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Platt: Why “Accepting Jesus In Your Heart” Is Superstitious & Unbiblical

in BLOG, DISCIPLE MAKING, FOR THE NATIONS, MISSION, RESOURCES, VIDEO

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“Making disciples is the supernatural overflow of being a disciple. Proclaiming the love of Christ is the overflow of sharing in the life of Christ. And I’m convinced many people in our churches are simply missing the life of Christ. And a lot of it has to do with what we’ve sold them as the gospel, i.e. ‘pray this prayer’, ‘accept Jesus into your heart’,'invite Christ into your life’. Should it not concern us that there is no such supertitious prayer in the New Testament? Should it not concern us that the Bible never uses the phrase ‘accept Jesus into your heart’?

- David Platt

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  • James Lotz

    I agree…sort of.  The Trinity is never mentioned by name either–but the concept is there.  Jesus needs to “live” in our hearts so He can reign in our hearts.  Romans 10:9 lends to this concept.  But you’re right, no where does it say we need to “do/say” this.  But we MUST remain in Him and He’ll remain in us!  

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  • http://mattdabbs.wordpress.com/ Matt Dabbs

    I have heard preachers tell the crowd everything they are about to say is straight from the word of God and then tell people to pray Jesus into their heart. Where is that? I have concluded that the crowd at Pentecost asks the same question all people who are cut to the heart by the Gospel ask, “What should we do?” Do we accept the inspired, inner circle of Jesus, apostle Peter’s answer to their question as our answer to that same question in Acts 2? Or do we just make up our own answer and tell people that? Isn’t this just way too obvious?

  • Southernfriedpreacher

    I am very disturb by this argument. As the previous posts state, it is quite clear that salvation is about receiving the gospel into ones own life. The real issue isn’t about the “process’, but about a clear understanding of why we need Jesus and what we need to do in the future. In that present moment when we realize our need for Jesus, all we need is Jesus.  It the beforehand of knowing we are all sinners who fall short of the Glory of God and that upon receiving Him that we strive to the utmost of our abilities in faith and love to work out our faithful love in all matter of life to His glory( aka Santification). Discipleship is about growing in Christ, not grasping a understanding of Christ.
    Blessings 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Trey-Henry/100001474828362 Trey Henry

    Some messages take great courage to share.

  • Ron Rutledge

    Excellently stated, but so simple. Acts 2 is very plain, when Peter speaks to the crowd at Pentecost, what our response to the question of “What shall we do?”. Why make up another response that is not quoted in the New Testament?

  • Meghan

    Romans 10:9-10.

    • Jaqccp

      . . . was written by Paul to the saved church, and is a quotation from Moses who was speaking to the saved before they crossed the river, telling them how to remain faithful to the covenant they were already a part of.  Acts 2 was preached to the lost who were asking how to enter the covenant.  Work that out and you will understand how the sinner’s prayer is fallacious and demonic as it replaces Jesus’ blood with “Koolaid.”

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/WTEI6AEWRXFTBNCPW5KEKJOLBM Robert Jones

    Scripture does say that if you believe in your heart, and confess with your lips, you shall be saved. That is the gospel. The modern evangelical vernacular changes that to “accept God in your heart”.  I am not so sure that modern verbiage is as “dangerous” as the speaker maintains.

    However, the speaker makes the rest of the point very well. We cannot leave believers in that state as if its the end of the journey. There is a process of dying to self, of repentance and reconciliation, which is an ongoing work of discipleship. The speaker does make a good prophetic point that this follow up is not as strong in evangelicalism as it should be.

    In evangelicalism the self is often left to feel all smug and saved and self righteous because now we have a little bit of Jesus in our fridge in the corner of our heart. We might even start to think that it is our self that has been saved, when truth be told, in salvation our self dies and there is a new creation born from above within us. This new creation wars with the self for the rest of our lives according to scripture.

    Let’s try to hear the word the speaker is trying to bring to us and not get all hung up on his opening point which was a bit rough.

    • stook

      the Bible also says Believe and be Baptized, and you can not do that by reciting a “Sinner’s prayer.”  The speaker is right on the money.  We try to make following Jesus as convenient and painless as possible, yet it was pain that paid the price for salvation.

    • Matt Orme77

      Your very first sentence is incorrect.  The gospel is objective reality, not subjective response.  The work of Christ outside of any of us in His perfect sinless life, substitutionary death and resurrection is the gospel.

