Evaluating Common Invitations to Receive Salvation

Will you give your heart to Christ?

This invitation is misleading. The Bible never tells us to give our heart to Christ. Such an invitation implies some effort on our part. We are not saved by giving God anything, but rather by receiving His gift of eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9; John 1:12). Romans 10:10 tells us that “with the heart man believes unto righteousness”, but the unbeliever is not instructed to give his heart to God. This invitation contains very confusing terminology that does not clearly present the truth of the gospel.

Will you surrender your life to Christ?
This invitation is the reverse of scriptural teaching. Surrender implies “giving everything” to the Lord, while salvation is accepting the work of Christ on our behalf as a free gift.  We are saved by receiving rather than by giving (John 1:12). The appeal to surrender is appropriate for a believer in the context of yielding your life to a renewed mind (Rom. 12:1-2) which is being changed by studying the Word of God, rightly divided (II Tim. 2:15). An appeal to surrender should not be used in the context of salvation. The expression “yield” in Romans 6 and “present” in Romans 12, both of which apply to believers, are calls to the new convert to learn God's purpose and plans. 

Will you come to Christ and promise to serve Him from now on?
The promise to serve Christ has meaning only for the believer. No invitation for service could be given to the unsaved because they have no spiritual life (Eph. 2:1). The idea of “coming to Christ” may give the thought of trying to make one acceptable to Christ. If “coming” means deciding to receive Christ and His finished work on the cross, then such an invitation may be acceptable. However, this invitation is likely to be misunderstood by the unsaved person. The promise to serve Him is unacceptable for salvation, because it gives the idea of works (Eph. 2:8-9). Serving the Lord is a result of being saved.

Will you “pray through” to Christ?
The whole idea of praying through, hanging on, letting go, etc. is entirely foreign to a salvation invitation. Such terms imply some kind of action on our part and contradict the clear biblical teaching of Titus 3:5... Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  All we can do is believe the amazing good news that God has already forgiven us all our sins 2,000 years ago at the Cross in Jesus. DO NOT MISS THIS POINT...according to II Cor. 5:17-21 God has already "reconciled the world" to Himself by the death of Christ on the Cross. NOW LISTEN TO THE FOLLOWING WORDS...NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM!!! Why did God do that? Verse 21 gives the answer... For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  God promised to save us when we believe the glorious news about what He did with our sins when we were His enemies...For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Rom. 5:10) Without fail and regardless of denominational affiliation, preachers misstate this NON-NEGOTIABLE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST by leading unsaved people to ask God to forgive them, confess your sins to God, repent of your sins, etc. when as an EDUCATED AMBASSADOR OF JESUS CHRIST, WE PROCLAIM TO A LOST AND SINFUL WORLD THAT THEIR SINS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FORGIVEN. DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT GOD HAS SAID ABOUT SIN? If you will by faith beleive what God has done, you are saved at that moment; no works require or are necessary. God proceeds to "baptize you into the resurrected body of Christ and give you what you desperately need---THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST! Do not confuse the two truths of salvation---reconciliation and righteousness. While you are reconciled to God through the death of His dear Son, that does not equate to salvation. Hell is filled with people who were reconciled to God but never received the righteousness of Christ. (Learn more about this in my study on Romans 1). Never are we told we must plead with God. The way to Christ is open.

This invitation is often used by those who put great emphasis on emotions. They insist that a person must keep on praying until they have a feeling of being saved. Although emotions can be involved in a genuine salvation experience, it is not a requirement. Being emotionally sorry for your sins is not what saves a sinner.

Right now ask Jesus to come into your heart.
We are not saved by Jesus coming into our heart, but rather by believing the gospel as set forth in I Cor. 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; [2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. [3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:    The first truth of the gospel to be believed is that "Christ died for our sins". II Cor. 5: 18-21 tells us what that means---Christ has already taken care of the sin issue at the Cross and offers a free "gift righteousness" to those who will believe what He did about our sins before we were ever born. Every time Paul talks about sin he talks about it in the past tense..In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Eph. 1:7). Simply agreeing with the truths set forth in I Cor. 15:1-4 will not save you. Salvation results when a sinner UNDERSTANDS AND THEN BELIEVES WHAT GOD SAID HE HAS DONE ABOUT THE SINS OF THE WORLD---THEY ARE ALREADY FORGIVEN. THEY ARE NOT FORGIVEN THE MOMENT YOU DO SOMETHING (confess, admit, repent, forsake, etc.)

