Altar Calls and Sinners Prayer

Theology,”9 and these became the “New Measures” which have since increasingly characterized American evangelicalism and its evangelism.10 Finney was not an Arminian. He was a Pelagian, and accordingly reduced his evangelism to a psychological approach.11 To him, and to his followers, salvation was simply a redirecting of the will, not a change of nature necessarily beginning with regeneration.12 This marked the beginning of the idea of preaching to persuade the will rather than challenge the mind with Divine truth to reach the conscience. Intelligent, biblical preaching would eventually give way to a more psychological and emotional approach. Man, according to Finney, had the power to change his own heart, i.e., the Pelagian doctrine of free will. In Mr. Finney’s own words:
…in our investigations henceforth, let it be understood, that I use regeneration and conversion as synonymous terms.13
We have said that regeneration is synonymous, in the Bible, with a new heart. But sinners are required to make to themselves a new heart, which they could not do, if they were not active in this change. If the work is a work of God, in such a sense, that He must first
9 The use of the “New Measures” split the Presbyterians into the “Old School,” or orthodox
Calvinists who held to the Westminster Standards, and the “New School,” or those who used the “New Measures” and adopted the “Taylorism” or “New Haven Theology” of a semi–Pelagian system, revivalism, moral reform and interdenominational cooperation. See W. A. Hoffecker, “New School Theology,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990. pp. 767– 768.
“New Haven Theology,” Taylorism,” or “The New Divinity” was the Pelagian system of plenary human ability taught in New England, espoused, refined and popularized by Charles G. Finney. See W. R. Downing, Lectures on Calvinism and Arminianism. Morgan Hill, CA: P.I.R.S. Publications. 2000, pp. 288–290, 320, 324–325, 327–333.
10 For a brief history of the “altar call” and the birth of revivalism, see Iain Murray, Revival and Revivalism, pp. 163–190.
11 Arminianism holds that man has a fallen, sinful nature, and that the will of man is brought by the Holy Spirit to a given place where it can either choose or refuse the gospel message— prevenient grace. Pelagianism holds that man does not have a fallen, sinful nature and thus man possesses a will which is entirely free [plenary human ability] and thus that man possesses the power of contrary choice. Every man’s will is allegedly as free as that of unfallen Adam. This is a denial of the imputation of Adam’s sin [the immediate imputation of Adam’s sin—original sin] and also a denial of the inheritance of Adam’s fallen nature [mediate imputation]. Speaking of his pastor, George W. Gale, Finney stated about Gale’s Calvinistic convictions: “…in short he held all those doctrines that logically flow from the fact of a nature sinful in itself….These doctrines I could not receive. I could not receive his views on the subject of atonement, regeneration, faith, repentance, the slavery of the will, or any of the kindred doctrines.” Charles G. Finney, Autobiography, p. 46.
12 The idea of simply redirecting the will was based upon the Pelagian idea that command implied ability. “The doctrine upon which I insisted, that the command to obey God implied the power to do so, created in some places considerable opposition at first…the Spirit’s influences are those of teaching, persuading, convicting and, of course, a moral influence, I was regarded by many as teaching new and strange doctrines.” Charles G. Finney, Autobiography, p. 157.
13 Charles G. Finney, Lectures on Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971. p. 285. Finney equated regeneration at times with a moral persuasive influence upon the mind, with sanctification, and with conversion. This confusion resulted from his Pelagian and Perfectionist presuppositions. See B. B. Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Vol. VIII. Perfectionism. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1

 

I am not going to post all the pages, but this gives the historic basis of what we are discussing.
I would urge everyone to read the whole article.

 

We have hope for all, including obviously unsaved family members. God reduced the Jews to lost gentiles when he abolished circumcision on the cross. It was evident God cursed them and placed them under his wrath until the end of time. But some are included for the father's sakes in the number of Gentiles who will be saved.

 

Spurgeon made an appeal to be reconciled to Christ in every sermon.

He had rooms for private counseling for those under conviction of Holy Spirit and required classes for those making a profession of faith and wishing to join the fellowship.

