A Discussion of Evangelism:
Biblical Truths and Modern Evangelism
Outline
Part 1
I. Evangelism According to God's Word
II. Access to the Free Gift of Salvation through Faith Alone
Part 2
III. Some Unbiblical Modern Evangelism Concepts and Practices
A. Asking Jesus into your heart
B. ' The prayer '
IV. Believing in Jesus
Part 3
V. Confession in Romans 10
Part 4
VI. Calling upon the Lord
Part 5
VII. 'Confessing Jesus before men' in Matthew 10:32
VIII. Conclusion
Part 2
III. Some Foundational Concepts And Practices In Modern Evangelism Are Not Supported by the Bible.
- Asking Jesus into your heart
- Is it Biblical?
- There are no Biblical examples of a person asking Jesus to 'come into one's heart.'
- There are no Biblical instructions for a person to ask Jesus to 'come into one's heart.'
- Thus, it does not come from the Bible.
- Where is Jesus?
- Jesus is still a man (and God). 1 Tim 2:5
- The location of Jesus is in heaven. Acts 3:19-21
- Therefore, the physical location of Jesus is not in one's heart. However, the Holy Spirit does indwell the believer.
- Christ in you!
- Through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, Christ is 'in' a believer. Col 1:27-28; Rom 8:9-11
- The Holy Spirit indwells a believer, not because a person 'asks Him to come in,' but because the person believes in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord for salvation. Rom 8:9
- When a person believes, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19
- The free gift is accessed only through faith, not through a work - including a prayer to ask Jesus into one's life.
- The Bible says to believe in Jesus; it does not say to invite Him into your heart.
- Salvation provided by the person and work of Jesus Christ is accessed only through faith.
- The Bible consistently and constantly teaches that salvation offered by Jesus completely rejects works. It is received solely through faith!
- A person can 'do' nothing to be saved. To 'do' something is a work. Salvation is received solely through faith alone. Jn 6:29, 47
- Asking Jesus to come into one's heart is a prayer; thus it is a work.
- Asking Jesus to 'come into one's heart' as a way to receive salvation is not compatible with the Biblical truth of salvation through faith alone.
- Because one is saved only through faith, leading a person to ask Jesus 'to come into one's heart' to be saved is not compatible with evangelism according to the Bible.
- Depending on how it is used, leading a person to ask 'Jesus to come into one's heart,' at best confuses how a person can access salvation.
- A person is forgiven and cleansed from sin by Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross.
- The work of Jesus on the cross is the action that provides forgiveness of sin (1 Pet 2:21, 24; Heb 9:28). In contrast, 'Jesus coming into one's heart' does not forgive one's sins.
- Trusting 'Jesus coming into one's heart' for salvation conflicts with trusting in the person of Jesus as Lord, in His work on the cross as Savior, and in His work of resurrection as God.
- Leading a person to ask Jesus 'to come into one's heart' to be saved can cause a person to trust in (a concept of) Jesus 'living in the person' instead of trusting in the person of Christ (the Holy Son of God) and His work (life, death, and resurrection).
- At its worst, leading a person to ask 'Jesus to come into one's heart,' produces a false conversion and an accompanying result of false assurance of salvation.
- The means of salvation and access to salvation are adequately explained in Scripture.
- Experiences in evangelism do not establish truth.
- Neither personal familiarity and experiences, popular methods, or perceived results should be used as a basis for determining how to evangelize.
- Evangelistic practices that are not Biblically-prescribed should be replaced with Biblically-prescribed methods.
- The number of people making a 'decision' by 'asking Jesus into one's heart' does not establish truth.
- Only Biblically-derived evangelistic practices should be used.
- Some verses claimed as support for the activity of asking Jesus into one's heart.
- Revelation 3:20
- This verse is a message to believers - see Revelation 3:14. It is not instruction for what a person needs to do to be saved.
- To use Revelation 3:20 as support for 'asking Jesus into your heart' is to ignore the context, misunderstand the verse, and misrepresent the meaning of the verse.
- John 1:12
- In this verse, 'to receive' Jesus is to believe that He is God the Son who became man and that He is the Messiah sent by God to provide salvation.
- In this verse, 'to receive' Jesus is to believe in Him (Jn 1:12b).
- There is no indication from the verse that 'to receive' means 'to invite Jesus into one's heart.''
