What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart?
“Ask Jesus into your heart.” “Give your heart to Jesus.” “Say the sinner’s prayer.” None of these expressions are in the Bible. Many unclear and unscriptural terms are used today in presenting the gospel. God’s Word says, “Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great PLAINNESS OF SPEECH.” (2 Corinthians 3:12). In sharing the Gospel with others, we do well to use the words of scripture and not convenient terms which are not scriptural. We need to recognize that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Satan therefore is getting the victory and Satan is the author of confusion. When we use different terminology that what we find in the Bible, the truth becomes obscured.
In other words, “asking Jesus into your heart” is not what saves us. A person must “believe”, or trust that Jesus paid for his sins on the cross, was buried and rose again from the dead. In fact, a person can ask to be saved and not be saved. If he has no understanding or faith, his words are useless. When asked how they were saved, too many people will refer to a prayer they said at the altar at their church. Repeating words that someone tells you to say, does not mean that a person has truly repented of their sins and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation.
Paul the apostle and Silas had been cast into prison in Philippi. At midnight, the Lord miraculously opened the doors to the prison and caused all the chains and shackles of all the prisoners to fall off. The jailer, realizing what had happened, was about to kill himself because he knew his punishment for the escape of the prisoners would be his own death. We read in Acts 12:19, “And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death.” Paul reassured the jailer they were all there and had not left the prison. Realizing his life had been spared, this jailer now desired to be saved. Let’s read Acts 16:29-31, “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Paul’s response is so important. He did not lead the jailer to kneel down and pray with him. He did not tell him to ask Jesus to come into his heart. He simply told the man to BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ. He used the complete title of the Lord: LORD (master), JESUS (savior), CHRIST (sent one).
Verse 32 tells us, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” Paul and Silas must have told the jailer what the Word of the Lord said about his guiltiness, about his need to repent of his sins, and to put his faith in the One who died, was buried, and rose again for the sins of all. This is the Gospel, pure and simple. We should be faithful to use the same terminology. To encourage others to go through some motions, or to repeat a prayer they may or may not believe, only invites misunderstanding and possibly a wrong Gospel message.
Once we have put our faith in the Lord Jesus, He will immediately give us a new life and come to indwell every believer. We read in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (CC) (520.4)