Many have ardently come against what is often referred to a “Decisional Regeneration.” Decisional Regeneration, or decisional theology, is the belief that a person must make a decision for Christ, consciously accepting Him as Savior, in order to be saved. According to decision theology, the new birth occurs when someone 1) hears the gospel, 2) is convicted of the truth of the gospel, 3) understands the need for salvation, and 4) chooses to accept Christ rather than reject Him. Often, the decision to accept Christ is marked by an action such as walking an aisle, praying a “sinner’s prayer,” signing a decision card, or similar activity.
Regardless of what you think about making decisions for Christ, we must all acknowledge that a rejection of the Gospel message or a rejection of Christ Himself IS a decision. So, it begs the question, “If I can decide to reject the Gospel and Christ, then why can’t I decide to accept the Gospel and Christ?
Before my reformed friends barrage me with passages like Ephesians 2:1, Romans 8:8, John 6:44-45, Romans 3:11, and 1 Corinthians 2:14, I agree, the natural man can ONLY choose to reject God. In that sense it is a “decision,” but only because other choices are not available.
I would rather this not turn into a commentary on whether or not there is cooperation between man and God for salvation, but if you feel like you must include that in your comments, then by all means… Rather, I wanted to hear from those who defend asking others to “make decisions” for Christ.
In fact, If you do believe that it’s ok to ask others to “make a decision” for Christ, I’m going to give you a little ammunition to defend that position.
1. What many of those who hotly debate asking others to make a decision for Christ forget is that the Spirit of God might have gone before us and enlightened the heart or prepared it to receive. In this state, a person who is not yet “christian,” may have the ability to make a choice between rejecting or accepting. ” And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” The reason some are sent to preach is SO THAT those who are ready to receive can do so.
2. Sometimes people ask, “What must we do to be saved?” or “How can I receive Christ.” What kind of ministry is it when you answer the question, but give no opportunity to respond?
3. Even if you respond that the only decisions offered by Christ and His Apostles were to “Repent,” & “Be Baptized,” don’t those also qualify as a decisions?
Now, I would have to admit, that I am not a fan of sinner’s prayers, altar calls, and other such methods, but likewise, I would venture to say that most of us reading this came to know the Lord in exactly this manner. Since most of Christendom still uses these methods, I thought I would provide a forum to defend it. What would you say to someone who insists that calling for others to “make a decision” for Christ is unbiblical and should not be done?
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For not having come to Christ in any of the above-mentioned manners, it has made me aware that there are “other ways” that don’t correlate with the pressures heaped upon by man. In addition, there are others I know of who have not come to Christ in such manners, and strangely enough, most of those are in very radical positions of daily service to the Lord. It brings me to wonder if one way over another brings more radical transformation…
Claudia, Thanks for the response.
It is really a question of transformation isn’t it? I’ve seen many statistics that show an overwhelmingly large percentage of those who “make a profession,” or “decision” for Christ are not in fellowship with other believers, not ministering to others, and are in fact, worse off spiritually speaking than they were before making that decision or profession.
I do need to find some more current statistics though. Perhaps another reader can point us to them.
Being a Lutheran in the Bible belt, I came to terms early on with the fact that there are many ways of expressing the same moment in time when a person hears the Good News and believes. While I don’t use decision terminology, I do believe that a decision is made after the gift of faith has been given by the Holy Spirit. If by saying that a person made a decision for Christ in a synergistic way, then I reject that. I personally believe that a sinful human being only has the power to reject the Gospel, and that the Holy Spirit works faith so that a person can say “I will follow Christ.” In fact, I haven’t met many decision practitioners that truly believe we can decide to believe in Christ according to our sinful nature. Almost all have said that it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do so.
I know plenty of people who follow Jesus since they “decided to” and plenty of people who say they were “chosen” to follow Him. At the end of the day, God can work through and redeem almost any evangelistic methodology. Rejecting Christ is the only decision we have the power to make solely by our human nature. Deciding to follow Jesus is an act of the faith that’s already been planted in our hearts. “What must I do to be saved?” I would say to that person “Believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then live out your salvation by choosing to follow Him every day.”