    • Ben

      You point to Romans 10:9 “confessing, believing” to say the modern verbiage is not as dangerous as the speaker maintains.  You have to use the whole verse and understand it’s context and then see if it is being thought of the same as today.  “Confess that Jesus is LORD”.  Do we as American Christians understand Lordship the same way Paul used it to 1st century Romans, who if actually confessed Jesus as Lord, would be signing a death sentence? I believe the point Platt would make would be that simplying confessing Jesus as Lord, but not understanding true Lordship can be damning. 

      • Chaplaincook

        Ben, you are wrong about the context and what Pastor Platt has said.  Pastor Platt does not believe Romans 10:13–he has said that it is possible to cry out in the name of God and not be saved.  He said it.  In which case Paul is wrong.  You may want to remove portions of your Bible that don’t agree with your version of the Gospel, but I will choose Paul.

        • Stephen

          If you are correct, then Jesus Christ is also wrong. Matthew 7. Instead of prooftexting let’s examine the actual arguments, ok?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=793393008 Dan Crowell

    So believe, trust & confess but please do not accept Jesus in your heart because it is unbiblical and superstitious? Sorry, not buying that. Good points about the need for discipleship. Cheers.

    • Spence Askew

      Believing, trusting, and confessing is a complete different command than saying a prayer found nowhere in scripture. Jesus must be Lord of our life. If you come up and say a “superstitious” prayer, but there is no new life, there is no salvation there. I believe a person can be a believer even if they have not said the “sinner’s prayer.” If they made a decision to make Jesus Lord of their life then they are.

      If someone “accepts Jesus into their heart” with the prayer but there is no life change (which is often what happens in the American church) there is no salvation there. In other words-If there is no sanctification, then there is no redemption.

      Platt is right on the money here.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=793393008 Dan Crowell

        It’s impossible to  ”accept Jesus into their heart” without life change. Jesus is God. (see John 1:1) You can’t come away from that unchanged. Hope you have accepted Jesus into your heart and if not, that you will some day.

        • Stephen

          Exactly, so why do we give false hope to people that a long time ago said a few words repeated from a dynamic pastor’s speech, without any evidence since?

  • http://www.facebook.com/ricki.raccoon Rick Firth

    The gospel or good news is about YHWH’s kingdom coming on earth. It is the gospel of the kingdom of God. The Christian church has lost sight of that truth. Sadly, the vast majority of churched people cannot explain the gospel any more than they can explain the trinity….as is typical in Christianity (borrowed from Catholicism) everything becomes a mystery and one must simply believe without questioning. The Gospel has been turned into Jesus idolatry and YHWH relegated to the background. Jesus the Jewish rabbi never intended it to be that way nor did anyone who followed his teaching. The only difference between him, his disciples and observant Jews of their time was that his disciples believed he was the long-awaited Moshiach. He wasn’t the first one to be entitled as such. 

    • B03hmer

      I don’t understand when you say that we idolize Jesus Christ …. and here is why I am having some trouble with that. We as Christians do worship and idolize Christ. I am guessing that you are not a Christian due to saying that YAHWEH and Christ are different because the bible states in john chapter 1 that the word was with God (YAHWEH) and the word was God(YAHWEH) then it goes to say that he was with God and through him all things were made. And later on it depicts him as the light and how john the baptist would witness to the people about the coming light. So then Jesus came and he is the messiah and he matched up with all of the fortold jewish prophacys to prove to the jews that he is God he is YAHWEH he is the creator of everything. Then he died so that whosoever believes in him shall not parrish but have ever lasting light. And going to your point about a kingdom on earth. Jesus on the cross says to the thief soon you will be with me in paradise. Revelation does state that there will be a 1000 year reign but that is not the place that he says he has gone to create for us.

      • http://christiansimplicity.com Christian Simplicity

        I think what he’s saying is that the gospel is not Jesus died for your sins.  That’s part of the gospel and certainly at the center of it, but the good news, the message of the kingdom of God, is larger than that.

  • Jess

    I get his point. I agree that the prayer of accepting Jesus into your heart can be say over used. Theres so many churchs that think thats it, and their more worried about getting more people in, and having their church grow but not concerned that theirs people in the church that have even confessed that prayer but are still living in sin. Its about dying to yourself daily, even confessing daily. I do agree its something we shouldnt play around with. Confess and go on. I do believe too, that if someone has truly confessed Jesus as Lord there cant help to be a change. By the grace of God and what He did on the cross changes things. But as in Romans 10:9-10, its not just a confession, you also have to believe with your heart. He says to love me with ALL of your heart, mind and strength. I believe thats a state of dying to yourself and surrender.

