Is asking Jesus into your heart wrong?

Post by **_Paidion** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:40 am

There may be nothing "wrong" with "asking Jesus into one's heart", Frank. But will doing it make one a disciple of Christ?

From Luke 14:26-33 we may read that Jesus said:

Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them,
"If any one comes to me and does not disregard his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the oher is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

How many of those who have "asked Jesus into their heart" are so submitted to Jesus that they have let go of the self-life and have submitted to Christ as Lord and of their lives?

Unhappily, there are millions of them who are living their lives for themselves ----- just like those who have never had anything to do with Christ.

Post by **_Beaver** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:49 pm

Oh man.

Does this mean a person cannot even become saved right on the spot for example if you tell a person that she needs to get saved she might not even be able to even if she wants cause she cannot become saved without conviction?

This is like a nightmare for me and you know why? Cause once I talked to my grandmother about God. I knew that she is religious and believes in God and I wanted to make sure she is really saved. I told her about Jesus and all that. Then I wanted her to pray a prayer cause she did not know what being born again means. So I assumed that she had never really given her life to Jesus.In the traditional church they do not have such sinner's prayers. I had her pray a prayer from a Chick tract. And during this prayer which she repeated she said that she doesn't know what being a sinner means!
She was not joking or being arrogant. She was serious. I told her what being a sinner means and I explained it to her and then she also agreed that of course she had also sinned. Everybody has sinned. But I don't think she had this deep conviction! I could explain it to her and intellectually she could not argue that she had not sinned but she didn't have this inner feeling or whatever you call this. Does this mean she is not saved and that it didn't work? Why?
She was serious about it. She wanted to become saved. She did not refuse to pray this prayer. She was really interested in it. She wanted to know how to become saved and how to accept Jesus. How in the world could God not want her to become saved and not make sure that it also works? I don't understand this. How could God deny salvation to a person which wants to be saved!? Does this make any sense?
This is really a nightmare. I mean what shall I do now? How shall I know wether it worked or not? How shall I know she is saved?

Post by **_glow** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:52 pm

Frank and Paidion

In my understanding I think you are both right as far as we being human, we can only be outside of another person, in judgment.In this we try to apply the word ( as Paidion included)from ourselves and others we are in the position to teach or share it with them.

We judge from what is said to us through another externally. God judges internally and only He can make that judgment in the end. I know myself on some folks outward appearences I have had a struggle believing by their actions vs their words whether they were a follower or not.

But the position I have taken with them is I treat them like they " are" in my relationship with them, if they confess to me they are.I try to encourage and be a good example.( which I persoanlly think you both do by online example anyways) If they don't agree with me in areas, I pray on it and do various reactions that I hope the Lord approves of trying to support His word.

But once again I believe ultimately it is between the Lord and His child. ...I know there are scriptures I am basing this on but I didn't include them here, I trust you know them......Just my thoughts

Glow

Post by **_glow** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:03 pm

dear beaver

I believe You cannot "know " if she is saved. That is outside of your realm. It is between God and her. You had faith and talked to her and tried your best in your situation with her.

This is where ultimately we all have to stand in faith and the love we know our father has for all of us individually. He will make a wise, honest and loving decision with your grandmother. All of us have to go through this at some stage in our lives. We just strive to do the best we can.

God bless Glow

if you want to talk more on this feel free to p.m. me.

Post by **_Frank** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:09 pm

[quote="Paidion"]There may be nothing "wrong" with "asking Jesus into one's heart", Frank. But will doing it make one a disciple of Christ?

No? But God knows the heart and the intent of the heart. Sometimes this tradition of asking Jesus into a persons heart has been waterd down like some of the other parts of the gospel and can do more harm than good.
Only if in the process God saves them and they receive Him by faith through His grace and have been drawn to Him by the Holy spirit. Then when they are born again. That my friend is the first step to being a disciple.
(1) Saved (2) Servant (3) Student (4) (Seed Planter or waterer) (5)Suffering Saint (6) Sold Out to God. To me that is A true disciple of Christ

Post by **_Royal Oddball 2:9** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:13 am

Beaver, there's really no formula for coming to God. Some truly come to Him by saying the sinner's prayer. Others can say it and never change a bit. I believe we allow Christ to save us by doing the following:

1) Repenting

2) Placing our lives and trust in Jesus Christ, believing he died on the cross and rose again, securing eternal salvation for all who desire to be His disciple

3) Baptism, if possible

Repentence does not necessarily require deep conviction, in my opinion, particularly if one has not been engaging in serious sin. The word "repent" in scripture means to "change your mind." So repentance, in my mind, can mean simply deciding to live life trusting God instead of living a life of self-reliance, and walking in that. Of course, I'm still working all of this out for myself, so I could be wrong. But I think I'm on the right track.

The only way we can know with any certainty that someone is saved is when we begin to see transformation in them. Remember, God is a just God. Trust Him enough to know that He will deal justly with your grandmother. From what you describe of her, her heart's in the right place. That gives Him more than enough to work with.