Ask Jesus Into Your Heart? What Verse Is That?

So many people today believe they are Christians because at some point they "asked Jesus into their heart". In addition, many of these same people try to lead others to Christ by giving a testimony and encouraging them to "ask Jesus into your heart".

Isn't this the way people are supposed to come to salvation, by asking Jesus into their heart?

No, it is not. To prove it to yourself, try to find a Bible verse to support it. You cannot. The fact is, asking Jesus into your heart is a man-centered gospel message.

I have asked several people who believe in this approach to salvation, "Where in the Bible do you find support for telling someone to 'ask Jesus into your heart'?" The responses are typically: Romans 10:9-10 and Acts 8:37.

Let's consider each of these verses, beginning with Acts 8:37, which reads (NASB):

"And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

This occurs during a conversation between Philip and an Ethiopian eunuch. The conversation follows the command from an angel of the Lord for Philip to go over and speak to the Ethiopian.

During this conversation, Philip explains how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, and clearly shares the gospel. In addition, from the context we can confidently infer that Philip explained baptism as an act of obedience to demonstrate your re-birth as a Christian. (Acts 8:25-40). It is at this point that Philip says, "if you believe with all your heart, you may." Philip is talking about Baptism, which should only follow true repentance and faith. Philip understood this, and it is clear from the context that the Ethiopian understood this as well. It is also clear that 'asking Jesus into his heart' is not what happened here.

In addition, the Greek word that is translated "believe" is pisteuo, which means to commit one's trust to, or to place your confidence in. It is clear that a belief such as this is not the type of hope that is associated with crossing one's fingers, or hoping that just maybe something might be true. This is a belief that is certain. This is a belief that allows you to take confident steps in an uncertain and ever-changing world.

What about Romans 10:9-10, which says:

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Frequently, those who claim that "asking Jesus into your heart" is all that is required, skip right past the opening phrase, "if you confess with your mouth."

Confess what? Read on as the passage explains that you must confess "that Jesus is Lord."

Salvation is not about you asking Jesus into your heart, it is about confessing that Jesus is Lord. As Lord, He decides if He will provide salvation, not you. How does He make this decision? According to his own words, only if you "Repent, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Repentance means that you agree with God that His standard is the right standard, that you have fallen short of His standard through the many sins you have committed, and you are ready to give up control of your life to Him. You are saying, 'Not my will, Lord, but yours. Not my way, Lord, but yours.' Turn from your life of seeking to fulfill the pleasures of the flesh, and begin to obey Christ as Lord of your life.

Once you confess in this way by crying out to God for mercy, you have demonstrated that you believe in your heart (that is, you place your confidence in God). Only then will Jesus save you from the wrath you deserve.

Jesus is not a product that can be taken off the shelf at your whim, consumed to make you feel better, and then put into the pantry until you need Him again. You are a sinner. Your lying, theft, lust, hatred, disobedience, dishonoring God, coveting others' possessions, and more have condemned you. You are not in control. You deserve to be cast out. Christ will save you only if you repent, and believe the gospel.

Christ endured horrific pain in the flesh, and (more importantly) the pouring out of God's wrath so that you and I could be forgiven. The fact that some people think salvation is a matter of placing a courtesy call to the Lord God makes me shudder in fear for their false confidence.. (Matt 7:21-23)

Revelation Song

The Revelation Song is about how God has revealed Himself to us, not about some fresh understanding of God. We already have an understanding of who God is:

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD God Almighty. He alone provides salvation, through Jesus Christ, for fallen sinners like you and me.

If only people would not forget this.

He is Holy. He is Just. He is God. He is all we need.

There is nothing wrong with looking for a new revelation, a new understanding, a deeper, fresh understanding... as long as you are looking for it in God's Word.

That is called spiritual growth. Along with such growth comes an increased desire to please the Lord, to live for the Lord, to surrender to the Lord, to rely upon the Lord.

Unfortunately, too many people think they can find new understandings through men who proclaim new revelations, new insight, which God has revealed uniquely to them and only as they allow their mind to break free of the chains of the plain meaning of the text.

Such proclamations mock God. He was able to record His Holy Word for mankind to understand plainly. Mankind did not need to wait 2000 years before, suddenly through a fallen man, the Holy Bible could be understood.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." -- Proverbs 14:12

Surrender to Christ alone. Read the Bible. Do what it says. Repeat. Spiritual growth is no more complicated than this. Then, go and tell the gospel to someone who does not know the Lord.

As for the Revelation Song... I love this song because it recognizes the holiness of God. This always leads to true worship.

Christian: Remember What You Have Heard

Have you ever done a "double-take"?

You know, where you look at something, look away, then feel compelled to look again?

The term supposedly originates from movie directors wanting to study a scene one more time to make certain everything was filmed correctly. This double-look at the take eventually found its way into the common vernacular to mean: looking a second time, or looking more intently.

