SHOULD WE USE ALTAR CALLS IN OUR EVANGELISM?

[Scott R. Newman]

Does the Bible give a biblical mandate for altar calls? Is it irrelevant whether you came forward at an altar-call or not in terms of whether you have actually received Christ or not?However, it is not at all irrelevant whether your faith personally displays the qualities and characteristics of true saving faith.

I think there are serious dangers that modern Christians should be especially and particularly aware of concerning altar calls. Here are just 6 of them:

1. Individuals can be easily led to believe that their trip down the proverbial aisle during an "altar call" is somehow equal to salvation. The public act of 'going forward' can be so intimately associated with the genuine act of faith...that confusion results.

People begin to believe that they are "saved" by this act alone...rather than by Christ.

2. Requiring a public act at the point of salvation can lead a person to think they have 'done something' to 'get' salvation...which compromises the doctrine of grace.

3. Altar calls can lead to an over emphasis on the public response or the public aspect of 'decisions' . But a public decision for Christ is not always a reliable indicator of true conversion. In fact usually, its quite the opposite.

History has shown that public decisions frequently prove to be quite unreliable as barometers of genuine conversions. And scripture itself teaches that the fruits of true conversion will only be evident in the life of a believer over time.

4. Altar calls can eclipse the real cause of conversion. The real cause is not the 'decision' or the 'appeal' , or the 'walking down the aisle', nor the 'sinners prayer' nor the 'felt' emotion of the moment as emotional soft music is playing in the background.

True conversion is caused by the HOLY SPIRIT, who draws some by His Spirit to believe as the Gospel is proclaimed. And that will happen whether or not an altar call is given.

5. Some churches think they are 'evangelistic' merely because they use 'altar calls' . But in reality, many churches are being lulled into a evangelistic 'passivity' where their only attempts at evangelism as a church (or as individuals) are the altar calls at the end of each service. Many of which is so diluted and unbiblical in their presentation of the whole Gospel, that they are consistently fruitless...regardless of how many people 'come forward' and 'appear' to 'receive' Christ.

6. The historical record is undisputable, altar calls have produced 'considerable mischief'. Gospel presentations have grown increasingly diluted, much shorter and less complete, false conversions have become epidemic in the modern church, and God's truth and way are being maligned as a result.

And countless thousands have been and continued to be led into an emotion without a clear understanding of just what they are doing. As a result:

FALSE CONVERSIONS HAVE ABOUNDED!

Remember: The bottom line of all this is that a conversion to Christ is best made when a person has a clear eyed, grasp of exactly what they are doing. Emotions can be fleeting, so it should be our goal to persuade the mind and the heart by way of an accurate complete and Holy Spirit led and empowered presentation of the truth of the entire Gospel.

IT IS NOT OUR GOAL TO MERELY PRODUCE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE! We seek CLEAR, CERTAIN, SPIRIT PRODUCED decisions for Christ. With or without ALTAR CALLS.

[Eric Hancock]

it is not so much what is preached at the pulpit BUT DID THEY HAVE A SPIRITUAL EXPERTISE OR A EMOTIONAL ONE

[Eric Hancock]

I fully agree,
It starts not only from the pulpit,,BUt I want to go deeper,,it starts within one self,,a person have to want to change,,,do you remember when Yahshua/Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda,,and he said DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WHOLE??THE MAN BEGAN GIVING EXCUSES WHY HE COULD NOT GET INTO THE POOL,,andas a Preacher i stopped worrying what I done wrong or are these people really saved,,because I learned that some dont wanrt to be,,some people are relaxed with sins that we were delivered from so with that said,,depending on the situation I cant put it on the pulpit..False teachings YES,,,con-artist preachers YES, Lying ProphetsYES ..Preachers getting the weman Pregnant YES,,BUT a person who can go to the father themselves and get a relationship NO..like Yah said to them DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WHOLE? My prayer life has changed from Yah remove the spiritual walls that the devil has placed in my life as well as the spiritual and MENTAL walls That I PUT IN MY LIFE..you see it is an individual issue..the Alter call is not what it use to be,,growing up and going to Rev SHAMBOCKS revivals the samr people never returned

[Eric Hancock]

Alter call use to symbolize that a person was tired of living in sin and suffering as well as surrendering to the spirit of Yah,,I dont know what it means now???people just want to know your business so they can tell the visitoring preacher about you so when he ask for money he'll be on point about your needs,,some people have enough oil that they can FRY A FARM and still living in sin,,,the alter call use to symbolize life change,,if lives were changed then why is it the same people comming up every sunday??? OH THAT MEANS ONCE SAVED IS NOT ALWAYS SAVED

[prophetessELIZABETH M FONCHAM]

Altar is a symbol that the individual is coming with faith to meet Jesus,to accept him as his personal lord and saviour and to do his will continuously.when one has accepted christ and is save he or she must continue in line with the word of GOd in order to dwell in that salvation.
Some think oh am born again am save,i can do what ever pleases me , that is wrong the bible says in ephesians 5v22 put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through decietful lusts,and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,and put on a new nature,created after the likeness of GOD in true rightheousness and holiness.we should remember that salvation is an individual thing ,because GOD has given man the power of choice.
on the last day we shall give personal accounts of our lives here on the earth.

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Brother copeland,

The problem is that we are to follow scripture. Now with altar calls, it might look good for everyone to come up and pour out everything you have infront of other people, but that's where it stops. But there is a difference between counseling and teaching scripture. A doctor, lawyer, teacher counsels, but a man or woman of God teaches scriptures. That's what the people are missing at alter calls. That get a good talking to and a good lesson, but no scripture. They leave still not knowing what happened. Now there are some who came to the altar and turned their life around, but it wasn't the altar call that did it. They were sick and tired of being sick and tired. You won't anything about altar call anywhere in the text. Why?? It's something started by the Roman Catholic Church that we won't let go of. When we get back to letting God lead us as He has commanded, we will be so much better off.

God Bless

[Leonard Copeland]

Invite them to Alter call...Al those things you mentioned are not comparable to them,just feeling nothing or unfullfilled.The evangelist(s) can explain what is required to be saved,etc.That act of stepping forward is a major step for many and a good start/beginning ,supported by counseling.

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Once again brother I agree with this

God Bless

[Lonnie Kluttz]

The problem today is that so many people are putting their personal opinions into scripture. We go a lot off of traditions instead of doing our history and studying the scriptures. Rather people want to admit it or not....we are to do everything just as Jesus and the other men of God did it. Not make up our own stuff or do it wrong the way other people do things. Altar calls don't save people. Having people come up to the front of the church, pour out their heart and soul, cry, leave with a deacon, give them some paperwork, have thewm go through a NEW MEMBERS CLASS, then don't teach them anything is a big waste of time. Teach people the scriptures, just as Jesus, Peter, Paul, John and other great men of God did and let God handle the rest. Our job as men and women of God is to teach the word the way it is. Not add our personal opinions. As the word says, add nothing nor take anything away from the word of God. If we do just that, our personal opinions won't matter.

Brother Morah....once again I will agree with what you are saying.

God Bless

[Evangelist Delores White]

This is to all what is the difference between confession and prayer? When looking up the two I got this:

Prayer -an address (as a petition) to God in word or thought (2): an earnest request or wish

Confess - 1: to tell or make known (as something wrong or damaging to oneself) : admit 2 a: to acknowledge (sin) to God 3: to declare faith in 4: to give evidence of

1 a: to disclose one's faults ; specifically : to unburden one's sins or the state of one's conscience to God or to a priest b: to hear a confession
2: the act or practice of praying to God

By looking at the two meanings would you say that they go hand and hand?

[Evangelist Delores White]

Brother Moreh, you said that sinners are not heard but what about Psalms 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." If a person is tired of living the way they are and prays to the Lord to enter into their life, will God not hear them?