- 'The Prayer'
- 'The Prayer' is not in the Bible.
- There are no commands in the Bible to say 'the prayer' in order to be saved.
- There are no examples in the Bible of anyone saying 'the prayer.'
- There are no Biblical truths which make it necessary for a person to say a prayer in order to be saved.
- The means by which a person can access salvation is through faith, not by saying a prayer.
- A person is not saved by saying 'the prayer.'
- The current practice of having a person say 'the prayer' to be saved can cause an unsaved person to think one is saved. (See Matt 7:21-23.)
- To say, "If (since or because) you said that prayer, you are now saved." is to make 'the prayer' a work.
- It incorrectly teaches a work is necessary to be saved.
- It incorrectly teaches that prayer is a means through which a person is saved.
- Instructing a person to say 'the prayer' in order to be saved is a false gospel that has a work (prayer) added to faith.
- Salvation is received only through faith (Eph 2:8-10).
- Prayer (that comes from one's heart) can be an evidence and expression of a person who already has faith in Jesus as Lord, God, and Savior.
- Is it Biblical?
- There are no Biblical examples of a person asking Jesus to 'come into one's heart.'
- There are no Biblical instructions for a person to ask Jesus to 'come into one's heart.'
- Thus, it does not come from the Bible.
- Where is Jesus?
- Jesus is still a man (and God). 1 Tim 2:5
- The location of Jesus is in heaven. Acts 3:19-21
- Therefore, the physical location of Jesus is not in one's heart. However, the Holy Spirit does indwell the believer.
- Christ in you!
- Through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, Christ is 'in' a believer. Col 1:27-28; Rom 8:9-11
- The Holy Spirit indwells a believer, not because a person 'asks Him to come in,' but because the person believes in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord for salvation. Rom 8:9
- When a person believes, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19
- The free gift is accessed only through faith, not through a work - including a prayer to ask Jesus into one's life.
- The Bible says to believe in Jesus; it does not say to invite Him into your heart.
- Salvation provided by the person and work of Jesus Christ is accessed only through faith.
- The Bible consistently and constantly teaches that salvation offered by Jesus completely rejects works. It is received solely through faith!
- A person can 'do' nothing to be saved. To 'do' something is a work. Salvation is received solely through faith alone. Jn 6:29, 47
- Asking Jesus to come into one's heart is a prayer; thus it is a work.
- Asking Jesus to 'come into one's heart' as a way to receive salvation is not compatible with the Biblical truth of salvation through faith alone.
- Because one is saved only through faith, leading a person to ask Jesus 'to come into one's heart' to be saved is not compatible with evangelism according to the Bible.
- Depending on how it is used, leading a person to ask 'Jesus to come into one's heart,' at best confuses how a person can access salvation.
- A person is forgiven and cleansed from sin by Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross.
- The work of Jesus on the cross is the action that provides forgiveness of sin (1 Pet 2:21, 24; Heb 9:28). In contrast, 'Jesus coming into one's heart' does not forgive one's sins.
- Trusting 'Jesus coming into one's heart' for salvation conflicts with trusting in the person of Jesus as Lord, in His work on the cross as Savior, and in His work of resurrection as God.
- Leading a person to ask Jesus 'to come into one's heart' to be saved can cause a person to trust in (a concept of) Jesus 'living in the person' instead of trusting in the person of Christ (the Holy Son of God) and His work (life, death, and resurrection).
- At its worst, leading a person to ask 'Jesus to come into one's heart,' produces a false conversion and an accompanying result of false assurance of salvation.
- The means of salvation and access to salvation are adequately explained in Scripture.
- Experiences in evangelism do not establish truth.
- Neither personal familiarity and experiences, popular methods, or perceived results should be used as a basis for determining how to evangelize.
- Evangelistic practices that are not Biblically-prescribed should be replaced with Biblically-prescribed methods.
- The number of people making a 'decision' by 'asking Jesus into one's heart' does not establish truth.
- Only Biblically-derived evangelistic practices should be used.
- Some verses claimed as support for the activity of asking Jesus into one's heart.
- Revelation 3:20
- This verse is a message to believers - see Revelation 3:14. It is not instruction for what a person needs to do to be saved.
- To use Revelation 3:20 as support for 'asking Jesus into your heart' is to ignore the context, misunderstand the verse, and misrepresent the meaning of the verse.
