Posted on 12/19/2018 2:51:31 PM PST by metmom
"How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard" (Heb. 2:3).
Many people know the facts of the gospel but won’t make a commitment to it.
I will never forget a lady who came to my office, confessing that she was a prostitute and was desperate for help. I presented the claims of Christ to her and asked if she wanted to confess Christ as Lord of her life. She said yes and prayed, seemingly inviting Christ into her life.
Then I suggested that we burn her book of contacts. She looked at me incredulously and said, "What do you mean?" "If you want to live for Jesus Christ," I explained, "and you've truly accepted His forgiveness and embraced Him as Lord, then you need to prove it." "But that book is worth a lot of money," she said. "I don't want to burn it." After putting it back in her purse, she looked me right in the eye and said, "I guess I don't really want Jesus, do I?"
When it came to counting the cost, she wasn't ready. I don't know whatever became of her, but my heart aches for her and others like her.
I'm sure you know people like her—they know and believe that Christ is the Savior, they know they need Him, but they are unwilling to make a commitment to Him. Perhaps they even go to church and hear the Word of God. They are like the proverbial man who says he believes a boat will keep him afloat, but never sets foot in one.
Those people are the most tragic of all. They need to be warned—to be given a powerful shove toward Christ. May the Lord use you as His instrument for that purpose in the lives of many who are on the edge of a decision for Christ.
Suggestion for Prayer
Ask God to soften the hearts of people you know who understand the facts of the gospel, but haven't yet made a commitment to it.
For Further Study
Read Matthew 19:16-22. What kinds of questions should you ask of someone who appears eager to become a Christian?
Studying God’s Word ping
I don’t buy this tale for a minute. Granting that it happened as stated, shame on you John MacArthur for using this woman’s messed up life to score your illustration about how people need to prove they’ve received the FREE GIFT of eternal life.
The folly of “decision” theology. The Bible says believe and be baptized. Also, repent and be baptized. Both the work of God the Holy Spirit through hearing of the Word. Not any shoving by John MacArthur or other finagler.
We are to lead people to the Lord and instruct with grace. Let the Spirit deal with peoples habits. Years ago when I accepted Christ my pot smoking habits didn’t cease right away but soon after my desire for it disappeared because it couldn’t impart and compare to what the Spirit was working in my life. I didn’t have to prove it to God by quitting but He proved it to me in the inner workings of the new life that canceled the desire for the weed. Indeed, His deeds.
MacArthur has done a lot of good.
I don’t understand your objection to what he wrote.
Are you denying what he wrote isn’t true?
While I don’t disagree with her need to abandon her lifestyle, his choice of words was poor.
The Holy Spirit would lead her into doing that.
Coercing behavior out of someone can give them a false sense of security. I guess I’m more of a believer in presenting the claims of Christ, and if they choose to accept them, waiting for the fruit to appear to verify the commitment was genuine.
If someone is instructed on how to live and does it, then you never know if it’s a result of a changed heart or not.
This poor choice of words is par for the course when it comes to Mac trying to tie behavior to salvation.
The Apostle Peter committed a far worse sin than Judas did, yet Christ restored him - as He restores us daily.
Ironically Mac was once quoted as saying, “if you could lose your salvation, you would”.
Sanctification is a lifelong process for all Christians. We’ll never be perfect this side of eternity, it’s exactly why Christ died on the cross for us.
That said, I’d agree 100% with the fruit that the spirit produces. Sooner or later, that confessing Christian is going to produce fruit.
“I’m sure you know people like her—they know and believe that Christ is the Savior, they know they need Him, but they are unwilling to make a commitment to Him. Perhaps they even go to church and hear the Word of God. They are like the proverbial man who says he believes a boat will keep him afloat, but never sets foot in one.”
What commitment does he mean?
A blood oath?
A total submerged baptism plus public confession of faith?
The gift of eternal life is FREE. Believe in your heart & confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and it’s yours (Romans 10:9-10). Works-based salvation isn’t the Gospel of Christ, though more than many legions of misinformed Christians swear by it.
That is an interesting statement and I'd be grateful to hear more about your opinion on that comparison.
There's another thread on FR about the priest who mentioned the SIN of suicide; while preciding at a suicide's funeral.
The attitude "They should be warned" didn't go over too well.
This is a problem I have with my well meaning evangelists, preachers and bible camp teachers sharing the "number of professions" that were made at bible camp or other events. It all boils down to the election vs free will argument for me. The doctrine of election takes the onus off of the Saints to "get everyone saved".
I’m not a believe in election, but I never considered it my responsibility to *save* anyone.
I can’t.
My responsibility is to obey God, and make disciples, as He told us, and present the gospel whenever I can and let the Holy Spirit do the work of convicting and drawing.
That’s His job anyways.
I tell people about the Lord because knowing Him is the most amazing, exciting, indescribable thing in the entire universe. Knowing Him is that "Light" which can't be hidden under a bushel.
When people reject that light I'm sad for them and realize that if I was not elect I'd also reject Him. Then I hope that He will give them the gift of faith in His time.
I've heard people preach that if you don't go out and save people they will go to hell and their blood is on your hands. That is not scriptural.
I’ve heard that, too but don’t believe it either.
Every person’s decision is their own.
I am not responsible for them deciding and I can’t decide for them.
That's where I think the "I don't believe in election" people lose any leg to stand on.
Although I try to keep from making the things of God too simple—we are the simple ones; He is infinitely complex—this much seems rather simple to me.
Election means God does the saving. If you don't believe in election, you believe everyone makes their own decision.
And if you believe everyone makes their own decision, then you must believe some souls are in hell simply because they weren't evangelized enough to come to the right decision. Then, you must wonder how many of those souls could have been saved if you'd seized your opportunity to witness to them, rather than blowing it off.
I confess that's more than likely oversimplified. But, did I get anything wrong here?
The proof he was asking for wasn't to prove to others--it was to prove it to herself. We must all prove to ourselves that we have accepted His gift.
Acceptance of that gift means that we accept His truth--His will for our lives, and how we should live. If we merely pray for salvation, then do nothing in our lives to reflect that salvation, we have not really received it.
His illustration was absolutely correct.
bookmark for later
God foreknew who would be saved, who would respond to His offer of forgiveness so He chose to save those folks instead of letting them go to hell.
But Paul makes it clear in Romans that no one s without excuse.
How God deals with those who desire Him who were never presented the gospel is not revealed to us, but He is just and we have to trust that He will do righteously.
However, the problem I see with the election folks, is a lack of evangelism or apparent concern for the lost. I have worked for and with Calvinists and as a whole, they are the most aloof, unapproachable people as people as you have ever met. They didn’t share Christ with others, and had a rather callous disregard for their fate.
I know there are some exceptions, but in my experience, they are very few and far between.
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