A young boy attending Sunday school for the first time
listened intently to the teacher. She explained that Jesus is God’s Son and
strongly suggested to each child, “Ask Jesus into your heart!” The little boy
looked down at his chest with a confused frown on his face and asked, “How can Jesus
fit into my heart? Does He have a machine that shrinks him real small?”
“Ask Jesus into your heart!” is a common phrase in the Christian community that can confuse not just children, but adults. To complicate matters, that specific phrase is NOT found in Scripture—anywhere. There is no verse we can open our Bible to and point to the words, “Ask Jesus into your heart.”
So, what DO we mean when we say it? How can we better express the concept we are trying to share? What Biblical references can we help someone find, read for themselves, and think upon, that will explain the idea of believing in Jesus and turning control of our lives over to Him?
When I say, “Ask Jesus into your heart,” I am referring to a series of steps God says we must take to have our sins forgiven and become holy enough to spend now and forever with Him. First, it is recognizing God exists, the one and only holy and powerful being. (Hebrews 11:6)
I believe the second step is acknowledging that God came to earth in human form as Jesus, and, although He Himself was holy, Jesus was put to death for the sins of everyone in the world—including me . . . and you. Through Jesus’ death, we are forgiven and made holy. (2 Corinthians 5:15, 21)
Third, we must turn control of our lives over to God, allowing Him to change us from the inside out—to change our way of thinking and living. It is putting Him in charge—not us. It is following where He leads rather than following the lead of the world. It is recognizing that God’s Spirit is now working with us to mold and make us what God wants us to be. (Romans 12:2)
Like many “Christianese” expressions, “Ask Jesus into your heart!” takes some clarification. We can’t assume the person we are talking with will understand these phrases that seem so familiar and self-explanatory to us. Let’s study our Bibles so we CAN point out verses in God’s Word that will help others come to know and trust Him.
Be encouraged!
©2023 Pamela D. Williams.
Comments welcome at writepam71@gmail.com
