The Hope of Psalm 43

Forest Fires.Tornadoes. School Shootings. Conflict in the Middle East. Astronomical gas prices. Bitter presidential primary races. Unemployment. Everywhere we look, there is pain, suffering, confusion, and anxiety. In this midst of all of these overwhelming issues, how can a person truly have joy? The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Biblically, there is a link to God’s glory and our joy.Psalm 43 is a heart-wrenching cry from a man who longed to experience the joy of the Lord.

Psalm 43 reads: “Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!  Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

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The “Sinner’s Prayer” and “Altar Call” Evangelism and David Platt

At Emmanuel, we do not employ the use of the “sinner’s prayer” nor the traditional “altar call”. Both of these techniques are a product of 19th century revivalism and 20th century pragmatism. I don’t fault pastors, evangelists, or churches who uses these as ways to

evangelize, but we do not see any evidence in Scripture of a person being led through a sinner’s prayer where there are asked to “bow their heads, close their eyes, and repeat after me”. Nor do we see any type of altar call where sinners are called to the front of a sanctuary or stage to “make a decision for Christ”.

What we do see in the New Testament is a clear, bold articulation of the gospel and then a command issue for all people to repent and believe in Jesus.

In teaching our people to do evangelism and missions, we make sure that we focus on getting the gospel correct and then instructing them to ask people to repent and believe. We dont’ want to coerce a decision out of any one and we also believe in sovereign regeneration that God by His grace will open the eyes of a sinner and irresistibly draw him or her to Himself through the proclamation of the gospel.

David Platt, pastor of Brookhills Church, gives some great insight into this subject with precise pastoral wisdom and theological accuracy.

Below is a transcript from his article ”

Sinner’s Prayer & the SBC (Part 2 of 2)