Bible Question: Many churches have the ceremony and on the hand written bulletin, after the sermon, ( Hymn of Invitation ) which during a song that centers around the confession of faith and the taking of first steps of salvation, my question, ( which is not petty) the scriptures never describe that we ( invite ) Jesus into our heart. I feel that this is an act of surrender, not an invitation. Let me explain, the grace from above comes to the humble, where is the humble in asking for an invite. The very word is wrong, and to make it worse, it is a man's tradition, which has no place in salvation. Many people every year are brain-washed with this act of ceremony, to me has no weight or valid right to even be done. I will find it interesting as to the response I get from this question. |
Bible Answer: Greetings, Asking Jesus to come into one’s heart is like inviting Christ into a sewer. Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? It seems as though in most of the churches and services today that people are being ask to jump through man’s psychological hoop in order to be saved; the Word of God establishes the guide lines not man!!!!! The bigger one then this is, “asking God to forgive you”; who knows where they dug this up from but is sure isn’t found in the Word of God. Jesus said the following, Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. The word repent is from the word, METANOEO in the Greek and it’s a compound word meaning to “change” one’s “mind” about the person of Christ and who He is. The most common denominator is found in the following verses and it’s the reason for the whole gospel of John. John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. The problem now days resides in the confusing word “believe”, i.e. PISTEUO in the Koine Greek of the New Testament. One can’t just give mental assent to the person of Christ that He existed and have eternal life; they must completely place “all of their hopes for eternal life” is the “finished work” that Christ did for them on the cross. If “anything is added” to this faith alone in Christ alone, for all intent and purposes they aren’t truly saved. Ephes. 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. The gift of God is eternal life which is given freely to those that have the son residing in them. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here is the statement that settles it all. 1 John 5:10-13 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. CDBJ |