Ask Jesus Into Our Heart

I ONLY REALLY CONCERN myself with 'doctrine' when it is something that I feel is really fundamental and important. I can't e othered with endless arguments o!er End"time theories# for instance. $ut to me# there are certain fundamentals which the modern church seems to e willing to compromise or ignore for the sa%e of &unity& or con!enience. One of the most asic things that has ama'ed me in the area of 'doctrine' for many years is the preaching of &(i!ing your heart to the Lord& or &As%ing )esus into your life& to ecome a Christian. *o we not reali'e that such a practice is +O,N* NO-.ERE IN /.E EN/IRE $I$LE0 Is there ANY e1ample of someone &as%ing )esus into their heart& 2or similar3 to ecome a Christian in the oo% of Acts0 NO# NO/ E4EN ONE. /he oo% of Acts is full of literally thousands of people ecoming orn"again Christians. And we are often told e1actly what these people did. $ut there is no record of any of them doing anything li%e &as%ing )esus into their heart& to e sa!ed. Now surely# 5urely# 5,RELY# if the church has e!en remotely got it's act together# it would ha!e this one thing right. 5urely this has got to e one of the most crucial and asic points in the whole New /estament67 .ow e1actly are people supposed to ecome Christians0 -hat were they told to do in the New /estament0 A !ery simple and straight"forward 8uestion# you would thin%. And so !itally important. $ut incredi ly# it seems li%e !ery few leaders ha!e e!en othered to as% this 8uestion or to ta%e on oard the glaringly o !ious answer. .ere we ha!e one of the most !ital# fundamental points that it is possi le to ha!e in Christianity67 &-.A/ 5.ALL -E *O /O $E 5A4E*0& And generally spea%ing# our answer today is utterly# utterly different from that of the apostles. Incredi le really# isn't it0 It's right there in lac%"and"white# time after time9 $ut /RA*I/ION has linded our eyes to the /ruth. And I'm sure that e!en many of you reading this will e shoc%ed y how o !ious the truth of this matter is. Let's start with the day of :entecost 2a great place to egin93 As we all %now# the .oly 5pirit fell on the ;<=# and they all egan to spea% in tongues. /his is officially %nown y all theologians as the irth of the Church 7 the eginning of Christianity as we %now it. And after :eter preached his con!icting sermon to the gathered throng that day# another >=== people were added to the

church. And we are told e1actly what occurred67 &. . . they were cut to the heart# and said to :eter and the rest of the apostles# '$rethren# -.A/ 5.ALL -E *O0' And :eter said to them# 'RE:EN/# and e $A:/I?E* e!ery one of you in the name of )esus Christ for the +OR(I4ENE55 O+ YO,R 5IN5@ and you shall recei!e the gift of the .OLY 5:IRI/'& 2Acts <6>A">B C)43. You will notice that there are three elements to :eter's answer67 RE:EN/ANCE# -A/ER"$A:/I5D and recei!ing the .OLY 5:IRI/. -e will see this pattern repeated again and again# right through the oo% of Acts 2in fact# throughout the New /estament writings3 in the most glaringly o !ious way. And yet still we hear# &)ust as% )esus into your heart& preached throughout Christendom today. /he ne1t significant people"group to e reached y the early Christians were the 5amaritans. In Acts chapter B# we read how :hilip the e!angelist saw massi!e Re!i!al in 5amaria67 &$ut when they elie!ed :hilip as he preached good news a out the %ingdom of (od and the name of )esus Christ# they were $A:/I?E*# oth men and women. . . :eter and )ohn# who came down and prayed for them that they might RECEI4E /.E .OLY 5:IRI/@ for it had not yet +ALLEN on any of them# ut they had only een apti'ed in the name of the Lord )esus. /hen they laid their hands on them and they RECEI4E* the .OLY 5:IRI/& 2Acts B6;<";A3. Note the identical pattern to the sal!ations on the day of :entecost. /he ne1t significant people"group to e reached y the early church were the godly gentiles 2Acts chapters ;= E ;;3. :eter was led y (od to preach