Have you ever attended an
evangelistic crusade type event (http://www.tillhecomes.org/crusade-evangelism-effective)
where at the end of the message the speaker has people raise their hands or
come down front if they want to engage in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? The “sinner’s prayer” has been a popular conversion plan with many religious
groups. The only problem is . . . can
you find that approach in your Bible? Have you ever made that decision?
Have you ever been in a church when
a person comes forward at the “altar call” and wants to be baptized into Christ
for the forgiveness of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?
Sure enough, they come up out of the water cleansed and ready to start a new
life with Christ. Is that it? They are now a disciple of Christ or did they
just get wet? Have you ever made that decision?
"Decisionism" (you have decided to accept Jesus) rather than "Dicipleship"
(you are a lifelong learner who becomes more like Him). I believe what we have
done in many movements for too long is to get “decisions.” The Bible never
addresses or commands us to do this but instead exhorts us to make disciples. “Christianity
without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an
abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits
Christ as the living Son. … There is trust in God, but no following of Christ.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=37331
The negative evidence
of “decisionism” is rampant. Why do you think there is not much difference between a “Christian” and
“NonChristian” when it comes to one’s lifestyle and the choices that are made? http://ezinearticles.com/?Christian-VS-Non-Christian---Whats-the-Difference?&id=3905340 Why are so
many people going right out the back doors of our churches after they make a
“decision” for Jesus? One of the reasons might be that we aren’t making disciples.
How are we doing as disciples? Are we lifelong learners, or like most, have we
arrived at a point where not anyone (including the Holy Spirit) can teach us
much about anything?
“One more
point: focusing youth events, retreats, and programs on persuading people to
make a decision disarms the Gospel, distorts numbers, and diminishes the
significance of discipleship.” - The King Jesus Gospel by Scott McKnight
The Bible never speaks about
getting decisions. So let’s start making more disciples, who in turn disciple
others. That’s called being a discipler. If this happens exponentially, Christ
will be able to change the world again through His Bride, the church. Hey,
Easter Sunday would be a gr eat
day to adopt the Biblical command and lifestyle of Making Disciples!