  • Paul

    I understand the point of this video but it seems to me to be a “straw man” argument. Yes just saying “accept Jesus in your heart” or ” pray this prayer”without a call to repentance and following Jesus as Lord is unbiblical. BUT if there is a full explaination of the gospel with repentance and faith then I see teaching them that expressing their faith through prayer is a good way to help people take a first step of discipleship with Jesus. Being born again aka regenerated happens instantly the moment someone surrenders to Jesus in repentance and faith. Actually the moment you are saved the Holy Spirit comes in!! It is unbiblical and expresses a lack of faith not to celebrate the greatest miracle of all! It is sad that it has become trendy to down play the greatest moment in a persons life when they cross over from death to life. Of course we dont want to lead people into false assurance but we would be unwise to shrink from doing what is most helpful for those who are ready to come to Christ. I don’t have all the answers on this and I am a huge fan of Platt I just want to clarify that tools such as the 4 laws, steps to peace by Billy Graham and many other great evangelists that have been used by God have used effective (and biblical) methods that a naive person would condem after watching this video that is my main concern.

    • http://profiles.google.com/riverman38 Lamar Carnes

      I am sorry to inform you that your article is contining the problem. I trust you will take this in my concern and love for the Gospel and for you also.  Regeneration comes “First” making one “born again” or alive so that the “gifts” given at that moment will enable a person to have “faith in Christ and repent of sins against God” – salvation takes place quickly, but the order is very important because a “dead person” can’t drum up through his or her own will power or even want to for that matter, faith and repentance then “making” God react to such activity by the carnal effort of a person!  This is why the statements of David are so correct.  Those terms imply and give to a person the idea they can generate from their own hearts and their own minds through their own abilities these activities of belief and repentence making God then react in salvation which in turn would be “works salvation”!  Hopefully this help clarify this problem. For Christ sake and the Gospel of Grace these items must be understood by the preachers and teachers of the Gospel as well as the witnessing saints in the kingdom.  Otherwise we get a house full of religious people who have secured words memorized or familarized so much they think this is it, when it isn’t and that is why so many are having so much trouble in the faith in terms of life activities. We would then be no better than Islam which just states you must “say” a few words and you are in.  Convert is their term by using those terms they demand.  Many in Christian circles do the same thing all the time.  I grew up in all of this and know first hand.  God finally in my life “came to me” when I wasn’t looking for Him and did a work in my heart causing me to be able to “see” and “call” upon Him or I would never have done so at all, and if a person would have spoken to me earlier about following Jesus and “praying a prayer after him” or assking Jesus into my heart” I may have done so, I know I did earlier and it wasn’t real at all.   I never had life which comes “first” before the “cry” out of the heart is expressed revealing life is there!!

      • Paul

        I understand your point. I was not trying to state an order of events.
        I believe God is the one who works through the entire process including repentance and faith. How do you share Jesus with others? I still think all this is an over reaction or a straw man. I beieve God has been using people like Billy Graham or the late Bill Bright to impact millions. There are many things that we do that are not specifically commanded in the Bible that are a method. For example this blog . At the end of the day it is a method. The sinners prayer is not magical and can be harmful if used incorrectly but it can be helpful to some to give them a way of expressing what God is doing in their hearts. It is just a tool not the message or the way people get saved.

        • Cayton

          i can agree with you but i think that the point is that when we do things like go door to door like they used to, or go into elementary schools and do vacation bible schools, are we really bringing jesus to these people?  Or are we just giving them a false security…  quick salvation i think is the issue, God is an easy yet complicated God in the sense that there is no way to fully understand Him until the revelation at the end of life…  I’m not saying i agree or disagree with this statement but it does make one think… a lot…

          • Cayton

            i.e. my wife was an atheist when we first got together, and after she said the “sinners prayer” she didnt truly feel like God was with her until later on when she truly got an understanding of who God was and is

    • Gary

      WOW, I just read all of these comments and responses to the short Platt video clip and have no honest right or authority to judge for or against what He said until I hear the entire message.  Unfortunately I am not able to pay to hear the message in context at this time. 