to Cornelius and his household67 &-hile :eter was still saying this# the .OLY 5:IRI/ +ELL on all who heard the word. . . +or they heard them 5:EACIN( IN /ON(,E5 and e1tolling (od. /hen :eter declared# 'Can anyone for id water for $A:/I?IN( these people who ha!e RECEI4E* /.E .OLY 5:IRI/ ),5/ A5 -E .A4E0' And he commanded them to e apti'ed in the name of )esus Christ& 2Acts ;=6FF"FB3. :eter later descri ed the scene again6 &As I egan to spea%# the .OLY 5:IRI/ +ELL ON /.ED ),5/ A5 ON ,5 A/ /.E $E(INNIN(& 2Acts ;;6;G3. .e also referred to this outpouring as them eing &$apti'ed in the .oly 5pirit& 2Acts ;;6;H3. I hope you can see from these passages that the .oly 5pirit '+ALLIN(' upon people is the same e1perience as people 'RECEI4IN(' or eing '$A:/I?E*' in the .oly 5pirit. Also# we see the same pattern as efore in the sal!ation e1perience of Cornelius' household 7 Repentant hearts# Recei!ing the .oly 5pirit and $aptism. Another good e1ample in!ol!es some disciples of )ohn the $aptist who :aul met at Ephesus67 &And :aul said# ')ohn apti'ed with the aptism of RE:EN/ANCE# telling the people to elie!e in the one who was to come after him# that is# )esus.' On hearing this# they were $A:/I?E* in the name of the Lord )esus. And when :aul laid his hands upon them# the .OLY 5:IRI/ came on them@ and they 5:OCE -I/. /ON(,E5 and prophesied& 2Acts ;I6;"H3. I guess I hardly need to point out the pattern y now0 Notice too that there were no &instructional classes& to prepare people for aptism. All the way through the oo% of Acts# people were apti'ed 5/RAI(./ A-AY# as soon as they were elie!ing and repentant. -ith the :hillipian Jailer# he and his entire household were apti'ed immediately 7 IN /.E DI**LE O+ /.E NI(./ 2Acts ;H6><">>3. -ith the Ethiopian eunuch# he was apti'ed y :hilip straight away# in some water that they saw while tra!eling in his chariot 2Acts B6>G">B3. And the apostle :aul himself was apti'ed immediately y the disciple Ananias# who said something !ery interesting to :aul eforehand67 &Rise and e $A:/I?E*# and -A5. A-AY YO,R 5IN5# calling on .is name& 2Acts <<6;H3. /his !erse would e treated almost li%e heresy y many in today's church. .ow shoc%ing to imply that aptism might ha!e something to do with forgi!eness and cleansing from our past sins9 .owe!er# there are many !erses li%e it

scattered throughout the New /estament. Also note that :aul was told this -ELL A+/ER he had had his linding '*amascus Road' e1perience. /oday's Christians might assume that :aul was & orn again& during this powerful encounter with (od. Not so. Not until :aul was to e $A:/I?E* was he to ha!e his sins &washed away&. /his is clearly what the 5criptures say. Arguments# anyone0 Dany Christians are taught today that $aptism is asically a 'sym olic' act. In my youth I was raised mainly in $aptist churches# and they always taught that aptism is an &outward 5YD$OL of an inner change&. /hus aptism is stripped of much of it's significance and power in Christian thin%ing. +or a &sym ol& is ne!er as important as the real thing# is it0 I ha!e studied aptism e1tensi!ely in the New /estament. It is NE4ER spo%en of as a mere '5YD$OL'. Rather# it is spo%en of as eing a circumcision of the heart'# a &cutting off&# a & urial& into the *EA/. of Christ. And it is also spo%en of as eing &for the forgi!eness of sins& and to &wash one's sins away&. I am con!inced that in the spirit realm 2from (od's point of !iew3# aptism is seen as a LI/ERAL & urial into death& 2see Romans H3 which has a profound effect on our hearts and li!es. $ut still we preach# &As% )esus into your heart&# and deny many people one of the most !ital %eys to li!ing a Christian life. I am also con!inced that aptism D,5/ e y '+,LL IDDER5ION'. 5prin%ling little infants is not enough. /his must e aptism for $ELIE4ER5. And the original (ree% word ' apti'o' actually means &/O *I: OR IDDER5E&. 5o people must e ' uried' under the water in aptism# not Just sprin%led. 2I'm sure most of you already agree with this3. Li%ewise I am con!inced that $aptism in the .oly 5pirit 2accompanied y 'spea%ing in tongues'3 is E55EN/IAL. It is NO/ Just an option. As we ha!e seen in the oo% of Acts# the way that people ecame Christians in the New /estament was to 2;3 Repent# 2<3 $e $apti'ed in water and 2>3 $e $apti'ed in the .oly 5pirit 2accompanied always y 'tongues' as far as we can tell 7 And modern e1perience ears this out3. -hat right do we ha!e to change the fundamental teachings and practices of the $i le# Just so we can ma%e things more &con!enient& for new con!erts0 ,nless we are getting people sa!ed the $i le way# how can we claim to e getting them sa!ed at all0 -e are fore!er tal%ing a out eing & orn again& in the church today. $ut are we truly getting people ' orn again' li%e they did in Acts0 $earing in mind the pattern that we ha!e seen in the New /estament# what e1actly do you thin% )esus was tal%ing a out when .e declared that# &,nless a man is $ORN O+ -A/ER AN* O+ /.E 5:IRI/ he cannot enter into the %ingdom of (od&0 2)n >6G3. $orn of -A/ER# orn of the 5:IRI/. .mmmmmm. /hat's a tough one9 $aptism in water and the 5pirit are ne!er regarded as mere 'options'in the 5criptures. In fact they are clearly E55EN/IAL e1periences to egin to wal% in Christ's %ingdom. /here are many 5criptures on this that are often ypassed today or regarded as &ine1plica le& ecause they do not fit in with current tradition. :lease ta%e the time to loo% up the following67 Dar% ;H6;H";B# ; :eter >6<="<;# /itus >6G"H# ; Cor ;=6;"<# (al >6<A# Col <6;;";<# ; Cor ;<6;># .e H6;"<# Rom H6<" ;;# Rom B6I# Dt <B6;I# etc. I really mean it. :lease do ta%e the time to loo% at the a o!e 5criptures if you ha!e any interest in this issue at all. 5ome people write to me with their !iews and opinions without e!er loo%ing at what these 5criptures ha!e to say. It is my elief that there are a num er of important teachings and practices from the early church that will e restored to fullness during the coming Re!i!al. 2(od often does this in Re!i!als3. I am con!inced that the a o!e teaching will e one of them. 2I ha!e elie!ed this for many years3. I also feel that the spiritual significance and power of parta%ing in the Lord's 5upper 2/he early church

partoo% daily from house to house3 plus sacrificial gi!ing to the poor# will also e emphases that will e fully restored during the coming mo!e of (od. No dou t there will e others also. I reali'e that I ha!e pro a ly shoc%ed and pro!o%ed a num er of you with this article. :lease elie!e me# I myself was !ery shoc%ed when I first came face"to"face with these truths some years ago. /hey really are !ery apparent when you see them# ut I was lind to them for many years. I was amongst those who ga!e out tracts li%e '/he +our 5piritual Laws' and led people in the &5inner's prayer& Li%e many I would ac% this up y mis"applying Re! >6<= 7 &$ehold I stand at the door and %noc%. . .& 2which is clearly aimed at the C.,RC.# not at uncon!erted sinners. It is )esus standing outside the 'Laodicean' church# trying to get in93 I am not ashamed that I elie!ed this. It was all I %new at the time. $ut I was certainly shoc%ed to disco!er how much of the asic gospel I was lea!ing out. Li%e me# there are a num er of you who will ha!e to &search the 5criptures to see if these things e so& li%e the $ereans# Just as I had to do. $elie!e me# I fought these truths for months efore I simply ran out of corners to ac% into. I %new the implications of this were huge and I Just did not want to face it. $ut there they are in lac% and white. And this is not a tri!ial matter. /hese are %ey gospel truths that we are tal%ing a out here. After writing the first !ersion of this article# many people wrote to me pointing out that the /.IE+ ON /.E CRO55 was not apti'ed or 5pirit"filled# yet he was clearly sa!ed. :lease elie!e me# I had all these same o Jections when I first came across this teaching. $ut (od annihilated all my e1cuses one y one. 5o let me deal with this &/.IE+ ON /.E CRO55& thing right here. /he most o !ious 8uestion is67 -hen did this e!ent occur 7 was it under the OL* Co!enant or the NE- Co!enant0 -hen )esus proffered sal!ation to the thief# was the Old Co!enant still in place# or had the New egun0 +or clearly# it only ecame possi le to ecome an actual C.RI5/IAN 2 orn again 7 a mem er of Christ's ody3 A+/ER the New Co!enant had started. And for the New Co!enant to egin# )esus# the sacrificial Lam had to die and also e RAI5E* +ROD /.E *EA*. /he New Co!enant could not egin until this occurred. 