THE FALSE ASSUMPTION OF DECISIONAL EVANGELISM

from Extreme Theology:

Old School evangelists would use the threats of hell fire and brimstone and God’s wrath to convince their hearers to ‘make a decision to accept Jesus into their hearts’.

New School evangelists (Seeker-Driven Pastors) don’t like the negativity of discussing hell and sin and have found that they can convince large numbers of post-modern listeners to make a ‘decision to accept Jesus into their hearts’ by convincing them that Jesus will help them experience a more satisfying life.

Both of these types of evangelists are in serious error because NO ONE is born again by accepting Jesus into their hearts so that they escape hell or so that they can experience an abundant and satisfying life.

Here is what God’s Word says. (Pay attention to who is doing the deciding in all of these verses).

John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own peopledid not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of a human decision nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

1Pet. 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

John 6:43   “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:61   Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”

Acts 2:45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 16:13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Heb. 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith

Why is it that we can’t make a decision to Accept Jesus into our hearts? Answer: because we are by nature DEAD in trespasses and sins.

Eph. 2:1   And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

This dead condition is truly spiritual deadness. Just as dead people cannot make a decision to make their condition better, spiritually dead human beings cannot make a decision to improve their spiritually dead condition.

Romans 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

No sinful human being, seeks God! He seeks them!

Rom. 3:9   What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

So then how does saving faith come?

Rom. 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Luke 24:46 and [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

In fact saving faith itself is a GIFT from God. (notice in verse 10 whose workmanship we are)

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship…

Conclusion: if an evangelist is not preaching repentance of sins and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name (aka the word of Christ) then he is not preaching a message that God will use to impart the gifts of repentance, faith and peace with God through the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name.

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Note: Please don’t quote Revelation 3:20 to me in the comments section of this post. Go back and Read Revelation 3:20 in context and you’ll discover this is not about a person letting Jesus into their hearts. It’s about Jesus knocking on the door of a church that has shut him out.

…FROM THE READING ROOM

I just finished reading John Piper’s new book, Finally Alive. In his unrivaled expositional style he examines the new birth inside out, upside down, forward and backward, leaving virtually no question or possible question unanswered. He does not neglect the practical, enumerating several ways in which each of us can spread the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Encouraging, stimulating, elucidating – a landmark work.

IS IT ARROGANT TO SAY CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY?

Pastor Chris Brauns has a good answer for that question: 

Acts 4:12 says that Jesus is the only way of salvation.  It reads, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  Let me ask you, “Is it arrogant for the Bible to claim that salvation is only through Jesus?”

My four year (okay, so she’s six now) old daughter loves to go to a particular grocery store in our area because they have miniature shopping carts.  She likes to push her own cart around and act as though she is talking on her toy cell phone at the same time.  She especially likes it if some of the groceries are in her cart.

Now suppose I took Mary Beth to the grocery store and someone came up and said, “That is my daughter.”  What do you suppose that I would say?  I mean, “what if they said that is my little girl and I am going to take her home?”  How do you think I would respond?

Would I say, “Well, I’m not sure, I mean let’s agree to disagree.  You have your opinion and I have mine.”  Or, “Well, she thinks that she belongs to me, but that’s just because of where and when she was born.  Is that what I would say?

You know I wouldn’t.  I would say, in a Christian kind of way, “Listen freak – - I don’t know what you are thinking – - -but she is my daughter.  I was at Swedish American hospital when she was born; God entrusted her to my wife and me.”  Of course, it’s not arrogant to make that claim, because it is true.

HE NEVER SOUGHT TO AMUSE THEM

(Archibald Brown, “The Devil’s Mission of Amusement“)

Jesus pitied sinners, pleaded with them, sighed over them, warned them, and wept over them; but He never sought to amuse them!

When many of His disciples turned away, because of the  searching nature of His preaching–I do not find there was any attempt to bring them back, by resorting to something more pleasant to the flesh. I do not hear Him saying, “We must keep up the gatherings at any cost! So run after the
people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow! Something very short and attractive, with little, if any, preaching. Today was a service for God –but tomorrow we will have a pleasant evening for the people! Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it, and have a pleasant time. Be quick, Peter! We must get the people somehow; if not by Gospel–then by entertainment!”

No, this was not how He argued. Gazing in sorrow on those who would not hear the Word–He simply turns to the twelve, and asks, “Will you go away also?”