Are you a victem of easy belevism?

A preacher friend of mine was recently saved.

Did he believe? Yes. However, he came to Christ and made a mental decision, and the Holy Spirit had not convicted him.

Please read the conversion of Whitefield, for example.

 

How can you possibly know such?

 

two things concern me...

I don't advocate simply "repeat after me" without going over God's plan for us, and making sure the child understands.

But I can't imagine that God so finely parsing our words, so that when we see Him and if that proverbial question, "WHy should I let you in?" is asked, that He would say, "AHA! You left out a word! You're not in!"

This kind of conversation concerns me.

It also concerns me when folks who take it upon themselves to inflict doubt into any early childhood decision. I feel the OP is doing that.

I've cleaned up many a mess from "doubt-casters."

Preach the word, folks. And let the Holy Spirit do the job of conviction. Quit trying to help Him so much.

 

Good points. I agree. We just can't worry too much that when someone prays to receive Christ as to whether it is "real" or not. We should do our best to preach the gospel clearly and then be ready to help someone pray if they want to. Not all conversions involve prayers - mine didn't. But some do.

I think it's a matter of finding a balance between rushing someone into a prayer when they have not clearly heard the gospel or not expressly stated they wanted to believe, and over-checking someone who says they do believe.

 

rbell:

."


Well, how do you do that? Hopefully not by offering reassurance! If a person is truly saved, they now have a new heart, new life, new interests, If that is not apparent then they would be right to question their own salvation. At that point they should get alone with God and plead for mercy, not have anyone offer false assurance.
I know in scripture the fellow said, 'Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief' and we can do the same during periods of questioning. It is something we must do ourself, examine ourself according to scripture and talk it over seriously with God, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, take the issue with the extreme seriousness that it deserves as it concerns our eternity!

 

Sometimes, the person becomes a Christian...in others, they have been "guilted" by an overzealous evangelist looking for numbers, or by someone who is convinced that all (or almost all) childhood conversions are not authentic.

I hope you're not insinuating that I don't take it seriously--I do indeed. But, particularly with my target age group (teenagers) you throw in a guilt trip, mixed with unconfessed sin and the emotional vulnerability of adolescence, and you have mounds of doubt.

I just don't like folks painting with such a broad brush, as I feel some in this thread have.

 

I believe that "easy Believerism" is a very big problem. The emphasis today is to reduce Christianity to a one time emotional experience which is not coupled with a born again change. Christ himself stressed the importance of a dramatic change in the life of a true believer. Coming forward in response to an alter call 30 years ago without any evidence of a radical change is not a salvation experience.

 

The difficulty of Childhood conversions is that "before and after" snapshots of one's life are much less clear than someone, say, 45 years of age who becomes a Christian.

We have to take great care in counseling children who are wrestling with a decision for Christ.

 

God's simple test of salvation.

Rom.8
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

 

I agree with you....
About 10 yrs ago, I was a counselor at a youth camp of about 100 teens.. we had a youth pastor come in and preach. He preached nothing but doubt, and when he gave the invitation, over half the teens went forward, because they were scared that they were not saved....

It took about 5 hrs afterwards that night to clean the mess up that he made. The plan of salvation is simple... we humans want to make it hard.

 

for one: they dont see sin as exceedingly sinful
two: dont know what sin is
three: have a watered down idea of what sin is
four: fruits of the HOLY SPIRIT are not showing (run with this one all you want J.Jump )
five: ungodly fruit is growing on one of God's tree's (run with this one as well - whoever)
six: no desire for fellowship
seven:no desire for the milk of the word of the God of Israel
eight: they live as carnal - when there is no such thing as a carnal christian (run Forrest, run!)

just a few that came to mind of if the Holy Spirit is convicting you - judge yourself - examine yourself.
I dont believe in examining other people's lives or judging them to see if they have the Holy spirit.

when we are born of the Holy Spirit and reconciled (repentance) with God - we are saved. as scripture states (keep runnin - i can see for miles)

throw stones at me if you wish - this is what scripture states - refute it all you want - call it works salvation (when its not - need water for that marathon?)
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im at school right now - when i get back - i'll use scripture to support this.
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18 miles goin on what?

