Many Christians have heard or used the phrase “Ask Jesus into your heart” when explaining salvation, but is this phrase actually found in Scripture? While the Bible clearly teaches about faith in Christ for salvation (Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8-9), the wording of “asking Jesus into your heart” is not explicitly stated. Some believe it’s a simple way to explain salvation to children or new believers, while others argue that it might oversimplify or misrepresent the biblical call to repentance and faith.
How do you view this phrase? Is it a helpful way to explain salvation, or does it risk misunderstanding the gospel?
The phrase “ask Jesus into your heart” is not in the Bible. And, unlike some concepts (like the doctrine of the Trinity we don’t find passages that indirectly point to it, either.
If you can’t trust Jesus, who can you trust? To say that this idea of asking Jesus into your heart isn’t in the Bible, while the Trinity is (because of indirect pointing???) Well, that kind of dismisses what Jesus said directly. I honestly can’t believe the author missed this, in the scriptural references they ‘pointed toward.’
“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one,so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me. (John 17)
The Bible mentions that in a certain sense, Jesus lives in our hearts. For example, the Apostle Paul prayed that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). However, these words are addressed to believers who have accepted Christ. In the parallel prayer in verse 16, Paul asks God to strengthen them with His Spirit in the inner man.
Hi,
The phrase “into your heart” is not found in Scripture.
However the term has been adopted, more than likely, because of the Bible referring to the church as, “the bride of Christ.”
Ephesians 5:22-23 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (KJV)
The wives are referenced in here, " as unto the Lord," and, Jesus as the “Savior of the body.”
The wedding vows, asked by the pastor, usually include a question.
Will you love your bride forsaking all others, and in various negative situations such as sickness, or becoming poor?
So “with all your heart” more than likely comes from this type of reference,; a bride’s love.
belief and following the teachings of Christ are the requirements. We see the “Jesus in your heart” ideology developing fully during the Great awakenings.
We cannot ask or invite jesus into our hearts any more than you can invite a dead man into your home. Without faith, we are spiritually dead. Faith is created by the Holy Spirit through the gospel. The creation of faith is entirely the work of God.
Fritzpw
The phrase you are putting forth has sounded a bit too colloquial to me. It always puts me in the mind of a scenario where, for instance, let’s say you come home after work one day, and you find me standing in the front door of your house. As you approach, I invite you into my house. Good natured, as you are, you probably don’t try to correct my misunderstanding, but accept my invitation, pour yourself a cup of tea, and make yourself at-home.
Whoa, whoa, whoa… don’t go rearranging the furniture now… don’t touch that, don’t throw that out…!
People invite him in, but don’t want him to change anything. They want a friend in Jesus, not a Lord. We should remember when he came in he kicked over tables and chased the others who were in there away with a whip.