In a recent Bible Study, our group was looking at a passage from Revelation 3. As the discussion continued, I found myself doing a double-take, and looking intently at verse 3.

To quickly summarize, Revelation 3:1-6 documents a letter to the church of Sardis which Christ had the apostle John write down. Christ acknowledges the works of the church, but condemns them for activities that are empty of worship. In His words, "you have a name that you were alive, but you are dead."

Christ then says, "Wake up..."

It is a stern, forceful, attention grabbing command. He wants their full attention.

We now arrive at verse 3, where Christ gives the church direction. His instruction, which caused me to double-take, is "remember what you have received and heard;"

What had they "received and heard"?

We need to remember that Christ is writing a letter to the church in Sardis. The church is the body of Christ, so these are believers; or non-believers who are part of a body of believers. Therefore, what they had "received and heard" was the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and very specifically, the gospel.

Why was it important for the church of Sardis to remember what they had received and heard? I think the answer is two-fold. On first read, I think he is telling them to remember the source of salvation: Christ alone. As they perform their works, they are to perform them as an act of worship to their savior.

In addition, I think He is telling them that going out into the world and doing a bunch of works is meaningless if they do not share the gospel!

How do I draw this conclusion? Because the church of Sardis was known as an active church in a mostly non-Christian city. They were actively involved in the community. This was probably similar to how many churches today are involved in communities: clothing drives, feeding the hungry, helping the sick, caring for those who are at the end of their rope, taking in the homeless, or repairing damaged homes. The list of things churches, then and now, get involved in is endless. But without the gospel, it is also meaningless for more than a short time.

Christian, "Wake up!" Remember what you have received and heard!

Looking good before a fallen world is meaningless if you leave those you help as hopeless, lost, and doomed as they were before you dug the new well, painted a few walls, or filled an empty belly.

Remember that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word".

Remember that we are not called to go into the world and act like nice people, we are to go into the world and make disciples! (Matt 28:19).

If you are involved in community activities, thank you for physically expressing the love of the Lord. But sooner or later your witness must become verbal. As Paul wrote in the second letter to the Corinthians, "But having the same ​spirit of faith, according to what is written, “​​I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak..." (4:13)

Overcoming The Fear Of One-On-One Witnessing

Too frequently I have passed up opportunities to share the gospel. I’m not talking about the times I’ve looked back on a situation and suddenly realized that God gave me a perfect opportunity, but I did not recognize it. I am talking about those times when I know, clearly, this is an opportunity, and I don’t take it. I just could not get the words out. It’s nearly always because of pride, which manifests itself as fear.

Recently, I as I read through Paul’s letter’s to the Corinthians, I was struck by the fact that he, clearly one of the best examples we have of a witness for Christ, also struggled with fear and pride. Thankfully, his words can help us overcome these self-imposed feelings. Below are a few of the verses that helped me recently to share the gospel with a lost person. I hope they help you the next time you have an opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

In 2 Cor 1:3-4, Paul tells us that God is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction...” The word for affliction can also mean crushing pressure, something we perceive as extremely difficult to overcome, such as fear welling up inside. Paul says that even in times like these, God is merciful, and comforting, even to the point of abundance (v5)! Imagine that. We can trust in God to fill us comfort to the point of overflowing!

In 2 Cor 1:8, Paul describes the mental and physical torment he suffered from, so much so that he and his companions were “burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;” What was the source of this suffering? Was it similar to what we face today: the fear of asking a question, or of having someone get annoyed and walk away, or to refuse to speak with us? No, Paul’s torment was real and physical. He believed he was to suffer a horrific execution for his evangelism.

How our fears pale in comparison! Thankfully, we can depend on the same God to deliver us that Paul depended on to deliver him. Paul did not rely upon clever mental tricks, or smooth language, or in-depth study. 2 Cor 1:9-10 says Paul and his companions purposely minimized their own abilities “so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.” God has the ability to save anyone, at anytime, from any peril. Trust Him. Set your hope in Him. Allow Him to conquer your fears.

Is there any fear we should cling to, that we should hope for? Oh, yes, but it’s a fear that God can use to save the lost.

2 Cor 5:11 says, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” Paul clearly understood what faced men after death, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” (Heb 9:27) The fear we should hope for is a genuine fear in the heart of the person we share the gospel with. Our fear should be nothing, their fear should be all consuming, leading them to realize that without God’s mercy, offered through Christ Jesus, they will face a God of wrath on Judgment Day.

Once you cling to the hope that others will fear God, then the love of Christ will control you (2 Cor 5:14) not a self-imposed fear of man. That’s when you will join the ranks of the “ambassadors for Christ” (v20), to become one of those who represent the One who sent them: not in fear, but in resolve and obedience.

