People love to boast. In America, people love to boast
numbers. They love to boast sports scores, money earned, things owned, Facebook
Friends, anything, if it can be counted, someone in America is boasting about
their perceived numerical superiority. Sadly, this urge has poisoned
Christianity as well. Pastors love to brag about their church attendances. The Hyles
Anderson crowd brags that they have the world’s largest Sunday school. Others
love to brag about how many were baptized on any given day, or period of time.
Still others proclaim how many they had saved as a result of their work. But,
this last point is starkly different than the other things mentioned in this
introduction. Scores, money, attendances, baptisms, etcetera can be physically quantified
and qualified for whatever they’re worth, but how does one quantify and qualify
Salvation? I have had many conversations with some of America’s “leading”
pastors and professed “soulwinners.” (I, at one time, even claimed to be among
their ranks). The conversations, though many, generally unfolded like this:
BSW (Bragging Soul-winner): Today was an amazing day! I led
12 people to Christ. Ain’t God Good!
CC (Curious Christian): Awesome! So, how do you know they
are saved?
BSW: I shared with them the Roman’s Road, and then they
bowed their heads, and asked Jesus to come into their hearts.
CC: Nice, so, you spent a long time with each one then?
BSW: No, not really, only about 5-10 minutes. I had one that
I spent about 30 minutes with, but that’s because she was talking so much about
how she couldn’t be saved, because she was too wicked to be saved. Thank God
that He is still in the soul saving business, and that salvation is the simple
gift!
CC: Ok, let see if I understand you correctly. You shared
the Roman’s Road. So, you began in Romans 1?
BSW: (Interrupts) No, why start in Romans 1? I started with
Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Then I
told each one, that we’re all sinners. Then I showed them the penalty of sin,
Death in Romans 6:23. Then I explained that Death is separation from God for
eternity in Hell. Then I preached to them Jesus. That He was God come in the flesh,
died on the cross for our sins, and that He loves us, and doesn’t want us to go
to Hell when we die. I showed them Romans 5:9-10 to prove that God loved us so
much that he died for us. All we have to do is Confess with our mouths, and
believe in our hearts that Jesus is God, and died, was buried, and rose again
for us, so that we don’t have to go to
Hell. We can, instead go to Heaven when we die.
CC: So, you did no real conviction of sin is what you’re
telling me?
BSW: Sure I did. Didn’t you hear me say that I showed them
Romans 3:23?
CC: Yes, you did show them that verse. But that verse is at
the end of a chapter and a half of Paul’s pointing out sin. Didn’t you use the
Ten Commandments?
BSW: No, why should I have?
CC: For starters, they're part of the whole Romans Road. They’re God’s standard used for judging
between the sinful and righteous. Second, Jesus used them during His earthly
ministry. Paul as mentioned used them in Romans 2-3, and recalled their affect upon his life
in Romans 6-8. It’s not good enough to call someone a sinner. Most simply do
not believe that his sin is bad enough to take his to Hell. People have to be
convicted of sin. Their own, willful, wicked sin. They also have to realize how serious that sin is.
BSW: Ok, but that doesn’t change the fact that all 12 people
bowed their heads and asked Jesus into their hearts. They made a profession.
CC: How do you know they're saved though?
BSW: I don’t know. We can’t see people’s hearts, only God
can do that. But they confessed with their mouths that Jesus died for them. So, they're saved.
CC: Where in the Bible was the sinner’s prayer ever used?
BSW: Romans 10:9-13.
CC: Romans 10 has nothing to do with how to be saved, it has everything to do with who can be saved, namely, "Whosoever... Jew or Greek." Why didn't Christ use your method? Why not use it when the Rich
Young Ruler in Matthew 19 approached him. He was already professing Christ as
Good Master, like you did earlier by claiming “God is good.” What did Christ
do? Did he lead him in a sinner’s prayer?
BSW: No, but that’s because Christ could see his heart. We
can’t see people's hearts.
CC: Christ proved to the ruler that he was in sin. Christ asked him a few of the Ten Commandments, which revealed
pride and idolatry. Though Christ could see the heart, he showed us the way to uncover sin in man's heart/life by using this real life encounter. The ruler, though believing and even professing, left
Christ lost in spite of his believing. How would you have responded, if someone like that approached you,
and said the same things? Would you have lead him in the sinner's prayer?
BSW: I’m not Christ. I can’t see people’s hearts.
CC: But, we have the mind of Christ according to I Corinthians 2:15-16, and we have His
example. Matthew 19 is recorded for our edification and instruction. You can
know these things. One most certainly can discern between lost and saved, but not by using the sinner’s prayer. Christ gave us parables, such as the sheep and the goats, the wheat
and the tares, that illustrate that the workers could see the difference
between lost and saved. He also used the seed analogy to illustrate salvation.
Seeds, as you know are planted, and they take time to grow. In that analogy, I’m
afraid that the type of convert you’re claiming is the stony ground hearer. He immediately hears the good parts with excitement, and makes a quick decision, but becomes offended when he hears the
truth about his sin over time. To use another Biblical analogy, those men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
BSW: So, what you’re saying is that you don’t think I had 12
saved today, and that all of the great men of the faith have been witnessing
incorrectly? It sounds like you’re teaching a new doctrine.
