Part 2: Evangelism, Session #4: "Identifying Dangerous Words, Phrases & Methods of Modern Christianity"

This session was titled by Greg as "The Sinner's Prayer - Why It's Dangerous." The title above is meant to get the bigger picture of what was covered. The information is taken from the power point slides Greg provided during class time:


Phrases & words we should NOT use when sharing our faith:

“Acceptance” or "You need to accept Jesus into your heart."

• We don’t need to accept Jesus in our hearts - Christ calls us to repent! We need to turn from our sins. What we need is God to accept us into his Kingdom. The correct term is that we need to use is RECEIVE. We receive Jesus Christ's offer of salvation.

• Next is a video by that was shown by David Pratt in support of this point:

“Invitation” (this goes along with "acceptance")

• Rick Warren likes to use this idea, that Jesus is simply giving a invitation to come to heaven. 

• The Problem: Rob Price said this, “The gospel is not an invitation because invitations can be politely turned down without fear of reprisal. Scripture says that “God . . . commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). “If my six-year-old daughter was out on the road playing in front of my house and I saw a huge truck barreling around the corner, what would I do in that moment? Out of my love for my daughter I would not gently invite her to step away from the street. I would command her to change her direction, and get off the road! Why? Because of my love for her. I know that the truck would not be able to stop in time and it would run her over and kill her. The same is true of the Father’s love for us. Out of His love, he commands us to repent, because at any moment the truck of sin and death could run us over for playing on the road of rebellion!” Its not about Inviting, its about Repentance. In other words: when you get an "invitation" to something in our modern culture, it is assumed in most cases that you can accept or reject that invitation without any consequences accompanying rejection. This is not the case with the Biblical model of salvation. The most accurate explanation is that you are offered salvation, but only once sin has been rightly identified and convicted your heart. The offer is not extended to the unbeliever until they are aware they need it, humble themselves and ask to receive it from the only One that can offer it to them (by bowing to Christ as their Lord and Savior - an action which we can choose freely to do here, or be forced to do later). Rejection of Christ's offer of salvation results in eternal torment and separation from God.

“You have a God shaped hole in your heart and you need Jesus to fill it.”

• This phrase misleads the listener in several ways. First it is found nowhere in scripture. It also relates directly to the worldly idea of "happiness" and "self-fulfillment" allowing the individual to falsely believe that Jesus will fill that whole with their desires (including sinful desires), create a fantasy life or make their life "perfect". 

"Countless millions have asked Jesus to come and fill a "God shaped hole" they have in their hearts that only He can fill. Millions are bogged down with the weight of modern capitalistic life and the hectic shuffle and bustle that only creates meaninglessness and despair. Countless numbers of these millions are searching for some solution to the problems of modern life have invited Jesus into their heart in hopes of some relief. The preacher tells them "Give your heart to Jesus and invite Jesus into your heart", "Let Jesus fill that God shaped hole in your heart", "Accept Jesus as your Savior" and that is what they do."

• Instead Jesus promises that as Christians we will go through trials & tribulations (Matthew 24:9, 10:34-37, Luke 24:25-33, 9:23-26, Romans 12:1-2, John 15:18-25), and although a promise of "fulfillment" is found in scripture (an idea that this phrase may have come from), the type of fulfillment promised is that of joy, not happiness, and other Godly things, usually of a spiritual nature and not of a material nature. (Note: the promise of a New Earth is considered by many to be a material promise, but it is not a promise that can be fulfilled until after the second coming of Christ.)

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~ James 1:2-4

• The Problem identified: This is a misrepresentation of God - He does not exist to "fulfill" our desires, or to "fill" a whole in us. The true heart of the problem is sin in the life of the unbeliever and a need for faith & repentance.

"Back-sliding" - "Back-sliders" - "They are just a back-sliding Christian..." 

• Definition: To turn away from God, fall back into sin or choose to partake in sinful actions - often it means the person is no longer living like a Christian (producing good fruit), but instead is living, once again, like an unbeliever. 

• The Danger: 1) It leads to the idea that you can loose your salvation because the one in question is "choosing" to sin or turn away from God instead of pursue holiness. 2). If you can’t loose your salvation, it gets explained as the idea that the person just made some "bad choices" but will eventually "come around." This poor excuse is just that, an excuse, and does not address the problem from Scripture. The Bible says that those who leave the faith were never of the faith: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1 John 2:19. Also, when talking about False Prophets, Jesus says we recognize them by their fruits: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 7:18-20, and this can be applied to believers as well because Jesus talks about false converts in the very next verses: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

"The Sinner's Prayer"

• We have 5 films that will go over details about what this means. It will call out some main stream Pastors such as Joel Osteen, Paul Crouch, Joseph Prince, and Rick Warren. These pastors use this language; example: "God has a Wonderful Plan for your life so.. To accept Jesus into your heart... To fill the God-shaped hole in your heart... say this prayer after me."

• As you learn about this, please examine your language, also learn to start recognizing when Christians do use these unbiblical terms and sayings. We need to become biblical Christians with the language and terms we use; we should be very conscious how we address and speak to lost people.

Here is a video featuring Paul Washer talking about Altar Calls and the Sinner's Prayer as manipulation and deception:

A video featuring Justin Peters titled by Greg as "The Softening of Sin":

Both of these men correctly handle the Word of Truth to expose the incorrect methods that are being used in Churches today. Believers must think more critically about the words, phrases and methods they use to bring those to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because faulty ideas lead people astray instead of proclaim truth. 

Once again, why must we present the truth correctly? Because if our method is influenced by faulty ideas then we are not obeying God by presenting His full counsel; instead presenting something that mixes worldly ideas with spiritual things. We then present a message that the unbeliever cannot understand or will wrongly understand by believing he/she will acquire fulfillment of their sinful desires if they play along:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Matthew 7:6

Let us be faithful disciples and present the truth correctly.

Greg will continue this lesson, since it has two parts, next week.