Featured Is Salvation Accepting Jesus Into My Heart?

Gill's Exposition
INTRODUCTION TO Romans 10

"In this chapter are contained an account of the two righteousnesses of faith and works, a summary of the Gospel of Christ (Christ, who came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead), a description of the grace of faith, in the nature, use, and means of it (by preaching the Gospel, that Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) , and several testimonies concerning the calling of the Gentiles; and whereas the apostle knew that this, as well as what he had said in the latter part of the preceding chapter, that the Jews had not attained to the law of righteousness, but stumbled at the stumbling stone, would be offensive to his countrymen the Jews; wherefore that it might appear that he said this not out of disaffection and ill will to them, he declares his sincere regard unto them, and the great respect he had for them, by calling them "brethren", by expressing his good will to them, by praying for the salvation of them, Romans 10:1,

"by bearing testimony of their zeal for God, Romans 10:2,

"though he faithfully observes to them, that it was an ignorant zeal, of which ignorance he gives an instance, Romans 10:3,

"particularly in the attribute of God's righteousness; from which ignorance arose all their misconduct in religious things, especially in the article of justification; hence they sought to be justified by their own righteousness, and rejected the righteousness of Christ, and then points out to them the true end of the law, for righteousness which is Christ, Romans 10:4,

"which if they had known would have set them right, and which is another instance of their ignorant and misguided zeal: this leads him on to what he had in view, which was to give an account of the two righteousnesses he had suggested in the latter part of the former chapter, the righteousness of the law, which the Jews sought for and found not, and the righteousness of faith, which the Gentiles without seeking for enjoyed; and this account he gives in the words of Moses, for whom they had the greatest regard: the description of the former is given in his words, in Romans 10:5,

"which suggests the impossibility of keeping the law, and obtaining life by it, and therefore it is a vain thing to seek for righteousness by the works of it; the latter is described, Romans 10:6,

"by the certainty of it, (the law) being wrought out by Christ, who came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead; and by the plainness and evidence of it, as revealed in the Gospel, Romans 10:8,

"the sum of which Gospel is, (Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) that whoever believes in Christ and confesses him shall be saved, Romans 10:9,

"which faith and confession, when genuine, are with the heart and mouth agreeing together; the consequences of which are righteousness and salvation, comfortably apprehended and enjoyed, Romans 10:10,

"and that the above is the sum of the Gospel (Christ, who came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead), and that there is such a connection between faith and righteousness, and between confession and salvation, is confirmed, Romans 10:11,

"by testimony from the prophet, Isaiah 28:16, which is expressed in such a general manner, as to extend to every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, reasons are given, Romans 10:12,

"in support of such an explanation of that passage, taken from the equal condition of all, there being no difference between them naturally, from the universal dominion of God over them, and from his liberal communication of grace and goodness to all that call upon him; which last reason is confirmed, Romans 10:13,

"by a passage of Scripture in Joel 2:32, on occasion of which, the apostle proceeds to treat of the calling of the Gentiles, and of the means of it, the preaching of the Gospel, (Christ, who came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) which was necessary to it, which is made out by a train of reasoning after this manner;

"that seeing salvation is only of such that call upon the name of the Lord, and there could be no calling upon him without believing in him, and no believing without hearing, and no hearing without preaching, and no preaching without a mission, which is proved by a citation out of Isaiah 52:7, and no success in preaching, when sent, without the exertions of efficacious grace, as appears from the case of the Jews, who had the ministration of the Gospel (Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) to them by Isaiah, and yet all did not believe it; as is evident from Isaiah 53:1, and seeing the conclusion of which is, that faith comes by preaching, and preaching by the order and command of God, Romans 10:14,

"it follows, that it was proper that ministers should be sent, and the Gospel preached (Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) to the Gentiles, and that attended with power, in order that they should believe in the Lord, and call upon his name and be saved;