      But I must say WOW again but this time for all of the on fore conviction each person has shared by what I will hope is by the power if the Holy Spirit who indwells each person who has heretofore confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord because of what they have believed in their heart by first hearig the word of Jesus and believing in Him who sent Him because this means all of you who fit in this category have passed from death in to life and when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead, there will be nothing for you to be judged for except the affirmation that the Father will speak, welcome in good and faithfu servant to the inheritance I have prepared for you…

      But I must asy once more, WOW.  You reminde me that Jesus told His disciples that they did not choose Him, but He chose them. If I recall, Jesus is the Eternal Son of God whom His Eternal Father, sent to take on a body of human flesh, Born of the virgin Mary, to be tempted, but not to sin.  He lived the perfect sinless human life that no other human could live so that He could take this Holy sinless life to to be crucified on the criminal’s cross to gladly take the full punishment of God His Father that was due to all of us from our heavenly Father.  He took it (our sin) upon Himself and suffered for us because He knew we would not be able to endure the just punishment for our sin.

      Again I just have to say…yep you guessed it…WOW… and no I never get tired of being amazed by God and His gift of grace that He poured out on all of us His enemies.  And He did it by the power of His Word.  And He did it because He knew from the beginning of sin and rebellion against Him that He was going to overcome evil with good. 

      Guys and (Where are the girls? Don’t they have a part in this holy conversation? Oh, well it may be girls night out.) I hope you all come back and read all of these responses.  I hope some of you at least invest some time in reading and interlinear for correct identification of God’s name and I hope you are encouraged in the gift of faith that leads you and I to be disciples of Jesus who are dent into the world to male disciples of Jesus who are sent into the world to make… yes it is a continuous forward action until the Lord returns to take us to that place He is preparing.

      Peace in the Risen Christ,

      Gary

      • http://www.facebook.com/badnews.bear.771 Badnews Bear

        gary wrote:

        >>>>>>> “WOW, I just read all of these comments and responses to the short Platt
        video clip and have no honest right or authority to judge for or against
        what He said until I hear the entire message. Unfortunately I am not
        able to pay to hear the message in context at this time. ” <<<<<<<<

        I
        have a bad feeling about this. A partial message that is non-intuitive
        for many people, causing confusion and possibly strife, and you need to
        pay/wait to get the whole message?

        For some reason this seems
        different than a book excerpt advertising a book for sale. The
        conference was the "main event", I don't see the need to charge for
        video footage of the conference.

        Even if there is something I am
        missing, I still think this method lacks style. Sorry to stand in the
        devil's shoes, but it happens

    • Gary

      This is a PS from first response to this lively conversation about faith and how God gives it.  I had one more WOW but this one os a sad WOW so I will spell it wow.  I am confused by how many of you seem to know what most or a mojority of people are believing in their heart based on how they respond to the Law that GOd gave to convict all peopl of the sin nature we carry passed on from our first parents Adam and Eve; and the Gospel which saves us from our desperate lost condition so that we can be reconciled to God and live in the peace and joy He intended from the first and has prepared us to live in now and forever. 

      I am confused as to why so many people speak as if they know most people because I have only been able to communicate on a personal level with a few thousand believers in my short 53 years on planet earth.  I am however continually being built up by the Holy Spirit who leads me into all truth about Jesus and the Church He built.  His Church is built on the confession of faith Peter spoke on behalf of the disciples whom Jesus chose to ttrain up to turn the world upside down with the power of His Death on the cross for all sins and His resurrected body from the grave, proving His victory over sin death and the devil. 

      I want to encourage you all to make it your aim to know Christ and the power that is Him for eternal life.  This seems to be pleasing to Him. 

      And one more thing.  The Church Christ built is not leading people astray and offering false salvation or a different gospel than what Jesus taught His disciples.

      He sends us out in His peace, not the peace the world produces.  the peace that comes from God Himself.  So Church members of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, peace be yours as He send us out into the harvest.  It is more than plentiful.

      May God bless amd keep you all in Christ’s love.

      Gary  

      • Chaplaincook

        Gary, AMEN!  Pastor Platt has placed himself as the diviner of true believers.  Paul’s Gospel is wrong, Romans 10:13 must be removed from the Canon in Platt’s Gospel–Christ for him is not enough.

  • Flexo36

    I like Platt, but this is a straw man argument. I know plenty of people who are strong believers, even missionaries who were led to Christ praying a prayer of salvation, esp as laid out by the 4 spiritual laws. For his argument to stick, one must assume that to encourage other to “accept Jesus into your heart” is completely and totally disconnected to repentence and belief. If Platt is so convinced that this is “damning” people, then why accept an invitation by Campus Crusade to speak at their conference and be paid for it to boot like he did last year in 2011? That would have been a great opportunity for him to speak out if this were such a problem. But, the reality is, when this prayer of salvation is offered, it is usually offered in the context of repentence, i.e. “turning 180 degrees and turning to Jesus.” Straw man arguments do not help young believers and cause division. 