 

Naw, but I'se beez a victims of pore spellin' and badd grammer, here on the BB, sometimes!

Uh, don'ts nobodys spellchecker work on this here forum??

Ed

 

Holy Spirit conviction:

Often characterized by "fear and trembling" and one knowing he/she is lost. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come and convict the world, and the first thing He said was convict them of unbelief.

When you're lost, the Holy Spirit convicts you of being a sinner (singular), as He doesn't convict you of individual sins, though He may use a specific sin to get you thinking (as the Lord did in John chapter 4 with the woman at the well).

This is the reason so many go through their lives unsettled about their salvation. It's because they have never entered into His rest.

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xlii.html

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xxxiii.html

I still see no place in the Bible where there is a such thing as an "assurance prayer." Jesus Christ came to save the lost, He came to save sinners, and in order for us to be saved, we have to come to Jesus as a sinner.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonsspeaker&sermonID=7606153553
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonsspeaker&sermonID=760616841

 

I do believe I was saved at a young age. I know I was not born saved, I am not that naive. I was blessed with parents who were since the day I was born so I feel like I have been all my life. I know I have had Jesus in my heart all my life. I thank God for that every day and my parents for teaching me - not only teaching His word but also living His word.

I see believing is the key to being saved.

Even though He was in my heart, I needed to determine when I called on Him for forgiveness of my sins and the realization that I needed His help and guidance to overcome sin. When I was younger, I just knew He loved me but did not truly understand the sinning aspect of his forgiveness. Sure, I knew the Cross and what He did for us but never really appreciated it until I was older.

I would have to say my early 20's. I knew the first time I took the drink and knew that it was wrong but I did it anyways. I know the only reason I am still hear is because of His Grace and Love.I thank God EVERY day for His love and sacrifice and learn from my sins, not that I want to sin but we are human after all.

I would agree with you in that it was easy as a child but NOT a victim. I will also tell you that I have NEVER doubted Christ’s love nor the truth of His word TO THIS VERY DAY, even when I sinned in alcohol and that life for 3 years or so. I thank God EVERY day for His love and sacrifice and learn from my sins, not that I want to sin but we are human after all.

I know I was NOT wrong as a child.

It was NOT a false conversion and it was not due to an overzealous soul winner.

Parents should NOT stop leading their children to the truth.

Your thought’s bother and scare me. Do you believe that we are not to lead our children to Christ? I pray that is NOT what you meant. Jesus said to be like the children and to bring them unto Him.

 

false believers

Much of the New Testament deals with false believers such as Judas Iscariot and Demas (2 Tim. 4:10), particularly Mathew 23 and Luke 18. Much of the first 3 chapters in Revelation is dealing with the problem of false believers in the Church.

A good test to determine Whether you are a true believer or a decieved one is to look at what you dwell on all day, day in and day out. Does you mind tend to drift in to worldly things or are you thinking on the things of God. How you are going to win the argument on the bulletin board doesn't count.

 

I couldn't agree more. Before there can be a witnessing of the Sprit with our spirit, ye must be born again.

 

I remember as a kid being concerned with hell and asked my dad about going to heaven. Of course I said the prayer but didnt really understand the gospel. I even got baptised with my father. Well over the years of playing music in bars and drinking, women etc I would of told you I was saved because I believed in Jesus and was baptised. In 1995 God got a hold of me and I knew something was missing so I got on my knees and ask God to save me and I would do anything even give up my guitar that I worshipped. I changed every day since then. I think the difference was God was working because the bible says he calls and the Holy spirit convicts. We could go to any person on the street and say wouldn't you rather go to heaven than hell and most wouldnt hesitate to say a prayer. If God isn't working its just words.