From the letters to the Corinthians, we see that Paul clearly understood his hope as a forgiven child of Christ. You too can claim these promises and victories, such as 2 Cor 3:12, “Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech...” to give up your fear to God and boldly share the gospel with the lost.

Just as their is no place for darkness in light, there is no place for fear in true faith, hope, and obedience. (John 8:12, 1 John 1:5)

Another Evolution Story Proving Creation...

For many, this is the "Year of Darwin" as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

I find tremendous irony in the activities planned not only here, but around the world, to celebrate the birth of Darwin. The same people who are celebrating his birth routinely mock or persecute Christians for celebrating the birth of Jesus. But, I digress.

The point of evolution is frequently to prove the Bible is in error. After all, if evolutionists can prove that creation is just a story, then they can argue that morals, salvation, redemption, Christ, resurrection, etc., are also mere stories. If the Bible is not the authority, then each person (well, actually, the biggest person) gets to set the rules. That's why they work so hard to prove that life spontaneously generated, and that we're all nothing more than gelatin that figured out how to grow eyes, legs, and complex organs.

Such is the case with researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

According to Fox News, on January 13, 2009, this group of scientists are reporting that are witnessing self-replicating molecules in the lab-environment, that "even evolve and compete".

I am certain that evolutionists all around the world are greeting this story with glee, and are ready to confront the next Christian who dares mention the creation account given in Genesis.

They desperately (even through the power of law) try to force us to accept this evolution nonsense, but they refuse to consider the Hand of God in the wonderful design of the universe.

Consider this recent story, however, as another example of their desperation as revealed when we look closely at how they must qualify their work. To illustrate this, I've bolded some of their language as I quote portions of the article.

The title of the article contains the first clue: "Life As We Know It Nearly Created In Lab"

Nearly? Is that science? Nearly? My junior high science teacher would not have accepted a paper from me if I reported on the results of an experiment I "nearly" achieved.

The article then talks about the 'science' that pins the mystery of life "down to roughly" chemical reactions which occurred 4 billion years ago (a number which seems to change every year, and is almost certain to change again this year) to "perhaps in a primordial soup or maybe with the help of volcanoes or possibly at the bottom of the sea..."

I'm not making this up, and we're only 45 words into the article! So far the article has already identified numerous assumptions: "roughly... perhaps... maybe..." and "possibly". My science teacher called these "guesses".

Remember that this stuff is forcably taught to your children in public schools. Somehow the qualifiers are dropped and suddenly this stuff is described as fact.

But our article is just getting started. There's more we can find without being much of a detective.

The very next paragraph says that the scientists "have created something in the lab that is tantilizingly close to what might have happened" long ago.

Wait a minute! The scientists created this stuff? Um, are they arguing for the Bible now? Genesis 1 describes how God "created" the world, the universe, the stars, the planets, and everything else. Now, scientists are demonstrating that organized chemical reactions require creation. Why isn't that the story? Of course, God did not need a fancy lab, or a model to follow, or millions of dollars, or multiple researchers to make attempt after attempt until He sort of got it right.

Further, these researchers talk about materials that might be "tantalizingly close" to what "might have happened"? This is the state of modern science, and we are supposed to believe this?

Why are Christians afraid of any of this evolution nonsense? The best science can come up with is demonstrating that you need a modern lab environment, meticulous design, carefully planned out conditions, to maybe demonstrate something that might have happened?

Ah, but the article continues. The scientists then say that what they created is, "not life..." But they did manage to build molecules that self-replicate. Some accomplishment! They studied God's creation, then designed some simple replica that is not life. This is a scientific breakthrough? It seems like proof of God's design to me.

What they did was try to re-create simple RNA. But, the article admits, "RNA can't run a life form on it's own" but it "might have been" involved billions of years ago. It just needed some "chemical fix" to make the leap. I suppose that in the beginning the RNA phoned up the local chemical fix-it shop to request assistance?

Finally, the article talks about the known roles of RNA and DNA (the real building block of life), and reveals that "In today's world, RNA is dependent on DNA for performing its roles..."

So, DNA is needed for RNA to have any function. But, the scientists think that RNA somehow might lead to DNA. This means that their experiment is working in reverse! DNA is needed for RNA to have any function, but they are working to prove that RNA can lead to DNA? I think they should consult their textbooks. The experiment is in direct conflict with what is known by scientists today.

Come on, Christian, stand firm in your faith (1 Cor 15:58). The evolutionists have no certain knowledge, only a bunch of theories, money, and political clout to force feed their world-view upon others.

It's ironic that they are proving creation with their experiments, yet they work fiecely to force our silence regarding the magnificent design and creation recorded in the Bible.

New Survey Shows Most Self-Described Christians Ignore Biblical Truth

Shortly after Christ was captured by Roman soldiers, at the insistance of the Jewish leaders, He was brought before Pontius Pilate. As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate could pass sentence on Christ, or free Him.