  • Geverett

    I usually like Pastor Platt’s talks but this horse has been inapprpriately beaten so many times that I think it’s time to give it rest. Like any metaphor, it can be misused. But even words like “believe” can be misused into the very same kind of trivialization of a true commited faith that “accepting Jesus” has sometimes been. It is definitely a straw man argument and is an unfortunate backhanded slap at godly men like Billy Graham and Bill Bright whose ministries God has used to win millions to a true and committed faith. “Superstition” is a foolish and unnecessary exaggeration. And by the way, the Bible also does not use other metaphors like “Trinity” which I doubt Pastor Platt has a problem with.

  • Guest

    Why do these talks cost money? Seems to be counter to the trend of every other ministry on the internet that is worth anything, that isn’t money grabbing. There are better ways to monetize a site than charging for sermons/talks. See Gospel Coalition/t4g/most churches

  • Edmendez34

    The modern vernacular of Romans 10:9-10 is not Accept Jesus as Personal savior. It has a completely different meaning. Forget about Platt at Campus Crusade. Why didn’t Peter or any of the apostles ever tell anyone to get saved via a prayer?

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  • John

    How complicated are we making the Gospel? 

    It seems that there was an extreme over simplification of the Gospel. 
    Now, there seems to be just the opposite, a complicated Gospel.
    What does it take for someone to get saved now? It seems to me that salvation is almost to the point of it being based on my works. Anyone else see things this way?

  • Gary T. Meadors

    It would be nice for someone to actually explain the term “heart” and its use as a metaphor in Rom 10.  Such exegetical work, resulting in biblical theology would inform the preacher and all of the above comments and point the whole conversation in a better direction. 

    The minions of this blog show great sincerity.  It would be nice to see such energy turned to the hard work of biblical exegesis in its historical, linguistic and cultural context rather than just defending a version of systematic theology.  Ironically, such work might just give them a better apologetic for their current convictions.

    • Justindeweese21

      Or balance that out with being in the lives of the lost. Jesus was simple when he spoke to the people. I’m not down playing theology, but many spend years studying and never engage in the lives of people without Jesus. That was a problem I saw at a Christian college. People criticized the 4 spiritual laws, now called”connecting with God”, but I never saw them with lost people and never heard compassion in their voices.
      I just shared the gospel with 150 students and 43 of them recognized their sin and need for a Savior and a reason for existing.and the”prayed and asked Jesus to forgive and come into their lives”. Who wants to go tell all of them that was not true?

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  • http://twitter.com/somewhatbaptist Daniel Sturgeon

    Let’s also not base our judgements on a three minute clip from a much longer address. I do think Platt’s on to something, but I also think that I’d like to hear the rest of what he said before I agree with it or not.

  • Just visiting

    Geverett, Flexo36, Jess, Dan Crowell, et al,

    I think the key phrase from Platt’s remarks is, “Should it not concern us that the Bible never uses the phrase…” That the phrase is lacking in the Bible (in the same way we don’t find the word “trinity”) doesn’t necessarily mean it’s illegitimate. But that the idea and the prayer seriously deviate from the gospel as we actually see it preached in Scripture should *at the very least* give us all pause. Perhaps we have focused our emphases (and preaching of the “gospel”) inapropriately. The gospel isn’t really about “my sins and how I can get right with God and spend eternity with him in heaven.” You’ll be hard pressed to derive that from the Bible. It is first and foremost about the kingdom of God, and his rescue plan for the world through Israel, finally accomplished in Christ. I can’t recommend highly enough both Scot McKnight’s “The King Jesus Gospel” and N. T. Wright’s “How God Became King” for more on this important biblical theme. I suggest that you all give them both a serious read, and then ponder how modern preaching of “the gospel” with its focus on individual salvation (the “ask Jesus into my heart paradigm) fits with the Bible’s actual storyline and emphases. And then go back once again to the question, “Should it not concern us…?”

