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lf spoke of "a burnt district" [Memoirs http://www.cheapjordan11fromchina.com/ , 78], and he lamented the absence of any lasting fruit from his evangelistic wrote: "I was often instrumental in bringing Christians under great conviction, and into a state of temporary repentance and faith . . . . [But] falling short of urging them up to a point, where they would become so acquainted with Christ as to abide in Him, they would of course soon relapse into their former state" [cited in B. B. Warfield, Studies in Perfectionism, 2 vols. (New York: Oxford Cheap Jordan 5 , 1932), 2:24].

B. B. Warfield, one of Finney's contemporaries made a similar assessment: "During ten years, hundreds, and perhaps thousands, were annually reported to be converted on all hands; but now it is admitted, that real converts are comparatively few. It is declared Cheap Jordan 4 , even by [Finney] himself, that "the great body of them are a disgrace to religion" [cited in Warfield, 2:23].


Warfield cited the testimony of Asa Mahan, one of Finney's close associates, who wrote in his Autobiography - to put it briefly - that everyone who was concerned with these revivals suffered a sad subsequent lapse: "the people were left like a dead coal which could not be reignited; the pastors were shorn of all their spiritual power; and the evangelists?"among them all," he says, "and I was personally acquainted with nearly every one of them?I cannot recall a single man Cheap Jordan 6 , brother Finney and father Nash excepted, who did not after a few years lose his unction, and become equally disqualified for the office of evangelist and that of pastor." Thus the great "Western Revivals" ran out into disaster. . . . Over and over again, when he proposed to revisit one of the churches, delegations were sent him or other means used, to prevent what was thought of as an affliction. . . . Even after a generation had passed by, these burnt children had no liking for the fire" [Warfield Cheap Jordan 3 , 2:26-28].


Only one decade after his trademark book of revival methodology, Lectures on Revivals of Religion, was published, Finney complained that revivals had declined, both in quantity and quality. Monte Wilson correctly comments: "By Finney's own standard, his teachings on how to produce converts and revival, as well as their underlying assumptions Cheap Jordan 11 , were proven wrong."


Finney grew discouraged with the revival campaigns and tried his hand at pastoring in New York City before accepting the presidency of Oberlin College. Toward the end of his life, after reflecting on the many who claimed conversion but had since fallen away, Finney had mixed thoughts about the success of his ministry. In fact, his development of a doctrine of perfectionism ("entire sanctification" was the term he preferred) came out of his attempt to answer the question as to why so many of his "converts" seemed to live such godless lives.


THE WINNING OF SOULS


There's no denying that Finney's ministry wasn't all bad. At the very least, people like Finney can challenge the rest of us as an example we can all learn from. Jesus did the same. Finney popularized a more emotional style of preaching, used public prayer as a tool for applying pressure to the lost, allowed women to pray in mixed public meetings Cheap Air Jordan Shoes , denounced his opponents, organized small group prayer meetings and home visitation teams, gave rise to the protracted evangelistic campaign, and paved the way for what later became the public invitation system. Though many modern Evangelicals recognize that his new methods caused great controversy in his day, they also brought as many as a half million "lost souls" to salvation.


Or so it is believed.


The Soul: the mind, will and emotions. Once we have won a person's soul, we have them on our side; we've gained an ally. We are wise to do so. Where and when did the winning of souls Cheap Jordan Retro , i.e., "soul-winning" come to refer to leading another person to salvation by way of a recited or repeated prayer? Where is that example in Scripture?


John Wesley records in his Journal what he thought about the matter of leading people in a "Sinner's prayer". He wrote: "Preached at (such and such a place). Many seemed deeply affected. But God alone knows how deeply." Whatever we may think of Wesley's theology generally, on this point his thinking was quite Biblical. His concern was for God to do the work of regeneration. We do the preaching; the pleading; the modeling of our faith. But then our work is finished. God alone knows the heart, and He is well able to pursue a person and convict them hours, days or perhaps years after we've moved on. If they will be saved, it will be by looking to Christ whether or not there is an aisle in front of them when they do.


In other words, we all know that God is not restricted to our modern methods. He can save any man anywhere at any time. Understanding this Cheap Air Jordan , we all realize at least one reason why the altar call was not instituted by our Lord or His apostles: it is unnecessary.


Charles Spurgeon warned about the potential for confusing any system with salvation: "Sometimes shut up that enquiry-room. I have my fears about that institution if it be used in permanence, and as an inevitable part of the services.... If you should ever see that a notion is fashioning itself that there is something to be got in the private room which is not to be had at once in the assembly, or that God is more at that penitent form than elsewhere, aim a blow at that notion at once."


The altar call, Sinner's Prayer and the like are an effective way to gain faith confessions, regardless of how sincere or repentant. Here are some statistics that reveal they are a terrible method for making disciples: