On Conversion Events
Jul 25th, 2006 by Hugh
How do you reconcile “just pray the prayer” with the commandment to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling?” Continuing the organic little series that’s formed here around the idea of altar calls and such, Doug Greenlee’s comments continue to give me some things to think about.
(No, I don’t have a thinking problem. I can stop whenever I want. Honest.)
Here’s the portion of Doug’s comment that I’m responding to:
I submit that a better view of alter calls and even private “sinner’s prayers” is that they prepare us sinners to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to change our lives. They do not make an unbeliever suddenly into a fully finished disciple… Perhaps we are actually saved at altar calls, perhaps not. God knows for sure.
We Love Events. We Hate Processes.
I agree completely that that altar calls and “sinner’s prayers… do not make an unbeliever suddenly into a fully finished disciple.” Here’s a thought: would it be fair to say that celebration of such point-in-time events is unique to American evangelicalism?
Similarly, there’s a tension about the Christian life that’s anathema to Americans: there just isn’t any closure.
We are already right with God, and yet, we are still mired in sin — not yet perfected. The tension between the “already” and the “not yet” tempts us to make up our own means of reconciling the two: since the “not yet” part can’t be denied, we’re tempted to make the “already” part easier to affirm.
I think reducing salvation to an objective point-in-time event is our American way of “greasing the tracks” on the “already” side.
Who Says Events Are Invalid?
As to whether “we are actually saved at altar calls,” you can’t give that an across-the-board “yes” or “no” answer. It’s not about the altar call, nor the evangelist, nor the context. The question of salvation is ultimately about repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus Christ.
Genuine repentance is a sine qua non of salvation. Could an altar call elicit genuine repentance? Of course, but possibility does not suggest probability. It seems to me that repentance is properly a hard thing, both for the evangelist and the would-be proselyte. I fear the altar call is just a way of making repentance easier for both of them.
As If We Could Tell God, “No”
The last point I wanted to address is this: the idea that altar calls and sinner’s prayers “…prepare us sinners to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to change our lives.”
My Reformed friends and I bristle at the idea that men “allow” the Holy Spirit to do anything. It renders the monergistic, theocentric gospel in synergistic, anthropocentric terms.
On the other hand, I’ll grant that there is a sense of “allowing” that fully embraces a subordinate position. Here’s a flawed analogy: in a disciplinary situation, I often tell my children, “we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” The “easy way” is when they allow me to do my part. The “hard way” is when I have to bend them to my will. (The analogical flaw is that I’m not sovereign in the same way that God is.)
So do these things “prepare” us to “allow” the Spirit to work?
Yes and no.
Yes, to the extent that the Spirit is responsible for authoring the preparatory work and thereby elicits the submissive “allowing.” That’s a pretty heavily nuanced statement. It seems rather unsatisfying.
The “no” is more straightforward. The Spirit prepares us; the Spirit quickens us; the Spirit invades us with the light of the truth of the Gospel. By that reckoning, we don’t do any “allowing.”
Instead, we find ourselves undone by our abject and unmitigated sinfulness. We are horrified at our inability to advance our interests before a holy and almighty God. We behold the forgiveness, redemption, and eternal riches wrought by and availed through Christ’s death and resurrection. We hear clearly the irresistible call of God’s grace. Having heard and being unable to resist it, we receive that grace — resulting in repentance and trust in its Giver that He will not fail to make all things new (including us) in the fullness of time.
Lest anyone think I’m saying conversion is a primarily intellectual project, I would never expect anyone to understand all that when they start to follow Christ.
Having acquired some understanding of these things, ought we not recommend an evangelistic strategy that resembles this understanding?
Question:
Assuming that issuing altar calls and prescribing sinner’s prayers is a wanting strategy, what are some better candidates?
At some point, each believer must confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that He raised from the dead. This is a discreet act that can be memorable to the utterer. I realize that it is highly more likely that one who utters such a phrase is much more likely to be genuine when it has followed interaction, thought, and teaching over a period of time rather than just an emotional response to a “call.”
However, I don’t think that it is out of line for one to remember a particular moment in time where they “became” a Christian, wether it was an altar call or weeping on the floor when sidestruck with their sin and God’s almighty holiness. Neither are proscribed and neither are illegitimate.
A better strategy, of course, is to pour your life into someone-your kids, a co-worker, a family member-to allow them see how great God as He works in your life and as you teach/show them their sinfulness and His holiness over time. Of course, this way is considerable work, takes quite a bit of time, and doesn’t lead to Costco-sized quantities.
Finally, one’s view on their actual role in the salvation of others will greatly influence their methods. If we are the “determining” factor in wether our kids, friends, etc. become a Christian, then eventaully we will come up with methods that best lead to that result (read: altar calls). However, if we believe that our Sovereign God is the determining factor, then we will most likely not feel the need to “close the deal” since it is His “deal” to close anyway. The model offered by Jesus, of pouring His life into a few others over a period of time so that they too could do the same, is the strategy that needs to be pursued.
Hugh, I’ve been studying to be a curmudgeon for a long time.
You’ve said enough to elicit several more comments from me. One at a time:
“Here’s a thought: would it be fair to say that celebration of such point-in-time events is unique to American evangelicalism?”
• My anecdotal experience is no, it would not be fair. Altar calls/Sinner’s prayers seem to be ubiquitous in Switzerland, other parts of Europe, Canada, Australia and perhaps China.
“I think reducing salvation to an objective point-in-time event is our American way of ‘greasing the tracks’ on the ‘already’ side.
• Is part of the problem the word “Salvation”. We sometimes use it to mean the event of justification and sometimes the process of sanctification.
“Genuine repentance is a sine qua non of salvation. ”
• No argument there (assuming we mean salvation=justification here.)
“Could an altar call elicit genuine repentance? Of course, but possibility does not suggest probability.”
• Nor improbability.
“It seems to me that repentance is properly a hard thing, both for the evangelist and the would-be proselyte. I fear the altar call is just a way of making repentance easier for both of them.”
• Hmmm… Let me see if I understand this correctly? Reformed theology says if I don’t repent well enough I can’t be saved/justified? …Not sure I follow that… I guess I’ll just have to work harder to be saved/justified.
“As If We Could Tell God, ‘No’”
• Let me summarize basic agreement with your discussion by analogy. This is a new one for me and not one I heard elsewhere, but after thinking about it for several weeks, I find it helpful.
Have you ever seen a sunset so absolutely fabulous it just sort of takes your breath away? You just have to say, WOW, Thank you, Lord? Certainly in such a case one has the theoretical ability to say, “Yawn…” But it is so stunning one does not have the practical ability to do so. It may be useful to think of the God’s sovereignty/man’s free will dichotomy in this light. God is able to perfectly create that circumstance which gives us a theoretical choice and a practical imperative
• In another manner, we can all, I hope, fully agree that God has the power to force a man’s choice to His will. However, in human experience He rarely seems to do so. It seems likely that Pharaoh had no choice about his actions with Moses. The Lord had hardened his heart. On the other hand, the Lord’s will was clearly that Moses be obedient, but clearly Moses did also strike the rock.
This all brings me back to one of my first statements. “I do not understand all that I believe.” I seem to be working that out with fear and trembling.
Blessings,
Doug
Doug, thanks for the stimulating exchange. I love this stuff.
Your illustration of the sunset is a great picture of the notion of “compatibilism,” a perspective I enthusiastically embrace. D. A. Carson gave the best discussion I’ve heard on that subject (Part 1 and Part 2).
You assert that God “rarely seems to” coerce the actions of men. Let me ask a question that might seem like a challenge, but I truly mean it as a point of intellectual curiosity: Is that a casual, intuitive sort of statement, or is there an argument to be made for that position? I recognize these are just comments on a blog, and formality isn’t the order of the day, so please don’t infer that I’m belittling the point. I’m just asking for some elaboration, because I think it’s an interesting question. (I didn’t fail to note your examples of Pharaoh and Moses, but the claim is a far-reaching one that ought to find evidence throughout Scripture.)
