By: Brian G. Chilton | June 7, 2022
Our generation is one that is hyper-skeptical and questioning. That is not necessarily a bad thing, especially given the amount of depravity that has been exposed in some Christian organizations—though thankfully this does not include all of them. Reformations are always needed as we continue to pursue Christlikeness, expose sinful behaviors, and seek transformation to become better servants of the Lord. While some areas of critique could be harmful (like deconstructionism), other areas could lead to better and more fruitful understandings.
One evangelistic methodology that has received substantial push-back is the practice of asking Jesus into one’s heart. Popular pastors and teachers, such as David Platt, have claimed that asking Jesus into one’s heart is nothing more than superstition. Platt even thinks that such a practice can lead to damning consequences. To hear Platt’s comments on the matter, watch the short video below.
But is asking Jesus into one’s heart truly a bad idea? It depends on what one means by “heart.”
Why Asking Jesus Into the Heart is Often Challenged
If one watched the video in which Platt provides his rebuttal, then the core reasoning behind the rebuke rises to the surface. The problem is not so much in the practice of asking Jesus into one’s heart. Rather, the problem is in thinking that one can say a formalized prayer in such a way that it becomes a magical incantation. Now, the vast majority of pastors who tell others to ask Jesus into their heart do not assume that the prayer is a magical practice. However, with the modern humanistic approach to evangelism—that is, the belief that we can bring someone to faith—assumes that a prayer must be prayed in such a way to make salvation take effect.
Honestly, I can sympathize with Platt and others who have questioned the practice. Trevin Wax adds that Romanian Christians have asked him the same kind of questions that Platt presented.[1] The problem is when one thinks that a prayer can save instead of committing oneself to Christ and allowing him to become the Lord of one’s life. If a person realizes what the biblical writers meant by heart, then one finds greater clarity.
The Heart References a Person’s Entire Being
The biblical writers understood the heart differently than we do. For many, the heart is the organ that pumps blood to the body. But the biblical concept refers to the totality of one’s being. The Hebrew terms לֵב (lēb);לֵבָב (lēbāb), translated as “heart,” was assumed to depict the center of a person’s emotions, passions, thoughts, and decisions.[2] The heart described the inner man. In a manner of speaking, the lēbāb was a central part of the human soul. For the psalmist, the heart was the cockpit of the mind and will. The psalmist writes, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever” (Psa. 73:26).[3] Job adds, “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding (lēbāb). It is impossible for God to do wrong, and for the Almighty to act unjustly” (Job 34:10). In Exodus, when the Pharaoh was said to change his mind about releasing the Hebrews, he was said to have changed his heart (lēbāb) (Exod. 14:5).
The NT word for heart is καρδία is defined as “the causative source of a person’s psychological life in its various aspects, but with special emphasis upon thoughts—that is, “heart, inner self, mind.”[4] Like its Hebrew counterpart, the Greek term for heart holds a deeper connotation. Thus, when Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Matt. 22:37)—referring to Deuteronomy 6:5—he is saying that a person must love God with all one’s being.
Additionally, when God gives one over to the desires of one’s heart (cardia), God allows them the freedom to follow their desires and cravings, even though they are not the best for them. In one of Jesus’s parables, he notes the procrastination of a wicked servant in thinking that the Lord would delay his coming. The servant “says in his heart (cardia), ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk” (Lk. 12:45). In this sense, heart (cardia) references a person’s mind.
Abiding Presence of God
Another aspect of the common practice of asking Jesus into one’s heart is the abiding presence of God. Is it theologically correct to claim that Jesus enters into one’s being? Absolutely! Jesus teaches that a person’s fruitfulness is directly tied to their relational status with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. For instance, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers … If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples” (Jn. 15:5–6a, 7–8). Earlier in the teaching, Jesus added, “Remain (or, “abide”) in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me” (Jn. 15:4).
The abiding connection between Jesus and the disciple has been intensified since the day of Pentecost. Because since the time of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes to the saint of God and directs them in the ways of God. Case in point, Jesus taught that “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (Jn. 16:13). The abiding relationship of God begins when a person asks God to take control of his or her life. Such an experience is encapsulated with an ancient confession, which reads, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart (cardia) that God raised him form the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart (cardia), resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation” (Rom. 10:9–10).[5] Even Paul had a connection with the people he served, writing, “I have you in my heart” (Phil. 1:7).
Conclusion
If the concept of the heart (לֵבָב, καρδία) is understood within its biblical parameters, then it is completely biblical to tell someone that they should ask Jesus into their heart. However, Platt and others are also justified to critique modern evangelistic methodologies. The problem is neither with asking Jesus into one’s heart nor the language employed. Rather, the problem is with an unbiblical understanding of what this practice entails. Asking Jesus into your heart does not mean that you say a prayer and continue to live like you were. Conferring with Platt’s assessment, the salvation prayer should not afford a false sense of assurance. Instead, the practice of asking Jesus into your heart includes surrendering every aspect of your life to Almighty God. Worded another way, you are handing over the controls of your life to Jesus when you ask him into your heart. You are giving Jesus the license to direct you, fill your life with the Spirit of God, and to enter the citizenship of God’s kingdom. Asking Jesus into your heart means that you are totally forfeiting your rights, your opinions, your thoughts, and practices into the awe-inspiring love and peace of the Creator of the cosmos. Yes, asking Jesus into your heart is completely biblical, so long as you understand what such the practice includes.
About the Author
Brian G. Chilton is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Theology and Apologetics program at Liberty University. He is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast and the founder of Bellator Christi. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); earned a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and plans to pursue philosophical studies in the future. Brian is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society.
Brian has served in pastoral ministry for nearly 20 years and currently serves as a clinical hospice chaplain. Additionally, he serves as an editor for the Eleutheria Journal. At the prompting of the Lord, Brian established Bellator Christi Ministries in 2012. The ministry is aimed to provide readily available resources in theology, apologetics, biblical studies, and philosophy to those who want to know what Christianity teaches and why it should be believed. In 2019, Brian published his first book entitled the Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics. After finishing his Ph.D., Brian intends to publish more books. His areas of expertise include early NT creeds, near-death experiences, biblical reliability, the blend of divine sovereignty and human freedom, and the need for empathy.
https://www.amazon.com/Laymans-Manual-Christian-Apologetics-Essentials/dp/1532697104
Notes
[1] Trevin Wax, “Is It Biblical to Ask Jesus Into Your Heart?,” thegospelcoalition.org (May 16, 2012), https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/is-it-biblical-to-ask-jesus-into-your-heart/, accessed June 6, 2022.
[2] Jonathon Lookadoo, “Body,” Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series, Douglas Mangum, et. al., eds (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014), Logos Bible Software.
[3] Unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture comes from the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman, 2020).
[4] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 320.
[5] The early confession ends with verse 9. This confession, like most other early creeds, most likely dates to no later than two years after the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
© 2022. BellatorChristi.com.
Can unbelievers be reasonable, even if not infallible, to refuse to “accept Jesus into their heart”, on the grounds that because fundamentalists disagree with each other so much on the efficacy of prayer and over the Easy Grace v. Lordship Salvation controversy, it is foolish to anybody to expect spiritually dead unbelievers to correctly determine which camp is “right”?
How long can spiritually dead people safely delay the day of their salvation on the grounds that they are still studying these disagreements about bible-believing conservative Christians? Or should they, being spiritually dead anyway, conclude that no amount of study on their part will ever reasonably yield a reasonably confident conclusion?
If an unbeliever dies in a traffic accident on the way to the library to check out a book on apologetics or the Lordship Salvation controversy, does he go to hell because he didn’t have Jesus? Does he go to heaven because at least he was open to researching? Or does he get a “second chance” in the afterworld, as Lydia McGrew speculates is possible?
Your answers will decide the degree to which the danger of unbelief is “urgent” and therefore, the degree to which the unbeliever should be concerned that eternal life is a higher priority than, say, some earthly goal such as doing laundry.
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