Asking vs.Trusting for Salvation

Some people believe nefarious forces are at work in our world today poisoning our water systems, spreading chemtrails in our air and putting sterilizing drugs in our food, all to dumb us down and keep us from thinking for ourselves and practicing logical thought patterns.  Whether that is true or not, the fact is that very few Christians actually THINK about what they are preaching nowadays.  For if they would just read their Bibles, and think about what they read, they couldn't possibly be saying some of the illogical things they are saying and preaching in pulpits across this land. 

In this article, let's focus on the modern teaching of salvation by "ASKING" for forgiveness.  Where is this in the Bible?  Is there a verse that says a man need only beg for eternal life and forgiveness of sins, and God will grant it to him simply because he asked?  Of course not! 

In the Bible, New Testament salvation is not by ASKING, rather by BELIEVING or TRUSTING.  That is to say, salvation is by FAITH (Eph. 2:8,9) and not by WORKS.

This modern day preaching, which I've even heard among Independent Baptists, of telling a Sinner, "Just Ask Jesus to save you" is not only unbiblical, but it is illogical!   Let us look at why.

1.  ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS RUINS THE TYPE OF JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Under the law, a man had to have a sacrifice for his sins.  He was instructed by the scriptures to take a lamb to the priest and place his hand upon that lamb and sacrifice it for his sins. Once it is slaughtered, the blood is taken and offered up on the altar by the priest, and the man's sin is forgiven him.  But no where do we find the man "asking that lamb for forgiveness!"  Nor do we find the man "asking the lamb into his heart" (a popular expression today in which people instruct sinners to simply "Ask Jesus into their hearts.)

No, the sinner in the Old Testament who offered up the lamb for his sins didn't ask for anything.  He simply obeyed God by doing what he was told.  He cut the throat of that lamb and trusted the blood it shed as sufficient to forgive his sins. 

2.  ASKING FOR SALVATION DOES AWAY WITH JESUS' SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS

As we read the New Testament, we find that Jesus is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.  As a lamb, he fulfilled prophecy by dying a sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of mankind.

Jesus not only wanted to die.  He had to die, for his death, burial, and resurrection were prophecied in scripture.  And his death was the only way man could be forgiven eternally, the innocent dying for the guilty.

To tell a sinner to "Ask God to save them" is to instruct them to come to God apart from that sacrifice on Calvary.  For if a person could by saved by simply "asking God for forgiveness" then why did Jesus die?  

God could have simply stayed in heaven and said, "Okay, I'm going to start a new dispensation.  Anyone who simply asks me to save them, I'll give eternal life!"  But did God do this?  Most certainly not!  Instead, he choose to send his son Jesus to die for the sins of man.  And then he said, "All those who accept this sacrifice by faith will be saved!"  

See, then, how the "asking Gospel" does away with the sacrificial blood atonement of Jesus?  It is trying to get to heaven apart from Jesus Christ and what he's done on Calvary.

3.  ASKING GOD FOR SALVATION IS A WORK DONE BY MAN RATHER THAN FAITH ALONE IN WHAT JESUS HAS DONE 

As we've already stated, salvation is by FAITH and not by works (Eph. 2:8,9).  That means salvation is only by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary, and not by doing something yourself apart from that. 

As simple and logical as it is, it must be stated that asking Jesus to save you is not accepting him to do so by faith.  Asking is a work that man does.  It is begging God for something and then hoping he'll do so.  It is man doing something in order to try to obtain God's favor. This is a work.  It's man's own action to try to gain forgiveness, rather than simply resting upon the finished work of Christ in his stead by faith.

4.  ASKING IS NOT RECEIVING

To ask someone for something is not to receive something.  Let's say I come up to you and I ask you for 100 dollars.  Are you going to give it to me?  Probably not! I therefore am wrong to assume that I'll receive it, just because I asked for it.  How then do modernist Christians instruct a sinner to ask God to forgive their sins, and then assume that he automatically receives it just because he asked for it?  Why would God forgive anyone just because they asked? 