Thanks Mark,
I’m with you on the ability of a person to decide being based in a previous work of God in their lives. You’re right, God can use any methodology to achieve his means, but I think it would be better, for me at least, not to be used “in spite of myself.”
I can’t tell you how many I know of personally that accepted Christ by making a decision just because they wanted to be polite to the person who was asking them to decide.
If they were making a decision just to be polite then is this a valid, real, salvation experience or just mouthing words that have no heart-felt meaning just to placate someone else? I daresay it’s the latter as there is no heartfelt step forward into a relationship with Christ. Instead, it’s just an escape mechanism employed without any thought for the claims or merits of the Gospel message.
That’s exactly my point Peter. It is placating people just to “get them out of their hair.” I would rather someone say, “no thanks!” or “leave me alone,” than to make a profession for Christ for the sake of being polite.
I have seen it far too many times. And what drastic outcomes soon follow.
Well, then, I wouldn’t say they were making a decision for Christ. I would say they were lying.
I’m with you on being honest – just tell me you’re not interested.
I agree with you and Peter above, Miguel, and with Peter’s comment below …sometimes.
I say sometimes because I’ve experienced countless people over many years of sharing Jesus in the context of Christian Business Men’s Committee “Outreach Meetings” who have repeatedly “decided” for Christ. I have watched them do so in the context of a public invitation via a private declaration on a card.
During individual, private follow-up with these folks later, I have discovered that most of them profess membership in the Roman Catholic Church. After noticing the phenomenon regularly, I came to the conclusion, based on lengthy discussions with many different individuals, that they had not been taught that they could have assurance of the salvation they believed they had. I have noticed some members of Protestant denominations do likewise for what I discovered was the same reason.
In my experience, some in this situation truly “decided” for Christ, or came to understand their promised assurance, after a discussion regarding what the Scripture says. Others continued to believe what they’ve been taught earlier.
I agree Claudia that there are many ways that our creative God draws individuals to Himself because we each created uniquely requiring a unique calling by Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:10 at the end of God’s confirmation of how He saves us also implies a unique continuation of His calling. Might this help to explain what you, and I also, see in terms of our individual response to our salvation?
Blessings all,
Gary In TO
Gary,
How appropriate this verse is to the discussion. It also reminds me of the new covenant promise in Ezekiel where it says, “”I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.” Ezekiel 36:27
Ezekiel 36, by the way is my favorite way to “share the gospel” with others.
This is an interesting post, and I don’t know that any one can ultimately (intelligently) defend that you HAVE to pray a sinners prayer in order to be saved, or that it is incorrect to ask people to make decisions for Christ.
My wife never went through a “sinner’s prayer” to receive Christ. But she slowly began to give control over to Him, and was soon baptized. She can’t point to a “moment” of salvation. I was brought up with making a decision for Christ, and I can see benefit in that. When I got baptized it was very memorable for me as well. I also share the Gospel with people and invite them to pray and receive Christ as well. There is obviously a moment when the Holy Spirit comes inside of us, seals us, and saves us.
I am on staff with Cru and it is our model to share the Gospel very basically, and invite people to pray to God and profess to him their belief and trust in Him. While certainly it’s not the prayer itself that saves us, but rather the state of a persons heart. But asking them to make a decision for Christ is really like asking them to take the first step, and to make that first step very intentionally and definitive. When they begin to stray, and when difficult times come, it’s then helpful to be able to point back to that “definitive moment” and remind them that they have chosen to live for Christ now.
All that to say I would not be so arrogant as to put God in a box and say that He can only save through “making a decision” in the Westernized understanding. I think that ultimately scripture speaks that the definitive moment of salvation that we are to go back to is baptism.