    Grace and peace to you all

  • Justindeweese21

    Jesus was simple when he spoke to the people. I’m not down playing theology, but many spend years studying and never engage in the lives of people without Jesus. That was a problem I saw at a Christian college. People criticized the 4 spiritual laws, now called”connecting with God”, but I never saw them with lost people and never heard compassion in their voices.
    I just shared the gospel with 150 students Saturday night and 43 of them recognized their sin and need for a Savior and a reason for existing.and the”prayed and asked Jesus to forgive and come into their lives”. Who wants to go tell all of them that was not true?reply

    • Marcus Johnson

      It depends.  Let’s go back to those 43 students and see how they are dealing with their anger issues, sexual lifestyle choices, understanding of God’s role in their lives, etc.  If you shared the gospel, had them give the “right” response, and they are not changing, then I will be more than happy to let them know.  I’ll probably start with the beginning of Isaiah, in which God denounces the practice of religious rituals intended to affirm the people of Israel’s relationship with God because, underneath it all, they had no intention of giving up their old self.

      By the way, I couldn’t help but notice that you threw some numbers into your response.  If you are judging the success of that service according to the number of people who said all the right stuff and joined a small group, you may be working with an inaccurate interpretation of what happened in that service.

      • Justindeweese21

        So once we give our lives to Jesus everything is ok? No more anger or sexual issues any longer? I do not like how you said”had them give the right response” as if I manipulated their salvation.

        My only intentions are to tell people about Jesus. I guess Peter should not have told us how many people repented in Acts. It is interesteing how you judge me and you do not know me. Will you judge Peter as well?  

        I am not sure if or how you share the love of Christ, Marcus, but is discouraging to down believers that are.

        • Marcus Johnson

          Reality can sometimes be discouraging, Justindeweesee21, especially if you are coming off of a high of a great revival service.  I’ve been involved with many great evangelical movements, in which the altar was packed after a great sermon and worship service, but the people who went through that ritual had not really committed their lives to Christ.  Still, everyone felt satisfied with the results.  Remember that parable about the seed and the sower?  The “stony ground” people?  I would never assume someone’s surrender to the Lordship of Christ based on the results of a single event.

          Of course, it is ridiculous to assume that after an initial surrender to Jesus, we no longer have any spiritual issues that we need to confront.  However, if someone makes an outward showing of that surrender, but they have not really make that committment to change, then the conversion is fake.

          Hopefully, I’m not being too offensive.  It’s great that you are telling people about Jesus, but it is dangerous to assume that a message sent is a message received, especially in the context of a large worship event.

          P.S. Peter’s communion with believers (through his eating practices) was actually called into question by Paul (see the book of Galatians).  It was actually a pretty contentious debate.  Very interesting, if you think that the apostles were above reproach.

          Also, Peter did not tell us how many people repented in Acts; Luke actually wrote that book.

          • Justindeweese21

            Thank you for your response. We will have to agree to disagree. I pray that we can continue to “share the gospel” whatever that looks like for each of us.

  • http://twitter.com/PastorRAaronMil PastorRAaronMiller

    Why is it so easy to disregard Hebrews 5:9, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, and the many other passages dealing with obedience of faith?  The very first seekers heard the gospel, believed the facts, and asked, “What shall we do?”  (Acts 2:37).  Peter didn’t say that they needed to believe, or pray, or ask.  He certainly didn’t tell them to do nothing at all.  Since they believed they were told to repent.  Contemporaneous with they believing and repenting, they were to be baptized.  IT IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT TO DO BIBLE THINGS IN BIBLE WAYS.  Sometimes the preconceived notions of theology have to be scrapped for the plain teaching of Scripture.  To David Platt’s message I say AMEN!

    • Chaplaincook

      Except that he throws Paul’s admonition in Romans 10:13 under the bus.  Don’t take my word for it, he said that it is possible to cry out in the name of God and not be saved.  Christ is not enough in Pastor Platt’s Gospel, which makes it wrong.

      • Robertdaharsh1

        I cryed out to God and asked him to heal my son even though I didn’t know him personally.  What I wanted was my son healed and I was willing to say anything to anyone to get it. I then proceeded to tell God if you do this for me I will follow you. Am I saved?

        • Robertdaharsh1

          FYI a year or so later after studying Gods word (To disprove it by the way) I woke up one morning and I remember thinking why am I so hell bent on disproving the Bible. I remember saying” Lord Forgive me, please!” and from that day forward I believed and could understand scripture where before it made no sense at all. The scales were gone.

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  • http://twitter.com/Zachary_Johnson Zachary Johnson

    Does it also concern you that the Bible doesn’t explicitly say “Don’t smoke weed”?  If the full gospel picture is given, then what’s wrong with saying “Invite Jesus”…you are letting your view of Theology filter into your interpretation of the Bible, even what it doesn’t explicitly say.  You should rather let the Word inspire your interpretation of all that is written.

