Is the Altar Call Scriptural

[Jerome]

God has not appointed salvation by enquiry-rooms ---Charles Spurgeon

"Why, some of you here have been talking about the Bread of Heaven for years—and yet I am afraid you are no more hungry than you used to be! Go beyond talking about Christ and learn to feed upon Christ! Come, now, let us have done with talk and come to deeds of faith. Lay hold on Jesus, who is set before you in the Gospel! Otherwise, Friend, I fear you will perish in the midst of plenty, and die unpardoned, with mercy at your gate. . . . Do you say to him, “I will call again tomorrow, and have a little more talk with you”? Do you again and again cry, “Tomorrow”? Do you go again and again into the Inquiry Room? O Sir, what will become of you? You will perish in your sin, for God has not appointed salvation by Inquiry Rooms and talks with ministers, but by your laying your own hand upon the Sacrifice which He has appointed! If you will have Christ, you shall be saved! If you will not have Him, you must perish! All the talking to you in the world cannot help you one jot if you refuse your Savior! Sitting in your pew this morning, without speaking to me or any living man or woman, I exhort you to believe in Jesus! Stretch out your withered hand, God helping you, and lay it on the head of Christ, and say, “I believe in the merit of His precious blood. Look to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” Why, Man, you are saved as sure as you are alive, for he that lays the hand of faith upon this Sacrifice is saved thereby!" ---Charles Spurgeon

 

[Jerome]

God has not appointed salvation by enquiry-rooms. . . . For the most part, a wounded conscience, like a wounded stag, delights to be alone that it may bleed in secret.
Charles Spurgeon

Not sure what to make of the ellipses. The second sentence is from a sermon preached years before the sermon from which is extracted the first sentence:

"I would not recommend persons under conviction of sin always to hide their souls' sorrows from their Christian friends. They might often be much helped if they would communicate their thoughts to those who have gone further on the road to heaven, and know more about Christ and the way of salvation. Yet, for the most part, a wounded conscience, like a wounded stag, delights to be alone that it may bleed in secret. It is very hard to get at a man under conviction of sin; he retires so far into himself that it is impossible to follow him. Ah, you poor mourners, I know how you try to conceal your pains. I will tell you one reason why you do not like to tell your mother, your sister, your brother. It is because you think your feelings are so strange: you suppose that nobody ever felt like you; yon have the notion that you must be the worst person that ever lived, and therefore you are ashamed to tell what you feel for fear your friends should scout you out of their society. Ah, poor soul; you do not know; you do not know. We have all been on your road." ---Charles Spurgeon

 

[Jerome]

Although JArthur has joined these two statements with ellipses, Spurgeon said the last part in a sermon in 1877 and the first part in an entirely different sermon years later.

When asked which Spurgeon sermon he extracted his "quote" from, JArthur cited some work by Murray containing the quotes, in separate paragraphs.

I note that JArthur's exact "quote", joining those two thoughts into a single sentence with ellipses, and attributing it to Spurgeon, is found on many anti-invitation internet sites/postings, the earliest of which may be a 1998 Bible study by Reformed Baptist Fred Zaspel.

That's all.

 

[Old Union Brother]

God has not appointed salvation by enquiry-rooms. . . . For the most part, a wounded conscience, like a wounded stag, delights to be alone that it may bleed in secret.
Charles Spurgeon

This reminds me of a hymn that we sing:
O' that I had some secret place,
Where I might hide from sorrow
Where I might see my Savior's face
And thus, be saved from terror.

 

[Iconoclast]

altar calls are unscriptural,give people a false hope, they are a fleshly counterfeit to true conversion.....there is no altar in the nt church....our altar is in heaven. Fleshly dedications,re-dedications are worse than useless.

 

[InTheLight]

altar calls are unscriptural,give people a false hope, they are a fleshly counterfeit to true conversion.....there is no altar in the nt church....our altar is in heaven. Fleshly dedications,re-dedications are worse than useless.

Wow. I'm sure the thousands of people that have been genuinely saved by going forward at an altar call would disagree with you.

There is no mention of musical instruments in the N.T. either. Is it wrong to have music during worship service?

 

[Alive in Christ]

We have Scriptural basis for sermons, singing, praise, worship, prayer, the Lord's Supper, Scripture reading, and Baptism. Where in the Bible is the basis for the altar call or invitation?

Billy Graham likes to say...

"Everyone Christ called in the bible, he called PUBLICALLY.

...and it certainly has provided a flood of people "coming forward" at the appropiate time during his invitations.

As much as I admire Brother Graham, I cringe every time I hear him say that.

Its just not a true statement. Many people came to Christ back then without "coming forward" publically when asked to.

And there is absolutely no justification at all for anyone to tell people they have to, or should, "come forward" to be legitimately born again. God forbid.

Having said that, of course an invitation is certainly not a bad thing to do. Not at all.

If there is none, why is it in our worship services?

I think in some churches its just a tradition. Also, some well meaning evangelists or pastors might feel that to ask folks to "come forward" will "weed out" the *pretenders* from the ones sincerely desiring to be born again. Some pastors might just feel inclined to do them. They certainly arent BAD things to do.

Personally, I was born again at about 2 AM, laying face down in bed, crying like a baby as I begged God...after pushing Him away for so long...to PLEASE indwell me and give me new life IN HIM.