CC: You’re now appealing to human tradition as your
authority. That’s dangerous. What’s equally as dangerous is that you never once
mentioned repentance in your encounters.
BSW: I believe in repentance!
CC: Then why did you not reveal the specific sins in each
encounter today?
BSW: I did, they need to repent of the only sin that will
take man to Hell, unbelief.
CC: Granted, unbelief is a sin that will damn one to Hell,
but it’s not the only one. Romans 1 lists many more sins than just unbelief.
Further, many believe, but are still lost in sin. Jesus illustrated that in
John 8, and specifically told the Jews that believed on Him that the truth
would set them free from sin. Those believing Jews did not like that statement,
and attempted to kill Christ. Christ then proclaimed that those very same
believing Jews were of their father the Devil. Therefore, lost, one heartbeat
from Hell! Don’t forget, also, that the Devils fear and tremble according to
James 2. Belief, though necessary, is only one side of the coin. Repentance from
sin is the other. True belief will trigger true repentance from sin. Though
that can be, and is, immediate salvation, the results from a human perspective
can only be seen over time. Much like you can plant a seed, call that seed an
apple tree, but you don’t truly know if the tree that grows from that seed is
an apple tree until you see the fruit.
BSW: But the church saw 3,000 saved on the day of Pentecost
in Acts 2!
CC: Certainly, but it was the Holy Spirit that proclaimed
those numbers, not man. Those 3,000 were also commanded to repent, and in fact did repent after sin was clearly revealed to them by Peter's message. Nowhere else does any man boast of such numbers. In
fact, as an example, Paul was very cautious about even baptizing (that is, only those who were professing salvation) many people in I Corinthians.
We should adopt the same approach, and be cautious when witnessing. He instead
stated that he was called to preach the Gospel. We’re all called to do the very
same thing. The proclaiming of someone’s salvation, however, was not given to
us. We do a disservice by inoculating people against the real truth, that Christ died to free us from sin, when we witness
improperly.
BSW: You think all of the reported numbers are unsaved.
CC: Using such methods, being unbiblical at their heart, cannot lead someone to Christ. In fact, praying a sinner's prayer does not allow for true repentance. The person praying is now implicitly relying upon the fact that he prayed a prayer to get into Heaven. He, therefore, and often does, continue living in his life of sin, never turning from sin ever. Why should he? You never warned him about it. For instance, how many of
those thousands evidenced a changed life, one that sees those large numbers hungering
and thirsting after the things of God. How many of those numbers want to
fellowship with the believers? How many of those numbers want to preach to the Lost
the same way that Christ did?
BSW: But they are baby Christians. They can’t all want that
at first. They must be discipled. There must be follow up.
CC: Yes and no. Yes, they’re baby Christians. Yes, they need
to be discipled. No, they are in fact all called to go and preach the Gospel. That’s
commanded to everyone. Christ had no problem sending His new children
immediately back into the harvest. Paul had no problem doing the same thing. Philip had no problem
doing it either. No, there needs to be no follow up with soundly saved people.
If they’re soundly saved, they will crave the things and people of God in such
a way that they will continuously be seeking those things. Why should anyone
have to compel a saved person to want to know more about God, to want to spend
time with others who want to know more about God, to tell the lost and dying
about the Love of Christ? That love and desire can’t be hidden. Jeremiah’s
comments about this issue in Jeremiah 20 reveal the very need that a truly saved person has
to share the Gospel. Paul expounds upon that victorious freedom and power in
Romans 8. The Bible further reveals nothing about this “follow up” as you call
it. Instead, it talks about those going out from us, but not being of us.
BSW: What you’re talking about is saying that very few can
be saved.
CC: Yes! Christ stated as much too! Matthew 7. Which about
sums up everything we’ve discussed. You’re trying to claim numbers by using an
unbiblical method, the sinner’s prayer. In turn you’re creating false converts,
who do not want to know Christ, serve Christ, fellowship with believers, or repent
from sin. This passage should, therefore, frighten you! You need to repent from
this wicked practice, as it’s not helping anyone, it’s sending many to Hell, “in
the name of Christ.”
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
If one professing to be a follower of Christ does not repent
of this practice, then he should beware of Christ’s woe upon his life in
Matthew 23:15 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass
sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold
more the child of hell than yourselves. I appreciate your zeal, but please,
practice your zeal with humility and sound doctrine!
*Nota Bene! I realize that this dialogue is filled with red herrings, especially from the BSW position, but that, generally speaking, is exactly how these conversations unfold. Once the BSW position is questioned, and the BSW's objections are answered, he can only steer away from the main point at hand. He thinks he has answers, but none of them are tenable, which is why I purposely take on his red herring objections. Typically, though not in this dialogue, these conversations do not remain calm. Most of the interactions that I have had like this end with the BSW screaming, creating straw men, and/or yelling ad hominem attacks at me. In other words, they simply, and profoundly, have no viable, scriptural response, and thus reveal wickedness.
