Making a decision for Christ

[Goodbook]

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. - Romans 10:8-10

Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. - Acts 16:30-31




Being saved is very easy. Working out your salvation is the hard part.

well Acts 16 doesn't end at 31 read Acts 16:32-34

particularly Acts 16:33!!!

 

[Goodbook]

It is the start. Being a Christian is a relationship with God. Consider getting married; walking down the aisle and saying "I do" is not enough to sustain the relationship. You learn enough about your partner to feel able to join lives with him, and then from that day forward you live your life as a partnership. If you commit without understanding, and then do nothing whatsoever to maintain the relationship - talking, the choices you make daily, spending time together, growing in understanding of each other and so on - you are on a fast track to an end of that relationship. God won't end it - he's committed, and he does know us well and knows what He's getting into, but it becomes very easy for us to walk away, not 'feel it' anymore, and choose to leave, because we didn't build the relationship in the first place.

welll. I don't know about relationship with God being like a marriage walking down the aisle, but there's an element of actually SUBMITTING to each other in a marriage.

So you could say she did the wedding ceremony I suppose. But I wouldn't say walking down the aisle is the same as how people come to God in the Bible. And its true many people think that if they decide to get married, they are better off than those who didn't. But marriage doesn't work that way in real life does it? People can get married but don't even act or even stay married at all.

In reading her testimony its like she's a bride talking about how wonderful it is to be married and all it's benefits but then neglecting to mention it was the husband who gave his own life to marry her.

 

[faroukfarouk]

It is the start. Being a Christian is a relationship with God. Consider getting married; walking down the aisle and saying "I do" is not enough to sustain the relationship. You learn enough about your partner to feel able to join lives with him, and then from that day forward you live your life as a partnership. If you commit without understanding, and then do nothing whatsoever to maintain the relationship - talking, the choices you make daily, spending time together, growing in understanding of each other and so on - you are on a fast track to an end of that relationship. God won't end it - he's committed, and he does know us well and knows what He's getting into, but it becomes very easy for us to walk away, not 'feel it' anymore, and choose to leave, because we didn't build the relationship in the first place.

Hi; daily prayer and careful Bible reading are likely to have a lot more to do with communion with the Lord than 'power in the tub' theology...

 

[Alithis]

Can you become a christian just by saying a prayer and walking forward at a crusade?

I'm asking because Im sure thats only the start of it and not even all of it. Someone I know wrote that was how she became a christian. Yet she struggles with trusting God even years later. Im just puzzled cos it was not how I was born again.

Maybe shes just having a long apprenticeship I dont know....

re in blue .. NO such a thing only happens when a partial gospel is preached and the whole truth is withheld .

You become a Christian when saving faith enters your heart.

you become a disciple when you obey the good news of Jesus and its instructions -you remain a disciple when you continue to obey Jesus .

" That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. "

this is not "how to become a disciple of Jesus " paul is writing it to people who Already Are .its not sa verse the numbers are added by men .you cant take this out -present it to the unsaved and use it out of context the apostles never preached this message to the unsaved -why's that do you think ?

nope it takes more then that. Acts 2:38 is the basis for salvation. It's good to accept JESUS....but almost everyone in the USA believes in God so that's just a start. A christian=christ like and the apostles were called that after they got were baptized and received the holy ghost

And I feel you I know a number of people who have done the "accept JESUS" way and they aren't getting anywhere. Ik someone who's done it 10 times until they decided to try it the acts way.

you should explain the gospel in the book of acts . (or the book of acts way as you put it )
but it is both a message of good news AND its instructions .(hence the scripture WARNS those who "do not OBEY the Gospel "

any confession of faith without FAITH without repentance without baptism without the receiving of the holy ghost ..is incomplete.

 

[AlexDTX]

Can you become a christian just by saying a prayer and walking forward at a crusade?

I'm asking because Im sure thats only the start of it and not even all of it. Someone I know wrote that was how she became a christian. Yet she struggles with trusting God even years later. Im just puzzled cos it was not how I was born again.

Maybe shes just having a long apprenticeship I dont know....

Any prayer of simple faith requesting salvation through Christ is honored by God. Thirty years ago I was at my cousin's wedding reception and my nephew sat next to me at the dinner table. I asked him if he wanted to know God? He said yes, so I explained salvation to him and prayed with him at the dinner table in front of all my non-believing relatives. I felt the burden of sin lift off him at the same time he did and he said, "I feel lighter!." I live in Texas and he lived in California so I did not get to see him again.

