Thursday, April 16, 2009

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart - Todd Friel

1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.
The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.
The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.

2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser remindsus that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.

3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.

4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.

5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.

6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.

7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.

8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.
People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.

9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.

10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?

4 comments:

Painkiller Jane said...

I've always had a problem with this wording of that, too. "Ask Jesus into your heart." I also have a problem with the sinner's prayer.

What I was kind of shocked to see, was your reason #9, and then seeing that you're a subscriber of the Reformed religion. Most reformed people I know see no need for evangelism, anyway, because God is going to save whomever He will save, and we need not witness or evangelise. Personally, I'm extremely anti-reformed, but I respect what people who follow TULIP think.

So, my question is...how DOES one become a Christian?

reformedlawless said...

Painkiller Jane,

Thanks for your response. I know there are reformed folk that do not evangelize. I have not met one personally but I do know they exist. I have been reformed all my life. I grew up a preacher’s kid and because my father was expositional in his preaching I grew up learning of the sovereignty of God. My father was a reformed pastor who not only preached in his church but also on the street and in jail.

I believe the bible to teach that we are to evangelize; we are to spread the gospel. I evangelize because the bible commands me to and because I have compassion to give others the gospel.

How is one saved? Repentance and belief. Before one can be saved they must understand that they are a sinner in need of a savior. Then they must repent, turn away from sin and turn to God through Jesus Christ. Then believe that Jesus is the savior.

Where I believe the disagreement is, is who is responsible for salvation. The question is did I have something to do with my salvation or did God save me? My answer is yes. It is not something that I can explain fully but I know that God saved me not me and I know that I had to respond in repentance and faith.

John 10:27-30 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

We evangelize because of the T in TULIP. We evangelize with boldness because of the ULI in TULIP. We continue because of the P in TULIP. An we do this for the Glory of God and for His Son Jesus Christ.

Anonymous said...

Hi, what does it mean to repent? Does it not mean to change ones mind. Reading this word in its context also backsup this definition. The first few chapters of Acts. The Jews rejectd Jesus as the Christ, Peter and the other convince them that JEsus is the Christ, they then challenge them to change their minds (repent) and realise that Jesus is the Christ.

Unknown said...

Hey, I love you guys. Here are some thoughts: Acts 2:38-41 says more: 38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Read carefully, this promise--with its conditions--is how God saves and puts a believing person into Christ--see also Romans 6. If these people were forgiven or saved before Peter gave them this commandment, the passage would be illogical, wouldn't it? He commands THEM to repent and be baptized for forgiveness. These are things they could choose to do or not. The Bible means what it says, doesn't it? A truly biblical theology accounts for these simple, clear commandments without hermeneutic gymnastics.
God speaks for himself, doesn't he?

Could anyone be condemned for teaching exactly what this passage says to someone who has just realized that Jesus is the Son of God?

Some of these people DID what Peter said and were saved. Others did not and were not yet saved. How do we know? Acts 2:47 says, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." The context is all about salvation.

Let's just do it and teach it. And adjust our theology to match it--and all other scripture.