5urely we all %now this0 )esus had to die and e raised from the dead# and then ascend into hea!en# sending .is .oly 5pirit# efore the Church could truly egin or people could start ecoming orn"again Christians. /hat is why people in the Old /estament# or e!en in )esus' own day were not & orn again& the way we are today. /hey simply couldn't e. Remem er# )esus said that )ohn the $aptist was the greatest orn among men# ut e!en the least in the %ingdom was greater than he. )ohn the $aptist couldn't ecome a & orn"again Christian& ecause the New Co!enant had not yet egun. I et he would ha!e lo!ed the opportunity9 )esus died in agony and was raised again# to purchase for us this wonderful new life in .im. 5urely we all %now this0 (LORY /O (O*99 Now ac% to the thief. *id he ha!e his con!ersation with )esus and die under the New Co!enant or the Old0 /he answer# o !iously# is67 /he OL* Co!enant. .e was presuma ly a )ew 7 one of (od's chosen people 2though a sinner3# who recei!ed a wonderful pardon from )esus when he repented and turned to .im. $ut those were !ery different conditions to those that we li!e under today. -e now ha!e a NE- Co!enant 7 a NE- &agreement& with (od# !ery different from the Old. /he Old treaty is dead and we ha!e a new and li!ing way in which to wal%. .ow do we enter into it0 $y eing orn again 7 of water and of the 5pirit. And this has only een possi le since :entecost 7 the day the church egan. Repentance# $aptism and recei!ing the .oly 5pirit are E55EN/IAL to enter into the New Co!enant# I elie!e. Kuite a few people ha!e offered me their own !iews and opinions on all this without truly ecoming ac8uainted with the asic 5criptures on the matter. It is important to remem er that

fundamental doctrines are not a out mere opinion. /hey are a out what the 5CRI:/,RE5 5AY. I tell you# I ha!e put DON/.5 of study and prayer into this whole su Ject. I could tell that it really was /.A/ important. I honestly considered E4ERY/.IN( 7 e!ery angle I could find. :lease treat this with the seriousness that it is due. /his is a !ery crucial area. I elie!e these are 5AL4A/ION issues that are eing discussed here. And the case is enormously strong. )ust read the 5criptures. 2It should ta%e less than an hour to read through the 5criptures highlighted a o!e3. I urge any of you who are the least it interested in this to :LEA5E read those 5criptures. I am well aware that 'doctrine' tends to e di!isi!e y it's !ery nature. And I %now that I am ta%ing a ig ris% tal%ing so openly a out such a contro!ersial teaching. I try and %eep right away from doctrinal de ates in general. It is only the most fundamental and important issues that I other ma%ing a fuss a out. You will notice that e!en though this is a ':rophetic' site# there are no de ates a out the ':re"tri 'L:ost"tri positions or the e1act meaning of *aniel's A= wee%s# etc. I Just find such de ates pointless and utterly dull# to e honest. I heard the arguments many moons ago# and Just cannot stomach any more. I ha!e no desire for nit"pic%ing arguments. $ut the $I( issues# li%e New /estament sal!ation and (od's plan for .is church 7 these things I really do care a out. +or I elie!e the de!il is ro ing us lind in some of these crucial areas. And (od wants to restore these truths to the church. )ust imagine for a moment that I am right# and aptism and recei!ing the .oly 5pirit are a lot