He wanted his members to have a strong understanding of Christian theology prior to joining.

And so, h is approach to the “prayer” of salvation and “altar call” were strikingly different from what we see today.

peace to you

 

Again,

Charles Spurgeon, "A Free Grace Promise" (1888):

"Join with me in prayer at this moment, I entreat you. Join with me while I put words into your mouths"

"I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of thy dear Son; I trust thy mercy, and thy love, and thy power, as they are revealed in him. I dare to lay hold upon this word of thine, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus' sake. Amen'."

 

C. H. Spurgeon Lectures to My Students, :

"Do not close a single sermon without addressing the ungodly, but at the same time set yourself seasons for a determined and continuous assault upon them, and proceed with all your soul to the conflict. On such occasions aim distinctly at immediate conversions; labor to remove prejudices, to resolve doubts, to conquer objections, and to drive the sinner out of his hiding-places at once. Summon the church-members to special prayer, beseech them to speak personally both with the concerned and the unconcerned, and be yourself doubly upon the watch to address individuals. We have found that our February meetings at the Tabernacle have yielded remarkable results: the whole month being dedicated to special effort."

"Mean conversions, expect them, and prepare for them. Resolve that your hearers shall either yield to your Lord or be without excuse, and that this shall be the immediate result of the sermon now in hand. Do not let the Christians around you wonder when souls are saved, but urge them to believe in the undiminished power of the glad tidings, and teach them to marvel if no saving result follows the delivery of the testimony of Jesus."

 

Charles Spurgeon, "A People Prepared for the Lord" (1887):

"John...cried, 'Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand', that is to say, he put a pressure of presentness upon the people. A brother, who is an eminent preacher, but who uses rather long words, was explaining to me the benefit of the preaching of Mr. Fullerton and Mr. Smith in his place of worship. He said, 'I do not know exactly why these brethren were the means of the conversion of many in my place whom I had never reached, but I perceived that they had the power to precipitate decision." It sounded rather strange, but when I thought it over a little while, I rather liked the expression, 'the power to precipitate decision'. That is the power that leads men to make up their minds, and say 'Yes', or 'No', to feel that the decision has to be made at once, and that the putting of it off is impossible because it would be a kind of insanity. Now that is the meaning of what John said, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Repent ye!'"

 

The problem is, Faith comes from experiencing Christ in the heart. They believe just as anyone believes in something they experience. To not experience Christ and make a decision to believe by the will of the flesh is nothing more than gambling or superstition.

 

Founders-era invitation, described in the Convention's Domestic Mission Board's Missionary Journal (vol. 2, 1847):

"At Bethany, after preaching, eight or ten came forward for prayer; which was offered, and the congregation dismissed. But the people would not leave the house,—the anxious still sat weeping. The brethren continued in prayer and singing about two hours. Two young men obtained hope."

 

Hint, only believers (saved people) would go forward for prayer.

 

As I understand, the New Birth precedes the effective hearing of the gospel if even by a second. The gospel also saves by focusing us on Christ's kingdom and shed blood for our sins and his burial and resurrection verifying his sinlessness. But infants among the elect also die and go to heaven apart from the usual means.

 

You are turning grace into works and the gospel into law. Paul assures us that if this is our natural profession, it is evidence God saved us. It's not a chant that witches use to make god perform on their behalf. If you are trusting in this, your faith is in yourself, not Christ.

 

Matthew 22:1-14 ... ALL of the verses, not just some.

 

You seem to equate regeneration with salvation. Salvation cannot precede hearing the gospel and believing the truth of it as Paul clearly says God was well pleased by the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Message preached leads to belief leads to salvation.

You can put regeneration/new birth in there as part of the process, just don’t think so much about getting the chronological order down in such a way as to become contrary to scripture.

peace to you

 

Faith in Christ is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. You make it a work of the flesh that cannot discern the true Christ.

 

It is a chant today, people recite in the flesh to move God to save them. But in reality, it is something saved people habitually do and Paul assures us it is evidence God saved us.