Are 'Alter calls" a Biblical practice or not?

The answer is no they are not a biblical practice, but neither is telling someone to ask Jesus to come into their heart.

 

Mathew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Romans 10:9 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.

The purpose of an altar call in my church is to give lost people an opportunity to confess before men. It is not a foul word as you would suggest.

An altar can also be symbolic, as in the hymn "All on the Altar"

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

 

I repeat myself here. My concern with invitations and altar calls is not their use--it's their abuse.

I don't know how many times I have heard a preach exhort the lost to "come to Christ," meaning come down the aisle to the front, where Christ is.

Have you ever heard a preacher say "take that step of faith," clearly implying that you can get saved only if you step out into the aisle and come to the front?

Don't get me wrong. The Lord saved me during an invitation. What gets my dander up is the blatant manipulation that is used way to much to get a response, any response.

 

especially when one considers the presentation of the gospel is grounded in the doctrines of grace.

 

I believe that, too. And any invitation, altar call, exhortation should be consistent with that gospel. That means that the very language we use in calling men and women to repentance and faith is critical. There must be no uncertain trumpet.

So coming forward,walking the aisle, coming to Christ, accepting Christ, are expressions that must not be used as buzzwords, without explaining to listeners what they mean and what they don't mean. It is a dangerous thing to have a lost person to hear that salvation is available down there where the preacher is.

Another uncertain trumpet can be the so-called "Sinner's Prayer." Now it is perfectly legitimate for a sinner to ask God to save him. But it is perfectly horrible to suggest that those "magic words" are all that's necessary.

Have you ever heard someone say
"Okay pray this prayer. Just say....."
"Did you pray that prayer?"
"Did you really, really, really, really mean it?"
"Yes? Then I declare you to be a child of God."

One may think I'm making too big a deal out of all this. You'll change your mind when you hear somebody tell you their sole hope of heaven is "well, I said the prayer." No repentance, no mention of faith, no commitment to follow Christ's commands. Just saying the words.

To be sure, one may ask God for salvation out of a repentant and trusting heart. But our job is to blow a certain, clear trumpet.

 

The correct confession of faith is believers baptism.

 

Bingo!

Give this man the microwave!

 

We have an invitation.

1. To give e an opportunity to respond, publicly, to God's call on their life. Each and every time we are very careful to explain that this saves no one.
2. To seek membership in the church.
3. To seek public prayer or to have a counselor pray with them.

 

:applause::applause::applause: