As believers, it's expedient we have precise knowledge of certain terms we use especially when there is no direct reference to such in the Bible. A good example is "giving your life to Christ".


It might interest you to know that there is no SINGLE place in the entire bible where this phrase is used in connection to salvation. However, this is the most widely used expression among the clergy when inviting people to receive salvation. The Congregants are usually encouraged to come forward and "give their lives to Christ". I bet you've also responded to such calls at least once before. The danger inherent in this is that, the expression "giving your life to Christ" is the exact opposite of what salvation is.


You have no life to give.


Yes! A sinner has no life to give. The Bible describes a sinner as DEAD.


Ephesians 2:1

You used to be DEAD because of your offenses and sins,


A sinner is dead, hence he cannot give any life. So it will be hilarious for me to tell a dead man to give his life to Christ. Contrary to giving, what happens at salvation is that man RECEIVES. At salvation, man is not the giver, the giver is CHRIST. The role of man is simply to RECEIVE. 


John 10:27-28

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.


From the above verses, you can clearly see that CHRIST is the GIVER OF ETERNAL LIFE while MAN only RECEIVES ETERNAL LIFE. And this takes place at the point of salvation. Hence, to tell sinners to come forward and "give their lives" to Christ is strictly unbiblical. Some Clergy even go as far as praying to God to "write the name of the converts in the book of life". I wonder who the Pastor thinks he is. Maybe a co-saviour with Christ. Such prayer is born out of a deficient knowledge of what salvation is.


This wrong expression has hindered many from having a precise knowledge of salvation. Hence, you see them boast about their salvation as if they got it by their determination and self efforts. Salvation is strictly by grace through Faith. Nothing more, nothing less! This was clearly stated by Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians.


Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.


It's quite simple. As far as salvation is concerned, God takes all the glory. So in our attempt to preach the gospel, we must stick with the same terms the apostles used. Let's take a look at few references from the scriptures where the gospel was preached by the apostles of Christ and see what they asked the people to do.


Acts 16:30-31

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 


Did you notice the reply? BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST not GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.


Acts 4:4

Howbeit many of them which heard the word BELIEVED; and the number of the men was about five thousand.


Again, when they heard the gospel, the response of the people was to simply BELIEVE not GIVE THEIR LIFE.


Acts 8:37

And Philip said, If thou BELIEVETH with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 


Here, after preaching to the Ethiopian Eunuch, what Philip requested was for him to simply BELIEVE and that was exactly what the Eunuch did. He simply said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" not "I give my life to Jesus the son of God".


See one more bible reference:


Acts 8:12

But when they BELIEVED Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 


The response of the people here was also BELIEVING not GIVING.



In the Bible, the word "receive is used synonymously to the word "believe" as pertaining to the gospel. See this verse:


Acts 8:14

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had RECEIVED the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:


This was the same Samaria Luke reported that they BELIEVED the gospel Philip preached to them. So in this instance, the word "BELIEVED" and "RECEIVED" were used interchangeably.


Acts 11:1

And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also RECEIVED the word of God.


The word "received" as used here is the same as "believed" the word of God.


Apostle John in his synoptic gospel also made use of these words interchangeably.


John 1:11-12


 He came unto his own, and his own RECEIVED him not. But as many as RECEIVED him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE on his name: 


Also, Apostle Paul used the same word when admonishing the Colossians.


Colossians 2:6

As ye have therefore RECEIVED Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:


"Received Christ" here is same as "believed Christ" because he was certainly referring to when they got saved.


From these biblical references, you must have seen that nothing suggests GIVING at the point of salvation. TO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL IS TO RECEIVE CHRIST. 


So you never GAVE your life to Christ for you to be saved. You only RECEIVED ETERNAL LIFE the moment you BELIEVED THE GOSPEL.


Clear?

Stay blessed!

akinemma1:
As believers, it's expedient we have precise knowledge of certain terms we use especially when there is no direct reference to such in the Bible. A good example is "giving your life to Christ".


It might interest you to know that there is no SINGLE place in the entire bible where this phrase is used in connection to salvation. However, this is the most widely used expression among the clergy when inviting people to receive salvation. The Congregants are usually encouraged to come forward and "give their lives to Christ". I bet you've also responded to such calls at least once before. The danger inherent in this is that, the expression "giving your life to Christ" is the exact opposite of what salvation is.