more important than we ha!e een led to elie!e. )ust thin% how many thousands of elie!ers around the world today ha!e recei!ed the .oly 5pirit 2including 'tongues'3 ut ha!e simply not othered getting apti'ed. After all# it's only &sym olic&# right0 Or perhaps# they say# &I got sprin%led as a a y&0 I myself %now many# many people in this e1act position. I thin% it's terri le# and I elie!e (od does too. Not to mention all the elie!ers who still ha!e not een apti'ed in the .oly 5pirit. *on't you thin% (od's heart rea%s o!er all this0 -hy do people ignore .is commands0 Our church traditions and ha itual patterns ha!e a lot to answer for in this area. /his has got to change# friends. And I elie!e it will only change when the underlying doctrines are challenged. $ut if I am right# the de!il will fight this all the way. .e li%es anything that lea!es elie!ers impo!erished or still chained up in any way. /his really is crucial doctrine# otherwise I simply would not other with it. I ha!e really stuc% my nec% on the line and Jeopardi'ed my reputation o!er this. And I do not do so lightly. I ha!e een accused of eing &legalistic& and 'maJoring on minor points' y a couple of readers. I really cannot see this. As I ha!e said# some doctrine is &straining at gnats& and some is really crucial. I elie!e this issue falls into the second category. Others accused me of eing &too literal&9 2I had to laugh o!er this3. Now this is asic $i le doctrine we are tal%ing a out here# isn't it0 /oo literal0 -hat on earth else should we e0 Other readers accused me of elie!ing in & aptismal regeneration&. /his is not the case. I elie!e that 2;3 Repentance# 2<3 -ater"$aptism and 2>3 Recei!ing the .oly 5pirit# are ALL E55EN/IAL. I do not elie!e in & aptismal& regeneration. /hese elements are all e8ually important and we need to ha!e all three to e a le to call oursel!es 'New /estament Christians'# as far as I can see. Other readers ha!e rought up the !erse in Romans that says &If you confess with your mouth the Lord )esus and elie!e in your heart that (od has raised .im from the dead you will e sa!ed& 2Rom ;=6I3. Actually# a num er of theologians elie!e that this statement was used as a %ind of & aptismal confession& in the early church. I remem er a fellowship I was in!ol!ed with years ago that used it in e1actly this way. /o me# this !erse &pro!es& little doctrinally# either way. It needs to

e put into conte1t with the -.OLE New /estament to gain the proper perspecti!e on it. I certainly don't see it as proof for 'as%ing )esus into our heart'. One of the most serious allegations I ha!e faced is that I am preaching a %ind of &Justification y wor%s& y saying that aptism and recei!ing the .oly 5pirit are so essential. And that I am &adding to the gospel& and ta%ing away people's freedom li%e the (alatians99 5erious charges# indeed. $ut let's loo% at this carefully. Is aptism a &wor%& that I can do to myself0 Is recei!ing the .oly 5pirit a &wor%&0 I don't thin% so9 /hese are initial e1periences that are '*ONE /O ,5' or (I4EN /O ,5 7 they're not things that we can &*O& oursel!es# as such. Can I apti'e myself0 No9 And isn't it a rief one"off act of simple faith and o edience anyway0 /o me# aptism is no more a &wor%& than# say# the act of &praying a sinner's prayer&. /he act of opening one's mouth# mo!ing one's Jaws and praying is not seen as a wor%. And neither should aptism e. /hey only ta%e an instant# after all. /he real 8uestion is67 Is aptism a truly spiritual act# or is it merely a sym olic ritual0 /hat is the real 8uestion. /his also rings up the whole issue of 'con!enience'. +or we lo!e neat little pac%ages that are comforta le and easy in this age# don't we0 2&)ust as%ing )esus in&3. And aptism is so wet and messy# we thin%. $ut at the end of the day# what it oils down to is this67 -e ha!e to ma%e a decision etween doing things the $i le way and doing things the modern 'con!enient' way. It is that simple. Now# onto something else that