He moved to the Midwest where he had a terrible marriage, from which he finally divorced. He met a Christian woman and moved to Oregon where they married. He began following Christ at that time. My brother, his father, died Christmas day last year and I saw him again at my brother's funeral. We talked and he thanked me for praying with him at my cousin's wedding. While he did not have discipleship, during his first marriage, he was aware of God's help in his life.

If I could have been there to help him in discipleship it would have been better, of course, but when we pray with people to accept Christ, Christ accepts them and takes responsibility for them. We are not abandoning new believers because we are giving them over to the One who cares the most for them. But God does not violate our free will and the choices we make. Thus there are consequences that God works through with us when we choose poorly. It is for this reason we see long or short discipleship times. We determine the speed of our discipleship by our choices.

 

[Goodbook]

Hmm thats why I said shes having a rather long apprecnticeship (or discipleship)...she just has a hard time obeying Him. I can see that and its quite obvious to those around her she still likes to go her own way, even though its harder!

 

[Goodbook]

She said she already believed in God as a child so its not she needed to repent of unbelief. But repent of other things. Like pride. Thats a hard thing for many people to repent of.

 

[Alithis]

Any prayer of simple faith requesting salvation through Christ is honored by God. Thirty years ago I was at my cousin's wedding reception and my nephew sat next to me at the dinner table. I asked him if he wanted to know God? He said yes, so I explained salvation to him and prayed with him at the dinner table in front of all my non-believing relatives. I felt the burden of sin lift off him at the same time he did and he said, "I feel lighter!." I live in Texas and he lived in California so I did not get to see him again.

He moved to the Midwest where he had a terrible marriage, from which he finally divorced. He met a Christian woman and moved to Oregon where they married. He began following Christ at that time. My brother, his father, died Christmas day last year and I saw him again at my brother's funeral. We talked and he thanked me for praying with him at my cousin's wedding. While he did not have discipleship, during his first marriage, he was aware of God's help in his life.

If I could have been there to help him in discipleship it would have been better, of course, but when we pray with people to accept Christ, Christ accepts them and takes responsibility for them. We are not abandoning new believers because we are giving them over to the One who cares the most for them. But God does not violate our free will and the choices we make. Thus there are consequences that God works through with us when we choose poorly. It is for this reason we see long or short discipleship times. We determine the speed of our discipleship by our choices.

discipleship is key we are commanded to make more disciples not more christians . many hear the good news and they go on calling themselves christian but they bear no fruit .are they saved ? not according to everything else Jesus said .

 

[Alithis]

She said she already believed in God as a child so its not she needed to repent of unbelief. But repent of other things. Like pride. Thats a hard thing for many people to repent of.

re-pent = to rethink to change your mind and go the other way .. what way ? gods way . such a person you describe are every where the church is rife with them fat with them . they say with their lips they believe yet their heart is far from god they simply have not yet repented and committed to go GODS way and no longer their OWN way . the first instruction of the good new of Jesus is repent . without this step all other steps continue in a direction away from him not following after them .

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

re in blue .. NO such a thing only happens when a partial gospel is preached and the whole truth is withheld .

you become a disciple when you obey the good news of Jesus and its instructions -you remain a disciple when you continue to obey Jesus .

this is not "how to become a disciple of Jesus " paul is writing it to people who Already Are .its not sa verse the numbers are added by men .you cant take this out -present it to the unsaved and use it out of context the apostles never preached this message to the unsaved -why's that do you think ?

you should explain the gospel in the book of acts . (or the book of acts way as you put it )
but it is both a message of good news AND its instructions .(hence the scripture WARNS those who "do not OBEY the Gospel "

any confession of faith without FAITH without repentance without baptism without the receiving of the holy ghost ..is incomplete.

True guess I could break it down if he's interested.

 

[robbie bradshaw]

you have accepted jesus that is what you do dont worry about it jesus is trustworty and forges all sins come to him and accept him in jesus ame amen i prey for you

 

[Goodbook]

I don't read in the Bible that you 'accept' Jesus. You repent and believe in Him.

Besides this person acts like she doesn't trust him at times because she'd rather go her own way. If she admitted she sinned but she's often actually not willing to admit to this. She blames this accident she had years ago while not willing to admit that she may have had a part to play in the accident itself - (driving too fast, being hesitant, not looking) I have been in a car with her and notice that she takes a lot of risks I wouldn't take. I think before the accident she was more of a daredevil but perhaps the main thing is she's so doubleminded about things it drives everyone around her nuts.

