Posted on 10/27/2014 7:40:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Excellent article. We are in a church in which the pastor preaches exactly this way (Lordship salvation - the true gospel), coming from a church in which salvation was supposedly possible without true repentance, it was supposedly possible for a person to “get saved” and then live as a carnal Christian their whole life. It wasn’t encouraged, but supposedly it was possible. That is false assurance and a false gospel. I’m so glad to belong to a church where the full gospel is preached now!
It's the one main thing I have against the Southern Baptist Church, which holds this up as a virtual requirement for all gospel meetings.
the “mourners bench.”
Wow! I haven’t heard that term in years!
No, they are an emotional approach.
“I’m not against altar calls per se’...giving anxious souls the opportunity to repent is biblical, and I’m definitely not against praying a prayer of repentance. But I am against sher emotionalism and half-hearted considerations.”
I think the whole problem is when a church STOPS with the alter call. That’s when people feel they’re “done” and “all set”.
AFTER the alter call experience, churches need to be TEACHING and equipping these folks on how to let the Lord be LORD of their lives, producing lifelong change and spiritual fruition.
I’ve been in churches who preach nothing BUT repentance. The folks come every week but remain spiritual idiots their whole lives.
And I’ve seen churches who preach nothing but grace. -And again, spiritual idiots; nobody ever grows, they all go touchy-feely in church and live like the world outside of it.
We should be able to lead folks to the Love of God through true repentance. But we should also THEN show them how to surrender their lives to Christ daily. This is the part that needs deliberate PRACTICE every day for the rest of our lives here on earth.
I like altar calls that include the opportunity for prayer with others. Some churches have the elders stand in the front near the end of the service. When the pastor gives an altar call, he makes it clear that people can pray to receive Christ or they can pray for anything at all with those elders. These prayers are generally reserved for very important issues (disease, bankruptcy, wayward children, etc.). It gives the Christian an opportunity every week to pray with several of the elders about a very specific issue without having to attend a separate prayer meeting in which they may not want to share the problem with a larger group.
Or not. In my church it is an invitation to come and pray. If you are a sinner who wished to repent we will pray with you. If you are a brother who is having a hard time we will pray with you. If you wish just to spend the time in deep prayer with the Lord we will join with you.
It is time to talk to God and let Him talk to you.
I have been going to a SBC for 30 years. It is a call for repentance. When we have special events our pastor tells them to get involved in a Bible teaching church. He does not say join this church because it is the only true one. It is a very special time for people.
I find this to be an empty article and discussion.
Whatever point it is trying to make is all ready obvious and known to everyone.
The “altar call” is a step in the right direction of what is sometimes a long journey.
” ..... change is a lifelong process with many setbacks; ...
Yep.
“Altar calls” are not in the Bible, therefore they are a tradition of man and should be condemned. (tongue firmly in cheek)
Most of the time, in my opinion, this device is used as a proxy for real repentance and cost-counting. Teens and pre-teens are often subjected to peer pressure to "go forward" together in a club-like initiation ritual. It is no better than the empty mechanics engaged in by the Roman Church.
Finney's meetings entailed "anxious enquirers" coming forward for further instruction, based on their particular expression of concerns and understanding of the situation of their souls, not to be given an instant membership card.
It shouldn't be a 'special time' for people. It should be a terrible crisis that demands horrible self-examination. A profound experience that changes them to the core.
I have no real problems with Altar Calls.
But....
I was at a funeral one time. As part of the service, the preacher did actually give an Altar Call.
As he prayed; anyone who wanted to accept Jesus into their hearts could do so by raising their hand and praying the Believers Prayer.
Hoo Boy!
We put the gospel out there and invite the sinner to accept Christ. It is NOT we who change the heart. To judge the results is to question the Holy Spirit who calls and changes that person or not.
Sounds like a tent revival to me. I wonder how they knew they "were added"?
I still don’t see the words “tent revival” or “altar call”. I do, however, see “baptism” which must be necessary for salvation.
How did they know who to baptize if they didn’t come forward to identify themselves?
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