Finally, let me respond to perhaps your most provocative point –
I didn’t mean that repentance is “hard” in the sense that it takes a lot of work. Rather, it’s hard in the same way that it’s hard to watch a loved one die — or to die yourself.
Someone who repents has to behold the depth of his own sinfulness and confess it for what it is. That’s hard. An evangelist who calls people to repentance has to deliver a message that’s horrible to tell and horrible to hear. That’s hard.
To be sure, the gospel is good news, but it’s only good news once the bad news hits home.
On the question of God forcing men to take a particular action. It was not a statement I made lightly, and you did not take it so. I personally think it is very important in our relationship to the Lord. Part of the issue is degree of “persuasion” used by God. I used the word “force” a man’s choice. You used the word “coerce”. There is a subtle but important difference. To me the word “force” means to absolutely preclude the possibility of choice. “Coerce” is also a very strong word, but in my mind not so strong as “force.” Torture to the point of death may be coercion, but the choice to die rather than submit is available. In the case of Pharaoh, my suspicion is that he did not have the choice to die, but only the possibility to submit.
In this light, Jonah may be a good example of being coerced but not forced. In Jonah’s own words
Jonah 2:4 (NASB)
“So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Thy sight.
Nevertheless I will look again toward Thy holy temple.’
Was Jonah coerced? Yes. Forced by an omnipotent God? No. (In my view.)
I am trying to think of another example where I think a person would have been forced and not merely coerced.
Nebuchadnazzer – considering Daniel 4, I don’t think so. Saul of David’s time (not Paul) possibly because of the promised ruler of Judah. Pilate, maybe.
Perhaps you can think of likely candidates, I just can’t think of any.
Ezekiel may be a clear example of coercion but not force.
Ezekiel 3:17-19 (NASB)
“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. 18″When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19″Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.
Even the Hebrews of the Old Testament. God did not coerce. He sent famine, drought, exile. He pleaded through the Prophets for his children to return to Him, but he did not force them. Force is not consistent with what appears to be God’s desire for willing fellowship between Him and His creation.
As to “hard” repentance. Clearly I had my tongue planted firmly in my cheek when I made the comment. I just couldn’t resist tweaking you for implying that salvation required an effort (work) to be accomplished to the right degree.
Again I think part of the issue we have with the Altar call being too easy, is that justification takes only for Christ to say to our admission of guilt as a sinner – “I paid the price for that.” We want it to be harder. We want to have to earn it even though we know better.
I am not sure that I agree with you that justification takes a full and complete horrifyingly awful recognition of the depth of my sin. I rather think it takes a simpler recognition that my sin, however “large” or “small” is more than enough to keep me from God and condemn me to the hell of eternal separation. That recognition, combined with the faith, given as a gift from God, that He Himself paid my price is sufficient to start me on the road through sanctification to glorification.
My own experience has been with myself and other believers that when we first repent — Wow! we are really in touch with God. Then as time goes on, we begin a season of feeling that God is far away – “maybe he has abandoned me!” Again, based on experience and not scripture, I attribute this to working out salvation/sanctification with fear and trembling. At first we really have no concept of how far away we as sinners are from Holy God. As we learn more the actual gap in fact narrows, but the perceived gap becomes much wider. God has gone nowhere. He is still in the same place he was. We just begin to realize how far away we truly were and still are as sinners.
Clearly in the following passage “work” is performed after justification but consider:
1 Cor. 3:14-15 (NASB)
If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.
[...] Discussion following my last post brought the question of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility to center stage. The vocabulary we’ve been using features words like “force” and “coerce,” “persuasion” and “choice.” In formal terms, the real issue is determinism: does God determine the actions of men? [...]