“Why does one person believe, and another reject Christ? . . . The Biblical
answer is irresistible grace. Irresistible grace is the sole cause for these
different reactions. Irresistible means that when God has chosen some to be
saved and when He sends His Spirit to change them from being hateful to being
loving, no one can resist Him. He is irresistible. He does what He set out to do
. . . In another man, however, the Holy Spirit works irresistibly, regenerating him
so that he understands fully that he is a sinner and needs God, and therefore,
wants to believe and to be saved . . . the Holy Spirit must work in an irresistible
way” [Edwin H. Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Book House, 1972), pp. 56, 57, 60, 61].
Because the Bible does not teach irresistible grace or the direct operation of the
Holy Spirit, such a doctrine is false. It always has been and always will be. Just
which of our invitation songs have a Calvinistic ring to them? Consider these:
Song: “Prepare to Meet Thy God,” verse 4 — “If you spurn the invitation Till the
Spirit shall depart, Then you’ll see your sad condition, Unprepared to meet thy
God.” Question: What does it mean that the “Spirit shall depart?” What is He
supposed to be doing during the invitation song for the lost person before He
departs? This sounds like Calvinism — the supposed mysterious, unexplainable
work of the Spirit that draws the sinner to Jesus.
Song: “Almost Persuaded,” verse 1 — “Almost persuaded, now to believe,
Almost persuaded Christ to receive; Seems now some soul to say, Go, Spirit, go
Thy way; Some more convenient day On Thee I’ll call.” Question: What does it
mean for a lost person to say to the Holy Spirit, “Go Thy way?” If He is told to go
away, does that not imply that He was present and trying to do something to
convert the lost? This sounds like Calvinism.
Song: “Why Do You Wait,” verse 3 — “Do you not feel, dear brother, His Spirit
striving within, O Why not accept His salvation, and throw off thy burden of
sin?” Question: What does it mean for the Spirit of God to strive within an
unfaithful brother? In the Bible we do not read of such, but our song sounds an
awful lot like Calvinism.
Song: “God Is Calling The Prodigal,” verse 2 — “Patient, loving, and tenderly
still the Father pleads; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee; O return
while the Spirit in mercy intercedes.” Question: What does it mean that the
Spirit is interceding for the erring child of God to come home? This has the slant
of Calvinism. Where does the New Testament teach such? The answer, friend,
is that the Bible nowhere teaches such a message. If that is the case, then why
would we want to sing it?
Some might think that a preacher surely has better ways to spend his time than
to go through a songbook searching for errors or questionable language. I am not
writing this article to “report” on data that I have collected in a research project.
Rather, I am writing as a Christian that a long time ago realized that for years I
had sung songs that sound a whole lot more like Calvinism than they do the
doctrine of the Christ. And, such songs are not limited to “invitation songs,” nor
are they limited to those that refer to the work of God’s Spirit. What, as another
example, does it mean when we sing to exhort those present in our assemblies
via the words, “While Jesus whispers to you, come sinner, come?” For the life of
me I cannot figure out how Jesus whispers to a lost person. Those that endorse
Calvinism might suggest that Jesus speaks directly to folks, but the Bible does
not teach such.
We need to sing from the heart. When we sing we need to pay attention to every
word that we sing. And, if that means that we might have to cease singing
unclear, confusing, Calvinistic-sounding verses or entire songs, then I, for one,
am prepared to give them up. Reducing the number of verses sung or the
number of invitation songs available will not put is “in a bind,” nor will it cause
our worship to become unscriptural. “But we have sung those songs as long as I
can remember, and I’ve never heard anyone offer any objection before.” God’s
word is truth (John 17:17). If a spiritual song harmonizes with His truth, then
let us sing it to His glory. If, on the other hand, the message of a song is
contrary to Scripture or misleading, then what harm could it do to refrain from
singing it? Think about it.
—via The Reminder, Union Grove church of Christ, Cleveland, TN, Feb. 8,
2004