Prepare your church for suffering...

T4G 2010 -- Session 8 -- Matt Chandler from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Invite Jesus into your heart...

Should we use use the phrase "Invite Jesus into your heart" when trying to present the gospel to children or even to adults?  I say emphatically - NO!  Let me explain...

I was recently present a baptism where the pastor asked the child "Have you invited Jesus into your heart?"  The 6 year old responded in the affirmative and then the pastor declared "Based upon your invitation of Jesus into your heart, I baptize you..."

Whats wrong with that situation you ask.  Why am I being so picky you might wonder?  Isn't this just semantics?

Let me start by saying that I feel assured that the pastor in that situation is a believer.  I fell confident that he understands the gospel message clearly.  I simply think that he fell into the trap of non-scriptural based Christian buzzwords and lingo which plague the current American evangelical climate.

Also, let me say that there may be many people who came to faith and remember such a phrase as a part of their conversion experience.  I am not saying here that God can't use such terminology to affect regeneration, I am simply arguing that it isn't the best way for us to go about our gospel-proclaiming work as instruments in His hands.

So, whats wrong with the phrase "Invite Jesus into your heart?"

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1)  Its not in the Bible.

There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that resembles this statement.  Rev 3:20 is occassionally used as support, but a contextual reading makes clear that the situation there revolves around a church that is seemingly good to go due to material prosperity, yet is devoid of the presence of Christ in their spiritual lives - it is not a comment on salvation.

Don't worry though...Scripture does tell us what we must do to be saved:

John the Baptist says that we must "Repent and believe in the gospel" - Mark 1:15

Paul tell us that we must "Confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is resurrected Lord" - Romans 10:9

Johns says "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" - John 1:12

The Bible clearly outlines the process of salvation.  The grace of God comes to us as an act of His mercy and a gift of faith is given to us which then enables us to receive and trust upon the finished work of penal substitutionary atonement made upon the cross by Christ.  Our spirits are then imputed with the righteousness of Christ and made new, born again as adopted sons of God. (see Eph 2:8-9, Eph 1:5, and 2 Cor 5:21)

I think that using such simple and potentially misleading phrase as "Invite Jesus into your heart" does disservice to the rich truth that is the gospel message.

2)  It confuses children

Children do not grasp the abstract until around age 7.  When we talk with our kids about Jesus and our heart before that age, we get confused children who often think that Jesus is somehow inside their actual heart.  There are even example of kids using stethoscopes to try and hear Jesus inside them.

This world is confusing and hard enough without parents adding a new layer of fog to the mind of a child, especially regarding such important matters.  Just because its easy to use or it sounds sentimental and cute, isn't a good reason to use "invite Jesus into your heart" with young ones.

3)  It promotes easy-believeism

Much like the sinners prayer and altar calls (both of which were 19th century inventions), the use of such phrases does not adequately address the theological doctrines necessary to trust in Christ.  Where is the mention of sin and on-going sanctification?  We should not promote salvation as a one-time "get out of hell free" event.

Certainly, regeneration is a singular experience.  Our dead spirits are only quickened once, but after that event comes a lifetime of war against ones-self, this world, and the enemy.  I would hope to see a potential convert to the faith come to fully grasp what the Christian walk entails at the hands of a mature believer who can guide them on that road instead of nominal Christians telling others to just "Invite Jesus into their hearts" and everything will be ok.

There is no "magic formula" to salvation.  We must be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that a certain phrase or prayer will automatically make someone born again.  Through careful presentation of the Gospel and on-going love we can hope to see true conversion that does not hinge upon ungenuine platitudes and effect speedy departures from the faith.

4)  It makes God subordinate.

God is sovereign.  He rules over us.  He does as he pleases.  We don't dictate to Him.

Using terms like "Invite Jesus in" makes us the active agent and God the passive one waiting for us to come and find him.  We must be careful about the words we choose to use.  Words have meaning.  

It would be better to acknowledge what scripture says "its is not of our own doing, lest we should boast" - Eph 2
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So...here is what I would say if I was a pastor doing a baptism (off the top of my head):

"Do you believe in the holy God of all creation who is absolutely perfect and can abide no sin?"

"Do you recognize that your sin seperates you from the presence of this holy God and condems you to eternal damnation?"

"Do you acknowledge that the only means to reconciliation with God comes through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross, God himself paying our penalty?"

"Have you been given the gift of faith by the grace of God, without any of your own effort or merit, that allows you to receive this truth, making you an adopted child of God?"

"Are you then asking to be baptized as a public profession of your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, having submitting yourself to a lifetime of continuous sanctification by the power of the God's Spirit?"

'Having answered yes to all of these questions, we celebrate the new nature of your spirit and I now baptize you in the name of the Faither, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all to be edified."

I would hope of course, that the person had come to grasp the basics of each of those points in the process of their conversion, thus the formality of the questions would really be more for those in attendance as spectators than for the participant.

By using questions like those, even non-believers in the audience would get a clear picture of what the gospel was and how salvation occurred.  Also, believers would be reminded and affirmed of the clear truths of our faith.

When we use catch phrases like "Invite Jesus into your heart" we mislead the unregenerate in the audience and we dumb down our fellow brothers in the faith.

But, what about kids you say?  Those questions are too much for a kid to grasp you might think...

I certainly hope that the concepts are not too difficult to grasp or else the kid isn't really saved.  If a child does not understand those basic principles and assent to them, their "belief" in Jesus is no more than the belief they have in Santa Claus.

We can simplify the terms if words like "abide, reconciliation, merit, or edified" end up being over their head.  I am sure that more kid-friendly synonyms exist which still capture the truth of each concept.

If we are careful  in communicating the truth of the gospel to children, we might be able to avoid long periods of time in people’s lives when they aren’t sure of their salvation or when they feel that they have to keep making professions of faith to be sure.

Now...I do think it’s important that if a child wants to express faith in Christ, we should encourage it—each and every time that desire occurs. At some point along the way, true faith will likely be expressed and assurance will come. We cannot see their hearts and must not put any stumbling blocks in their spiritual journey...including unbiblical buzzwords like "Invite Jesus into your heart."

Finally,  let me address those who will think I am just being too detailed.  I often can be too obsessed with the details in theology and, to my own grief, I have a tendency to be far too intellectual and far, far less practical with my faith than I should be.  However, that personal fact should not color whether or not my thoughts on this issue are me being too nit-picky.

I would ask you to think about the need for accuracy in communicating truth.  God chose to reveal his whole redemptive plan for us in words.  We use words to explain the gospel to others.  Charles Ryrie says "a correct choice of words is important, even essential, in stating the Gospel well" and I agree.

But, is Gospel clarity really that big of a deal? Yes, according to Paul …"if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." - Gal. 1:8-9

There is a verse in 1 Corinthians, that can be extrapolated as illustrative of this principle…

"For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" - 1 Cor 14:8

War is upon us and our fight is for the eternal souls of men.  If the trumpet sound is muted or unclear and it is not understood by the army, the soldiers cannot know what is required of them.