Blessings,
Kelly
Kelly,
Wow, you nailed it in your final statement when you said, “I think that ultimately scripture speaks that the definitive moment of salvation that we are to go back to is baptism.”
Unfortunately the church has all but replaced baptism with things like “the sinner’s prayer,” “walking the isle,” or something similar.
It would seem odd today, that if someone wanted to receive Christ, we would start looking for a river, pool, or puddle so that they could be baptized.
“And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36
If Baptism, Kelly & Miguel, is the “definitive moment of salvation”, might Romans 10:8-10 make clear that it better include a loud and clearly heard commitment to follow Jesus s(he) being baptized?
Gary,
Just to be clear, I don’t believe baptism is slavific. It does not produce salvation as some believe. But, it is an outward symbol of our commitment to go forward in Christ. That said, and I was hoping someone would bring up Romans 10:8-10, There is a huge difference between confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and repeating something that comes out of the mouth of others.
Romans 10:8-10 is the trump card verse for those who ardently adhere to “decisional evangelism.” But, I have to wonder if that is the purpose of those verses.
My fear, is that even if we change our minds regarding pressing for decisions, that we will simply press for confessions which will lead us back to the same set of problems.
Just to be clear back, Miguel, we agree on baptism. (I’m also pleased you’re pleased with the Scriptures I’ve been mentioning.
)
I also feel “pressing” anyone to accept a gift is unBiblical. But, a polite invitation, as the Spirit leads, to someone who has received our answer to the 1 Peter 3:15-17 question would seem to be in order in light of our Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.
It’s hard to make a disciple and may be inappropriate even to try until you feel comfortable you have a Believer in Messiah on your hands, eh?
Hmmm… One of the first blogs I ever wrote was on this issue. It came from decades of struggle over how to reconcile God’s sovereignty with human will. Essentially, I came to the conclusion that God delegates to us the right to reject Him and His grace when offered. But we lack the ability to accept Him apart from grace. To deny that delegation, however, is to deny God’s sovereignty.
Deep!
http://crossroadjunction.com/2009/01/19/essentially-reformed-or-hyper-calvinist/
Jim,
I’m curious, how do you “lead” someone to Christ?
I’m also intrigued, Jim, about our “leading” in salvation in light of John 15:5?
Could you or others also share with me a Scripture where God commits Himself to forgo His omnipotence once we “decide” something using that “human will” you mention above and others talk about regularly?
For years, I’ve heard folks say: “God is a gentleman. He will never violate our will!” I continue to hear similar statements to this notwithstanding the fact God regularly seems to be quite comfortable doing what He wants, when He wants, to whomever He wants …irrespective of our choices or preferences.
At least He has and does in my life anyway.
Gary, I’m not sure what you are asking. Sorry.
Is this responsive?
We see lots of verses that show human responsibility and choice, thus there must be some element of “free will.” But we are not really free, because we are bound by our fallen nature.
Nonetheless, God in His sovereignty offers us a way out by extending grace to us. That grace breaks through our fallen nature, which of itself could never “chose” God or even of its own volition cry out for Him. Thus, we see lots of verses which show that salvation is by grace, and not works, and that God is the author of our Salvation.
Then, back to human responsibility and choice: God who is sovereign has decided, in His sovereignty, to delegate to us the right to reject His grace, once offered.
Sorry I wasn’t clear, Jim. Thanks for doing the best you knew how to respond to my request in its absence. I appreciate you doing so.
In your answer immediately above you say: “We see lots of verses that show human responsibility and choice, thus there must be some element of “free will.”
I often hear this ‘opinion’. And you’re not alone in expressing it. Many Christians seem to believe this major and foundational issue.
What I was asking for was you or others to suggest one or more Scriptures that state humankind has the free will we so often trumpet and preach. (I agree there are many Scriptures about” human responsibility and choice”. And, I still wonder if to state, authoritatively, “there must be some element of “free will”’ flows automatically from that truth. And not in light of our flesh but God’s omnipotence.