  • Marcus Johnson

    Here’s the big question, though: Do these prayers and phrases like, “accept Jesus into your heart,” really give people the necessary vocabulary to express a deep spiritual change, or is it more for us as professed “Christians,” so that we can make the assumption that someone is saved?

    When the people of Israel heard the commandments of God, they swore an oath, too (“All that the Lord has spoken, we will do”).  However, that was a statement uttered when they were caught up in the awe and fear of God’s thunderous presence.  Their hearts were unchanged and, over and over again, they demonstrated how ill-equipped they were to live up to the terms of the Sinai covenant under their own willpower. 

    How many people are coming into the church, saying these prayers, getting baptized, becoming active members in their church, some even going on to major leadership positions, without having fully acknowledged the Lordship of Jesus in their lives?  How many of us as professed “Christians” are unwilling to acknowledge that the “sinner’s prayer” is not a good indicator of what’s going on in someone’s spiritual life?  It looks awesome when it happens during a revival meeting, but unless that person understands how much they may need to struggle to truly surrender all to Jesus, it is a waste of time.

  • http://twitter.com/Jason_B_Bond Jason Bond

    This discussion should end with the words of Jesus! Mark 16:16, “whoever believes AND is Baptized will be saved.” End of story……you can try and spin all the other scriptures anyway you want! Romans or Revelation 3….Bottom line…..YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED. If you don’t agree with that, you don’t have a problem with me, you have a problem with Jesus.

    Probably because someone on your life, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa or someone close to you told you different. You better figure this our pretty quickly. I’m just gonna be straight with you….YOU ARE WRONG….THEY ARE WRONG….change your thinking while you still can! Even Wikipedia will tell you the sinners prayer came on the scene in the 18th century! That’s funny….Sorry, I’m just not gonna tell you with a lot of tact….We’re talking about YOUR salvation.

    • Guest77

       So the thief on the cross who wasn’t baptized wasn’t saved? I don’t mean to contradict you but isn’t that in turn contradicting Jesus when he says Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”

    • Guest77

       Do believers
      need to be baptized to be saved?
       

      The Bible shows us by example that every believer when
      possible was baptized (the one Bible example of exclusion is the thief on
      the cross)

      If I don’t get baptized am I saved?

      We are not saved by water baptism so not being baptized
      cannot negate our salvation. But there is a more important question to be
      answered. Why would you not want to be baptized when it tells us we should!
      So it really is a matter of motive- to obey or not to obey.

      Baptism saves no one; the Bible proves this in numerous
      ways. Some were baptized and still did not have the down payment of the
      Spirit to be saved.

      (Paul)  Acts 19:3-7 And he said to them, “Into what
      then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” (Johns was
      a water baptism of repentance to prepare for the Messiah)  V. 4 “Then
      Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the
      people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on
      Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the
      Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came
      upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”

      Acts 8:12-18  “But when they believed Philip as he
      preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
      Christ, both men and women were baptized.”

      V.14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem
      heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to
      them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive
      the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only
      been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them,
      and they received the Holy Spirit.”

      Both of these people groups needed the apostles to be
      there and approve of their salvation, then receive the Holy Spirit.

      1 Cor 1:17: “For Christ did not send me to baptize,
      but to preach the gospel, … he then makes it clear  v.18 “For
      the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
      us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

      So baptizing was not equated with the gospel preached
      to save people from their sins.  Paul says what the gospel is later on in
      this same letter:

      1 Cor 15:1-4: “ Moreover, brethren, I declare to you
      the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you
      stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I
      preached to you– unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first
      of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according
      to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
      day according to the Scriptures”

      The whole Bible proclaims a blood sacrifice for sin, this is God’s provision
      “without shedding of blood is NO remission of sin” Hebrews
      9:22

      Jesus said “For this is
      my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
      sins” Matthew 26:28

      Redemption, and the
      forgiveness of sins comes only from the blood of Jesus

      “In whom we have
      redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
      riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7)

      Eph. 1:11-14: “… we who first trusted in Christ
      should be to the praise of His glory.

