ANNOUNCER: Christians are often guilty of using evangelical jargon. What are some of the words, phrases, misused expressions we use as Christians that are not in the Bible? Where do they come from? How do they end up as false appeals for evangelism and discipleship? How do evangelism and discipleship get mixed up so much? Hey, friend, we’re glad you’re joining us today. This is Grace in Focus and it is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org. We are inviting all of our friends to come and join us at our national annual conference. It is happening in May, coming up soon, May 18th through the 21st. Get all the information you need, get registered, first timers wave the registration fee, plan to come and be with us for this wonderful time of fellowship and teaching, VBS for the kids. Get the information you need at faithalone.org. 

And now with today’s question and answer discussion, here is Bob Wilkin, along with Ken Yates. 

KEN: Bob, we got a question from John. What he says is he wants to talk about this issue of using words or expressions that are not in the Scriptures that I would add, they become part of Evangelical jargon. We hear them all the time. 

BOB: So he’s basically talking about misusing expressions that aren’t really biblical and don’t actually reflect what the Bible teaches. 

KEN: Right, or even using discipleship phrases for evangelism. 

BOB: Or using improper discipleship phrases. Lots of people have incorrect ideas on what we need to do to grow and mature in the faith. 

KEN: Right, he mentions one in particular. He talks about the phrase “surrender to Christ.” I remember a few years ago that came up in a Bible study I was in, even I was surprised to find out it doesn’t even occur the New Testament. 

BOB: Never? 

KEN: No, it doesn’t occur. But I mean, how often do we hear it? You know, even the song, I surrender. I Surrender All. As I remember, the word surrender doesn’t even occur in the New Testament. I’m sure some people would say, well, the concept. 

BOB: Well, deny yourself to give us a follow me. I get it there, but it doesn’t say surrender. 

KEN: Right, but we use that phrase all the time. And so John is asking the question, shouldn’t that be a warning to us that we’re using these phrases, you know, like “surrender to Christ?” Now we just talked about, you know, evangelism or discipleship. When we hear that, what does the person mean by that? 

BOB: Well, exactly. And you know, what I would say when they say “surrender to Christ,” one question I would have is, are they saying to do that in order to be born again? 

KEN: Well, that’s what I’m saying. 

BOB: Are they saying surrender to Christ in order to grow and mature as a Christian? I would say both would be wrong. 

KEN: Yeah, I do too. 

BOB: And the second is wrong only because it has the wrong idea. Of course, if you understand it right, surrendering to Christ could even be right for evangelism. If by that, you mean, remember, what was the name of the Syrian general? Wasn’t it Naaman?

KEN: Yes, Naaman, 2 Kings 5.

BOB: And he comes to the prophet. Wasn’t that Elijah he comes to or Elisha? 

KEN: Elisha.

BOB: So he comes to Elisha and he wants to be healed from leprosy. He’s heard that he can heal him. And so what does Elisha tell him he’s supposed to do? 

KEN: Go dip in the Jordan. 

BOB: How many times? 

KEN: Seven times. 

BOB: Okay. And what is Naaman’s response? 

KEN: He goes, there’s better rivers. Well, first off, he’s mad because Elisha didn’t come out to meet him. Elisha has sent someone to tell him, right? He doesn’t even come out himself. And he’s got all this money he’s going to give him and he’s coming from the king with these letters and all these other things. Elisha didn’t come out. 

BOB: And he’s saying, look, we got better rivers back in Syria. And then what do his men say? 

KEN: Well, you’ve come all this way. Why not do what the man told you to do? 

BOB: Yeah. And didn’t they say, if he had given you something hard to do, wouldn’t you have done it? And so if he gives you something easy to do, why don’t you do it? So he goes to the Jordan, dips seven times and lo and behold, he’s healed. Well, if you think that the way to be born again is by surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ and in your view, that means obeying him and doing all the hard things. And then you find out that what Jesus said is “He who believes in Me has everlasting life.” And when He’s asked “What works must we do that we may work the works of God?” John 6:28, His answer is this is the work, singular, that you believe whom He sent. 

So in an evangelistic sense to surrender to Jesus is to believe in Him for everlasting life and to give up my crazy thinking that somehow by following Him and serving Him, I can somehow merit eternal life. 

KEN: I remember as a boy being in Baptist churches and when I heard them sing, I Surrender All, that’s not what I remember thinking. That’s not what the people in the pews thought. 

BOB: That’s not what John means here either. We’re saying when he hears that, it bothers him. It bothers me too. But my point is that’s also not the way we’re sanctified. The way we’re sanctified is by having God take the Word of God and renewing our minds. Romans 12:2 or 2 Corinthians 3:18. This would be one example of a bad appeal or language that’s actually imposed. But you’ve got some more examples. 

KEN: Connected to that when people use the word, I’m dedicated or I’m committed to serve him. 

BOB: Okay. I’ve heard that a lot and people say, you know, you need to be determined. You need to be dedicated. You need to. 

KEN: Oh, wait a second. How about this? I rededicate my life. 

BOB: I rededicate. 

KEN: Oh, I hear that all the time. 

BOB: Not only am I dedicating, but now I’m rededicating. 

KEN: Rededicating. There’s another phrase. 

BOB: Yeah. Well, the problem with all of that is the Scriptures do not teach that we grow and mature in the faith by some level of dedication or commitment. We grow in the faith by being part of the believing community, being in a local assembly and hearing the word of God taught, week in and week out. And my mind is renewed and when my mind is renewed, then Paul says, my behavior is transformed, right? It’s not. I transform my behavior and then my mind follows. It’s the other way around. 

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BOB: You can be dedicated till the cows come home. If you’re not getting the word of God into your mind and having it change your thinking, all the dedication and commitment in the world isn’t going to sanctify you. 

KEN: It reminds me of New Year’s resolutions. Yeah, I’m going to make a new dedication now. This year I’m going to start off and—

BOB: You know how long they say those last—about a week. 

KEN: That’s right. And so instead of being transformed by the renewing of our minds, as you just said, we’re going through this rigamarole where I’m going to rededicate myself or surrender myself. Evangelicals use these phrases. 

BOB: Now I have no problem with someone saying, Lord, I want to please you today. Lord, I love you. Lord, I want to please you. That’s fine. But I know that’s not the basis of my growing in the faith. The basis of my growing in the faith is God giving me the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16. God changing my thinking. And as my mind is renewed, my behavior. Oh, that’s why Christianity is basically a battle for our minds. 

KEN: What about the spiritual disciplines? We use that phrase a lot. 

BOB: Practice the spiritual disciplines. 

KEN: Practice the spiritual disciplines. Is that a biblical term? 

BOB: Have a quiet time. I know people say, well, Daniel prayed so many times a day. And David prayed so many times a day. We have calls in, for example, Psalm 119, to meditate on God’s Word, etc. Well, sure, all those things are important. Prayer is important. Meditation is important. Bible reading is important. Hearing the Bible taught is important, singing in worship is all important. But there’s nothing in Scripture that says, if I do those things, that’s going to guarantee that I mature in the faith. 

KEN: And if I do it in a legalistic manner, I’m guaranteed it won’t. I know. You know, if I say, okay, I want to read so many verses today. I did it today. And I checked that all kind off. 

BOB: Quick story. I’ve told this before, but Art Farstad had had a guy in his church that thought he had to read 10 chapters of the Bible a day. And when Art was preaching, this guy was reading his Scripture, because he couldn’t keep up with the 10 chapters a day. And so Art, one of the great Bible teachers of all time, he wasn’t listening to him because he had some legalistic—where in the Bible does this, that we have to read 10 chapters a day or even one chapter a day? It doesn’t. 

KEN: Now, what about the phrase, “let go and let God” or “don’t try, rely?” 

BOB: Yeah, that’s called Keswick theology. And there’s some truth in it. We are to realize that God gives us the strength to obey Him. But it’s wrong in the sense that Paul says the hardworking farmer ought to receive the first fruits of the harvest. And Paul says, I fought the good fight. I finished the race. I kept the faith. Clearly there’s effort involved in the Christian life and hard effort involved in the Christian life. It’s not “don’t try, rely.” It’s “try as you rely” or it’s not “let go and let God.” It’s “go and let God.” But we’re told by Peter that “He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness.” So we know that God has given us what we need to do what He calls us to do. So we shouldn’t go about “woe is me,” I need to somehow let go. You know, people say, “He’s the hand and we’re the glove.” And so we just kind of let go and He does it. 

Well, remember the story of the farmer and the pastor’s a new pastor at this rural church and he goes out to meet the farmer and he said, “My, this is a wonderful farm that God has given you.” And the farmer who works 16 hour a day almost all year round is somewhat miffed and he said, “Yeah, it really is Pastor. But you should have seen it when God had it all by himself.” Because it almost sounds like the man didn’t do anything. 

KEN: Well, it’s interesting. You know, Paul at the end of his life says, I have kept the faith. I have finished the course Paul would have recognized that it was the power of Christ that did it, but Paul had to say so in it. 

BOB: He said I’ve been crucified with Christ and it’s no longer I who live. But the life which I live in the flesh, I live by faith, both are true. 

KEN: And in the last minute we have here, let’s just talk about phrases that are used in evangelism. I’m just going to read three of them and “invite Jesus into your heart,” “make him Lord of your life,” none of these phrases are in the Bible, and then “walk the aisle.” 

BOB: Okay, the problem with all three is these actually are counterproductive. They move people away from what they need to do to be born again. They need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, right? When Paul’s asked, what must I do to be saved? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Inviting Him in is not believing in Jesus Christ. 

KEN: Then I think that because I’ve said this prayer, He’s in my heart now, or because I’ve walked the aisle, okay, I’ve confessed Him or whatever. 

BOB: Or because I’ve called him, “made him Lord of my life.” 

KEN: Right, whatever that means. 

BOB: Yeah, all of that is some kind of works righteousness. Even the “inviting into my heart,” what that is is magic thinking. Okay, you mean if I say the special words, so give me the magic words, right? But you can’t find the magic words in the Bible. So people make up sinner’s prayers, right? 

KEN: Even the TV evangelists say now repeat this prayer after me. And so people just, it’s bad. 

BOB: But Lord Jesus never did that and the apostles never did that. 

KEN: John, you’re right. There’s a lot of these verses or a lot of these phrases and words that are not in the Bible. And we need to be Biblical in our thinking and in our communication. 

So thanks for the question, John. And remember keep grace in focus. 

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On our next episode: what will the eternal state be like? We’re going to speculate just a little bit. It’ll be fun. Please join us and until then, let’s keep grace in focus.