What does the altar call mean to you?

[1689Dave]

No one is talking coercion. I am talking believe with your heart and confess with your mouth.

Happens naturally when born again.

 

[Revmitchell]

Is it a condition for salvation? if so = sacrament

Uh no, that is your standard not God's.

Unfortunately you are conflating God's choice to save with man's choice to repent and call out to God.

 

[1689Dave]

Uh no, that is your standard not God's.

Unfortunately you are conflating God's choice to save with man's choice to repent and call out to God.

God creates a new nature (person) designed to love him and repent in the new birth.

 

[kyredneck]

Second, this s "legalistic formula" is not invented by men :

Romans 10:8-11
“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart ,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame .”

We need to guard against "easy believism".

FYI, it's not a 'one time do' formula, it's a way of life. You don't confess Jesus just one time and it's done, you confess Jesus and believe in Jesus for the rest of your life. Salvation is not a one time event, it's ongoing throughout our lives.

Regeneration, i.e., the birth from above, the effectual call IS a one time event.

 

[JonC]

FYI, it's not a 'one time do' formula, it's a way of life. You don't confess Jesus just one time and it's done, you confess Jesus and believe in Jesus for the rest of your life. Salvation is not a one time event, it's ongoing throughout our lives.

Regeneration, i.e., the birth from above, the effectual call IS a one time event.

Yep. We should wear out the path to repentance and belief.

 

[JonC]

Happens naturally when born again.

I never said it happens unnaturally.

The point is it happens and should not merely be dismissed as not belonging.

 

[Danthemailman]

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9–10.

I've heard people interpret Romans 10:9,10 in such a way that means we can believe unto righteousness today, but are still lost until we confess Christ, which may be next week and then we are finally saved next week, but is that what Paul is talking about here? I don't believe so. Also, someone who is moot (unable to speak) would remain lost according to that interpretation of Romans 10:9,10 for failing to verbally confess with their mouth. What about the numerous verses in the Bible that teach we are saved through belief/faith "apart from additions or modifications" and don't mention "confession?" (John 1:12; 3:15,16,18; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; Romans 1:16; 3:22-28; 4:5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8,9 etc..). Are these verses incomplete, inaccurate statements?

Confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead are not two separate steps to salvation but are chronologically together. Romans 10:8 - But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart" (TOGETHER) that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (notice the reverse order from verse 9-10) - that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Confess/believe; believe/confess.

1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except BY the Holy Spirit. There is divine influence or direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person when confessing Jesus as Lord. This confession is not just a simple acknowledgment that Jesus is the Lord (even the demons believe that), but is a deep personal conviction that Jesus is that person's Lord and Savior. So simply believing in our head (and not in our heart) that God raised Him from the dead does not result in righteousness and simply giving "lip service" to the words "Jesus is Lord" not by the Holy Spirit is not unto salvation.

 

[GoodTidings]

Hello everyone,

I’m struggling with the alter call at my church and with my husbands family. Some important information about me is that I grew up in the Church of God which has several differing views from Baptist. And now attend a Baptist Church with my husband. At the Church of God EVERYONE went to the alter call. It was strange when someone didn’t. Not only were people praying for themselves but you prayed for the other people up there. They had a more philosophy that if you weren’t growing in Christ you were moving away from him. Your relationship could always be more or better or closer. I love to go to the alter call. My church now makes it feel like the alter is open to anyone who wants to get saved. I know I’m saved. I have no doubt about that. But I don’t think I’m living my best relationship with Christ. But in all honesty no one is. Even the closest walk with Christ can improve. My husband asks me if I’m ok every time I go up there and I’m certainly the only one who goes every week. I don’t want to find a new church because I love everything else about this church and my husband and kids love it too. So basically my question is what I said above. What does the alter call mean to you?

Thank you!

The alter call, to me is simply a point of contact. It is not for God's benefit but ours. For example when we have an alter call for people to be saved, it is not coming to the alter and uttering a prayer that saves us. It is Jesus who saves. The public act of coming to the alter is really more about us having a point in time that we can point to when we were saved. It is important to know when we were saved because the enemy will come and try to get us to question if we are really saved or not.

The same applies to other reasons we come to the alter. It is point of contact for us a point of remembrance that we have come to the Lord with some burden or care and we left it there at His feet and he removed that burden from our hearts. It is important to remember and remind ourselves that we gave that burden to the Lord whenever the thought arises in our hearts. We need to remind ourselves that we don't bear it anymore and not take it up again.

 

[MB]

Hello everyone,

I’m struggling with the alter call at my church and with my husbands family. Some important information about me is that I grew up in the Church of God which has several differing views from Baptist. And now attend a Baptist Church with my husband. At the Church of God EVERYONE went to the alter call. It was strange when someone didn’t. Not only were people praying for themselves but you prayed for the other people up there. They had a more philosophy that if you weren’t growing in Christ you were moving away from him. Your relationship could always be more or better or closer. I love to go to the alter call. My church now makes it feel like the alter is open to anyone who wants to get saved. I know I’m saved. I have no doubt about that. But I don’t think I’m living my best relationship with Christ. But in all honesty no one is. Even the closest walk with Christ can improve. My husband asks me if I’m ok every time I go up there and I’m certainly the only one who goes every week. I don’t want to find a new church because I love everything else about this church and my husband and kids love it too. So basically my question is what I said above. What does the alter call mean to you?

Thank you!

I have experienced both of what you have described. The alter call to me is an opportunity for Prayer and Salvation. We all need prayer. I'm always in need of it because frankly I'm not perfect either. I don't know of anyone who is. I do not think anyone can grow with out the prayers of others. We all need combined strength, divided we can fall. This is why we are not to forsake the gathering of our selves together. I'll pray for you.
MB

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I think the church consist's of believers meeting to fellowship, even if at Micky D's

And at my age you get all the free coffee you can drink....thanks Ronald

 

[Christian Baptist]

Hello everyone,

I’m struggling with the alter call at my church and with my husbands family. Some important information about me is that I grew up in the Church of God which has several differing views from Baptist. And now attend a Baptist Church with my husband. At the Church of God EVERYONE went to the alter call. It was strange when someone didn’t. Not only were people praying for themselves but you prayed for the other people up there. They had a more philosophy that if you weren’t growing in Christ you were moving away from him. Your relationship could always be more or better or closer. I love to go to the alter call. My church now makes it feel like the alter is open to anyone who wants to get saved. I know I’m saved. I have no doubt about that. But I don’t think I’m living my best relationship with Christ. But in all honesty no one is. Even the closest walk with Christ can improve. My husband asks me if I’m ok every time I go up there and I’m certainly the only one who goes every week. I don’t want to find a new church because I love everything else about this church and my husband and kids love it too. So basically my question is what I said above. What does the alter call mean to you?

Thank you!

I think that our discussion should start with a question. Is there biblical precedent or principle which supports the alter call? Your opinions.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I think that our discussion should start with a question. Is there biblical precedent or principle which supports the alter call? Your opinions.

No

 

[GaoLu]

I think that our discussion should start with a question. Is there biblical precedent or principle which supports the alter call? Your opinions.

The question you raise for discussion is a rhetorical argument from silence. Any conclusion from Ex silentio (argument from silence) is a logical fallacy. Any such argument would be very weak and probably would add little value for discussion.

For example, the Bible offers no precedent or principle for eating sour gummy worms. I cannot logically conclude from that silence that one ought not eat gummy worms or that eating such worms is forbidden.

Altar calls have pitfalls. They have strengths.