Religion v. Relationship Replaced of the Cross and the Resurrection- Have Evangelicals Forgotten the Gospel?

[presidente]

I have been to a number of evangelical churches over the years where it seems the 'formula' for evangelism in a lot of evangelical churches that do 'altar calls' and 'sinner's prayers':

- Do not tell the people who God is.
- Do not tell the people who Jesus is.
- ____Maybe____ mention the cross in passing without explaining what happened on it.
- Leave out the part about the resurrection.
- Tell people that Christianity is not a religion, that religion is a bad thing, and that it is a personal relationship with God.
- Have people repeat a prayer that mentions Jesus that does not mention Jesus dying on the cross or rising from the dead.
- Declare the people saved if they believed the prayer.

The prayer may have people ask Jesus into their hearts, 'accept Jesus' or something along those lines.

Praying to ask Jesus into your heart is not something I can find in the Bible. I cannot find where it says 'Christianity is not a religion.' 'Religion' became a bad thing among American evangelicals in my own life time. In old writings like those of the New England Puritans, it seems to be a near synonymn of the word 'Christianity.' Our Bible translations refer to it in James 1:27 which speaks of the one who exercises 'pure religon' as he who visits 'widows and fatherless in their afflication and keep himself unspotted from the world.'

The Bible speaks of knowing God and knowing Jesus (John 17) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 13 blessing at the end.) But it does not teach that the way you get people to have a relationship with God is by telling them that Christianity is a relationship and not a religion.

Christ's death and resurrection are important parts of the gospel the apostles preached.

I Corinthians 15
1 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:
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

Romans 10
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

I have a theory that pastors, preachers, and one-on-one attempted evangelists are so used to hearing 'religion v. relationship' preaching that they do this without thinking whether it is Biblical. I also suspect that many of these people would tell you that you have to believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead to be saved if you asked them, but that they aren't aware that they are leaving this out. They rely so heavily on the tradition of what they have heard, that they either aren't examining scripture or paying close attention to what they are leaving out.

If you point it out to them, sometimes they realize what they are doing. i would encourage all of you to do so.

I have even witnessed people who weirdly think the sinner's prayer ritual is doctrine. I heard a preacher say, "If you have not prayed that prayer, you are not a Christian." Were there no Christians before Billy Graham started doing this repeat-this-prayer thing in his evangelistic meetings?

Some of you may reply, "My pastor always preaches the cross and resurrection of Christ whenever he tries to win souls for Christ." Good for you. I've seen that, it just seems to be getting rarer. In my experience in the majority of altar calls or similar 'challenges' I have witnessed in the past decade or two in the US, the religion v. personal relationship thing is preached, the cross might be preached, and the resurrection is omitted.

I see an emphasis on the resurrection in Peter's and Paul's sermons through Acts, beginning in Acts 2. I also see the apostles exhorting people to be baptized and baptizing them, and I do not see them having people repeat prayers in scripture. I also see Jesus' command to baptize, and not a command to have people repeat prayers, in the passage known as 'The Great Commission'.

I suggest you point this out in person, by email, or telephone whenever you see a preacher or street-witnesser do this. What else can we do to help push evangelicalism back toward the gospel?

 

[wolfwint]

I have been to a number of evangelical churches over the years where it seems the 'formula' for evangelism in a lot of evangelical churches that do 'altar calls' and 'sinner's prayers':

- Do not tell the people who God is.
- Do not tell the people who Jesus is.
- ____Maybe____ mention the cross in passing without explaining what happened on it.
- Leave out the part about the resurrection.
- Tell people that Christianity is not a religion, that religion is a bad thing, and that it is a personal relationship with God.
- Have people repeat a prayer that mentions Jesus that does not mention Jesus dying on the cross or rising from the dead.
- Declare the people saved if they believed the prayer.

The prayer may have people ask Jesus into their hearts, 'accept Jesus' or something along those lines.

Praying to ask Jesus into your heart is not something I can find in the Bible. I cannot find where it says 'Christianity is not a religion.' 'Religion' became a bad thing among American evangelicals in my own life time. In old writings like those of the New England Puritans, it seems to be a near synonymn of the word 'Christianity.' Our Bible translations refer to it in James 1:27 which speaks of the one who exercises 'pure religon' as he who visits 'widows and fatherless in their afflication and keep himself unspotted from the world.'

The Bible speaks of knowing God and knowing Jesus (John 17) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 13 blessing at the end.) But it does not teach that the way you get people to have a relationship with God is by telling them that Christianity is a relationship and not a religion.

Christ's death and resurrection are important parts of the gospel the apostles preached.

I Corinthians 15
1 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:
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

Romans 10
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

I have a theory that pastors, preachers, and one-on-one attempted evangelists are so used to hearing 'religion v. relationship' preaching that they do this without thinking whether it is Biblical. I also suspect that many of these people would tell you that you have to believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead to be saved if you asked them, but that they aren't aware that they are leaving this out. They rely so heavily on the tradition of what they have heard, that they either aren't examining scripture or paying close attention to what they are leaving out.

If you point it out to them, sometimes they realize what they are doing. i would encourage all of you to do so.

I have even witnessed people who weirdly think the sinner's prayer ritual is doctrine. I heard a preacher say, "If you have not prayed that prayer, you are not a Christian." Were there no Christians before Billy Graham started doing this repeat-this-prayer thing in his evangelistic meetings?

Some of you may reply, "My pastor always preaches the cross and resurrection of Christ whenever he tries to win souls for Christ." Good for you. I've seen that, it just seems to be getting rarer. In my experience in the majority of altar calls or similar 'challenges' I have witnessed in the past decade or two in the US, the religion v. personal relationship thing is preached, the cross might be preached, and the resurrection is omitted.

I see an emphasis on the resurrection in Peter's and Paul's sermons through Acts, beginning in Acts 2. I also see the apostles exhorting people to be baptized and baptizing them, and I do not see them having people repeat prayers in scripture. I also see Jesus' command to baptize, and not a command to have people repeat prayers, in the passage known as 'The Great Commission'.

I suggest you point this out in person, by email, or telephone whenever you see a preacher or street-witnesser do this. What else can we do to help push evangelicalism back toward the gospel?

I have been to a number of evangelical churches over the years where it seems the 'formula' for evangelism in a lot of evangelical churches that do 'altar calls' and 'sinner's prayers':

- Do not tell the people who God is.
- Do not tell the people who Jesus is.
- ____Maybe____ mention the cross in passing without explaining what happened on it.
- Leave out the part about the resurrection.
- Tell people that Christianity is not a religion, that religion is a bad thing, and that it is a personal relationship with God.
- Have people repeat a prayer that mentions Jesus that does not mention Jesus dying on the cross or rising from the dead.
- Declare the people saved if they believed the prayer.

The prayer may have people ask Jesus into their hearts, 'accept Jesus' or something along those lines.

Praying to ask Jesus into your heart is not something I can find in the Bible. I cannot find where it says 'Christianity is not a religion.' 'Religion' became a bad thing among American evangelicals in my own life time. In old writings like those of the New England Puritans, it seems to be a near synonymn of the word 'Christianity.' Our Bible translations refer to it in James 1:27 which speaks of the one who exercises 'pure religon' as he who visits 'widows and fatherless in their afflication and keep himself unspotted from the world.'

The Bible speaks of knowing God and knowing Jesus (John 17) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 13 blessing at the end.) But it does not teach that the way you get people to have a relationship with God is by telling them that Christianity is a relationship and not a religion.

Christ's death and resurrection are important parts of the gospel the apostles preached.

I Corinthians 15
1 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:
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

Romans 10
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

I have a theory that pastors, preachers, and one-on-one attempted evangelists are so used to hearing 'religion v. relationship' preaching that they do this without thinking whether it is Biblical. I also suspect that many of these people would tell you that you have to believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead to be saved if you asked them, but that they aren't aware that they are leaving this out. They rely so heavily on the tradition of what they have heard, that they either aren't examining scripture or paying close attention to what they are leaving out.

If you point it out to them, sometimes they realize what they are doing. i would encourage all of you to do so.

I have even witnessed people who weirdly think the sinner's prayer ritual is doctrine. I heard a preacher say, "If you have not prayed that prayer, you are not a Christian." Were there no Christians before Billy Graham started doing this repeat-this-prayer thing in his evangelistic meetings?

Some of you may reply, "My pastor always preaches the cross and resurrection of Christ whenever he tries to win souls for Christ." Good for you. I've seen that, it just seems to be getting rarer. In my experience in the majority of altar calls or similar 'challenges' I have witnessed in the past decade or two in the US, the religion v. personal relationship thing is preached, the cross might be preached, and the resurrection is omitted.

I see an emphasis on the resurrection in Peter's and Paul's sermons through Acts, beginning in Acts 2. I also see the apostles exhorting people to be baptized and baptizing them, and I do not see them having people repeat prayers in scripture. I also see Jesus' command to baptize, and not a command to have people repeat prayers, in the passage known as 'The Great Commission'.

I suggest you point this out in person, by email, or telephone whenever you see a preacher or street-witnesser do this. What else can we do to help push evangelicalism back toward the gospel?

I agree with you, this kind of not telling the gospel is growing. In sparing also out, that there is a hell. But, when I use to say my believe in God is an relationship ( child-father) and not an religion. Then I point out the difference that religion is a man made thing, instead a from God revealed truth.

 

[wattie]

What is in Romans 10, among other verses I believe does show something akin to the sinners prayer.

Praying or talking to God that you do believe He is God.. did live a sinless life.. did die and rise again according to the scriptures. That He can forgive sin and give eternal life.. I believe is all that is needed for eternal salvation . And the relationship we have with Jesus is personal.. because He indwells us thru the Holy Spirit

I agree tho if Jesus is hardly mentioned.. if His rising again is hardly mentioned. Then this is not genuine.

 

[Deuteronomy]

Hi @presidente, A. W. Pink had something to say along these lines about 100 years ago or so.

~Deut

 

[Whispered]

I agree with you, this kind of not telling the gospel is growing. In sparing also out, that there is a hell. But, when I use to say my believe in God is an relationship ( child-father) and not an religion. Then I point out the difference that religion is a man made thing, instead a from God revealed truth.

I wouldn't call Joel Osteen an Evangelical by any sense of the word however, he is one of the most well known mega-church pastors that never speaks about Hell nor Sin. And he doesn't have a sinners prayer per say, he has a recitation at the end of his "sermon" that upon completion he says of his church, if you've said this prayer we believe you were born again. Get to a good Bible believing church, and so forth.

John Hagee is another that recites a sinners prayer in his services. It always feels uncomfortable when I heard any pastor do this. In the pulpit or on TV.

 

[Hevosmies]

Yeah bro the sinner's prayer gimmick has lead multitudes to the pit no doubt. I personally know people who have said it without meaning it JUST BECAUSE they wanted to get rid of that nagging salesman in their life.

I got nothing against calling out to the Lord for salvation, its biblical, but I do agree that the way the sinner's prayer is done today is unbiblical and the attitude is often flippant they couldn't care less, no reverence present, no conviction of sin, no broken heart before the Lord.

 

[posthuman]

A lot of this behavior started with Charles Finney - long before Billy Graham

 

[presidente]

A lot of this behavior started with Charles Finney - long before Billy Graham

I do not recall Finney having people repeat a prayer per se.

 

[presidente]

I realize I have raised two topics here.... or more. One topic is the content preached. I don't see religion v. relationship as the Biblical gospel. The relationship part has it's place. I believe the 'religion' part is often wrongly preached.

The other issue is a methodological one. Our conversation has focused on 'the sinner's prayer'. I mentioned baptism as well, though that idea has not yet had discussion beyond the first post.

I am thinking of a thread just for religion v. relationship preaching replacing the cross and resurrection. I saw that as the main point of this message.

 

[posthuman]

I do not recall Finney having people repeat a prayer per se.

A bit of a history in this link:

https://www.disciplestoday.org/bibl...-s-prayer-a-brief-history-of-a-novel-practice

 

[presidente]

A bit of a history in this link:

https://www.disciplestoday.org/bibl...-s-prayer-a-brief-history-of-a-novel-practice

I want to clarify I wasn't actually at the Finney meetings. I'm not that old.

But that goes along with what I have read. Finney had an 'anxious seat', but I haven't read about his having people repeat a prayer.

It is interesting that he acknowledged that what he was doing was supposed to fill the role of Biblical Baptism. I would imagine as a Presbyterian whose church practiced infant baptism creates a problem for evangelists seeking to follow a Biblical model. The irony is that groups that believe in credobaptism follow variants of his methodology.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

I have been to a number of evangelical churches over the years where it seems the 'formula' for evangelism in a lot of evangelical churches that do 'altar calls' and 'sinner's prayers':

- Do not tell the people who God is.
- Do not tell the people who Jesus is.
- ____Maybe____ mention the cross in passing without explaining what happened on it.
- Leave out the part about the resurrection.
- Tell people that Christianity is not a religion, that religion is a bad thing, and that it is a personal relationship with God.
- Have people repeat a prayer that mentions Jesus that does not mention Jesus dying on the cross or rising from the dead.
- Declare the people saved if they believed the prayer.

The prayer may have people ask Jesus into their hearts, 'accept Jesus' or something along those lines.

Praying to ask Jesus into your heart is not something I can find in the Bible. I cannot find where it says 'Christianity is not a religion.' 'Religion' became a bad thing among American evangelicals in my own life time. In old writings like those of the New England Puritans, it seems to be a near synonymn of the word 'Christianity.' Our Bible translations refer to it in James 1:27 which speaks of the one who exercises 'pure religon' as he who visits 'widows and fatherless in their afflication and keep himself unspotted from the world.'

The Bible speaks of knowing God and knowing Jesus (John 17) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 13 blessing at the end.) But it does not teach that the way you get people to have a relationship with God is by telling them that Christianity is a relationship and not a religion.

Christ's death and resurrection are important parts of the gospel the apostles preached.

I Corinthians 15
1 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:
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

Romans 10
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(KJV, emphasis in bold mine)

I have a theory that pastors, preachers, and one-on-one attempted evangelists are so used to hearing 'religion v. relationship' preaching that they do this without thinking whether it is Biblical. I also suspect that many of these people would tell you that you have to believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead to be saved if you asked them, but that they aren't aware that they are leaving this out. They rely so heavily on the tradition of what they have heard, that they either aren't examining scripture or paying close attention to what they are leaving out.

If you point it out to them, sometimes they realize what they are doing. i would encourage all of you to do so.

I have even witnessed people who weirdly think the sinner's prayer ritual is doctrine. I heard a preacher say, "If you have not prayed that prayer, you are not a Christian." Were there no Christians before Billy Graham started doing this repeat-this-prayer thing in his evangelistic meetings?

Some of you may reply, "My pastor always preaches the cross and resurrection of Christ whenever he tries to win souls for Christ." Good for you. I've seen that, it just seems to be getting rarer. In my experience in the majority of altar calls or similar 'challenges' I have witnessed in the past decade or two in the US, the religion v. personal relationship thing is preached, the cross might be preached, and the resurrection is omitted.

I see an emphasis on the resurrection in Peter's and Paul's sermons through Acts, beginning in Acts 2. I also see the apostles exhorting people to be baptized and baptizing them, and I do not see them having people repeat prayers in scripture. I also see Jesus' command to baptize, and not a command to have people repeat prayers, in the passage known as 'The Great Commission'.

I suggest you point this out in person, by email, or telephone whenever you see a preacher or street-witnesser do this. What else can we do to help push evangelicalism back toward the gospel?

Christ needed no help in eternally saving (delivering) souls to eternal life by his death on the cross. He said "it is finished" In a covenant relationship with the Godhead Christ saved all on the cross that will ever be saved (delivered). Jesus instructed his Apostles to go and preach the gospel to the lost sheep (elect) of the house of Israel. The house of Israel is actually Jacob (representative of God's elect) whose name God changed to be called no more Jacob, but to be called Israel (Gen 33:28). There is "the house of Israel" and "the nation of Israel". The scriptures you have quoted in Corinthians and Romans has reference to "the house of Israel" (Jacob), and not to "the nation of Israel" Salvation according to Greek means "a deliverance". These verses are referencing a timely deliverance we receive as we sojourn here on earth when we understand the meat of the word and not an eternal deliverance as they had already been eternally delivered. Preachers are instructed by God to preach the gospel to those of his children who have been born again but are still babes in Christ and are in need of hearing the meat of the word.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Praying to ask Jesus into your heart is not something I can find in the Bible.

That is patently false. The door mentioned below is the door of one's heart.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)

Now that your fundamental premise has been shown to be false from Scripture, why don't you present the Gospel and let's evaluate your presentation (but keep it brief).

At the same time, we can all agree that the Gospel is generally not being presented properly in evangelical churches.

As to religion vs relationship, let's face it. Christendom by an large is religion without relationship. So the emphasis on relationship is important and the verse quoted makes that very clear.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Hi @presidente, A. W. Pink had something to say along these lines about 100 years ago or so.

As we all know Arthur Pink was a dyed-in-the-wool Calvinist. But he is also misstating the Gospel. Christ is the Savior who saves from BOTH Hell and sin. They require an equal emphasis. But Pink said "rather than", which means that he chose to avoid mentioning Hell.

 

[presidente]

Christ needed no help in eternally saving (delivering) souls to eternal life by his death on the cross. He said "it is finished" In a covenant relationship with the Godhead Christ saved all on the cross that will ever be saved (delivered). Jesus instructed his Apostles to go and preach the gospel to the lost sheep (elect) of the house of Israel. The house of Israel is actually Jacob (representative of God's elect) whose name God changed to be called no more Jacob, but to be called Israel (Gen 33:28). There is "the house of Israel" and "the nation of Israel". The scriptures you have quoted in Corinthians and Romans has reference to "the house of Israel" (Jacob), and not to "the nation of Israel" Salvation according to Greek means "a deliverance". These verses are referencing a timely deliverance we receive as we sojourn here on earth when we understand the meat of the word and not an eternal deliverance as they had already been eternally delivered. Preachers are instructed by God to preach the gospel to those of his children who have been born again but are still babes in Christ and are in need of hearing the meat of the word.

I am not sure where you are going with this post, or what it has to do with what I posted. I am not persuaded on the difference between 'the house of Israel' and 'the nation of Israel' points here, and it seems, again, to be a different topic. Where and when did God command preachers to preach the Gospel to those who have been born again? Usually, 'preach' is used in contexts referring to proclaiming the Gospel to those who haven't believed yet, but translations are not totally consistent on that point, and sometimes words that have a teach/discourse/dispute meaning get translated as 'preach' also.

 

[presidente]

That is patently false. The door mentioned below is the door of one's heart.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)

Now that your fundamental premise has been shown to be false from Scripture, why don't you present the Gospel and let's evaluate your presentation (but keep it brief).

At the same time, we can all agree that the Gospel is generally not being presented properly in evangelical churches.

As to religion vs relationship, let's face it. Christendom by an large is religion without relationship. So the emphasis on relationship is important and the verse quoted makes that very clear.