As Pilate considered the fate of the Savior, he asked Him, "What is truth?"

The Greek word that is translated "truth" is aletheia (pronounced al·ay·thi·a). This word means, essentially: that which is objective in any matter. Another definition is: certainty, fact.

Truth is a question mankind has wrestled with, and, according to a new survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life, Christians today fail to recognize what is truth.

Before I jump to the results of the survey, let's cover a few Biblical definitions of truth:

• God is truth (Deut 32:4, Isa 65:16) and His truth is unchanging (Num 23:19, Titus 1:2)
• The Bible is God's Word (Isa 34:16, Rom 1:2)
• The Bible is True (Psalm 119:160)
• Christ is truth (John 1:17)
• The gospel is truth (Eph 1:13, 1 Thess 2:13)

From this we know that the Bible is the true Word of God, and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is part of that truth.

What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?

In John 14:6, Jesus answers Thomas about the only path to heaven when He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me."

Further, as you read the Bible, you discover that the path to Christ is repentance from sin (Matt 4:17, 2 Cor 7:10, Rev 3:3), and surrendering your life to Christ (Rom 6:19, Col 4:1, 1 Cor 7:22).

The Bible also warns us that many people will miss the truth of the gospel. Read Matthew 7:13-14:

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

It appears that most of America's self-reporting Christians are looking at a wide gate.

Note: The term Christian, as used by the survey, is self-reported. That is, a person is a "Christian" if they call themselves a Christian. This is an objective standard. For the balance of this article, you can assume that I am using the objective standard. However, my desire is that people turn to God's standard (as shown above) and become true Christians.

Consider the fact that this new study finds that most Christians in America believe that you need not be a repentant slave to Christ to obtain salvation.

In fact, an astounding 65% of Christians say that many religions can lead to salvation! Before you dismiss this number and think, "well, there are Episcopal's and Baptists and Lutherans..." that is NOT what the survey respondents meant by "many religions". Upon further questioning, the Pew Forum discovered,

• More than 8 in 10 say that at least one non-Christian religion can provide Salvation.
• 69% say that Judaism provides salvation
• 52% say that salvation can be found in Islam
• 53% say Hinduism can provide salvation
• An astonishing 56% say that people with "no religious faith" can still obtain salvation, and
  
• Most amazingly, 42% say that atheists can obtain salvation.
  

How? Well, according to the survey respondents, all of these people can achieve salvation by what they believe or by their actions. What Bible verse is that?

If these self-reported Christians do not understand how others can achieve eternal life, what does that say about their own walk with the Lord?

Please, if your views conflict with the scripture above about the gospel, consider the following passage from Matthew 7:21-23,

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'"

The only way we can know the truth... the only way we can share the truth... the only way to obtain salvation is to search out the truth of the gospel in the Bible.

The Bible is truth. The gospel is truth. Surveys are not. Beliefs are not. Feelings are not.

Know the truth, and share it with others... even those who sit in church with you.

The State of Modern Evangelism

I subscribe to a daily e-mail feed called Grace Gems. Each day I receive a devotional writing. Some are short, some are long. Some reference audio for listening.

I found the one from New Year's Day very instructive with regard to evangelism. I have reproduced it below (Grace Gems uses Public Domain materials, and gives permission for use of their material). This message was originally produced by Arthur Pink. The emphasis found is mine. I hope you enjoy this excerpt. If so, you can find the full message here.


Arthur Pink, "Present Day Evangelism"

The nature of Christ's salvation, is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell--rather than a Savior from sin! And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire--who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness!

The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is--"You shall call His name Jesus--for He shall save His people...[not "from the wrath to come," but] from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, and who long to be freed from its terrible dominion. He is a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing, with which to charge the Holy One!

True, as the Christian grows in grace, he has a clearer realization of what sin is--rebellion against God; and a deeper hatred of and sorrow for it. But to think that one may be saved by Christ, whose conscience has never been smitten by the Spirit, and whose heart has not been made contrite before God--is to imagine something which has no existence in the realm of fact. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor--but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). The only ones who really seek relief from the great Physician, are those who are sick of sin--who long to be delivered from its God-dishonoring works, and its soul-defiling pollutions.

As Christ's salvation is a salvation from sin--from the love of it, from its dominion, from its guilt and penalty--then it necessarily follows, that the first great task and the chief work of the evangelist, is to preach upon SIN: to define what sin (as distinct from crime) really is, to show wherein its infinite enormity consists, to trace out its manifold workings in the heart, to indicate that nothing less than eternal punishment is its desert!

Ah, preaching upon sin will not make him popular nor draw the crowds, will it? No, it will not; and knowing this, those who love the praise of men more than the approbation of God, and who value their salary above immortal souls, trim their sales accordingly!