Once Before Men

Some profess Him Lord again and again,
Responding to 'most ev'ry call they hear;
Maybe tender hearts won't let them refrain,
When impassioned words bring the cross so near!
Christ is not more honored by re-rebirths,
As if the first were a childish mistake;
A secret re-affirm is as much worth
As a public walk to amend the fake!
Once before men to profess is enough,
To trust, and prove of Christ ypu're not ashamed;
Keep your private attitude the right stuff,
And your public need not be oft proclaimed!
Your soul is saved at the first profession;
More than that is unneeded confession!

I must hasten to correct the possibly mistaken impression that this poem is a criticism of all added responses by people to "altar calls". An altar call loosely means the invitation of a preacher at the end of the sermon for any member(s) of the congregation to come forward if in the heart he/she feels a tug from the Holy Spirit, to profess in public belief in Jesus. This "public profession" is the practice in most evangelical non-Catholic churches for a Biblical condition imposed on the believer by Jesus in Luke 9:26---He said He would not be ashamed of us at the judgment if we were not ashamed of Him or His teachings on earth. It is also used to fulfill the conditions stated by Paul in Romans 10:10 for the believer's salvation: "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with the mouth that you confess and are saved." To be "justified" means to be made qualified to enter heaven by the forgiveness of your sins. Of course, there are many other ways and places a person can be saved; usually, before the "walk down the aisle", a Bible class, a counseling session, or a tug of the heart in the middle of the night has already occurred; the public profession is simply an acknowledgement.

After the initial public profession, no other response in public is necessary. However, some altar calls include other invitations, such as rededication, special prayer, or the like. It is always appropriate for the believer to respond to such a call. The poem is simply highlighting the purpose of a public response; sometimes people hear some Biblical condition that they were unfamiliar with, and it leads them to doubt their first profession as being sufficient for salvation. A few people respond many times when it is not really necessary. An 8 or 9-year-old child whose heart is touched by the Spirit and who has the courage to walk down in front of hundreds of adults is saved as truly as if he were an 80-year-old who has studied the Bible all his life. No additional responses needed; Christ doesn't forget.