When we believe, the Holy Spirit seals us and secures God's salvation as a final and complete work. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.(Eph. 1:13-14) Our body then becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. However, that is a result of salvation. It is not the method whereby we are saved.

Children find the concept of "asking Jesus into your heart" confusing because they wonder if Jesus can physically come into their hearts. The simplicity of believing and trusting is misunderstood. Also Revelation 3:20 is often the basis of this invitation. This passage does not deal with salvation. It does not focus the attention on Christ dying in my place and my need to believe the "ministry of reconciliation" accomplished by Christ on the Cross. Revelation 3 is a reproof to the Laodicean church that had resorted to their own thinking about life and abandoning God's plan for the Nation. Therefore, Christ is seen on the outside of that assembly of believers and desiring for them to change their minds about His purpose and plan for Israel as a "kingdom of priests" to the nations of the world... But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (I Pet. 2:9)

Will you make a commitment to Christ?
This is one of the most misleading, vague invitations of all. It is the one that Billy Graham has used for years. A “commitment to Christ” could mean any number of things, such as serving, breaking sinful habits, obeying, making greater effort to do right, changing friends, or changing my life-style. The unsaved person who is dead in trespasses and sins is unable to make any kind of commitment whatsoever. Even if he does, he cannot and will not keep that commitment. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us...For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. We are not saved by our promises to God, but by believing Christ’s work on the Cross for us. The unsaved person needs a new life in Christ. Only when he places his faith in the finished work of Christ will he receive that life in Christ.
 
Will you make Jesus Lord of your life?
This invitation perverts the Gospel of Christ to such a degree that it is embarrassing. This presentation puts the sinner in the driver's seat of his own salvation rather than receiving a free gift from a loving, merciful and gracious Savior. And just what is that gift that every preacher will tell you He freely gives---FORGIVENESS OF SINS. Like the trained killer whales at Sea World we have been taught to accept that answer without examining the Scriptures. Forgiveness has already been provided for your sins and when you believe that you get the free gift of  justification (God's decree of righteousness). If you owe someone a thousand dollars and they forgive that debt that only puts you back at zero; forgiveness of debt doesn't mean your creditor will give you his savings account number for you to draw on. So it is with God; He as already forgiven your debt of sin; when you believe it He then proceeds to put something in the bank for you---the righteousness of Christ. That is why II Cor. 5:20 tells us to be reconciled (in our mind/in our thinking) to God... Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.


Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, among others, teach Lordship salvation. According to Ray Comfort, a person MUST also cease from their sinful lifestyle and give up worldly living to be saved. Thus, eternal life ceases to be a gift in Ray Comfort's gospel and thereby turned into a reward. This is not a matter of mere semantics. Ray Comfort is teaching a backwards gospel, where a sinner must reform as a prerequisite to qualify for salvation. In this false gospel, the burden of changing is placed upon the sinner instead of upon the Lord. It is indeed salvation by self-righteous works. Ray Comfort leads sinners to believe that God will not save them unless they are willing to stop sinning. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.    (Rom. 4:5) 

Will you repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?
The issue facing us is what exactly does it mean to repent? And related to this are the questions: What are we to repent of and for? Does it mean to feel sorry for something? Does it mean to feel sorrow for sin? Does it convey a resolve to turn from sin? Since many people believe that sorrow for sin and repentance to be equivalent, the question could be worded, What is the place of repentance in relation to salvation? Is it a separate act that precedes faith? Is it a part of faith or a synonym for it? Can a person be saved without repenting?
Repentance is a prominent concept in Scripture. Some form of the word appears no less than 66 times in the New Testament alone. There are two Greek words used for “repent”: metamelomai (to change the mind, to regret, and may involve sorrow, but not necessarily so) and metanoia (a change of mind). Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a different course of action, but that course of action must be determined by the context of the passage of Scripture. (Example of the English words “trunk” and “bed”) In a context of forgiveness of sin or receiving eternal life as a free gift from God, the course of action is a change of trust because one now sees what Jesus has done with my sins---"not imputing their trespasses unto them".  Sorrow may well be involved in repentance, but the biblical meaning is to change one’s mind, not to be sorry. And yet that change of mind must not be superficial, but genuine. The presence or absence of sorrow does not necessarily prove or disprove the genuineness of the repentance. Sorrow may lead to a genuine change of mind, or as in the case of Judas, it may not. (2 Cor. 7:9-10) Sorrow and repentance are not the same thing.
Believe and repent are never used together as if teaching two different requirements for salvation. Genuine faith includes repentance, and genuine repentance includes faith. Repentance and faith are like two sides of a coin. In Luke’s rendering of the Great Commission he uses repentance as a single requirement in the same sense as believing in Christ (Luke 24:46-47). The repentance comes out of the recognition of one’s sin, but the object of repentance is the person and work of Christ, or faith in Christ. Interestingly, in Luke 8:12 he uses believe alone. Repentance often stands for faith in the person and work of Christ: Compare Acts 10:43 with 11:17-18; and 13:38-39 with 2:38. Also note Acts 16:31 which uses “ believe” alone. Finally, the stated purpose of the gospel of John is to bring men to faith in Christ (20:31). Yet John never once uses the word repent. If Nicodemus needed to repent, believe must be a synonym; else how could the Lord have failed to use the word repent when talking to him (John 3:12, 15). To the Samaritan harlot, Christ did not say repent. He told her to ask (John 4:10), and when her testimony spread to other Samaritans, John recorded not that they repented but that they believed (vs. 39, 41-42).

What about Acts 20:21? “…repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Doesn’t this verse teach that faith and repentance are separate requirements to be saved? No! Paul is summarizing his ministry in Ephesus and what he proclaimed to both Jews and Greeks. Both words focus on a different aspect of the one requirement of salvation, namely, faith in the reconciliation work of Christ on the Cross. . Paul tells these people that they needed to change their minds about polytheism and idolatry “…how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (I Thess. 1:9). On the other hand, belief in Christ, as an expression of a change of mind, focuses on the new direction that change about God must take, namely, trusting Christ, God’s Son, as personal Savior. It also suggests that Gentiles were polytheistic and needed to change their minds that only one true God exists. Jews needed to change their minds about Jesus---their true Messiah.

Just believe now and let Jesus touch you.
The idea of Jesus touching me appeals to my emotions and feelings. It doesn’t say anything about receiving the good news that God has already forgiven me my sins by Christ's death, burial and resurrection. The emphasis in this invitation is on feelings and some unusual experience that indicates I am saved. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that Jesus saves us by touching us nor are we told to seek or expect any particular feelings when we believe the Gospel of Christ. Feelings of joy, cleansing, and relief may all come as a result of believing. However, our assurance of salvation is based on the single promise of the Word, not how we feel.

Are you willing to forsake all your sins to obtain salvation?
As a person who is dead in sins, the sinner has no ability to forsake his sins. Even if he could forsake his sins, it would only be self-reformation, not regeneration by the Holy Spirit. The only requirement for salvation is that we change our mind about God, Christ, our sin and ourselves. We cannot make ourselves more acceptable to God by trying to forsake our sins. This invitation puts the emphasis on something that we can not do. This invitation confuses the results of salvation (education and edification in rightly divided Scripture) with the method of salvation (receive and believe).

Will you receive the Lord Jesus as your own personal Savior?
This invitation is biblically correct if we understand it to mean believing that He died for me and paid the penalty for my sin (Rom. 5:8). Because He loves me, He died for me and thereby reconciled me to God by forgiving my sins. Will you believe that? This is God’s only requirement for salvation... Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Rom. 3:24) “Believing” results in an immediate salvation. The Bible uses believe as an absolute trust in the work of Christ for me. The work is all done! Jesus did it all! Many people realize that Jesus is necessary for salvation, but very few believe that He is enough. “Ye are complete in Him”. Salvation is not Christ and good works, nor Christ and the church, which save. It is not through Christ and baptism, or Christ and doing our best that we may obtain forgiveness for our sins. Forgiveness of sins is a fact of "the past"...Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Rom. 3:25) The payment is complete for the penalty of my sin. Knowing my guilt of sin, all I can do is believe that He died for me and trust that payment to be all I need for salvation (Rom. 4:5; 6:23).

You can be saved right now by believing that Christ died for your sins and has already forgiven you.
This is a correct statement. Christ died for you (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ shed His blood for you; that is the payment for your sins (I Peter 1:18-19). We have redemption and forgiveness through His blood (Eph. 1:7). His bodily resurrection assures us that He lives to keep the believer saved, to intercede for him, and to finally present him faultless before the throne (Heb. 7:25; Jude 24).

The urgency of our believing is important! There is no promise of tomorrow, or some future opportunity. Rather, now is the best time of all to receive Christ (II Cor. 6:2). This means we must each come to God the same way: 1. As a sinner who recognizes that because of Christ's forgiveness sin is not your problem, the Son is. 2. As a sinner who realizes that God will impute the righteousness of Christ to your account upon you taking Him at His Word about your sins and the inadequacy of human righteousness to please God's righteous demands.