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Let's see what the Bible says accepting Jesus into one's heart:
Accept
So, is it really true that nowhere in the Bible are we told to accept Jesus? Let's review a few Scriptures:
Heart
The heart is representative of the spiritual nature of men. Hard-heartedness is equated with disobedience, lack of faith, and deadness. Those who are alive in Christ have Him living in their hearts.
These are not controversial assertions, and the Bible backs them up:
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This post was first published during January 2016. –ed.
One doesn’t simply invite himself over to the White House for a night in the Lincoln Bedroom, or into Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen. No matter how earnest your desire or assertive your request, you will be denied access.
And that’s no surprise to most people. We understand that monarchs and heads of state require a certain level of exclusivity, and we generally respect those boundaries.
However, we don’t have that understanding when it comes to the Lord and His heavenly kingdom. Too many people assume their entrance into God’s family is a function of their own earnest desire. Phrases like “Asking Jesus into my heart” or “Accepting Jesus as my personal Savior” are emblematic of a mentality that carelessly reverses the roles in salvation. And that mentality is widespread in the church—today those phrases are some of the most common Christian clichés, ushering in what you might call the era of the altar call.
During my formative years as a Christian, I became so familiar with these expressions that I never seriously thought about their meaning. I always assumed the idea was biblical, since it seemed to echo Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Knocking on the Door of Your Heart?
Jesus is not a jilted suitor shut out in the cold by those who reject Him. As Paul Washer once said, “If He wants to kick the door down, He’ll kick it down.” Additionally, the door does not represent the hearts of all people but rather the particular church that Christ’s message was aimed at. John MacArthur rightly points out:
Finally, while it is true that Jesus promises to reside in believers (John 15:4), a drastic change must happen before that can take place. The unbelieving heart is dead, hard, and cold to spiritual things. (No Christian denies this.)
This kind of moral certainty causes us to wonder what the motive is. What is the author reacting against? Perhaps he is against the easy-believism that seems to be permeating certain areas of Christendom? Or since he's a Calvinist it's likely he disagrees with the idea that we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to get saved. We don't know, but we can take his statements at face value and examine them.
Let's see what the Bible says accepting Jesus into one's heart:
Accept
So, is it really true that nowhere in the Bible are we told to accept Jesus? Let's review a few Scriptures:
Mk. 4:20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop — thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”
"Accept" is (paradechomai), to admit i. e. not to reject, to accept, receive...
Jn. 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
"Accept" is lambanó, to believe the testimony...
Jn. 13:20 ... and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.
"Accept" again is lambanó in this case, to receive what is offered; not to refuse or reject...
Ac. 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
"Accept" is apodechomai, to believe...
Ac. 8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
Ac. 22:17-18 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. `Quick!’ he said to me. `Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
1Co. 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Ti. 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.
Ja. 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.And why not use a different word that conveys the same concept:
Col. 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him...So when we actually read the Bible and do not simply take the author at his word, we discover we are commanded to accept the Holy Spirit, accept the testimony of Jesus, accept the Word of God, and to accept and receive Jesus Himself.
Heart
The heart is representative of the spiritual nature of men. Hard-heartedness is equated with disobedience, lack of faith, and deadness. Those who are alive in Christ have Him living in their hearts.
These are not controversial assertions, and the Bible backs them up:
Ac. 16:14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
Ac. 28:27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ [Isaiah 6:9,10]
Ro. 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Ga. 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Ep. 3:16-17 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Col. 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
1Pe. 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.So the author is wrong about what the Bible says. Yet he is right that we need to repent and believe. This makes his objection a false choice. To accept Jesus is to repent. One cannot accept something unless one also rejects something else.
This post was first published during January 2016. –ed.
One doesn’t simply invite himself over to the White House for a night in the Lincoln Bedroom, or into Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen. No matter how earnest your desire or assertive your request, you will be denied access.
And that’s no surprise to most people. We understand that monarchs and heads of state require a certain level of exclusivity, and we generally respect those boundaries.
However, we don’t have that understanding when it comes to the Lord and His heavenly kingdom. Too many people assume their entrance into God’s family is a function of their own earnest desire. Phrases like “Asking Jesus into my heart” or “Accepting Jesus as my personal Savior” are emblematic of a mentality that carelessly reverses the roles in salvation. And that mentality is widespread in the church—today those phrases are some of the most common Christian clichés, ushering in what you might call the era of the altar call.
During my formative years as a Christian, I became so familiar with these expressions that I never seriously thought about their meaning. I always assumed the idea was biblical, since it seemed to echo Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Knocking on the Door of Your Heart?
