Is Evangelizing the Unevangelized Pointless?

 

I encountered this meme in a Facebook group. Below was my quick response to the meme. On Facebook you have to be succinct. So, the response isn't as nuanced as it could be, but it suffices as an answer that rebuts the claim that evangelism is pointless.

My response:

These are ignorant objections.

//1. if god figured everything out already, evangelism is pointless since you can't change his mind.//

I'm a Calvinist so I do believe in high predestination. The problem with this statement is that under a strong/high view of predestination God ordains both the ends AND THE MEANS. Meaning, not only what will happen, but HOW they will happen. In which case, God ordains the salvation of the elect THROUGH the means of evangelism. Because God ordains the WHOLE causal nexus.

Regarding #2, not all Christians believe that God has made clear His existence to everyone. But even if He did, that doesn't mean that God has also given the knowledge of salvation through the same means. For example, most Christian theologians distinguish between General Revelation and Special Revelation. General Revelation is what we find in the external world we live in [i.e. the universe, earth, stars etc.] plus an internal sensus divinitatis and/or implanted innate knowledge. However, many of the same Christian theologians also believe that the knowledge of Salvation is only found in Special Revelation, not in General Revelation. Special Revelation is only found in places like the Bible [or when the Old Testament Prophets and New Testament Apostles were alive and preached]. Therefore, the Special Revelation still needs to get to the unevangelized by evangelizing them with the Gospel message.

Regarding #3, most Christians deny that those who never heard of God or of the message of salvation "get a free pass". And even those who think some do, don't think it's automatic. There may be other mitigating circumstances or simply the mere Sovereignty of God [etc.] that accounts for why some of those who never heard the message of salvation can sometimes be saved. In which case, all things being equal, it's better to evangelize the unevangelized than not to. Since, the probability goes up that the unevangelized will be saved. Given, for example, that God ordains both ends AND MEANS. Or because God's normative means of saving the lost is by having them heard and respond to the Gospel.