"and which method God had taken, and which he had foretold he would take, in the prophecies of the Old Testament, and which were now fulfilling: that the Gospel (Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) was preached to them, and they heard it, were matters of fact, and were no other than what should be, or might be concluded, from Psalm 19:4, cited, Romans 10:18,

"and that the Jews could not be ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles is clear, first from the words of Moses, Deuteronomy 32:21, which the apostle produces, Romans 10:19,

"and from a passage in the prophecy of Isaiah 65:1. So that this was no other than what Moses and the prophets said should be, Romans 10:20,

"and the chapter is closed, Romans 10:21,

"with another passage out of the same prophet in the next verse, showing the rejection of Christ and his Gospel (Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead) by the Jews, and which justifies their being cast off by him, of which the apostle treats largely in the next chapter."

 

I briefly thought of participating in this thread, but then I saw all of the long essays, and thought, "Naw." Too much trouble to answer all of the long screeds. Seems like folk could actually debate rather than pontificate. Hmm. That rhymes: "Let us debate, and not pontificate." My new slogan.

 

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Alan Gross, the commentator you quoted, John Gill, made his comments from the context of his own presuppositions of Calvinistic theology. This is the main reason he is not to be trusted to deal correctly with Romans 10. He ignores the historical, and prophetical, and ethnic context.

The historical context is an explanation of the things that had happened from the cross of Christ until this letter was written in 58 AD. The letter was written from Corinth after all the events from Acts 1 to Acts 18. God had opened up the door of faith to gentiles and sent his preachers to them in AD 40. Those who believed the gospel were accepted equally with Jewish believers as children of God. These chapters in Romans explained the response of God to the Jews rejection of their Messiah/savior as his covenanted people and made known his purpose of using gentiles to fill his house (family). This unbelief of Israel nationally delayed his righteous kingdom on earth through them, but it did not nullify a single promise he made to them as his people. The delay was not God’s fault but theirs because they would not come in faith to him.

consider the imagery in these verses as a father out stretching his arms to his son and he refused to come to him.


Romans 10:19-21
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
(That would be gentiles )
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Here is the prophesy of these events,


Luke 14:15-18
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.


Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.


Romans 11:26-27
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

One can see from these verses that it is the responsibility of men to receive Christ by faith.

 

Yes. Too verbose.

 

I don't remember anything about that.

 

Is Salvation Accepting Jesus Into My Heart?
whose "heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
"whose heart departeth from the LORD".

Not on your life, as long as;

10 "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins,
even to give every man according to his ways,
and according to the fruit of his doings."

Jeremiah 17:9, 5, 10.

edited

That is another Gospel which is accused
and for that lost soul to attempt to do so
simply will cause them to remain lost and further deceived.

The lost soul has no ability to ask Jesus anything.

9 "The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Actually, the lost soul's heart is so deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked that they can be deceived and cursed when they trust in man, telling them they have any ability to speak to Jesus Christ, which they do not

and that by making the flesh their arm, in thinking Jesus is offering them anything that they have any power or ability to 'accept', as a lost soul or that Jesus would be obligated to go where their heart remains deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, is not the way of salvation, and can only leave that lost soul on the way to Hell, "whose heart departeth from the LORD."

Jeremiah 17:5
"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,
and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."

Apart from the preaching of the word of God and the Gospel that is used by the Holy Spirit in convicting them of their sins and Regenerating their soul in the New Birth, the lost soul is dead, powerless, hopeless, and condemned already.

edited

edited

Those who hate the Gospel of Jesus Christ may have committed the unpardonable sin, because to hate Jesus Christ' Eternal Work of Salvation in His death, burial, and resurrection, leaves the lost soul with no way of salvation,

and by remaining and continuing in that condition of denying the Gospel, as the only way of salvation through Christ's blood, leaves their sin, therefore, unpardonable.