Jesus is not a jilted suitor shut out in the cold by those who reject Him. As Paul Washer once said, “If He wants to kick the door down, He’ll kick it down.” Additionally, the door does not represent the hearts of all people but rather the particular church that Christ’s message was aimed at. John MacArthur rightly points out:
Though this verse has been used in countless tracts and evangelistic messages to depict Christ’s knocking on the door of the sinner’s heart, it is broader than that. The door on which Christ is knocking is not the door to a single human heart, but to the Laodicean church. Christ was outside this apostate church and wanted to come in—something that could only happen if the people repented. . . . The Lord Jesus Christ urged them to repent and have fellowship with Him before the night of judgment fell and it was too late forever. [1] (Well, yes. But what does it mean that "it is broader?" Does it being broader exclude the narrower application? Can we apply this Scripture to other situations besides the Laodicean church?)Not only is Jesus not waiting at the doorstep of your soul, He is also not waiting for you to offer an invitation, or even respond to His invitation. The language of Scripture is that of compulsion. Paul preached, “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30). When the apostles preached the gospel their messages ended with the strong commands to repent and believe (Acts 2:38; 3:19). ("Should repent" is not "will repent.")
Finally, while it is true that Jesus promises to reside in believers (John 15:4), a drastic change must happen before that can take place. The unbelieving heart is dead, hard, and cold to spiritual things. (No Christian denies this.)
Before Christ can reside in one’s heart through the Spirit, He has to exchange the heart of stone for a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
When you stop to think about it, asking Jesus into your heart goes against the nature of the gospel, and begins one’s new spiritual life with a poor understanding of what has just occurred. ("The nature of the gospel" is, well, what? And what sort of doctrinal understanding does a person need to possess to be saved?)
Who Needs Acceptance?
The sloppiness of modern evangelistic clichés is also painfully evident in the phrase “accepting Jesus as your personal Savior.” A brief moment of reflection should be all that’s needed to identify the problem. On the day of judgment, it is we who will need Christ’s acceptance. To say that we accept Christ dangerously assumes that we sit in judgment and Christ stands on trial. (No, it doesn't. Recognizing the freely offered salvation does not change anything about the nature of salvation. One does not put Christ on trial in order to receive his forgiveness.)
Our evangelistic terminology needs to reflect the knowledge of our proper place with respect to Christ when it comes to gaining His acceptance. Jesus clarifies who needs to accept whom when He says,
When you stop to think about it, asking Jesus into your heart goes against the nature of the gospel, and begins one’s new spiritual life with a poor understanding of what has just occurred. ("The nature of the gospel" is, well, what? And what sort of doctrinal understanding does a person need to possess to be saved?)
Who Needs Acceptance?
The sloppiness of modern evangelistic clichés is also painfully evident in the phrase “accepting Jesus as your personal Savior.” A brief moment of reflection should be all that’s needed to identify the problem. On the day of judgment, it is we who will need Christ’s acceptance. To say that we accept Christ dangerously assumes that we sit in judgment and Christ stands on trial. (No, it doesn't. Recognizing the freely offered salvation does not change anything about the nature of salvation. One does not put Christ on trial in order to receive his forgiveness.)
Our evangelistic terminology needs to reflect the knowledge of our proper place with respect to Christ when it comes to gaining His acceptance. Jesus clarifies who needs to accept whom when He says,
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)There is an eternal difference between you accepting Christ and Christ accepting you. (We do not accept that this is the equation. Our involvement in the salvation transaction, however that is constituted, has no impact on the lordship of Jeseus. The fact that Jesus offers salvation does not change the fact that some will receive and some will not:
Jn. 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God....)
I’ve often argued that the thief on the cross was a very good theologian because he had no trouble recognizing who needed whose acceptance. (Let's quote:
Lk. 23:40-42 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Is there anything here that indicates a great understanding of anything other than that he is getting what he deserves but Jesus is innocent? The thief simply believed and Jesus affirmed his belief with salvation. There is no great theological insight found here.)
Perhaps, like me, you bought into the cliché without thinking it through. Whatever the case, it’s always dangerous to assume that Christian slogans equate with biblical truth.
Making Jesus Lord?
Modern evangelistic outreach regularly follows the call to “accept Jesus into your heart” with the phrase “and make Him your Lord and Savior.” Sadly, when I first encountered the language of contemporary altar calls, I never stopped to ask what Jesus’ job description entailed before I “made Him Lord and Savior.”
God’s Word is abundantly clear on this point. Christ’s Lordship has never been contingent on anybody’s willingness to grant Him that title. (This is not the claim being made by the phrase to make Jesus one's Lord. Rather, it is an affirmation of Jesus' status.
However, many people, including Christians, live their lives in a way that denies Jesus is Lord. Therefore, the one who makes Jesus Lord speaks to the person's own attitude, not the nature of Jesus.)