 

[Goodbook]

If you just raise your hand or walk up the aisle to believe in Jesus whats to stop you walking back, or putting down your hand.

When you are baptised in Jesus name there's no way you can back out. You WILL get wet. You can't stay under, you need to surface.

Its a spiritual thing not a decision. God does the work, He waters and grows you, but if you make a commitment its like you alone are doing it, not God..and the preacher, depending on how persausive he/she is convincing you. Not to say Billy Graham doesn't use the Word to preach, but It seems he doesn't really fully present the gospel, if that's the fruit of it - lots of churchgoers, who obey God only when they feel like it, but few converts.

 

[Alithis]

If you just raise your hand or walk up the aisle to believe in Jesus whats to stop you walking back, or putting down your hand.

When you are baptised in Jesus name there's no way you can back out. You WILL get wet. You can't stay under, you need to surface.

Its a spiritual thing not a decision. God does the work, He waters and grows you, but if you make a commitment its like you alone are doing it, not God..and the preacher, depending on how persausive he/she is convincing you. Not to say Billy Graham doesn't use the Word to preach, but It seems he doesn't really fully present the gospel, if that's the fruit of it - lots of churchgoers, who obey God only when they feel like it, but few converts.

Yes..few disciples .

 

[ToBeLoved]

Hmm thats why I said shes having a rather long apprecnticeship (or discipleship)...she just has a hard time obeying Him. I can see that and its quite obvious to those around her she still likes to go her own way, even though its harder!

Is she better than she previously was? That is how the Holy Spirit works but our progress is not compared to anyone else, but are we better than we were.

What kind of disobedience specifically are you talking about? Like 3 examples.

 

[Goodbook]

Now just wondering how to confront her on this or maybe just ask about how was she baptised.

I think its very easy to fall away if you dont show any fruits of repentance. To me it seems shes only clinging to God for his benefits which is sadly what a lot of professed christians i notice seem to do..wanting all the blessings without having to obey Him or do what he commands.

 

[AlexDTX]

discipleship is key we are commanded to make more disciples not more christians . many hear the good news and they go on calling themselves christian but they bear no fruit .are they saved ? not according to everything else Jesus said .

It is a mistake to believe that we make disciples. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit, but it is the Holy Spirit that makes the disciples, not us.

1Co 3:5 Who is Apollos, anyhow? Or who is Paul? They're merely servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord gave to each of us his task.
1Co 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept everything growing.
1Co 3:7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, but God, who keeps everything growing, is the one who matters.
1Co 3:8 The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own action.
1Co 3:9 For we are God's co-workers. You are God's farmland and God's building.​

God uses a multitude of people in the discipleship process. He is the one who brings them into our lives for our growth. We cooperate, but the burden of discipleship is on his shoulders, not ours. One may plant the seed (I did with my nephew) but others water, prune, fertilize, etc.

 

[Goodbook]

Well the thing with the friend is, shes been planted, but she hasnt been watered, thats the problem. She cant effectively grow without this watering. Which is why shes still a baby christian in her Sixties.

 

[ToBeLoved]

Well the thing with the friend is, shes been planted, but she hasnt been watered, thats the problem. She cant effectively grow without this watering. Which is why shes still a baby christian in her Sixties.

I think you have to fully explain the gospel to her before you confront her with any Bible teaching.

Maybe even do it in two sessions. But I would never judge someone if I was not sure they knew the gospel. The only way you can be sure is to start there and then keep asking her to repeat what you said or her understanding of it back to you.

I'm not even sure if she is 60 yo that discipleship is the issue.

 

[AlexDTX]

I think you have to fully explain the gospel to her before you confront her with any Bible teaching.

Maybe even do it in two sessions. But I would never judge someone if I was not sure they knew the gospel. The only way you can be sure is to start there and then keep asking her to repeat what you said or her understanding of it back to you.

I'm not even sure if she is 60 yo that discipleship is the issue.

I don't know what your friend needs, but there various opinions on the matter. There is a minster named Andrew Wommack who believes teaching a person what the Bible says is the path to salvation. In other words, he believes if you are dealing with a non believer, showing them Scriptures is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to bring saving faith to a person. It sounds like your friend does not need a gospel presentation, but simply needs to be taught what the Scriptures have to say. Just an idea.