Gary, as a follow up to your further question below, I do not believe in “free will” as that term is commonly used. In our sin, we are not free to choose God. In our corrupted, fallen state and our own pursuit of sin we have cut ourselves off from the Lord. Thus, we really have no free will in the sense of freely, of ourselves, initiating our own salvation.
Rather, we simply have been given the delegated right by the Lord to freely reject His grace once offered.
As such, we are responsible for rejecting God’s grace, but He remains sovereign even as against us rejecting Him.
Hope that helps clarify my thoughts.
Thank you, Jim, for your follow-up answer re “free will”. I agree with your position your point that few would use the term meaning what you do.
Brothers in agreement is a beautiful thing, eh!
Plus Miguel will be glad I’ll now drop this partial digression. 
I don’t. I simply trust that His Word will not return void, and thus share the living Word by giving testimony as His witness, as God gives me the grace and prompting to do so. He then leads them to Himself according to His will (which includes Him allowing them to reject Him if they so choose).
I am not an evangelist by temperament or motivation, yet routinely see several folks commit to Jesus each week as I simply share His living Word. Conversion just sort of naturally happens, now that I’m no long anxious about it and feel free to do the part He calls us to do, but leave the rest up to Him.
BTW, I do not lead them in some “sinner’s prayer”. If they believe in their heart, and profess Him as Lord with their mouth, Jesus says that’s good enough! That can happen many, many ways – even gradually. But manipulating folks to repeat some magic prayer with the magic words just hasn’t borne much fruit, in my experience.
Jim,
I suspected that you would answer in this manner. For the most part, I am in agreement. I like that you built in the caveat that you are not an evangelist by temperament or motivation. As for those who are gifted with such characteristics, I wonder what their take would be.
The greatest angst that I repeatedly see with people who hear from those contradicting the most widely used “method” of evangelism today, is…
If we can’t lead them to a decision, than what are we going to do?
The funny thing is, despite the hundreds of people who have received Jesus in response to me simply sharing His living Word, I have NEVER asked anyone if they want to receive Jesus. Come to think of it, I can’t recall anyone in the NT being asked if they want to “receive” Jesus.
So much of “leading them to a decision” is human manipulation, I think.
Rather, I affirm what just seems to (super)naturally happen in their hearts – and in their conversational profession – by simply moving forward in fellowship with them as a brother in Christ. No big deal. Very organic!
Decisions by definition require a multiplicity of choices. To say the lost have only the option of rejecting God is the same as saying they have no option at all. I obey the law of gravity not because I choose to but because I am forced to. There is no choice involved.
Allow me to put salvation in a lifeguard’s terms as I used to be one. Does God save the drowning sinner by leaping into the pool and dragging the victim out of the water by force and against their will? Believe me when I say that the drowning person will not help you and will fight you until you’re on land. Afterwards they’re happy enough to be saved but are themselves a panicked hindrance to all your efforts to save them.
Or, as I’ve also done on several occasions, does God toss you a life ring that you can grab, whereupon He pulls you to safety? This requires some response to His offer of salvation. Lest someone misconstrue this as the drowning person saving themselves, it surely isn’t the case. I’ve never pulled someone to safety who then said, “That was a close one! I sure am glad I saved myself.”
My take is that apart from God’s grace we are irrevocably lost. God is the author of our faith after all. Without the life ring being offered we must die. But nevertheless we are asked to repent, to believe, and to be baptized. We have a part to play and aren’t just passive recipients of God’s work – otherwise all the many exhortations in the New Testament are false. So I take the position that we do indeed accept or reject God’s grace offered us freely. We reach out to God’s grace, Jesus Christ our life ring, and He saves us. Or we perish.
