Decision for Christ?

[thessalonian]

Every heard the phrase, blown about by every wind of doctrine (It's in the Bible eph. 4:14) ". We have these big Billy Graham crusades where people are comming up and making "decisions for Christ". Now personally I think that is all well and good. Protestantism has been teaching about sinners prayers and decisions for Christ for a long time. I am not going to knock it. Hold the phones, stop the tape, move back the chains, move over Billy Graham. John Macarthur now says this is false teaching. Evangelical Christianity has been doing it all wrong.

See John F. MacArthur, Jr. The Gospel According to the Apostles, (Word: Dallas, 1993). MacArthur writes, “Decisionism is the idea that eternal salvation may be secured by the sinner’s own movement toward Christ. “‘decision for Christ’ is usually signified by some physical or verbal act -- raising a hand, walking an aisle, repeating a prayer, signing a card, reciting a pledge, or something similar. If the sinner performs the prescribed activity, he or she is usually pronounced saved and told to claim assurance. The ‘moment of decision’ becomes the ground of the person’s assurance.” 196,197. MacArthur rightly rejects this approach as unbiblical.

Here is another quote from a guy named Bob Deway here in the twin cities:

There are a number of problems with the “decision theology” of modern evangelicalism. The most prominent one is that the Bible knows nothing of, “inviting someone to make a decision for Jesus.” The main proof text used by the teachers of decision theology is Joel 3:14: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” The valley of decision in Joel is eschatological and has to with Israel and the surrounding nations who would destroy her. The context of Joel 3:14 shows that God as the Judge makes the decision! Charles Feinberg comments, “The prophet sees the nations assembled in innumerable hosts in the valley where God (not they) will make His decision.”12 This is a description of the judgment of nations. God is about to arise and come forth from His chamber and issue His decision.

Now we have decision theology. There is open theism, and about 10 flavors of it, health and wealth, zero sum (where if you eat something someone else is going to do without). Post trib, pre-trib, amil, dispensationalism and a combination of that an pre-trib and amil. It kind of all gives life to Eph 4:14 if you ask me.



Blessings

[cmotherofpirl]

What is the difference between this and asking to be baptised?

Thats a decision as well.

[thessalonian]

By the way, don't get me wrong, they have a point.


What they are railing against is the Once Saved Always Saved doctrine. But they will keep running in to these problems as long as they do not accept the Catholic understanding of salvatoin where it is a journey (life) as well as an event (baptism).

Blessings

[God Conquers]

At least protestants have started using their bibles.


I went to a Franklin Graham Festival (he changed it from "crusade") just the other weekend with the Archbishop... it was pretty good.

He came over to our place afterwards and talked about what Franklin said... it was awesome, picking apart "decision theology" with a successor of the apostles!

One great line:

Franklin: "And as soon as you ask him, Jesus will delete your sins, as if they never happened."

Bishop: "Except for the temporal punishment for sins."

My friend: "And only if the Bishop gives general absolution right now"

haha, good times in the maritimes.

Franklin's also not as dynamic as his dad. Too bad.

Jars of Clay ruled though.

[Brother Adam]

Well...when you are free to believe whatever you wish with no consequence....that is what is so appealing about Protestantism. If you don't like what one Church teaches, go on to the next. With Christ, it is do or die, all or nothing. You take it all, or you take nothing. Likewise it is with the Catholic Church. All or nothing.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='thessalonian' date='Oct 30 2004, 02:20 PM'] Here is another quote from a guy named Bob Deway here in the [b]twin cities[/b]
[/quote]

[thessalonian]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Oct 30 2004, 07:00 PM'] Well...when you are free to believe whatever you wish with no consequence....that is what is so appealing about Protestantism. If you don't like what one Church teaches, go on to the next. With Christ, it is do or die, all or nothing. You take it all, or you take nothing. Likewise it is with the Catholic Church. All or nothing. [/quote]
The funny thing about all of this is I have heard these local guys, when push comes to shove, say, well they're wrong but you know what, it's okay. We'll just all sit back and laugh about where we were wrong when God tells us what he really said. Now that strikes me as a bit funny. The bible contains everything neccessary for our salvation but 80% of it is just in house disputes that don't really matter for anything. I am sure that when the splitting was going on it was not "oh, your leaving and taking half my congregation with you, Well Godspeed then." But more like "don't let the door hit ya in the a*$&ss on the way out the door ya heretic". Am I missing something here or is the Word of God being nullified?

Edited October 31, 2004 by thessalonian

[thessalonian]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Oct 30 2004, 08:28 PM'] [/quote]
Hey HSM, are you in the TC area?

[Brother Adam]

Yes, she is

[mulls]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Oct 30 2004, 08:00 PM'] Well...when you are free to believe whatever you wish with no consequence....that is what is so appealing about Protestantism. If you don't like what one Church teaches, go on to the next. With Christ, it is do or die, all or nothing. You take it all, or you take nothing. Likewise it is with the Catholic Church. All or nothing. [/quote]
bro you know better. i'd figure you'd bring some objectivity to the Church from your protestant days, so people wouldn't make blanket statements like this which you used to rail so hard against.