All across the world, misguided preachers have been taught by peers to require people to walk down a church isle at invitation time to be saved. They have sinfully ADDED an additional step to God's plan of salvation. No where in the Holy Scriptures are we taught to walk down a church isle to be saved. What if a person is too scared to walk a church isle, or physically doesn't feel too well, or perhaps simply doesn't want to be made a spectacle of in front of the whole church? Why cannot they be saved right there in the pew? They certainly CAN, which is why every pastor and evangelist should tell lost sinners how to be saved in their pew. If they desire to walk an isle afterwards to stand in front of the church, then that opportunity can be given; but for some who don't want to go forward, at least they will be on their way to Heaven.
I was gloriously saved at age 13. Unfortunately, the pastor required everyone to come forward at invitation time, but I was too timid to go forward. I had been in Sunday School my whole life, but had never been saved. So I had enough knowledge from what I had learned, and from some of the things the pastor said that Sunday morning, to be saved from my pew. However, I had very limited knowledge. I cried out to Jesus as a needy sinner in my soul, and begged Jesus to save me. I believed that He had died for my sins on the cross, and that He was buried, and that He raised up. I called out to the risen Savior and He saved me!!! But because I had limited knowledge, I had many doubts, fears and questions in my mind, which would haunt me day and night for the next seven miserable years of my life. All of that could have been avoided, if the pastor that day had simply explained in detail how to be saved in my pew. The Gospel if presented correctly doesn't take more than one minute.
God intentionally made His plan of salvation for mankind very simple. In 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4 we read about “THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST,” which is 'The Gospel,' defined for us in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as Christ's death on the cross, burial and physical resurrection after three days. Repeatedly throughout the inspired King James Bible, we are simply taught to BELIEVE on the name of Jesus Christ to be saved. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Even a small child can understand they are a needy sinner and trust in the name of Jesus to be saved. You must know are a needy sinner (Romans 3:19-20). What do you need? Why, you need a Savior (Acts 4:10-12; Galatians 3:24-26). Since you are a sinner, you cannot save yourself.
No preacher should ever require someone to walk a church isle to learn how to receive the free gift of eternal life! God will hold such irresponsible pastors responsible on judgment day, who will have the blood of hundreds (if not thousands) of people on their hands, who didn't get saved because they ADDED to the Gospel. I am all for giving an invitation, but make sure to preach the Gospel to the man in the pew as well. You may never know who accepted Christ in the pew here on earth, but you';; find out in Heaven. I know that for every person who lets me know my website ministry led them to Jesus Christ, there are at least TEN MORE who didn't let me know. I praise God for them all, and someday in Heaven I'll find out and get to meet them for the first time. The true measurement of my earthly success won't be how many people show up at my funeral, but how many people are waiting to greet me when I get to Heaven. Amen!
“'You can't tell me you can trust Christ as Savior, and then go out here and live like the Devil, and still go to Heaven!' Yes, I can tell you that! That's what the Bible says. If you don't come to the conclusion, that—Yes, you can trust Christ as your Savior and live like the Devil, and still go to Heaven when you die—you don't get grace, because that is the exact truth! That is the truth! I do not have to change my life! I don't have to stop one sin! You say, 'I've never heard a preacher say that.' You just heard one! And you listen to me—I want to live as holy and as godly as I possibly can. I am now 70 years old. I've been saved for 52 years. ... the only reason I'm going to Heaven is because, 52 years ago in a little living room, I accepted Christ as my Savior.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, a great quote from the awesome sermon, “Calvinism And Grace Are NOT Compatible | MP3”
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