The Evangelical Altar Call

[ChristB4us]

I know that some will insists that sinners repent from all sins before coming to and believing in Jesus Christ but I believe the only requirement for salvation is to repent from unbelief by believing in Jesus Christ and then discipleship comes in where the saved believer is to look to Jesus Christ as the author & finisher of our faith to help us lay aside every weight & sin daily Hebrews 12:1-2 in walking in the light in fellowship with the Father & the Son.  1 John 1:3-9

The point here is when the altar call to repent is given out, one should be testifying to the sinner that Jesus will deliver them from their bondage to sin and to death and so to receive salvation as well as deliverance from sin, is to believe in Him.

1 John 3:1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure....  8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:.... 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.... 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Some will ask believers in coming forward to make a commitment to follow Christ, but Jesus never had any confidence in man to do this because no matter how much the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak, therefore what is impossible with men, is possible with God.  God is saying to us that He is making a New Covenant where He will do His work in us to be good and enable us to do good by trusting Him to do that.

Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, religious Muslims, and other religious people will look to themselves to make themselves good and to do good by keeping a commitment or by way of the Promise Keepers' program.  They may refer to God or some higher power, but it is their commitment and they receive the praise of men for keeping it.

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God...... 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. ......26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

So instead of saying repent from all sins to sinners, declare Him that not only is He is our Saviour, but He can deliver them from their sins, & help them to follow Him daily, as the just are to live by faith, & He will.

[ChristB4us]

Now some may contest this that repentance is required before coming to & believing in Jesus Christ because of Acts 2:38, but let's go to this same Peter preaching the same gospel to the Gentiles.

Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Now before any sinner confessed Him with their mouths, before any come forward to be water baptized, they had received the promise of the Spirit by believing the words Peter had spoken in verse 43 that by believing in His name shall receive the remission of sins.  So what repentance is Peter talking about in Acts 2:38?

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Peter announced to the Jews that had crucified Jesus Christ in unbelief that suddenly realized what they had done and were pricked in their hearts as to what to do; Peter applied repent in regards to what they had done by crucifying Him in unbelief and so to repent from that is to believe in Him for the remission of sins.

Now I know that some will apply this reference to mean water baptism is how you receive the remission of sins but not so because there is only one gospel and Peter preached the same gospel to the Gentiles and they had believed and received the promise of the Holy Spirit before water baptism.  And yet in order to receive the remission of sins was by believing in His name.  So the same has to be for the Jews which is true because they were pricked in their hearts for not believing in Jesus Christ for why they had crucified Him and so to repent is by believing in Him was how they too had received the remission of sins & the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I am saying is that sinners walk away from the altar call thinking they had to get their life in order before coming to and believing in Jesus Christ and they see sin as something to repent from but have a hard time doing it for why they are not coming forward to Jesus Christ for salvation.  So may the Lord help us to convey the full Good News that Jesus Christ died for us while we were yet sinners and so sinners can come to Him for eternal life AND for the hope in Him that He will deliver them from their bondage to sin and to death by being rooted in His words of all He would do for us.

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure....  8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:.... 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.... 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

We are saved by faith and so we are to live by faith in Jesus Christ in being our personal Good Shepherd for following Him.

 

[BibleWords]

I agree so much with you that unbelief in Christ is the initial sin to repent of.  I am not sure the lost could even begin to remember all their sins.  Of course the Holy Spirit brings them to our memory after salvation.

Interesting thing, the Bible never really gives us a model of what we call an alter call.  Not sure they ever had any such exact thing.  Nothing wrong with it, but just saying.

They did much of their witnessing/preaching out and about and one on one.

The church I pastor still gives alter calls but regular life is where I feel evangelism really is effective.