I repeat, I cannot find praying to ask Jesus into your heart in the Bible.

That verse does not say anything about the door of a heart. And it doesn't say anything about letting Jesus into the door by praying to 'ask Jesus into your heart.' The context is a church letting Jesus into the door--which I think most of us would agree is allegorical-- not the sinner who has not come to faith asking Jesus into His heart.

I presented the Gospel by quoting I Corinthians 15 in the opening post.

This kind of response is really strange to me. Do you read the Bible?

Can't you see that the apostles preached about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and God raising Him from the dead. They would preach the ascension and the fact that Christ is Lord and Christ. They baptized those who responded in faith. But we never read about them talking about religion versus relationship or praying to ask Jesus into their hearts. Why do you feel compelled to try to read modern church practice into verses on another subject? Have you read through Acts and the epistles?

 

[preacher4truth]

I repeat, I cannot find praying to ask Jesus into your heart in the Bible.

That verse does not say anything about the door of a heart. And it doesn't say anything about letting Jesus into the door by praying to 'ask Jesus into your heart.' The context is a church letting Jesus into the door--which I think most of us would agree is allegorical-- not the sinner who has not come to faith asking Jesus into His heart.

I presented the Gospel by quoting I Corinthians 15 in the opening post.

This kind of response is really strange to me. Do you read the Bible?

Can't you see that the apostles preached about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and God raising Him from the dead. They would preach the ascension and the fact that Christ is Lord and Christ. They baptized those who responded in faith. But we never read about them talking about religion versus relationship or praying to ask Jesus into their hearts. Why do you feel compelled to try to read modern church practice into verses on another subject? Have you read through Acts and the epistles?

You're correct, Revelation 3:20 was taken completely out of context and he added, read into the verse the "heart" portion.

 

[preacher4truth]

That is patently false. The door mentioned below is the door of one's heart.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)

Now that your fundamental premise has been shown to be false from Scripture, why don't you present the Gospel and let's evaluate your presentation (but keep it brief).

At the same time, we can all agree that the Gospel is generally not being presented properly in evangelical churches.

As to religion vs relationship, let's face it. Christendom by an large is religion without relationship. So the emphasis on relationship is important and the verse quoted makes that very clear.

More nonsense. Your post above was meant to prove we are to pray and ask Jesus into our heart.

Nowhere in that text is there anything about praying and asking Jesus into our hearts.

It is written to a church, not to the world at large, and it has nothing to do with eternal salvation.

 

[preacher4truth]

A lot of this behavior started with Charles Finney - long before Billy Graham

Robert Sandeman as well.

 

[Nehemiah6]

More nonsense. Your post above was meant to prove we are to pray and ask Jesus into our heart.

It is you who is spouting nonsense. Just goes to show that you are clueless about prayer and also about receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. Since Jesus is very God, whenever a person goes to Him it is in prayer. Stephen said "Lord Jesus receive my spirit". That was a prayer, whether you like it or not. And one must receive Christ as Lord and Savior in order to be saved and be born again. And inviting Him means praying to Him (John 1:12,13)

Nowhere in that text is there anything about praying and asking Jesus into our hearts.

Well read that text again. How does Christ come to reside within a believer other than into his innermost being? And the term "heart" in the Bible represents the innermost being. Thus Paul says "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love" (Eph 3:17). That is the meaning of "I will come IN TO HIM and will sup with him, and he with me". But before that happens Jesus says that that person must open the metaphorical door of the heart. That is not the door of a church building, since Christ can walk into any building without needing the door to be opened. Now you can call it what you will, but a sinner must pray to Christ and invite Him into His heart. And that is precisely what the verse is all about (except for the wilfully blind).

It is written to a church, not to the world at large, and it has nothing to do with eternal salvation.

NO IT IS NOT WRITTEN TO A CHURCH. "If any man" means "if any person" or "if any individual". So there you are, unable to even interpret Scripture properly