{"id":1202,"date":"2024-07-03T14:52:13","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T19:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/andrewfarley\/?p=1202"},"modified":"2024-04-04T14:54:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T19:54:16","slug":"should-we-have-altar-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/andrewfarley\/2024\/07\/should-we-have-altar-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Should we have altar calls?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Quick Answer: <\/strong>Should we have altar calls?\u00a0The term \u201caltar call\u201d conveys Old Testament imagery of dead animals laying on altars for Israel\u2019s atonement. In the New Covenant, Jesus was placed on the last altar, the cross, to take away sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). So, while God has saved people through altar calls at church services, the imagery actually conflicts with the New Testament reality of Christ\u2019s sacrifice on the cross.
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Diving Deeper: <\/strong>Of course, there\u2019s nothing wrong with encouraging people to make a decision about the Gospel. But the idea that legitimate faith must be expressed in an altar call, or some outward action which proves how serious we are, is simply not biblical. Paul is clear that we\u2019re saved when we hear the message of the Gospel and believe it (Galatians 3:2). This faith comes in the quietness of our own hearts and does not need to be proven legitimate by running to the front of a church auditorium. <\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the term \u201caltar call\u201d can be a bit misleading. It conveys that, if we are serious about our faith, we will lay down our lives on God\u2019s altar. But the altar is an Old Testament instrument on which dead animals were sacrificed for atonement. On this side of the cross, there are no more altars. The cross was the last altar. On it Jesus died the only death needed for our forgiveness (Hebrews 10:10-12). <\/span><\/p>\n

So, we don\u2019t need altar calls, and we can encourage people to believe the Gospel without insinuating that true faith must make its way to the front of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s Make It a Conversation!
\n<\/strong>1. What has been your impression of \u201caltar calls\u201d?
\n2. How should the cross of Christ influence our view of altars?
\n3. If going forward in a church service is not essential, what does saving faith really look like?<\/p>\n