The harder question is whether the lifeguard analogy is completely accurate. You see, if the drowning person is too panicked to grab the life ring right next to them (I’ve saved a person who was actually drowning literally two feet from the side of a pool) then I as the lifeguard must set aside my pole and life ring and go in after them as in scenario one above. I have to drag them to safety because they are unable to even grasp the salvation that is right next to them. Does God offer salvation to those who can make a decision but then force salvation on those who don’t so that His grace remains 100% effective?
One last thought on free will. Free will is required for agape love. Love that is forced is not authentic love. Take, for example, if you found out that your significant other was secretly participating in a drug trial that made them love you. They said and did and felt all the things one does when in love. But as soon as they were taken off the drug they no longer said, did, or felt these things, that is, they didn’t love you anymore. Return them to the drug and they once again love you as you experience them loving you now. Would you say their love was real, authentic, and genuine? Of course, it appears that way. After all, they exhibit all the behaviors of someone truly in love. Or would you say that because the drug was forcing these behaviors which would be absent apart from the drug that this love was a sham and not truly love? They were not loving you, the drug was.
If it isn’t chosen, or at the very least, freely accepted, it isn’t genuine love. True love requires free will.
Hey Peter, thanks for your comments, I appreciate them and what you bring to the discussion.
Couple of thoughts you may be right about a decision requiring a multiplicity of choices, but a decision at least requires 2 options. But, even if there is only one option, the choice not to decide is also an option and therefore there is no such thing as an option-less choice.
The problem with the lifeguard analogy, is that we’re not talking about a person that’s dying, we’re talking about a person that’s already dead. A dead person Ephesians 2:1 can not even reach out to grab the life ring.
As to free-will, I will leave that discussion for another time.
I still would like to focus on whether or not pressing for a decision is the right thing to do. If so, where is the biblical standard for doing so?
Peter, I love your life-guard analogies. I instantly got a picture of our big-muscled and handsome heavenly Father as the “Great Lifeguard” in the sky. (One who never lost anyone he “gave” to Jesus before the beginning of time.
And your logic was flowing so smoothly. I just wished you’d have stuck with your beautiful analogy.
I’d agree that love can’t be forced on someone. If it could that would be control not unconditionally knowing and wanting what’s best for the lovee.
I’ll vote with Miguel’s point about a dead wo(man)’s inability to reach for the life ring. And not to continue to flog the “free will” issue contrary to our host’s expressed wish, but only to fulfill his initial prophesy about what Scriptures some “reformed friend” would reference, I’ll remind you, Peter, of Romans 3:11-12.
When we are saved we know that we receive the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that seals us, and the Spirit that testifies on our behalf, and that cries out to God “Abba Father!” thus declaring our Son ship, and hence our salvation. Therefore that seems to make logical sense that there is a “point” of salvation. And as stated before, baptism doesn’t save you, but it is the first outward step mandated by God upon being saved that a believer is to take.
With that said, the particular moment of salvation isn’t of particular importance, but rather truly determining whether or not that moment has indeed taken place at some point. We determine that moment has taken place not by finding and pinpointing the moment it self, but rather by looking at the fruit that the moment has produced. The Holy Spirit seals us and testifies to the Father crying out, “Abba Father!”. Therefore the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us will inevitably convict us of sin, empower us to turn from that sin, give us a hunger for God and overall change our desires to conform to his desires. If a person has professed to have made a commitment or a decision to accept Christ as their savior, but there is no fruit of the Holy Spirit working in their lives then it is clear that in fact the decision was not sincere.
I believe that we have done our country and the world a great disservice by stressing “accepting salvation” rather than becoming a follower of Jesus. We become a follow of Jesus and salvation is given to us as a free gift. But we don’t get that free gift unless we choose to give ourselves to Him. Not only that, but we ought to stress the vital truth that giving ourselves to Christ, and bearing fruit is a work of the Holy Spirit, brought on by humbly dwelling in the presence of God, seeking to lose ourselves in His glory. It is a process that is often frustrating and painfully slow, and a glorious whirlwind at the same time.
May God continue to use this blog as a means for stressing following Christ.