If you love Jesus the Savior and His Gospel by which God saves souls, through the preaching of the Gospel being Confirmed in the soul, by The Holy Spirit in the New Birth, or would like to see plainly how God actually saves souls, which is the opposite of the O.P.;
Is Salvation Accepting Jesus Into My Heart?
or you need to learn what the Gospel is said to be, by which God saves souls, see:

I inserted "Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead" in this bold black font in some places, to reiterate what the Gospel is, and knowing what it says about the Gospel being preached is the means by which God accompanies it with His Spirit's Enablement, for the previously dead soul to be able to Spiritually hear it after being given the New Birth by the Holy Spirit.

And: "In this chapter are contained an account of the two righteousnesses of faith and works, a summary of the Gospel of Christ (Christ, who came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead), a description of the grace of faith, in the nature, use, and means of it (by preaching the Gospel, that Christ, came down from heaven, fulfilled the law, and died, and rose again from the dead)

All others, see: Backsliding

 

I'll just say one thing here, just to stay up with the conversation. If you write a long essay in response to this, there is a good chance I won't answer it. I hope I'm not repeating anyone else's info.

Anyway:
1. "Christ in your heart" is a metaphor. Christ took on a physical body at His incarnation, so therefore He literally cannot dwell within a person...except...
2. Christ sent "another comforter" (John 14:6), or "another helper" (both renderings are valid), who is the Holy Spirit.
3. Therefore, yes, Christ lives within the believer in the form of the Holy Spirit.
4. So, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
5. Therefore, I have no trouble at all telling a child to "ask Jesus into your heart."
6. And so I believe that Revelation 3:20 can refer to both believers and unbelievers, since the church at Laodicea clearly had both in it.

 

So, now I am going back and looking at the whole thread, so I'll answer the OP...always a good strategy!

The answer to the OP is "No," asking Jesus into your heart is not salvation. However, it is a way to help children understand salvation. I have dealt with hundreds of children in two languages, and Rev. 3:20 is a good reference to help them understand.

Obviously there is more to it. The child must understand the Gospel: the substitutionary atonement and the resurrection. ("Christ is in Heaven right now, waiting for you to trust Him.")

 

This is all good stuff, but do you have a source for your accusation of Finney? He gets accused of a lot of things he never taught or practiced.

No less than Jonathan Goforth, the Presbyterian Calvinist missionary-revivalist, said that he learned revival from Finney.

P. S. I've read Finney's "systematic theology" and it's terrible.

 

I really hate the concept of "accepting" Christ. It reminds me of the sort of letter that One might receive to a job application:

Dear Mr J. Christ,
Your application for the post of saviour has been accepted for a trial period, subject to the usual terms and conditions.

Yours etc.

A. Sinner

I also wonder whether the Lord Jesus would really want to come into a sinner's heart as it is. 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?' (Jeremiah 17:9) “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21f). You want Jesus to come into that?

True salvation is when a sinner cries out: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge [N.I.V., 'cleanse’] me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow ……..Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalms 51:6-7,9-10). It is God saying to the sinner, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).
It is the sinner crying out along these lines:

'Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to Thy cross I cling.
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace.
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!'
[Augustus Toplady]

 

JESUS IS THE SAVIOR!!

GREAT POST, Martin Marprelate!

You get 5 'Winner' stars from me!

 

Act 16:30 ... he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Act 16:31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, ..."

Joh 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

Sure seems like someone has to accept Jesus Christ before they are saved.

 

My objection was not to believing, nor indeed receiving, but 'accepting.' But the real question is not whether a sinner accepts Christ, but whether Christ accepts the sinner. See John 2:23-25 and John 8:30-32.

 

Calvies don't like it because it is tied to what they call "decisional salvation" they will often dance around that but at it core that is what it is. They find all sorts of pejorative names to reference it but those are symptoms not the actually issue. This is what it boils down to. All the other talk is just going past one another.

 

Then how in the world do you interpret John 1:11-12? Just curious.

 

Absolutely.

Absolutely!

 

Calvies know the Devil when they see him.

 

So who is the devil?

 

What's the difference semantically between "accept" and "receive"?

 

Soo...nothing yet? cat got your tongue?