No, Biblically, God set it up that the only way he will save a man is when that man trusts his finished work alone for salvation!  The asking Gospel is very presumptuous.

I certainly wouldn't want my testimony to be "I asked God to save me" and then wonder if he ever did or not!

5.  ASKING INSULTS THOSE WHO ARE WANTING TO GIVE, AND IT DOES AWAY WITH FAITH

As we've seen, it's not only anti-biblical, but also illogical to preach salvation is by simply "asking" God for salvation, especially when God said faith must be involved.  But these people who ask God for salvation usually don't have faith.  For if they did, they wouldn't need to ask.  It's like this.  Let's say I said I will give you 100 dollars, all you have to do is believe me and come and take it out of my hand by faith.  And let's say you would rather just stand there and ask, "Can I have it?"  Why, I'd be offended!  I told you it's yours, all you have to do is believe it and receive it!  But you won't take it.  You just want to ask me for it.  

Do you see the problem?  You'll never get it until you believe me and take it.  You can't ask for it and then expect me to place it in your hand.  I made the condition, and your asking doesn't even enter into the picture.  It's there, it's available, and you must pick it up.  To ask me is to insult me!

Why would it be any different with God?  He offers eternal life by faith, and all he asks is you believe it and receive it.  How can you do that if you are "asking" for it?

6.  ASKING LEAVES MEN DOUBTING AND WONDERING IF THEY RECEIVED SALVATION

When a person follows the modern beggers Gospel, instead of salvation by faith alone, they often are left without any assurance.  They don't know for sure if they have salvation, because as afore mentioned, asking is not receiving.  This often times leads to them praying again and again and asking God over and over for salvation. This proves they were never saved in the first place, for it they were, why would they have to ask again?  

7.  ASKING DAMNS SOULS TO HELL

Asking is not God's plan of salvation.  Receiving by Faith is.  If this be the case, then where will a sinner end up who's trusting in their asking?  Why, they would end up in HELL!

What's so sad about those who preach the "asking" Gospel is they don't care enough about souls to think this out.  They've been taught the beggars Gospel, and they are teaching it to others.  Rather than repent and preach the Gospel correctly, they would rather continue in their doctrine, especially when their denomination, their congregation, and their friends preach the same thing.  So instead of reading the scriptures and changing their position, they choose to attack and ridicule those like myself who point out the obvious - that the asking Gospel is not God's plan of salvation.  

SUMMARY

As we've seen, asking God for salvation is neither Biblical, nor logical.  How could anyone be so bold as to expect God to give them eternal life, just because they begged him for it?  And how can they expect to receive it, when they are not trusting his finished work alone for salvation?  And how can they think they are saved when they have no assurance and they simply ask God over and over, thinking if he didn't save them before, then he definitely will do so again.  How presumptuous!  But the saddest thing is this heresy damns souls to Hell!  For those who adhere to it, are guilty of trusting in their works (their asking) rather than in trusting in Christ Jesus's finished work alone as sufficient.

This is not a popular message, as many Christians don't want to even think about this topic.  They want to believe that every person who says he is a Christian really is.  But this is very naive.  The truth is, this is exactly what Satan wants.  He wants people deceived into thinking they are saved when they really aren't.  That's why when people like me begin to expose this conspiracy, we are immediately branded as "trying to talk people out of their salvation!"  (At least that's what I've been accused of).

I like to respond in this following way, you know, just to make them think: "Yep, it's possible to lose YOUR salvation.  But it's not possible to lose God's salvation.  So who saved you, you or God?"

You see, there are many people who are trusting in something they've DONE, and they truly think they are saved because of it.  But they are lost and on their way to Hell.  They need to hear the truth, and they need to examine themselves to see if they truly are saved.  You would think if someone really cared about souls, they'd be in favor of this. 

So "asking God for salvation" is not God's plan of Salvation.  Instead it's God who "asks" you to come to him and receive his free gift of eternal life by FAITH alone in his blood atonement at Calvary.