And He did!!! :thumbs:


AiC

 

[Iconoclast]

Wow. I'm sure the thousands of people that have been genuinely saved by going forward at an altar call would disagree with you.

There is no mention of musical instruments in the N.T. either. Is it wrong to have music during worship service?

No one gets "saved" by going forward, or doing any physical thing.
they can do cartwheels and handstands, light candles, roll on the floor, none of which saves. Jesus is not at the front of the aisle, He is on the Throne in Heaven....God saves sinners by giving a new heart.
Walking the aisle saves no one.
This is the error of charles finney and his new measues, which he later on in his life admitted were not a right idea.

All scripture is God given,why do you speak only of the NT?
http://www.mtio.com/articles/aissar81.htm

 

[Old Union Brother]

Personally, I was born again at about 2 AM, laying face down in bed, crying like a baby as I begged God...after pushing Him away for so long...to PLEASE indwell me and give me new life IN HIM. AiC

On my face in the corner of my living room at about 8:00pm on a Tuesday evening begging to be delivered from the mountain of sin that had me broken down. When I came low enough to ask Him to do the work that no man could do He came in and gave me something to shout about, a new life in Him.

 

[Salty]

altar calls are scriptural,give people a false hope, they are a fleshly counterfeit to true conversion.....there is no altar in the NT church....our altar is in heaven. Fleshly dedications,re-dedications are worse than useless.

I'm not sure where the New Testament prohibits an alter call, but neither does it require it.
However, as In the Light said ( post #26 ) I'm sure the thousands of people that have been genuinely saved by going forward at an altar call ...

If you do have an altar call, you must be prepared. Do you have a person(s) ready to council the individual - not a quick "1-2-3 repeat after me - but rather take them to a separate room for two reasons - you will have their undivided attention and so they as well as the church will not feel pressured as the congregation sings all four verses of Just As I am 6 times.... & the counselor should also be of the same gender of the candidate.

 

[Alive in Christ]

"Let all things be done decent and in order"



Having order to the service is appropriate. Paul made that clear in 1 Cor 14.

I see nothing out of order in Spinich's post.

 

[Alive in Christ]

And to many people want to use the HG to justify their rebellion against an ordered service.

But in the midst of order, God has no problem with sanctified spontonaity...if we are going according to the scriptures of course, and not tradition.




AiC

 

[Alive in Christ]

And to many people want to use the HG to justify their rebellion against an ordered service.

There was none of that in the posts from Spinich. Spinich was not disruping anything, was not causing any "disorder, and was in no state of "rebellion".


Shesh!

 

[Tom Butler]

Since the Lord saved me during an invitation, I am reluctant to condemn them.

What I do condemn is not the use of the altar call, but the misuse and abuse of the practice.

Preachers have to be careful. They can be so persuasive that they can manipulate people into doing most anything.

They need to be careful with the language they use. Such terms as "come to the altar," or "come to Christ" can leave the impression that salvation is down there where the preacher is.

Some equate their salvation experience with "walking the aisle."

Some give their salvation testimony as "I said the prayer." Cold chills.

Even the idea that demands a "public" profession of faith can send the wrong message. Your public confession of faith comes when you are baptized.

One night, my pastor didn't given an invitation. A visitor asked, "well, how do people get saved if you don't give an invitation." Cold chills.

And for goodness sake, please don't make the invitation an appendage to the service, like Joel Osteen does.

 

[Alive in Christ]

On my face in the corner of my living room at about 8:00pm on a Tuesday evening begging to be delivered from the mountain of sin that had me broken down. When I came low enough to ask Him to do the work that no man could do He came in and gave me something to shout about, a new life in Him.

Ha ha!

And I say (((Amen!))) to that!


AiC

 

[Iconoclast]

Your public confession of faith comes when you are baptized.

One night, my pastor didn't given an invitation. A visitor asked, "well, how do people get saved if you don't give an invitation." Cold chills.

The word preached is the invitation, and yes,baptism is the proper confession,

 

[Salty]

The word preached is the invitation, and yes,baptism is the proper confession,

But what scripture do you use to support that the altar call in prohibited.

 

[Tom Butler]

Here are a couple more of those exhortations that send mixed messages:

"Come just as you are, because God accepts you just as you are.' No, he doesn't. A lost man, just as he is, is bound for hell.

"God hates the sin, but loves the sinner." That's an attempt to separate the sinner from his sin. Apart from the blood of Jesus, that's impossible.

"If you'll step out on faith...." Why do you have to step at all?

 

[Iconoclast]

But what scripture do you use to support that the altar call in prohibited.

10We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

11For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

14For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

There is no altar on earth, The sacrifice is complete.
There is no scripture about altar calls,because there were none.This is a man made invention.It is like the strange fire here;

1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD

3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

We are not to add what God has not appointed for preaching or worship.

there was a cult in the seventies that used "flirty fishing" to bring in new members.[flirty fishing was females fornicating saying Jesus said to love one another]....
Salty.....do you have a scripture that says ...no flirty fishing?

 

[Jerome]

Even over at the Reformed Baptist Seminary Blog, they find biblical support for what they call the "family altar".

Remember those?
I suppose that is verboten now too?

"If there is no altar in the house, is it right to call it God's house at all?" —Charles Spurgeon, "Bringing Sinners to the Saviour"