By Thabiti Anyabwile.
Some facts about it:
1. The altar call is simply and completely absent from the pages of the N.T. It is historically absent until the 19th century, and its use at that time (via Charles Finney) was directly based upon bad theology and a man-centered, manipulative methodology.
2. The altar call very easily confuses the physical act of “coming forward” with the spiritual act of “coming to Christ.” These two can happen simultaneously, but too often people believe that coming to Christ is going forward (and vice-versa).
3. The altar call can easily deceive people about the reality of their spiritual state and the biblical basis for assurance. The Bible never offers us assurance on the ground that we “went forward.”
4. The altar call can sometimes mislead to think that salvation (or any official response to God’s Word) happens primarily on Sundays, only at the end of the service, and only “up front.”
These facts as for me it makes sense, so assurance that Jesus Christ is in a person, is the manifestation of Holy Spirit in that person and not just 'coming forward' as a means that imply 'coming to Jesus'.
Kwa namna hiyo iwe umeenda mbele madhabahuni ama umesimama ulipo kanisani, iwe ni jumapili kanisani ama siku za kati ya wiki mtaani, kama Warumi 10:9-10 inavyosema katika Biblia takatifu, shida sasa haiko katika kukiri kwa kinywa (wengi huambiwa wakiri na hufanya hivyo kama mtumishi wa Mungu awaongozavyo katika ukiri huo), bali ni kule kuamini moyoni ili uokolewe (sasa ni kwa kiwango gani umeamini? umeamini kwa asilimia mia ulichokiri kwa habari ya Bwana Yesu?).
Kujua hilo kunafanya altar call iwe na thamani na maana iliyokusudia na Bwana, lakini ni kweli kabisa si kila anayesogea mbele ya madhabahu kukiri na kusali sala ya toba anaokolewa saa na wakati ule, sababu ya moyoni ayajuaye ni mwanadamu mwenyewe na Mungu, hivyo hata mtumishi wa Mungu amuaminishe baada ya toba ya kuwa sasa umeokoka na kuwa kiumbe kipya saa nyingine inaweza isiwe hivyo kwa wakati huo na hii inatokana na mtu mwenyewe alivyoweka moyo wake na Mungu na pia kutimia kwa majira ya Mungu kwa mtu huyo kujiliwa na Bwana.
Nihitimishe hivi, hakuna ajuaye saa na wakati sahihi wokovu kamili ujapo kwa mwanadamu iwe mwanadamu mwenyewe ama mtumishi wa Mungu amuongozaye sala, ni Mungu ndiye ajuaye japo katika hili utayari wa moyo ni wa mwanadamu na jawabu la wokovu ni la Mungu. Tumeshuhudia wengi wakienda mbele ya kanisani kukiri na kusali sala ya toba na kisha kuishi maisha yaleyale ya zamani ya uovu, na saa nyingine wao wenyewe kukiri hawaoni tofauti ya kabla na baada ya wokovu walioambiwa kuwa wameupokea kwa Bwana huku wakiaminishwa waendelee kuishi katika imani hiyo kuwa wameshaokoka hali ya kuwa hawana shuhuda ndani yao ya kuwaaminisha katika hilo.
Nakolezea kwa kusema; magumu sana maisha ya wokovu wa kubambikiziwa na kuaminishwa na hali ndani yako imani haijashiba kuamini hivyo, ama maisha ya wokovu wa kuiga na kuigiza, hivyo kama kweli umeokoka na nafsi yako iwe huru kwa Bwana nawe uchukie na kuacha uovu, na uwe na amani ya Kristo ndani yako katika yote ili mapenzi ya Mungu yatimizwe kwako.
Some facts about it:
1. The altar call is simply and completely absent from the pages of the N.T. It is historically absent until the 19th century, and its use at that time (via Charles Finney) was directly based upon bad theology and a man-centered, manipulative methodology.
2. The altar call very easily confuses the physical act of “coming forward” with the spiritual act of “coming to Christ.” These two can happen simultaneously, but too often people believe that coming to Christ is going forward (and vice-versa).
3. The altar call can easily deceive people about the reality of their spiritual state and the biblical basis for assurance. The Bible never offers us assurance on the ground that we “went forward.”
4. The altar call can sometimes mislead to think that salvation (or any official response to God’s Word) happens primarily on Sundays, only at the end of the service, and only “up front.”
These facts as for me it makes sense, so assurance that Jesus Christ is in a person, is the manifestation of Holy Spirit in that person and not just 'coming forward' as a means that imply 'coming to Jesus'.
Kwa namna hiyo iwe umeenda mbele madhabahuni ama umesimama ulipo kanisani, iwe ni jumapili kanisani ama siku za kati ya wiki mtaani, kama Warumi 10:9-10 inavyosema katika Biblia takatifu, shida sasa haiko katika kukiri kwa kinywa (wengi huambiwa wakiri na hufanya hivyo kama mtumishi wa Mungu awaongozavyo katika ukiri huo), bali ni kule kuamini moyoni ili uokolewe (sasa ni kwa kiwango gani umeamini? umeamini kwa asilimia mia ulichokiri kwa habari ya Bwana Yesu?).
Kujua hilo kunafanya altar call iwe na thamani na maana iliyokusudia na Bwana, lakini ni kweli kabisa si kila anayesogea mbele ya madhabahu kukiri na kusali sala ya toba anaokolewa saa na wakati ule, sababu ya moyoni ayajuaye ni mwanadamu mwenyewe na Mungu, hivyo hata mtumishi wa Mungu amuaminishe baada ya toba ya kuwa sasa umeokoka na kuwa kiumbe kipya saa nyingine inaweza isiwe hivyo kwa wakati huo na hii inatokana na mtu mwenyewe alivyoweka moyo wake na Mungu na pia kutimia kwa majira ya Mungu kwa mtu huyo kujiliwa na Bwana.
Nihitimishe hivi, hakuna ajuaye saa na wakati sahihi wokovu kamili ujapo kwa mwanadamu iwe mwanadamu mwenyewe ama mtumishi wa Mungu amuongozaye sala, ni Mungu ndiye ajuaye japo katika hili utayari wa moyo ni wa mwanadamu na jawabu la wokovu ni la Mungu. Tumeshuhudia wengi wakienda mbele ya kanisani kukiri na kusali sala ya toba na kisha kuishi maisha yaleyale ya zamani ya uovu, na saa nyingine wao wenyewe kukiri hawaoni tofauti ya kabla na baada ya wokovu walioambiwa kuwa wameupokea kwa Bwana huku wakiaminishwa waendelee kuishi katika imani hiyo kuwa wameshaokoka hali ya kuwa hawana shuhuda ndani yao ya kuwaaminisha katika hilo.
Nakolezea kwa kusema; magumu sana maisha ya wokovu wa kubambikiziwa na kuaminishwa na hali ndani yako imani haijashiba kuamini hivyo, ama maisha ya wokovu wa kuiga na kuigiza, hivyo kama kweli umeokoka na nafsi yako iwe huru kwa Bwana nawe uchukie na kuacha uovu, na uwe na amani ya Kristo ndani yako katika yote ili mapenzi ya Mungu yatimizwe kwako.
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