Jesus is Lord. And your present belief has no bearing on that eternal reality. (It does indeed have bearing regarding one's own life and how a person does or does not acknowledge Jesus' lordship.)
He is Lord of Christians, atheists, and everything else in the universe—whether they bow their knee in repentance or burn in a hellfire of regret:
The Altar Call and Its Wayward Offspring
There is nothing wrong with evangelism that impresses upon the sinner the urgency to repent and believe. But formulaic altar calls have spawned all sorts of reckless Christianese and faulty views of salvation. They are the tragic legacy of Charles Finney, a nineteenth-century evangelist who denied the sovereignty of God in calling and regenerating sinners. (That is, he was not a Calvinist. He believed that humans have agency. But regardless of his doctrines, God used him powerfully, saving tens of thousands. Perhaps the author might consider the man's treasure in heaven before he condemns him.)
Finney’s desire to see greater numbers of converts at his meetings led him to invent the “anxious bench.” Finney was convinced that revival hinged on the preacher and his methods. The anxious bench was one of Finney’s favorite preaching tactics. It provided vacant seating at the front of the church where those who were worried about eternal matters could sit, be specifically preached at, and personally converse with the preacher after the meeting.
While you wouldn’t see that exact pattern repeated today, the pragmatic principles are still at work in modern altar calls and evangelistic crusades. It was the walk to the front that set the wheels in motion. And humanly engineered means of producing converts have been rampant ever since.
Using Appropriate Biblical Language
In stark contrast, God’s sovereign means of salvation have never changed. He draws the sinner through His call (John 6:44; Romans 8:28), convicts the sinner by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), regenerates the sinner by His power (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17), and sees the sinner through the lens of Christ’s atoning work (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The preacher should never presume to take upon himself any of the Holy Spirit’s responsibilities. Instead, God has chosen preaching as the means of proclaiming Christ crucified and calling for the response that He demands—repentance from sin (Acts 17:30–31) and faith toward Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9; Acts 20:20–21).
Rather than asking sinners to accept Christ we should call them to plead for His acceptance. (A Calvinist believes that God has already chosen those who will be saved [the Elect]. Why would a Calvinist then suggest that someone should plead to Jesus when The Elect are already chosen?)
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8–11)According to Paul, “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” (Romans 6:16) Using this Spirit-inspired logic, you don’t need to make Jesus Lord of your life, you simply need to demonstrate that He is Lord of your life by submitting to Him in repentance, faith, and obedience. (A distinction without a difference. The author sure made a big deal out of the issue for no reason.)
The Altar Call and Its Wayward Offspring
There is nothing wrong with evangelism that impresses upon the sinner the urgency to repent and believe. But formulaic altar calls have spawned all sorts of reckless Christianese and faulty views of salvation. They are the tragic legacy of Charles Finney, a nineteenth-century evangelist who denied the sovereignty of God in calling and regenerating sinners. (That is, he was not a Calvinist. He believed that humans have agency. But regardless of his doctrines, God used him powerfully, saving tens of thousands. Perhaps the author might consider the man's treasure in heaven before he condemns him.)
Finney’s desire to see greater numbers of converts at his meetings led him to invent the “anxious bench.” Finney was convinced that revival hinged on the preacher and his methods. The anxious bench was one of Finney’s favorite preaching tactics. It provided vacant seating at the front of the church where those who were worried about eternal matters could sit, be specifically preached at, and personally converse with the preacher after the meeting.
While you wouldn’t see that exact pattern repeated today, the pragmatic principles are still at work in modern altar calls and evangelistic crusades. It was the walk to the front that set the wheels in motion. And humanly engineered means of producing converts have been rampant ever since.
Using Appropriate Biblical Language
In stark contrast, God’s sovereign means of salvation have never changed. He draws the sinner through His call (John 6:44; Romans 8:28), convicts the sinner by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), regenerates the sinner by His power (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17), and sees the sinner through the lens of Christ’s atoning work (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The preacher should never presume to take upon himself any of the Holy Spirit’s responsibilities. Instead, God has chosen preaching as the means of proclaiming Christ crucified and calling for the response that He demands—repentance from sin (Acts 17:30–31) and faith toward Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9; Acts 20:20–21).
Rather than asking sinners to accept Christ we should call them to plead for His acceptance. (A Calvinist believes that God has already chosen those who will be saved [the Elect]. Why would a Calvinist then suggest that someone should plead to Jesus when The Elect are already chosen?)
Rather than telling sinners to “make Jesus Lord” we should call them to submit to His lordship. And instead of calling sinners to a saving altar, we should entrust them to a sovereign Savior. (Does this mean to leave them to their own devices and wait for God to save the Elect?)
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