Evangelistic Promiscuity

Romans Road to Salvation

The Four Spiritual Laws

These are two of the most well known witnessing tools used in evangelical programs. Both of them put a tremendous amount of onus on a seeker to say a salvation prayer. Many believers hand out tracts of these plans. The idea is that an individual can come to know Jesus personally through this mechanism.

The problem that is often associated with these programs is that they appeal to individualism and see salvation as a simple contract that is to be signed and can be used as a ticket to heaven. It’s almost like fire insurance, just in case there really is a god somewhere in the universe.

There is little recognition that salvation means they are now sons or daughters within the body of Christ. Presenting salvation as a relationship of knowing and loving God and our new brothers and sisters is almost non-existent in these programs. It is certainly not spelled out at the beginning. It’s like buying a new car only to find out that you have to buy tires and an engine after the purchase.

Follow up statements from believers sometimes go like this: Now that you’ve said this prayer make sure that you find a good church that teaches the bible and declares Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

The idea that the believer is now personally responsible for the new Christian’s growth is often downplayed or even overlooked. The person responsible for there growth is the babe in Christ. If they fall away, “aw shucks, I guess they just didn’t have what it takes.”

The carelessness that I have seen in these programs and the lack of understanding of the Body of Christ, makes me cringe when I see well meaning Christians indiscriminately handing out tracts of this nature.

There seems to be little thought to the after effects of this prayer. Go to church and read your Bible is the mantra for follow up.

It’s almost like teenagers having sex with no thought as to the consequences and responsibilities of what making babies involves.

I call the implementation of these plans of salvation: Evangelistic Promiscuity.