The Worship Artist

Let us avoid the temptations of doing the “quick and easy” witnessing where, like a rapist, we quickly jump an unsuspecting person and leave them feeling violated. We do it without an actual care or concern for the person, but only out to quick get one thing. Converts. Although Bavinck’s words are dated, we ought to take his words to heart today. Viewing our world as our mission field, constantly on mission, constantly loving people. And through genuine, unconditional love (love which is not based on the condition of conversion), we may be Christ to people.

I must feel a community or a fellowship with this man; I must know myself to be one with him. As long as I laugh at his foolish superstitions, I look down upon him; I have not yet found the key to his soul. As soon as I understand that what he does in a noticdeably naive and childish manner, I also do and continue to do again and again, although in a different form; as soon as I actually stand next to him, I can in the name of Christ stand in opposition to him and convince him of sin, as Christ did with me and still does each day.

J.H. Bavinck, An Introduction to the Science of Missions

The following quote is from J.H. Bavinck’s book “An Introduction to the Science of Missions.” Before reading the quote, it would be beneficial for you to know the word “elenctic” in it’s basic definition is: the conviction of sin through guilt from the Holy Spirit working on the heart of an individual which leads to repentance. It is a crucial, and foundational, element of the salvation process

It is characteristic of the science of missions that in it the “world” appears in a different aspect than in the other departments of theology. In all the other departments, the “world” is the area out of which temptations arise; it is the sphere of confusion, seduction, the sphere of heterodox ideas and conceptions. In the science of missions the “world” appears as the domain where God discloses his wonderful power, where Christ celebrates his triumph. And it is in this series of triumphs of the living Christ that elengchein, the conviction of sin, so essential to elenctics is to be found. And it is for this reason that we prefer to list elenctics with the department of missions. The missionary motive which controls it will then not be obscured.