Pal Handy
Where in scripture are we taught to tell people to publicly acknowledge God during the salvation process or in order to be saved? We def need to be able to acknowledge, but that is no means a requirement of salvation and not something we are taught to provoke others to do.
Certainly, but it isn't because they were told to.
Certainly, baptism comes after salvation.
In order to be saved to begin with? I think not. It's something Christians are just supposed to do, it's not the means of attaining salvation and it wasn't a test placed for prospects of salvation to pass.
Certainly, I just find no reason for such outward display to be the means by which people receive Jesus and definitely not let that become something we think is required to receive him. Rather it's simply believing and receiving, acting like a Christian comes after.
Certainly, but this isn't a formal requirement of receiving him.
What better way? I think this is only a perfect way to establish traditions and methods and prescriptions and teach people to trust and believe in things and methods rather than in God. What better way is there than to believe in him with your heart and receive him? This is the sort of thing that makes us think we have to raise our hands at certain times during the service, that we have to close our eyes while praying, that we have to stand at certain times, that the pastor or choir leader tells us when to stand, sit, kneel, close our eyes or raise our voices and we foolishly begin to believe that we are supposed to obey and supposed to do these things and these methods and traditions contain some degree of Godliness and they do not. They are forms that allow us to express what Godliness is inside of us. God is not contained in these things. Broken hearts and spirits are what he wants, willing hearts. People begin to think that because these methods and traditions fail... that God failed and they lose faith in him.
Well Jesus did not prescribe a formal tradition of doing something or requiring something, that's something else entirely. Jesus didn't tell Finney or anyone else to tell people to walk down front or find a crowd or let such a crowd know in order to receive him.... establishing something like this as part of the process is a distraction and a very dangerous one. Wooden benches, chairs in the front, crowds, words, movements in our body do not save people... but these sort of things teach us that they do.
You have taken the scriptures I posted and discounted them all
just to prove to yourself that an alter call is not of God so be happy
and do as you desire.
In todays society people are ashamed of those moves of God that brought
thousands to the Lord in huge meetings in which the Holy Spirit moved
and men came out of their comfort zones and made public declarations for
Christ just as they did on the day of Pentecost.
The alter call is God moving in the hearts of men.
The alter call is nothing more than an invitation from a preacher
of the gospel inviting people put faith into action and to move on the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
I am sure you have lead thousands to the Lord as God has given
you the gift to preach the gospel with His power and authority
under the prompting of the Holy Spirit so that men publicly
acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.
Stop knocking others and stop acting as if others had it all
wrong in the methods they used as they were doing the
work that God had called them to.
If you are content in trying to make it so easy for people
so that they do not have to do anything, then make sure God has
called you to that work and it is not spawned in your own thoughts.
Show me one scripture that would be against men being given a chance
to publicly declare their faith in Christ.
The "alter call" as you call it has so much wisdom built into it.
1 It causes people to see the depth of commitment needed to follow Christ.
2 It cause people to take an open stand for Christ before family, neighbors, friends and even strangers.
3 Those that respond can be identified by those who are there to help them understand
their commitment and the gospel can be explained clearly through the scriptures.
4 Any question raised can be answered by the workers who are there for support.
5 Those who come forward can be prayed with for God to touch them and confirm His salvation to them.
6 Those who choose Christ can be directed to local churches to help them grow.
7 Each person is given a copy of the New Testament and encouraged to read it for themselves.
Finney was a great EVANGELIST called by God to do what he did.
(look up evangelist in the Bible)
You should be so fortunate to have such wisdom to deal with masses of people that desired
to come into faith in Jesus Christ and to move forward in following Him.
Would you discourage one single person from responding to an alter call
simple because YOU THINK it has more to do with tradition rather than God's call?
Are you gathering or scattering?
What does this discussion do to promote Christ and unity in the body of believers?
Please take these debates into the debate area of the forum because
debates only bring strife and division and make it harder to give advice
to those who come here looking for Christ and not your opinions on alter calls.