Alter Calls

Hi Tom, Now I have to ask, does your salvation "experience" depend upon the answers you gave to your pastor? And what happened after you went and sat "over there"?

It almost seems the very thing you denounced as "coming forward" and shaking hands with the preacher are equal to getting saved?

 

thought this might go along with this topic. Seems a lack of an altar might contribute to this tragedy.

 

The simple word "yes" in response to Pastor Ralph Kerley's questions was a reflection of what was in my heart. I was basically confessing with my mouth Jesus as Lord. But I was believing in my heart.

I have not denounced the use of invitations. I have denounced the abuse and manipulation I have seen employed in some of them. Nor do I question the sincerity of those who misuse the invitation. I believe they are doing what they have been taught is right.

When a preacher says "come to Christ," meaning walk the aisle, he is sending the wrong message. He is being imprecise in his language, or to say it differently, he is sounding an uncertain trumpet.

When someone's salvation testimony is "I went forward," or "I said the prayer," frankly I cringe. When I hear someone say "here's what I DID to get saved," I cringe. It's as if repent and trust Christ are not quite good enough any more.

 

But Tom, that is what you did, and I and every other child of God.
We DID repent and believe and thus it is proper to state "here's what I did to get/be saved".
You know as well as I do that repenting and believing is not something that passively happens, yet what I am getting at is that your wording can be, at times, just as imprecise as well.

You can not have salvation without 'you' being involved.
Remember, salvation can not be spelled with an "I" in it, ableit the 'i' doesn't determine the meaning of the word, it's usage, nor it's power. It is just that without the 'i' you can not have salvat'i'on. :laugh: - Ok, I know, bad joke.. but it is late and I am completely bored out of my mind because I can't sleep.

 

Allan, thanks for the feedback. I certainly don't want to be imprecise. And I don't want to leave the impression that that I was passive and uninvolved in the salvation process.

Sorry you were having trouble sleeping. I'm glad I was able to alleviate the boredom briefly, at least.

 

I was brought up in a Presbyterian church that was strong Calvinistic teaching. I never saw an alter call growing up, was taught if you were to be saved (elect) you would be and all the non elect were going to hell, you had no say in the matter, so don't worry about it. A dead man can't accept or reject so man has no say so in the matter.

By the time I finished seminary I had left the theology that I was brought up on. I like alter calls, but from my experience, very few come to Christ in the service. I came to salvation driving down the highway listen to a radio preacher, pulled over and had a talk with God and ask for his forgiveness to a sinner like I was. Then I went forward later at an alter call, to let others know what God had worked in me.

 

"I have known all the doctrines of grace to be unmistakably preached, and yet there have been no conversions; for this reason, that they were not expected and scarcely desired. In former years many orthodox preachers thought it to be their sole duty to comfort and confirm the godly few who by dint of great perseverance found out the holes and corners in which they prophesied. These brethren spoke of sinners as of people whom God might possibly gather in if he thought fit to do so; but they did not care much whether he did so or not. As to weeping over sinners as Christ wept over Jerusalem; as to venturing to invite them to Christ as the Lord did when he stretched out his hands all the day long; as to lamenting with Jeremiah over a perishing people, they had no sympathy with such emotions, and feared that they savoured of Arminianism." ---Charles Spurgeon, Without Christ—Nothing

 

I remember the preacher weeping over a lost daddy and that is what got to me the most. I went home that night LOST. A couple of days later I couldn't get away from the weeping preacher and the invitation to come to Christ. I got saved that night at home!

Thank YOU Lord for an altar call!

 

What a silly thing to say, are you sure you are a Baptist? :laugh:

I can see it now. You finish preaching and tell the congregation, "If anyone here would like to accept what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross. Please do it where you are standing, or talk to me later in the foyer. Above all, don't come down to the front, you might think that the act of coming forward is what actually saved you."

 

Actually, with a little tinkering, this could be turned into a quite suitable exhortation.

 

Jesus gave an altar call to Jerusalem and to whosoever will.