Please Avoid Telling People To Have A Relationship With Jesus

1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

We need a revival in our churches today about how we present the Gospel message to the lost, because everywhere today preachers are getting it wrong! I love what my friend Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold said:

“There is power in this Gospel message. Most people just don't know how to present it... The clarity of the Gospel is what makes it easy for them to believe.” —Pastor Yankee Arnold, a quote from the excellent MP3 sermon titled, “WHY GRACE CAN SAVE THE WORST MAN!”

Dear reader, please consider that the apostle Judas has a relationship with Jesus, but John 6:70 said Judas had a devil in him. You don't get to Heaven by starting a relationship with Jesus. I understand that every saved person is a CHILD of God, and that is a father and child relationship; but using the term “relationship” can easily be misunderstood. Using this term is not wise, because the Bible never uses it. Since the Bible doesn't mention a “relationship,” neither should we!

In Acts 16:30-31 a Roman jailor asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Their reply was simply, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The invitation to believe on Jesus Christ was also extended to the man's family. Carefully notice that neither Paul or Silas said anything about starting a relationship with Jesus. They didn't tell the Roman jailor to repent of his sins. They didn't tell the man to surrender control of his life over to God. They didn't tell the man to faithfully run the race, follow Christ, receive Him as “Lord,” nor anything else, just to BELIEVE.

I am leery of pastors who constantly tell people to have a relationship with Jesus. That is manmade lingo, not the inspired Word of God. The $64,000 question is: Why would men want to present God's simple plan of salvation differently than the Holy Bible does? It just doesn't make any sense. So I refuse to do it! If you were to ask me how to be saved, I would simply tell you that you are a guilty sinner (Romans 3:19-21). There is a penalty for our sins, which is death (Romans 6:23). This includes a second death in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:6: 20:11-15; 21:8). But God in His love sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, into the world to die on a cross to pay our debt of sin. JESUS PAID IT ALL! Anyone who receives this Good News (Gospel), that Christ died on the cross, was buried, and three days later bodily resurrected from the dead, is forever saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Nothing more is required or allowed.