When speeking with young people I often hear said "I asked Jesus into my heart" or when I ask them how to have your sins forgiven they say "you have to ask Jesus into your heart."

I have a bad feeling in my spirit about that phrase. I don't see that to be a biblical doctrine. I am hopeing for any comments to support OR REFFUTE my suspission

(please excuse spelling)

Thank you

matthew

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matthew bauer

Mattew,

As Mike says: "Someone will be with you shortly"! :-D

In Him, Chanin

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Chanin

I think the problem is the lack of clarity about the process of salvation. Most people want it cheap and easy and so are not willing to confront their sin. I believe there is a lot of support (scripturally) about the need for repentance before salvation. This is what is missing in our churches today and must be emphasized. I would think of asking people to clarify what they mean when they make statements like that: "I asked jesus into my heart"

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prince

I believe you it is correct to be wary of the "ask Jesus into your heart" explanation of how to get saved.

1) It isn't in the Bible. If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.

2) It does not stress (or even mention) repentance, without which no one can be saved.

The first (Biblically recorded) public preaching of both John the Baptist and Jesus is "Repent" (not necessarily the very first word out of their mouths, but the point is made)

Matthew 3
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
2 and saying, "Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Some of Jesus words make it plainly clear:

Luke 13:3
I tell you, nay; but unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

If someone "asks Jesus into their heart" and does not repent, they are still going to perish.

Luke 15:7
I say unto you that likewise more joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.

What's the joy over? Someone making an intellectual or emotional decision to request Jesus' presence in their hearts/lives (I'm not trying to mock it, by the way), or is it repentance?

Mark 6:12
And they went out and preached that men should repent.

The situation is somewhat different since they went out preaching, but has it changed such that we need not preach repentance?

Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 17:30
The times of this ignorance God overlooked, but now He commandeth all men everywhere to repent,

What does He command?

I think I've gotten the point across.

My problem isn't so much with the preaching of "ask Jesus into your heart" (though I'd ask a Biblical justification of anyone using that phrase), it's what they generally [b]don't[/b] preach that bothers me. Things like repentance, living right, obeying, serving, and loving God, that if we truly love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15, 1 John 5:3), and if we don't keep His commandments we don't truly love or even know Him (1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 3:6).

I think it's correct that we should ask Jesus to be present in our lives and in us, and to partly borrow a phrase used by someone else here, I think we should ask Jesus to sit on the [b]throne[/b] of our hearts.

Hi Keith, you write...
I think it's correct that
1. we should ask Jesus to be present in our lives and in us, and to partly borrow a phrase used by someone else here,
2.I think we should ask Jesus to sit on the throne of our hearts.

I've split up your sentence for simplicity, but I'm don't think either of these phrases is any more 'biblical' than 'asking Jesus into your heart'. Can I ask you for a 'biblical justification' of these phrases?

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Ron Bailey

Yeah I agree it's not scriptural, and it does tend to create apostates and backsliders, especially without the understanding that we are guilty before God and we need to repent,
BUT--
I think sometimes (occasionally) when people will ask Jesus into their heart, there is an unconscious understanding of the fear of the Lord and repentance, and salvation really happens.
Good soil.
Sometimes God makes it count...

but for the most part,
I wish I could go back and undo some of the flaky salvation messages I gave people, because they have long since abandoned the faith. I'm deeply ashamed of that.
sermonindex.net definitely has the goods.
I have COMPLETELY overhauled my Christianity because of some of the sermons contained on this site.

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James Elston

We are dead in our sins and trespasses, until the Holy Spirit of God raises our lost soul from the dead, this is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Salvation; 1. God raises a lost soul from the spiritually dead state, 2. Then that risen from the dead soul repents and believes in Jesus. "Salvation is of the Lord."
It is by the grace of God.
In our Sovereign Jesus,
(tahoe)

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Jeremy Hulsey

Jeremy writes If a person comes to me and says that they asked Jesus into their heart I will believe them at face value. The fruit of their life will prove whether or not they are speaking the truth or are deceived.

Me too, although if the question has arisen for pastoral considerations I may well say "just tell me what really happened to you".

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Ron Bailey