How can we lead people to Christ?

Once again, I love the Pentecostal’s insistence that a professing Christian should not stay a ‘carnal Christian’ and should be ‘baptised in the Spirit’, because that typically means that they will counsel the professing believer to surrender to God and keep pressing into God until they experience something of God.

That might be a gift of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues, or it might be a peace that surpasses all understanding, some fruit of the Spirit, conviction, or some other evidence. Remember, it was the speaking in tongues that convinced the early believers that God wanted to save the Gentiles too (Acts 10:44-48; 11:1-18).

On the basis of the evidence of the Spirit’s work in a person—not words spoken, prayed, whether sincerely or not—is how we know a person is saved. (More on that later.)

Therefore, I would counsel Pentecostals to cease using the sinner’s prayer, and start pushing for that second stage straight away: a salvation and baptism of the Spirit at the same time, if you need to continue using that language. Interestingly, that was the attitude of the early believers, to “receive” the Spirit straight away (Acts 8:14-17). Treat it like any breakthrough that you would seek for: you keep going until you receive that breakthrough. We are coming to the same God, so we should expect to approach him the same way. Come to him in faith, in boldness, and with expectation that he will answer, and stay until he answers.

I would counsel conservatives to also cease using the sinner’s prayer. Instead, counsel people to press into God until he comes. To seek God and not give up, until he saves you (learn a thing or two from the persistence of Pente’s). To come to God humbly, in surrender, “taking up your cross”, “counting the cost”, turning away from your idols, until the Spirit is evidenced. (Indeed this is what Paul Washer describes, though he is not a Charismatic or Pentecostal.)

That’s my advice, and the following is my teaching.

Evangelical Charismatic approach to salvation

The Evangelical Charismatic at once affirms the single step process for becoming a Christian, without downplaying varying experiences of the Spirit throughout a believer’s life. Not everything comes at once to a believer, and we can go through seasons of heavy conviction, other seasons of transformation, other seasons of different gifts and callings, and yet more seasons of growth, maturity, heart change, and more. All these things are of the Spirit.

It demands surrender from the outset, like Jesus describes so eloquently (Matthew 16:24-27; 13:44-46; 19:16-30; Luke 9:57-62).

It demands that God be seen objectively, and be testable by others as in the many tests of 1 John. It also demands that God be experienced subjectively, as seen so diversely (not restricted to, for example, speaking in tongues) throughout Acts.

It’s not about following a magical formula. Look at the following variations—they are numerous! Saul was filled with the Spirit first and then subsequently baptised (Acts 9:17-18), as were some Gentiles (10:44-48). But many others received water baptism first, and then the Spirit (the 12 disciples; and those in Ephesus, 19:1-7). The Spirit is diversely described as “coming upon” people (19:6), filling people (4:31; 9:17), being a baptism (1:5)—and the outcome of this is also varied: speaking in tongues and prophesy (19:7), speaking in human languages (2:6), preaching boldly (4:31), unity (4:32), love (4:34), joy (13:52), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and more. Some waited a long time after water baptism for the Spirit, like the 12 disciples and the 120 (Acts 1-2). (Do we want to proclaim these people “carnal” up until that point?) Others received water baptism and Spirit baptism at the same time (9:17-18; 10:44-48). We could go on. But the reason why it is not a formula is because it is a relationship with a dynamic, interactive God. Therefore, it may be a little bit different for every person. That is partly why we need so many varied examples in Scripture: different parts will help different people.

Imagine if it were a formula: would we not be trusting in that formula, like a spell, rather than trusting in God? So essentially the best we can counsel is: cry out to God. Press into God until he comes. Pray until you get an answer. Seek and keep seeking! Press and keep pressing! Read Scripture and pray on it. Until you get peace, or otherwise experience something of the Spirit.

Many people counsel those evangelising about the strong importance of following new converts up. “Follow up is key”, they say. Yet, young Christians should have a thirst for Scripture. You shouldn’t have to follow them up—although you should take the initiative and offer them space to learn. (Whatever that space may look like—bible study, small group, mentoring, hearing the preaching, and so on.) As older Christians, we don’t need to focus on getting new believers to do the ‘right’ things or attend church or pray or read the Bible. We should model them these things, for sure, but not pressure them. The pressure will come from the Spirit.

Instead of a formulaic approach to discipleship, notice where the Spirit is moving in their lives and press into that. The Spirit won’t make them perfect from day one, so, while you might want to change everything for them, it ultimately won’t stick until the Spirit convicts them and gives them the power and mindset to change. Some of that empowerment comes from the church, such as through others’ encouragement, and through the offices of the church (Ephesians 4) to equip us. Some of it comes through a new understanding (Romans 10, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”). Some of it comes through new habits that we model and help them walk in. The Spirit will use that.

But ultimately, the point here is that all this work should not be a great difficulty. The new believer, if genuine, should want to be led by the Spirit and the church and read Scripture and become godly and love others. Some who are a struggle to follow up, should not be regarded—after patiently listening to them—as genuine Christians. They do not have the same heart, because if they did, they’d join you (1 John 2:19). We need to be courageously open to the possibility that they may need re-evangelising, and not naïve, nor be peddlers of a fake peace.

Closing thoughts

I love how Pentecostals are so enthusiastic about pressing into God, which for them often includes confessing and repenting of sin, and praying for holiness and righteousness. They would rarely leave a person in their sin, but encourage them out of it and pray hard for the overcoming power of God to break any stronghold over them. However, their lack of dedication to thinking through their theology leads them astray, and they should learn to lean on the thinkers of the Body. As it is, their hearts are trying to be a brain as well!

At the same time, many conservatives are thinkers but seem quite content to leave others in the church to their own devices—in their religiosity, sin, and lonely homes. They would do well to partner up with their enthusiastic brothers and sisters in the faith, and embrace the concept and reality that we are a Body. Seeking a filling of the Spirit would be a bold step, but surrendering completely to Jesus daily is the first and only necessary step ("take up your cross daily" Luke 9:23).

Together, we may just be able to be a functional Body, thinking well and practicing well; praying hard and working hard; seeking His Spirit and grounding that experience in Scripture.

May we lose the habit of turning methods into spell-like constructions, and preach that people cry out to the living God, who will answer!

This is Part 3 on a mini-series on salvation. Part 4 finishes off my analysis of Romans 7, if you were not already convinced.