      In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word
      of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having
      believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

      who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the
      redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

      Rom 8:9 But “you are not in the flesh but in the
      Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not
      have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

      Rom 8:16: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
      spirit that we are children of God”

      We receive the spirit when we believe the gospel- this
      is what regenerates us to be a new creature:

       “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
      creation; (2 Cor. 5:17). This why Paul said

      “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
      uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Gal 6:15)

      We are taught (by grace you have been saved)
      (Eph 2:5). Eph 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith,
      and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
      should boast.” Eph 3:17-19: “that Christ may dwell in your hearts
      through faith”

      Paul tells the church to “Examine yourselves as to
      whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know
      yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?– unless indeed you are
      disqualified.” (2 Cor. 13:5).

      It is faith that must be present, he does not ask one
      to question their baptism.

       If you want to be an obedient Christian you will be
      baptized, you will also read and study the word, you will fellowship with
      other believers and you will love people- pray and witness.

    • Chaplaincook

      Well if wikipedia says it, it must be right.

  • http://www.livingmaryrs.com/ brad

    Really, this is an unfortunate sound-bite, but still the divisive tone of the ensuing discussion deeply saddens me.

    How easily we overreach in our accusations of others’ overreaching.

  • http://www.facebook.com/godly.sojourner Godly Sojourner

    I know where he’s coming from, but put simply…… This is religiosity. James, the brother of Jesus made it quite clear that mercy triumphs judgement You can become a convert police if you’d like, but it’s frankly none of our business. We share the gospel, and share Christ with people and he does the rest. God is able to save regardless of how you pray “Christ” into your heart or what choice of words you utter. It’s about giving your life to him, proclaiming with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died and rose again on the 3rd day. GOD IS ABLE! I’m afraid this is yet another reformed hoop that’s being erected as a result of too much focus on theology and not enough reliance on the work of the Holy Spirit. Reformed people can’t see the whole they are steadily digging themselves by being overly intellectual about any and everything, and frankly the movement already appears to be losing steam, because people are quickly catching on to how hollow this academic version of the gospel often is. It easily makes it’s way into the mind, but often can;t find it’s way into the heart. God, can make up for practical places where men fail. Trust in him, David ;-)

  • heyhey

    when a sinners prayer is prayed it is a confession (a confession of a sinner since God doesnt hear a prayer of a heathen unless repentive.). if someone prayes a prayer than its between him and God in whether or not he ment it. i repeated a prayer when i recieved christ and turned away from my old self. faith without works is dead, after i prayed i began to step out believing iwas changed and thats when the mirracle took place. nothing wrong with the phrase asking christ to come into your life. he stands at the door of your heart waiting for you to invite him in your life.

  • john

    I have to say. You know when a preacher is saying something and it just doesn’t quite ring true…

  • Theophilus

    We do ‘accept’ Jesus and the Gospel:

    1. 2 Corinthians 11:4, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.2 Corinthians 11:3-5 (in Context) 2 Corinthians 11 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations

    2. 1 Timothy 1:15, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

    And there are more.

    And Jesus does reside in our heart – which I would define as the ‘seat or house of our of our spirit and soul.’ Please take note of these verses:

    1. Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

    2. John 14:17, “the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

    3. Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God livesin you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” 8:10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

    4. 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

    5. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”

    6. Ephesians 3:16, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,”
    Jesus gave the new birth after the resurrection (John 20:22 ) and He told us how to get it (the process) or Him for ourselves too (Luke 11:13).

    Though of course we do need to make disciples and part of training disciples is for them to catch the vision of making more disciples. I call this ‘disciple-maker-making.’ The problem is not that people pray and ask Jesus into their hearts and lives; the problem is that a type of Calvinism made its way into Christian vernacular – a kind of 1 point Calvinism (usually attributed to Baptists) that says, ‘Once saved, always saved.’ Nay, then there is no discipleship and a quick prayer for Hell insurance. Rather if a person really repents of the primary sin – not following, believing in, fearing, obeying, trusting the Living God then they will have an interest in growing in Christ. And it is our job to nurture and later train the new believer – we should not allow new born babes to starve on the kitchen table so to speak.

    But a person need not be discipled to be saved; think about it – there is a man who prayed to God and in doing so he literally turned his head toward Jesus and prayed a sinner’s prayer ( we do it today by bowing our heads); this man did it by turning his head toward Christ Who was there physically and confessed he was a sinner and asked Jesus to save him. In our case we turn (repent means to turn) to God spiritually (HE is in the room) and confess we are sinners and ask for the new birth or for salvation. The man in the Bible was the thief on the cross and he did not even take the first step of obedience and discipleship – he did not get baptized as a means of testifying that he went from death to life – but he did testify… to the other thief and the crowd that must have overheard him.

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