by: Jonathan Painter
“I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thine wondrous works.” Psalm 26:6
It is astounding to me how God would use David, who was long before the New Testament church, to write words so applicable to our spiritual lives today. The altar call is probably one of the quietest controversies of our day. Many church members feel that a physical movement to kneel at an altar is not necessary as they can make a perfectly whole decision in their pew. Other members feel it is their duty to go physically down to the altar at every call after a service. I personally tend to lean towards the latter as it is a habit for my wife and me to go forward when the invitation is given and when I am not attending as an altar worker. Before you turn me off, I am not saying that everyone who dares stay in their pew at an invitation time is a bad, wicked person incapable of making a decision. David has given us three good reasons, outside of salvation and baptism, as to why we should go to the altar.
1. “I will wash mine hands in innocency:”
Every time you go forward you are casting a vote for the truth the preacher has delivered. You are washing your hands in innocency because you are making a public display of where you stand. In many churches there is a person or a group of people who do not like what the pastor is doing, and they begin to look for other people who don’t like what he is doing either. In the act of going forward at the invitation, you are telling your church, “I believe in this man and what he has said. I believe in the truth of the message he brought. I believe in the truth of the Scriptures he read. I will stand by him in this public display of position.” Wash your hands in innocency and compass the altar!
2. “That I may publish with a voice of thanksgiving,”
Every time you make that move to go physically forward to the altar and pray, you are publishing a voice of thanksgiving. You are thankful; thankful for the message, thankful for the truth, thankful for the messenger and thankful for the Author. You are publicly telling your church, not only do I agree with the truth of the message that was delivered, but I am thankful for it as well.
3. “And tell of all thy wondrous works.”
When you go forward at the invitation you are not only letting everyone know your position concerning the message and your thankfulness for the message, but you are also throwing up a personal sign that God is still working in the midst of his people. This church is not dead, it is alive! Because God is moving on the hearts of her young people, and God is moving through the preaching of His Word, and He is still stirring men to the altar. Look at all the wondrous works God is doing in our church!
In conclusion, I wish that all of us would realize the impact that we can have by going forward to an altar. I don’t think we truly realize how much we are saying when we go forward and compass the altar kneeling in prayer. If the youth groups of America would compass the altar of their churches we may see a revival once again. You don’t know how much your church watches the young people. If your church could see young people who agree with their preacher, who are thankful for the message and who are allowing God to work on them, it might move your church in an unthinkable way when you compass the altar.
Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE
http://www.youngpreachersofamerica.com