Featured How To Get To Heaven When You Die

Here is were I have a problem with this presentation of salvation.

It is in the "bait and switch" tactics.

Everyone wants to go to heaven. Believe, pray, and your in.

Now, on the surface, that is correct, however, in the application it presents what is false in these ways:

1) At no time in the NT was there a prayer such as suggested above. One either expressed belief that had already transformed them, or they turned away.

2) It is not "MY faith" that is placed in Christ, nor the "meaning it with all my heart" that makes me "a child of God." It is the Grace of God through the faith that He gives (not of my own self) and not of any works either intellectually "meaning it" or emotionally "with all my heart" that makes me a child of God. Salvation is a gift of God. Those that are His will respond to that gift.

3) Human kind is never "willing" in the natural fleshly worldly unsaved state to accept anything that is righteous life giving from God. There is not a willingness of the unregenerate but to intellectualize in hope of some escape. However, intellectualism is not salvation.

4) One can believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for their sins, and still not be saved. This is the difference between intellectual assent which is a belief system of the persuasion of the mind, and that belief which is generated from that core shift of a new creature expressing belief.

5) The bait and switch tactic is pure salesmanship, and more often leaves a false hope and eventual buyer's remorse. The greatest mission field in America used to be the local pew sitting church members. It is now those who have had buyer's remorse and don't have any desire of worship or service unless it is puffed up the emotionalism.​

So what would have been a better ending?

Perhaps something such as:

Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ is your only savior, today?

Do you know in your heart that without Him you are lost, but with Him you are God's adopted child?

Be reconciled to God. Do not turn away. Do not harden your heart.

One who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, will trust Him as the Savior, and acknowledge Him in all that is done, said, and the paths taken.

One who believes is committed to the Savior with the whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, because He first loved with His whole heart, mind, soul and strength and gave Himself to reconcile those who believe to God.

I would invite you to contact me at ....(email)...... so I might send you more information that is specific to your needs, questions that you may have, and especially if you now believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and I would like to hear what your thoughts are on this short presentation of the Gospel. You may text or call me at ... (voice/text mail) ....... to leave a message if you are in immediate need.

​

 

Keep up the good work, Frodo.

Someone has to maintain the simplicity of the Gospel.

It really is that easy.


God bless.

 

That's the hickiest eisegesis I've ever seen expressed on that passage of the thief on the cross.

 

I don't know, I thought it had a nice twang to to it.

Besides, I know a number of hicks that do understand the thief on the Cross.




God bless.

 

The last time I was here someone mentioned a Baptist Church that had some strange doctrinal positions, and so I thought maybe I would join and see if I could discuss doctrine with them. Kind of inactive, but did get the chance to address a thread where people were upset about the "false teaching of 'asking Jesus into your heart' ."

So I thought, Frodo, that perhaps you might give what your response to such a statement would be. Your post here made me think about that, as I see them as similar objections.

Incidentally, because I am a "member" on their forum, I received an email recently from them, asking all members to stand with the preacher who thinks all gays should be lined up and shot. They asked that we "stand with him as he is being persecuted for preaching the Gospel."

Go figure.


God bless.

 

It's not good work. It's a false gospel and heretical teaching. Saying a prayer is not the same as having faith. They can be mutually exclusive.

You should be ashamed of yourself for endorsing it

 

He answered the objections quite well, in my opinion.

You are free to address Post #42 and show him where he is wrong.

Being saved is not some difficult concept one must understand before responding to the Ministry of God in the heart. It is a very simple matter, James, God shows man his sin, his destination, and the Remedy.

Romans 1:16

King James Version (KJV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.


What is shameful is trying to discourage someone from conveying the simplicity of the Gospel.

It really is that easy, James. Just because many try to make it complicated, doesn't mean it is. We rely on God to minister to the hearts of men, not we ourselves.

And if you can point out something that is error in Post #42, be glad to look at it with you.


God bless.

 

I would like to see a specific reference to repentance in the prayer (Mark 1:15 etc., etc.). Also, I hope you always make it clear to people that saying a prayer cannot save them. God saves us when we repent and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. But you are right that there can be no objection to a 'sinner's prayer' in principle.

 

Sure all who call upon the Lord as contextually defined will be saved but it does not say it is the act of calling that saves. It says it is "with the heart" man believeth unto righteousness but Paul has already ruled out the natural born heart as capable of that act (Rom. 3:10-12; 8:7). The problem is the human heart as it is hardened in sin and full of darkness that only a direct revelation of God in the heart can change (2 Cor. 4:6) by a creative command of God as in Genesis 1:3 where God effectually called light into existence of a dark world.