- John 1:12
- In this verse, 'to receive' Jesus is to believe that He is God the Son who became man and that He is the Messiah sent by God to provide salvation.
- In this verse, 'to receive' Jesus is to believe in Him (Jn 1:12b).
- There is no indication from the verse that 'to receive' means 'to invite Jesus into one's heart.''
- Revelation 3:20
- 'The Prayer' is not in the Bible.
- There are no commands in the Bible to say 'the prayer' in order to be saved.
- There are no examples in the Bible of anyone saying 'the prayer.'
- There are no Biblical truths which make it necessary for a person to say a prayer in order to be saved.
- The means by which a person can access salvation is through faith, not by saying a prayer.
- A person is not saved by saying 'the prayer.'
- The current practice of having a person say 'the prayer' to be saved can cause an unsaved person to think one is saved. (See Matt 7:21-23.)
- To say, "If (since or because) you said that prayer, you are now saved." is to make 'the prayer' a work.
- It incorrectly teaches a work is necessary to be saved.
- It incorrectly teaches that prayer is a means through which a person is saved.
- Instructing a person to say 'the prayer' in order to be saved is a false gospel that has a work (prayer) added to faith.
- Salvation is received only through faith (Eph 2:8-10).
- Prayer (that comes from one's heart) can be an evidence and expression of a person who already has faith in Jesus as Lord, God, and Savior.
Click here to read "A Prayer for Salvation?"
IV. Believing in Jesus
- Cornelius and his group are a Biblical example of salvation through faith alone.
- In Acts 10, Cornelius and his group believed while Peter was still preaching (after he had proclaimed the facts necessary for belief).
- They were then indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which was evidenced by gifts of the Spirit and their giving praise to God (calling upon the Lord and confessing with the mouth).
- There is no indication that they 'prayed a prayer' for salvation, asked Jesus to enter their hearts, raised their hands, or went to the front of the meeting.
- In Acts 10:46, the people believed.
- With faith as the only access, they were regenerated, saved, and forgiven.
- Then, the new converts were able to magnify God.
- Biblical examples show that salvation is accessed only through belief.
- Some of these examples are found in Acts 8:12, 37; 11:21; 13:48; 14:1; 16:30-34; 17:12, 34; 18:8.
- Another example of a person being saved through faith alone is in John 9:35-39 where a man who was born blind believed in the Lord Jesus and then worshiped Him.
- All Biblical examples of people being saved involve persons believing in Christ.
- Likewise, the Biblical instruction of how to be saved is to believe in Christ.
- Through belief in Jesus (His work on the cross, His resurrection, and His Lordship - His Person), a person is saved by the grace of God.
- Jesus was careful to discourage false, incorrect, or incomplete belief. He exposed it and warned against it. Jn 2:23-25; 8:30-59; 16:31; Mt 7:21-25
- It is important to not give a person false hope of having salvation. Mt 7:21-25
- The Bible encourages people who think they are saved to examine to see if they are in the faith. 2 Cor 13:5
- - - - - - -
- In Acts 10, Cornelius and his group believed while Peter was still preaching (after he had proclaimed the facts necessary for belief).
- They were then indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which was evidenced by gifts of the Spirit and their giving praise to God (calling upon the Lord and confessing with the mouth).
- There is no indication that they 'prayed a prayer' for salvation, asked Jesus to enter their hearts, raised their hands, or went to the front of the meeting.
- In Acts 10:46, the people believed.
- With faith as the only access, they were regenerated, saved, and forgiven.
- Then, the new converts were able to magnify God.
- Some of these examples are found in Acts 8:12, 37; 11:21; 13:48; 14:1; 16:30-34; 17:12, 34; 18:8.
- Another example of a person being saved through faith alone is in John 9:35-39 where a man who was born blind believed in the Lord Jesus and then worshiped Him.
- All Biblical examples of people being saved involve persons believing in Christ.
- Likewise, the Biblical instruction of how to be saved is to believe in Christ.
- It is important to not give a person false hope of having salvation. Mt 7:21-25
- The Bible encourages people who think they are saved to examine to see if they are in the faith. 2 Cor 13:5
L.D. Hammons © 2003 This article may be freely copied and distributed without charge if it is copied in its entirety (without editing) along with this notice - including the author's name and copyright notice.
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