numerous people raised67 -here does +AI/. come into all this0 Aren't we supposed to e sa!ed y +AI/.0 A solutely9 And faith is at a premium right through this whole thing. -hat happens when someone hears the gospel and $ELIE4E5 it0 2A crucially important moment3. Are they automatically a 'Christian' now0 )ust through elie!ing what they ha!e heard0 Or do they ha!e to act on that elief in some way to ecome a Christian0 -ere the )ews who were 'cut to the heart' when :eter preached at :entecost automatically Christians right then at that moment# or did they ha!e to *O something in +AI/. to ecome Christians0 Clearly# they needed to *O something# ecause :eter told them# &Repent and e apti'ed# and you will recei!e the gift of the .oly 5pirit.& And it is clear that each one of these elements in!ol!es the e1ercise of faith in )esus. .owe!er# I elie!e that when the $i le spea%s of the &+AI/. /.A/ 5A4E5 ,5&# and eing &),5/I+IE* $Y +AI/.&# it is spea%ing of the LI+E O+ +AI/. that we underta%e after we ha!e ecome a Christian. It is '-ALCIN( IN +AI/.' day y day# moment y moment# after ha!ing ecome a Christian that Justifies us efore (od. It is the co!ering of the lood of )esus that hides our sin and ma%es us clean in (od's sight. If we are wal%ing in faith# co!ered y the lood# we are sa!ed# and we must continue to wal% in it. And it is clear in the 5criptures that it is only y the :O-ER O+ /.E .OLY 5:IRI/ that we can wal% in this %ind of sa!ing faith. /his faith is a gift from (od 7&Not of oursel!es# lest anyone should oast. . .& Li%e the lo!e of (od# this faith is shed a road in our hearts y the .oly 5pirit# who is gi!en to us. 5o how can we o tain it without RECEI4IN( /.E .OLY 5:IRI/0 2-hich rings us ac% to Repentance# $aptism and Recei!ing the .oly 5pirit as our E55EN/IAL starting point in the faith3. Actually# a couple of readers mentioned something 8uite interesting a out aptism in the oo% of Acts. +or it is noticea le in Acts that e!eryone was apti'ed &IN /.E NADE O+ /.E LOR* )E5,5& or in the 'NADE O+ )E5,5 C.RI5/'. Now most churches today apti'e in the name of the '+ather# 5on and .oly 5pirit' ut I elie!e that if they felt it was important in Acts to spea% the name of )esus Christ o!er people as they were apti'ed# then I should do it too. /o sum up# it is my elief that (od has een slowly restoring truth to the church o!er the centuries

since the dar% ages when so much had een lost. Luther's Reformation saw the restoration of ')ustification y +aith'# the Ana aptists re"introduced aptism y immersion# -esley re"introduced a num er of important concepts# and this century the :entecostals re"disco!ered the infilling of the .oly 5pirit and spiritual gifts. 2/here ha!e een many other things o!er time also# ut this is Just a simple o!er!iew3. It is my elief that we are now at the stage where (od wishes to restore the church to her true original glory# with all the asic doctrines and practices# &church life& and the full original gospel# the 'fi!e"fold' ministries# etc# etc# all intact. /hat is what is a out to occur in the coming mo!e# I elie!e. And that is another reason why I elie!e asic New /estament doctrines are important. In past centuries# as now# the elie!ers of that time wal%ed in the light that they had# and (od will Judge them according to the light that was a!aila le to them. $ut now it is time to see the church truly restored to fullness in many areas. And it is going to e ,NCOD+OR/A$LE# and it will surely lea!e much &5.ACEN& in it's wa%e. A new Reformation is coming# and it is important that it lea!es nothing undone that needs doing. Otherwise our children are going to ha!e to ha!e a further Reformation to correct all that we left undone. Let's ma%e it as complete as possi le this time# shall we0 +or Christ cannot return until a glorious $ride is made ready for .im# without &spot or wrin%le or any such thing&. 5urely we li!e in the days of the 'restoration of all things' a out which the 5criptures spea%.