# Accept Jesus as your Personal Lord and Savior



## BobVigneault (May 11, 2007)

Hey all my personal brothers and personal sisters on the board. Can we get an idea when this phrase got it's start? I'm betting 90% of all Christian websites answer the question of "How to be saved?" with "You must ACCEPT Jesus as your PERSONAL Lord and Savior".

Did this start with personal Finney? Does it go back further? This phrase is much more popular than any verse or doctrine actually FOUND in the Bible. Oops, I mean the personal Bible. So what do you think, personally? Do you know people who use this phrase. Your personal pastor perhaps? Personally, it's one of my pet peeves.


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## JM (May 11, 2007)

There is this:



> In connection with this, preachers often tell people, "God has a wonderful plan for your life," or something to that effect. This is indeed true concerning the elect. As Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." But we must not indiscriminately apply this to all of humanity, since it is not true of all of humanity. It would be a lie to tell the reprobate that God has a wonderful plan for his life, precisely because God has a terrible plan for his life, one that will end in futility, destruction, and everlasting conscious torment in hell.


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## Staphlobob (May 11, 2007)

BobVigneault said:


> Hey all my personal brothers and personal sisters on the board. Can we get an idea when this phrase got it's start? I'm betting 90% of all Christian websites answer the question of "How to be saved?" with "You must ACCEPT Jesus as your PERSONAL Lord and Savior".
> 
> Did this start with personal Finney? Does it go back further? This phrase is much more popular than any verse or doctrine actually FOUND in the Bible. Oops, I mean the personal Bible. So what do you think, personally? Do you know people who use this phrase. Your personal pastor perhaps? Personally, it's one of my pet peeves.



I don't think I could find any references right off the bat, but it's my understanding that people like Edwards (as well as others who held closely to the doctrines of grace) would use such a phrase.


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## Chris (May 11, 2007)

BobVigneault said:


> Hey all my personal brothers and personal sisters on the board. Can we get an idea when this phrase got it's start? I'm betting 90% of all Christian websites answer the question of "How to be saved?" with "You must ACCEPT Jesus as your PERSONAL Lord and Savior".
> 
> Did this start with personal Finney? Does it go back further? This phrase is much more popular than any verse or doctrine actually FOUND in the Bible. Oops, I mean the personal Bible. So what do you think, personally? Do you know people who use this phrase. Your personal pastor perhaps? Personally, it's one of my pet peeves.



It's a euphemism. 

We wouldn't want to offend anyone by talling about the need to repent of sin. That might hurt their self-esteem. 

[/robert schueller]


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## tdowns (May 11, 2007)

*Another reaction.....*

1st....any thing wrong with it in and of itself?

2nd....It occurs to me it might have been a reaction to the State/Church concept, that if you're in a Christian Nation, you're Christian. Making people, Personally, accept Christ.....this brings it to the Personal Level......of course, the flip side, is anyone whose ever said it is given the false sense that they are "magically" saved from the words of the sinner's prayer, so basically, same thing....I have a Christian family and Nation, I'm saved....I said some words at a meeting, I'm saved....

Just some thoughts......


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## Herald (May 11, 2007)

Personally, I hate to get personal about personal issues.


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## Davidius (May 11, 2007)

tdowns007 said:


> 1st....any thing wrong with it in and of itself?
> 
> 2nd....It occurs to me it might have been a reaction to the State/Church concept, that if you're in a Christian Nation, you're Christian. Making people, Personally, accept Christ.....this brings it to the Personal Level......of course, the flip side, is anyone whose ever said it is given the false sense that they are "magically" saved from the words of the sinner's prayer, so basically, same thing....I have a Christian family and Nation, I'm saved....I said some words at a meeting, I'm saved....
> 
> Just some thoughts......



There's a way in which it's correct because it rejects the Roman Catholic doctrine of implicit faith. The individual cannot just "take the Church's word" for something; he must repent and believe as an individual. And like you said, one is not a Christian merely because of an upbringing in a Christian household or society. But it does take away from the emphasis in the Bible on the Church as a collective organism - the body of Christ. Christ saves individuals but he's saving them in order to make them a part of His people. Too many today, including some in my own immediate family, have a mentality of "me and my bible." This is not the way things are put in the New Testament. 

Also, there are certain aspects of the "personal relationship" stressed in some circles, such as the Charismatic ones of which I used to be a part in which "intimacy with God" was stressed in an unbiblical fashion, that destroy the necessity, beauty, and mystery of God's ordained means of grace. Many treat God as though he were their chum with whom they like to "hang out." I heard it said many times that we spend time with God in the same way we spend time with our friends. But from what I've learned since coming into a Reformed church and taking a closer look at the bible I don't see how this is true. It seems overly mystical. We commune with God through the Word, the sacraments, and prayer. And being in the presence of God corporately, which I believe is most emphasized in the New Testament, and using the aforementioned means of grace, takes away from some of the "personal"-ness that gets pushed so much. In the modern American Church there is a _huge_ lack of understanding of and appreciation for corporate worship in general, and the preached word and the sacraments in particular. This is because they are seen as, at best, a "nice thing to do" compared to the _real_ deal, which is the time spent alone with God during the week.


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## tdowns (May 11, 2007)

*Right on.....*

Well said.....


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## Guido's Brother (May 11, 2007)

Maybe it originates with Ursinus and Olevianus:

"...For one of two things must be true:
either Jesus is not a complete Saviour,
or those who by true faith accept this Saviour
must find in him all that is necessary for their salvation."

Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 30 (among others)


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## jaybird0827 (May 12, 2007)

*To the original Poster*

Bob,

This article by Dr. Kim Riddlebarger is worth the read.

http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com/the-latest-post/2007/3/13/why-john-macarthur-is-not-reformed.html

Now I understand much better,

Why it bothers me when "Presbyterians" use terminology like "personal Saviour".

That there is much more to being "reformed" than believing TULIP.

...

Back to lurking.


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