The Altar Call – Is It Biblical?

By Jeff Noblit,
From the Effectual Grace Website

We are so used to seeing the altar call in a Christian service that we are shocked to learn that it is a fairly recent invention in Church history. Modern church historians trace its origin to the ministry of Charles G. Finney. Though honored by many in our day as a champion of the faith, his beliefs and teachings could only place him in the “heretic” category. He vehemently denied the doctrines of original sin, justification by faith alone and the substitutionary atonement of Christ. If I found such a person, I would endeavor to share the gospel with him, in spite of his apparent love of high morals and for “Christianity.”

We would be shocked further to learn that Evangelists like George Whitefield and Charles Spurgeon, never used the modern day altar call, and yet were mightily used of God to see tens of thousands brought to Christ. The altar call, in historical terms, is a modern day fad.

In ministry overseas some years back, I was told by the pastor that my preaching was a complete failure because I did not end the sermon with an altar call. That experience weighed very heavily upon my soul for some time, as I am sure you can imagine.

Are Alter Calls Biblical?

Perhaps we have never stopped to ask the question, “are Altar Calls Biblical?” Such is the strong tradition this practice has in our religion. Yet if we do pause to consider this question, the answer emerges fairly quickly that there is nothing of the modern day altar call found in sacred Scripture. There is simply command to repent and believe in Christ and His gospel. In the New Testament era, this was followed by the summons to be baptized in water. Only those who did so were counted as being “added to the Church.”

In considering this question for quite some time, I am convinced that the practice of the altar call (especially the way it is often used as full assurance of salvation is given to all who walk to the front of a church and say a prayer) can actually be extremely dangerous. There is a big difference between a profession of faith and the possession of faith. The faith we have should be professed, but profession by itself is no indication that genuine faith resides in the heart. To be genuine, it has to be the outflow of a new heart, born of the Spirit of God – a miracle far more amazing than anything we could witness in merely physical terms. That which is born of the flesh is still flesh. Unless someone is genuinely born again, they cannot enter the kingdom of God, no matter what assurance is given by the preacher.

In saying this, I realize the harsh reality that in the past, I have been guilty of this exact charge. I did it, not really thinking it all through and following the lead of my teachers in the faith (who, no doubt, were doing the same). Oh how I wish I could go back and correct my error. I have told precious human souls that by walking the aisle of the church and saying the prayer I led them to pray, they are now assured of their place in heaven. Jesus of course said otherwise – that in fact many will say to Me “Lord, Lord” but that He will say “depart from Me you workers of iniquity for I never knew You.” Dear God forgive me, and may this great sin and folly be forgiven me when I stand to give an account before your judgment seat.

Early in the 1970′s Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones was the speaker at a ministers’ conference in the USA and at a question and answer session he was asked the following:

“During recent years, especially in England, among evangelicals of the Reformed faith, there has been a rising criticism of the invitation system as used by Billy Graham and others. Does Scripture justify the use of such public invitations or not?”

Answer: “Well, it is difficult to answer this in a brief compass without being misunderstood. Let me answer it like this: The history of this invitation system is one with which you people ought to be more familiar than anyone else, because it began in America. It began in the 1820s; the real originator of it was Charles G. Finney. It led to a great controversy. Asahel Nettleton, a great Calvinist and successful evangelist, never issued an “altar call” nor asked people to come to the “anxious seat.” These new methods in the 182Os were condemned for many reasons by all who took the Reformed position.

One reason is that there is no evidence that this was done in New Testament times, because then they trusted to the power of the Spirit. Peter preaching on the Day of Pentecost under the power of the Spirit, for instance, had no need to call people forward in decision because, as you remember, the people were so moved and affected by the power of the Word and Spirit that they actually interrupted the preacher, crying out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” That has been the traditional Reformed attitude towards this particular matter. The moment you begin to introduce this other element, you are bringing a psychological element. The invitation should be in the message. We believe the Spirit applies the message, so we trust in the power of the Spirit. I personally agree with what has been said in the question. I have never called people forward at the end for this reason; there is a grave danger of people coming forward before they are ready to come forward. We do believe in the work of the Spirit, that He convicts and converts, and He will do His work. There is a danger in bringing people to a “birth,” as it were, before they are ready for it.

The Puritans in particular were afraid of what they would call “a temporary faith” or “a false profession.” There was a great Puritan, Thomas Shepard, who published a famous series of sermons on The Ten Virgins. The great point of that book was to deal with this problem of a false profession. The foolish virgins thought they were all right. This is a very great danger.

I can sum it up by putting it like this: I feel that this pressure which is put upon people to come forward in decision ultimately is due to a lack of faith in the work and operation of the Holy Spirit. We are to preach the Word, and if we do it properly, there will be a call to a decision that comes in the message, and then we leave it to the Spirit to act upon people. And of course He does. Some may come immediately at the close of the service to see the minister. I think there should always be an indication that the minister will be glad to see anybody who wants to put questions to him or wants further help. But that is a very different thing from putting pressure upon people to come forward. I feel it is wrong to put pressure directly on the will. The order in Scripture seems to be this – the truth is presented to the mind, which moves the heart, and that in turn moves the will.”

Here’s an interesting quote in this regard:

“When the presence and the power of Jesus leaves, we go to other stuff to get things to happen. You don’t need to alter the gospel, you don’t need to soften the demands of the gospel – which is to alter the gospel. Think about Jesus’ ‘closing statements’ if you want to call it the invitation. Jesus would just say ‘Repent.’ He’d say, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.’ He’d say ‘Deny yourself.’ He’d say ‘Hate your father and mother, brothers and sisters, in comparison to your love for me.’ How about that for an invitation?”

The narrative text of Jesus’ sermons shows that he did not sit around and beg folks to follow him. He gave the gospel, and the next thing they saw was his back as he was walking away.

I’ve heard people say, ‘Well, Jesus had people come publicly, so we ought to ask people to come publicly.’ I don’t want you to just come publicly, I want you to live the rest of your life for him. I want you to do more than just get to the front….I want you to get to Him, and love Him, and joy in Him, and treasure Him, so that the totality of your life begins to look like one who’s following Him.

We’ve got ten million southern Baptists who walked somebody’s aisle, and prayed somebody’s prayer and checked somebody’s card and raised their hand….we’ve got ten million of them that do not come to church. And when they face Jesus one day, at the Judgment Bar, they’re going to quote some preacher….. ‘Well, Pastor said if I’d come to the front…I did that. Pastor said if I prayed that prayer….I did that.’

Do you not realize that if you give the flesh a hoop to jump, the flesh will do it every time? But one thing the flesh cannot do is cause your spirit to be born again.”