You have no life to give.


Yes! A sinner has no life to give. The Bible describes a sinner as DEAD.


Ephesians 2:1

You used to be DEAD because of your offenses and sins,


A sinner is dead, hence he cannot give any life. So it will be hilarious for me to tell a dead man to give his life to Christ. Contrary to giving, what happens at salvation is that man RECEIVES. At salvation, man is not the giver, the giver is CHRIST. The role of man is simply to RECEIVE. 


John 10:27-28

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.


From the above verses, you can clearly see that CHRIST is the GIVER OF ETERNAL LIFE while MAN only RECEIVES ETERNAL LIFE. And this takes place at the point of salvation. Hence, to tell sinners to come forward and "give their lives" to Christ is strictly unbiblical. Some Clergy even go as far as praying to God to "write the name of the converts in the book of life". I wonder who the Pastor thinks he is. Maybe a co-saviour with Christ. Such prayer is born out of a deficient knowledge of what salvation is.


This wrong expression has hindered many from having a precise knowledge of salvation. Hence, you see them boast about their salvation as if they got it by their determination and self efforts. Salvation is strictly by grace through Faith. Nothing more, nothing less! This was clearly stated by Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians.


Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.


It's quite simple. As far as salvation is concerned, God takes all the glory. So in our attempt to preach the gospel, we must stick with the same terms the apostles used. Let's take a look at few references from the scriptures where the gospel was preached by the apostles of Christ and see what they asked the people to do.


Acts 16:30-31

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 


Did you notice the reply? BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST not GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.


Acts 4:4

Howbeit many of them which heard the word BELIEVED; and the number of the men was about five thousand.


Again, when they heard the gospel, the response of the people was to simply BELIEVE not GIVE THEIR LIFE.


Acts 8:37

And Philip said, If thou BELIEVETH with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 


Here, after preaching to the Ethiopian Eunuch, what Philip requested was for him to simply BELIEVE and that was exactly what the Eunuch did. He simply said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" not "I give my life to Jesus the son of God".


See one more bible reference:


Acts 8:12

But when they BELIEVED Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 


The response of the people here was also BELIEVING not GIVING.



In the Bible, the word "receive is used synonymously to the word "believe" as pertaining to the gospel. See this verse:


Acts 8:14

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had RECEIVED the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:


This was the same Samaria Luke reported that they BELIEVED the gospel Philip preached to them. So in this instance, the word "BELIEVED" and "RECEIVED" were used interchangeably.


Acts 11:1

And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also RECEIVED the word of God.


The word "received" as used here is the same as "believed" the word of God.


Apostle John in his synoptic gospel also made use of these words interchangeably.


John 1:11-12


 He came unto his own, and his own RECEIVED him not. But as many as RECEIVED him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE on his name: 


Also, Apostle Paul used the same word when admonishing the Colossians.


Colossians 2:6

As ye have therefore RECEIVED Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:


"Received Christ" here is same as "believed Christ" because he was certainly referring to when they got saved.


From these biblical references, you must have seen that nothing suggests GIVING at the point of salvation. TO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL IS TO RECEIVE CHRIST. 


So you never GAVE your life to Christ for you to be saved. You only RECEIVED ETERNAL LIFE the moment you BELIEVED THE GOSPEL.


Clear?

Stay blessed!

Humm God bless you.
the gospel is no longer preached all we have is 'give your life to Jesus and live a holy life', which is not the gospel

solite3:
Humm God bless you.
the gospel is no longer preached all we have is 'give your life to Jesus and live a holy life', which is not the gospel

Exactly. I was in a church just last week Sunday and the Pastor asked people to come out and give their lives to Christ so that God can settle them. I was like what? When did settlement became the gospel. A lot of people have "given their lives to Christ" simply because they want God to change their "story to glory" and move them from "hero to zero".

akinemma1:


Exactly. I was in a church just last week Sunday and the Pastor asked people to come out and give their lives to Christ so that God can settle them. I was like what? When did settlement became the gospel. A lot of people have "given their lives to Christ" simply because they want God to change their "story to glory" and move them from "hero to zero".

it's such a pathetic situation, that's why there are more religious people but less saved people. no power because Jesus and him crucified is no longer preached.