A question for the Evangelicites of ATS...and whoever else wants to chime in.

What does it mean to, "let (or invite) Christ into your heart"? How is that in any way, an accurate representation of the gospel message? In my opinion, it's a rather abstract concept that opens the door to a lot of confusion and personalized interpretations.

I'm a believer in Jesus Christ. You can call me an evangelical if you want. You can call me a cab if you want. But I never did understand all this "invitation" business. Am I wrong to be confused?

It is simply to love Christ and allow Christ's love into your life.

The message from Jesus is to love.

P

What does it mean to, "let (or invite) Christ into your heart"?

Means different things to different people.

When it comes to your relation between you and your maker( God).

That's an A, B conversation.

C doesn't matter.

a reply to: pheonix358

Does that love involve recognizing what Jesus came to accomplish, dying on our behalf to remove the penalty of sin? After all, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, who heralded the Christ as, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

The baptism in the Holy Spirit (not the water thing) but the actual spiritual event it represents.

You surrender your life to Christ and are born again into a new person who lives for Him with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Similar to the truth that sin is not simply "doing bad things" but going against God. Seeking to surrender your life to Him is to turn from sin and go with God in His way. Part of that is to acknowledge that you need Him to forgive your sins.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
Am I wrong to be confused?

Gotta ask this first: Have you met God yet?

a reply to: ketsuko

So how exactly does one surrender themselves to Christ? You can say repent from sins, which literally means to turn away from sins, but what exactly does one turn to?

a reply to: Deplorable

I've never shaken His hand, but I have observed His presence via His influence in my life (miracles, synchronicities, etc). I talk to Him regularly, and He answers my prayers, so I would say we are at the very least acquainted.

Its about a personal relationship. No man can forgive your sins, only God. When he comes into your life, He sups with you, and walks with you. And talks. You walk away and hes gone

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: ketsuko

So how exactly does one surrender themselves to Christ? You can say repent from sins, which literally means to turn away from sins, but what exactly does one turn to?

Have you read the Sermon on the Mount? It's a good place to start. The four Gospels in general are good source material.

You can attend church if you can find one that's solid although too many are just poorly disguised self-help seminars these days that barely touch the Bible. There are good ones out there.

For myself, surrender was daily prayer starting from a young age, of my own volition, not because I was prompted. That is the truth. Then I lived in a house that had something bad in it (haunted I think - had various experiences there over the years but the worst was just an overall feeling of being watched by something evil), and I learned very young that prayer or something as simply as singing "Jesus Loves Me" would make that dark entity go away. I think it helped to have a child's trust and belief.

I know there is scripture about approaching as a child. It is true.

I didn't realize then exactly what was going on and how powerful that experience was because I didn't know that what I was undergoing was abnormal. I thought I just had overactive imagination. It wasn't until I moved out that I realized it was the house and not my head giving me the screaming horrors on a random basis. That's when the other things came to the fore and I put 2 and 2 together on the house being haunted.

My faith just got stronger after that. How could it not when you realize it had the power to keep you safe?

And the other poster's question was a good one. Have you met Him yet?

It took me years, but I had my glimpse in a dream a year or two ago. It still brings tears to me eyes.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
What does it mean to, "let (or invite) Christ into your heart"? How is that in any way, an accurate representation of the gospel message? In my opinion, it's a rather abstract concept that opens the door to a lot of confusion and personalized interpretations.

I'm a believer in Jesus Christ. You can call me an evangelical if you want. You can call me a cab if you want. But I never did understand all this "invitation" business. Am I wrong to be confused?

No. You are not wrong. You are right to be confused with so many interpretations, denomination, theology hypothesises and many textual cricism with regard to the bible.

There is no absolute accurate representation. A catholic will claim his theology is correct. A Jehovah Witness will claim his view is correct. So does a Protestant, an Anglican, A Seven Day Adventist, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy,Restorationism and Nontrinitarianism, and other smaller Christians branches.

You could hope your question will arrive at some points where every churches can agree with. Even then, you have to do your own researchers in case you miss anything. And that's not an easy task. You have to deal with a lot of incomplete copies after copies of ancient fragments and ancient language no one familiar with. On top of that you have to consider a lot of historic ancient cultural, literal and social references to understand the point of view of ancient people who are different than ours. For example ancient people view whale as a fish and not as mammal, because they don't know what mammal is.

So because of that I will leave the question, What does it mean to, "let (or invite) Christ into your heart"?

I believe the answer is from within your heart. It doesn't matter how much you read or ask other people's opinion. None of that will affect you, if your heart and mind refuse them.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I

I can't say I know the Bible well or that I believe much of it. I can tell you that Matthew 18:20 is the secret to meeting God.

When he introduces himself, no doubt will remain in your heart. You will know you have met him.

I can tell you that you begin to feel something in your thighs. And then you'll feel something in your abdomen. People around you might start talking uncontrollably. If you're alert it's not hard at all to tell.

All that said: You're not wrong to be confused. I don't think there's really a way to un-confuse your OP without greatly offending the Believers. Turning someone into a Knower is the best way forward.

a reply to: ketsuko

I think your experiences are valid. God manifests Himself in our lives, in ways that speaks directly to the individual. I have experienced that myself. However, that's not what I'm getting at.

We all must meet Christ at the same point...the cross, and that means recognizing that He is the Lamb of God, believing that He died for our sins.

Do you agree with the above portion?

a reply to: Deplorable

There is a love you feel. You feel it with your loved ones on rare occasions at moments of intense emotion: when you are first falling for a soul mate you will feel it underneath any surface desire, a mother will feel it in those first moments with a newborn, when you see someone you love in distress you might feel it underneath your worry.

It's a deep and powerful feeling almost in the pit of your stomach but there is nothing sexual to it at all. It's just very intense.

When I saw Him, it was like being bathed in that love and nothing else.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

Unless you intend to add dogma to it artificially, the concept is as simple as the sentence: "let Jesus into your heart".

To me, it's as simple as pledging love to him and observing his words. Christians at that level of understanding are my favorite kind. Beyond that, it's just people trying to get you to judge the same people they like to judge.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

Yes.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: ketsuko

So how exactly does one surrender themselves to Christ? You can say repent from sins, which literally means to turn away from sins, but what exactly does one turn to?

It means you drink the kool aid.

a reply to: ketsuko

I think that is a very accurate description (you have a great way with words).

When the spirit of God is upon me I find it endurable for only a short measure of time. The power of 'his love' is overwhelming. The 'other people' who Know are usually very cool about this. One of these days I'm going to take the time to find out what they've learned. For me, today, knowing is completely satisfying where this subject is concerned.

a reply to: EasternShadow

Inviting Christ into my heart means nothing to me. I don't see anything in the Bible that tells me to invite anything into my heart (kardia).

I do see scriptures instructing me to believe in Christ. To recognize that He is the Lamb of God, that He died as the Lamb to remove the penalty of sin. I see scriptures telling us to abide in Him, and He will abide in us, but it says nothing about the heart in relation to Christ.

We are to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, but that's not the same as the extra-biblical concept of "inviting Christ into the heart".

a reply to: ketsuko

So if we are in agreement on what the gospel actually teaches, wouldn't it be dangerously confusing to instruct an non-believer to "invite Christ into one's heart" for salvation?

I've watched people like Billy Graham go on and on about invitations, and surrendering, without CLEARLY making the important part of the gospel known. Propitiation, never defined. The "blood", never qualified. Syrupy explanations at best.

That might give millions of individuals a false sense of eternal security that can prove to be disastrous.


No?