1. A powerful message is preached. The preacher delivers another riveting message on Hell, Heaven, or "if you are not doing this,this, or this....check your salvation." So, the person checks their salvation. They realizes they are not where they should be. So, they go forward. The altar worker asks why they are there. They tell them, they are checking up on their salvation. So, they take them aside, and lead them down the Romans' Road....again. They try to back out of where it is heading. The altar worker realizes they are balking, and reminds them that tomorrow is not a guarantee. The person again balks. "I already did that." The worker then counters that with the verses for assurance. The individual is now embarrassed because the preacher is saying "Christians, remain in an attitude of prayer for this ONE being dealt with." GREAT! Now they are gonna be looking at them. Yeah, yeah, I know, the preacher says "please keep your heads bowed and eyes closed, blah blah blah" but EVERYONE knows that people are still looking to see who is being "dealt with."
The pressure is to "get reassurance" and "nail it down for good." It is not conviction. It is pressure. It is man-made. The 40th stanza of "Just as I am" is being played. The altar worker is insisting that he/she prays the sinners prayer to ensure that they have their assurance of their salvation. Fine. They utter the words. Praise the LORD! Brother/Sister "so and so" just got assurance of their salvation! The church celebrates. The person stands there totally embarrassed and feels ridiculous. Not because they "made a decision" but because they know in their heart that NOTHING changed. They leave doing the SAME things they did before. Nothing was settled.
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