March 5, 2025
Salvation sounds different to each Christian
This episode dives into the common Christian cliché of "asking Jesus into your heart," exploring its implications and the confusion it often instills. We discuss the need for authentic communication in faith communities, moving beyond clichés to foster genuine connections.
• Understanding the confusion surrounding faith phrases
• Exploring the emotional weight of common clichés
• The impact of language on new believers
• Encouraging vulnerability in spiritual discussions
• Challenging clichés to create authentic dialogues
• Reevaluating our language around spirituality for deeper connections
Let's get your comment ON AIR!
I'm Jimmy and I'm IN YOUR CORNER!
Help me help you go GUILT-FREE at patreon.com/guiltfreefaith.
Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.514
Are you tired of people hitting you with these crappy Christian cliches?
00:00:06.514 --> 00:00:10.930
That's what I call them, and we're going to cover one of those cliches today.
00:00:10.930 --> 00:00:16.390
Have you ever heard someone say I asked Jesus into my heart.
00:00:16.390 --> 00:00:37.085
Hi, everyone, if you've come here looking for the same guilt and condemnation that you often receive from your pastor, congregation, so-called Christian friends, your Bible study, your prayer group, we're going to push a lot of that baggage to the side here and we're going to go guilt-free.
00:00:37.085 --> 00:00:40.533
This is Jimmy James Johnson, and I'm in your corner.
00:00:40.533 --> 00:00:41.860
Let's get to it.
00:00:42.481 --> 00:00:51.424
Have you ever been confused by, or turned off by, this cliche of asking Jesus into your heart?
00:00:51.424 --> 00:01:04.932
As soon as we start talking about things like that, first of all, just somewhat stereotypically, but as a guy, as a man, we generally don't walk around talking in those terms all the time.
00:01:04.932 --> 00:01:10.180
We generally don't walk around talking in those terms all the time.
00:01:10.180 --> 00:02:51.140
Here you are, you're going through a difficult time, or you're perhaps a new believer or getting settled in a new church, or maybe you're deeply embedded in a Christian or a spiritual life and it frustrates you when you go to somebody that's supposed to be understanding or kind or have an encouraging word, or God forbid if somebody would just listen to you without objection or overriding you or overruling you or calling out what's wrong or why the Bible says this, or why the Bible says that If you're exhausted from going to people for help, being vulnerable, telling somebody about something you're going through positive or hollow and empty, and just aren't that helpful, not to mention the fact that they may actually push you to questioning your faith just in general, because you're thinking, hey, I'm trying to show up for God, or I'm doing my prayer thing, or I'm going to church, or I'm gathering with others, I'm doing the things I know to do, and we may have enough trouble just admitting that we love some people that are obviously very close to us, obviously very close to us.
00:02:51.140 --> 00:02:55.330
So to go to something even more abstract and talk about it, or him or God, could be really difficult to speak in those terms just to start with.
00:02:55.891 --> 00:02:56.900
But here's the thing, though.
00:02:56.900 --> 00:03:05.371
Let's say somebody's talking to you about Christianity, or you're a new believer and you're trying to get a grasp on this whole thing.
00:03:05.371 --> 00:03:06.683
What is a Christian?
00:03:06.683 --> 00:03:08.188
How do I become a Christian?
00:03:08.188 --> 00:03:10.485
Is there a certain process?
00:03:10.485 --> 00:03:18.969
Is there certain magic words I have to sprinkle over myself, or something I need to read out of a holy book.
00:03:18.969 --> 00:03:26.671
How do I get that green checkmark next to my name in the eternal book of life?
00:03:27.693 --> 00:03:31.485
One of the sayings that you'll hear oh, you just ask Jesus into your heart.
00:03:31.485 --> 00:03:39.907
And okay, for some people that might be very intuitive and very touching and very intimate.
00:03:39.907 --> 00:03:56.389
To feel that type of closeness with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, it's something we crave in some way or another or described in some way or another using certain words, different words maybe.
00:03:56.389 --> 00:04:01.592
I've seen people confused or just off-put.
00:04:01.592 --> 00:04:08.870
What the hell is this person talking about when they start using that cliche of oh, I became a Christian last year.
00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:10.876
I asked Jesus into my heart.
00:04:10.876 --> 00:04:12.822
I'm not saying that's not a good thing to do.
00:04:12.822 --> 00:04:21.607
I'm not saying that's not a perfectly appropriate thing to do in the whole Christian rites of passage, but let's consider rarely do I enter a situation.
00:04:21.607 --> 00:04:36.144
But let's consider, rarely do I enter a situation, particularly with people I really don't know that well, that might be coming into a new church, a men's group or a Bible study.
00:04:36.144 --> 00:04:42.672
I'm probably not going to be talking about the love in my heart as my first jump off into the conversation with these guys, right?
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.514
00:00:06.514 --> 00:00:10.930
00:00:10.930 --> 00:00:16.390
00:00:16.390 --> 00:00:37.085
00:00:37.085 --> 00:00:40.533
00:00:40.533 --> 00:00:41.860
00:00:42.481 --> 00:00:51.424
00:00:51.424 --> 00:01:04.932
00:01:04.932 --> 00:01:10.180
00:01:10.180 --> 00:02:51.140
00:02:51.140 --> 00:02:55.330
00:02:55.891 --> 00:02:56.900
00:02:56.900 --> 00:03:05.371
00:03:05.371 --> 00:03:06.683
00:03:06.683 --> 00:03:08.188
00:03:08.188 --> 00:03:10.485
00:03:10.485 --> 00:03:18.969
00:03:18.969 --> 00:03:26.671
00:03:27.693 --> 00:03:31.485
00:03:31.485 --> 00:03:39.907
00:03:39.907 --> 00:03:56.389
00:03:56.389 --> 00:04:01.592
00:04:01.592 --> 00:04:08.870
00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:10.876
00:04:10.876 --> 00:04:12.822
00:04:12.822 --> 00:04:21.607
00:04:21.607 --> 00:04:36.144
00:04:36.144 --> 00:04:42.672
