Personal Lord and Savior?

[ltwin]

This phrase came out of the American Fundamentalist movemement. It was a reaction against the nominal christianity of mainline evangelicals.

Thank you for providing a correct and insightful answer instead of attempting to slander evangelical Protestants.

When evangelicals say that one needs to make Jesus their “Personal Lord and Savior” or when we say that we need a “personal relationship” with Jesus, we are speaking of transitioning from nominal Christianity to true conversion of the heart, which is exemplified by active engagement in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, praise, confession, fasting, meditation and study in both private and public worship.

 

[AbideWithMe]

This phrase came out of the American Fundamentalist movemement. It was a reaction against the nominal christianity of mainline evangelicals.

Thank you for providing a correct and insightful answer instead of attempting to slander evangelical Protestants.

When evangelicals say that one needs to make Jesus their “Personal Lord and Savior” or when we say that we need a “personal relationship” with Jesus, we are speaking of transitioning from nominal Christianity to true conversion of the heart, which is exemplified by active engagement in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, praise, confession, fasting, meditation and study in both private and public worship.

Yes, thanks Guanophore. This is what is meant by the phrase, not the wrong track that the second post went off on. It was a reaction to nominal Christianity, as if being born and baptized into a church, but being otherwise uninterested in knowing God seven days a week and in all aspects of our lives, was all God asked of us or offered us in terms of intimacy.

 

[AbideWithMe]

When someone tells me that they accept Jesus but don’t think the Church is necessary, it comes off to me as that person is missing a critical element of what Jesus teaches and what the Church is. It’s like someone saying they accept a paycheck but dislike money; or they love hiking but hate the outdoors. There’s a disconnect.

True. But this (not going to church) isn’t related to what Evangelicals mean by the phrase in the OP.

 

[guanophore]

Thank you for providing a correct and insightful answer instead of attempting to slander evangelical Protestants.

When evangelicals say that one needs to make Jesus their “Personal Lord and Savior” or when we say that we need a “personal relationship” with Jesus, we are speaking of transitioning from nominal Christianity to true conversion of the heart, which is exemplified by active engagement in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, praise, confession, fasting, meditation and study in both private and public worship.

Certaintly all necessary activities for good discipleship, which is why it is not a problem for Catholics.

True. But this (not going to church) isn’t related to what Evangelicals mean by the phrase in the OP.

There are misled Christians of all stripes, and there are some Christians that have an attitude that church is optional. But this was not the thinking of those who coined this phrase. On the contrary, it was to bring people back into a radical and life transforming practice of their faith. This was understood to occur in community, not in isolation.

 

[AbideWithMe]

Certaintly all necessary activities for good discipleship, which is why it is not a problem for Catholics.

There are misled Christians of all stripes, and there are some Christians that have an attitude that church is optional. But this was not the thinking of those who coined this phrase. On the contrary, it was to bring people back into a radical and life transforming practice of their faith. This was understood to occur in community, not in isolation.

Right.

Understood as the phrase was intended to be, I don’t think this—conversion of the heart, so that one is not just nominally Christian— is something Catholics or any Christian needs to find objectionable.