A man came into my study this week struggling with sin, salvation, and a sense of God’s presence in his life. He told me he was saved but he had never seen God work in his life.
While I could have pointed out that God is at work in the lives of all people to one degree or another (John 16:8-15), I first decided to run a spiritual diagnostic to determine his spiritual condition. I used versions of the Kennedy question. First, I asked him if he were to die today, did he know where he would go to spend eternity. He said, “Yes, I will go to heaven.” When I asked why, his response was, “Because I’ve prayed the sinner’s prayer.”
This sent up a small red flag, but knowing that many who “have prayed the sinner’s prayer” are just confused, I went on to my next question. I asked, “Let’s say hypothetically, that when you get to heaven, God meets you at the gates and asks, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?”
This time, his response rung crystal clear—not with truth, but error. “Well, I make people laugh. I have good manners. I have tried to live a good life. I’ve done some bad things in my life, but I’ve always repented. I’ve never denied Jesus, and have always believed that He is God’s Son.”
The small red flag turned into alarm bells. Recognizing that only God knows the heart, I gently told the man that none of the things he had listed, including his “sinner’s prayer” were mentioned anywhere in Scripture as conditions for receiving eternal life. I took him to passages like John 3:16, 5:24 and 6:47 which show that the only condition for receiving eternal life is believing in Christ for it.
He said it sounded too simple; too easy. I told him, “It is. Eternal life is a free gift of God’s grace to all who simply believe in Jesus Christ.” I went on to explain how God could make this offer and why faith in Christ is all that is necessary to receive it.
He left that day without believing, but a seed was planted. I trust and pray that he and I will meet again and that the Holy Spirit will continue to convict, convince, and draw him.
But one thing was confirmed in my own mind. The “sinner’s prayer” is a dangerous witnessing tool. It can leave many people thinking that they are going to heaven because they have “prayed a prayer” yet never understood that eternal life is received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
What have been your experiences with the sinner’s prayer? Is it a valuable step in evangelism and witnessing? Why or why not?
I find it valuable to get people to start talking to God. But that’s all I tell them it is. It’s the introduction to a Christian life and relationship with Christ. It’s absolutely not a substitute for those things.
Right. That is a good and healthy way to approach it. Prayer and communication with God is vital for our lives as His children.
I have done this: Ponit them to believing John 3:16/1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and then ask if they believe in Jesus alone to save them. Then I ask if they want to pray to thank the Lord Jesus for saving them based on faith alone in Jesus alone. Not they typical “sinner’s prayer”, but a prayer of the saved.
Yes, that is a fine way of doing it, as long as you emphasize that the prayer isn’t what saves them, it is simply the first prayer to God their Father as someone who already has eternal life.
We have run across people who seem to think the sinner’s prayer is akin to a magic incantation of sorts. Say it and poof, you get heaven. However, these folks appear to lack any understanding of what it is they’re supposedly doing.
At the other extreme are those who advocate for saying the sinner’s prayer, subscribing to a long list of beliefs/interpretations of Scripture, living certain ways and doing certain things (such as attending church so many times a week). I suppose the idea is, the sinners prayer saves you and the rest of the stuff keeps you saved.
I think the sinner’s prayer confuses people at best. Say the prayer, attend church, give the church money and a few $ for foreign missions and try not to have an affair with the neighbor and you’ve got your ticket punched for heaven. Jesus did say something about being nice to people, didn’t he. Smile at people when you go to church. That should get you by. (I think it mostly supports organized religion and fills churches with people who have no idea what it means to fo0llow Jesus.)
Yeah, there are so many “incantation” type prayers that we Christians use, thinking that simply by saying certain words, we can get God to do what we want, make us rich, and give us healthy lives and happy marriages.
When it doesn’t work out that way, we get disillusioned with God… when really, the God we were praying to is not the God who really exists. Hopefully that disillusionment helps us turn to the true God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Your final sentence […eternal life is received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.] raises two questions for me. The first question is, if faith in Jesus is all that is necessary, why are there so many DIFFERENT Christian churches and why are there churches at all? The second question is a bit more profound. The only way that people learn about Jesus and learn that they need to have faith in order to get into heaven is if they learn about him through another human. Since there are billions of people who lived before the missionaries arrived in their remote location, these souls are condemned to hell, simply because an all-powerful and all-loving God chose to send his message of redemption by foot courier. Why would God, who is said to love humanity so much that he sacrificed his only son, if just for three days, choose to allow so many people to go to hell, just due to timing or location?
prinzhall, check out The Biblical Doctrine of Hell. From “The Origin and History of the Doctrine of Endless Punishment”
By Thomas B. Thayer
Written in 1855
http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/tbhell.html
I encourage you to take the time to look up the scriptures and to think about what Thayer lays out..
Prinzhal,
You have asked some insightful and difficult questions. As to why there are so many groups, there are about as many answers to that question as there are groups! Some of it has to do theology, but most of it (in my opinion) has to do with personal power trips and pride.
Regarding the question about hell, I don’t have good answers to that either. I think God is loving enough and just enough to make sure that nobody gets sent to hell without the opportunity to accept eternal life through Him. How that works out, I don’t know. Also, I don’t think that hell is a place of eternal torture the way some Christians portray it to be.
I believe hell is simply seperation from God. Now what happens there is beyond us but i think if i went to hell and was forced to watch heaven for eternity kowing i couldnt get to it would be some pretty insane torture
I believe “The Rich Man” can give us some insight as to what we can expect as he pleads for Abraham to sent forth warning to his still living brothers not to come here…also, how he pleads for a bit of water to cool his tongue…several places in scripture speak of the torment that awaits the unbelieving … just sayin
The danger of using this parable is that one’s theology shouldn’t be based on a parable. Also if this story was meant to be taken literally, then there would be a host of biblical contradictions. For instance one would be led to believe that if one is a beggar and poor, he will be in heaven, whereas, someone who is wealthy will be in torment. Also that that someone can cross the gulf if he wanted to: from the blessed side. Also that there is communication between the saved and the lost. And on and on it goes. Actually, I believe that Jesus is still addressing the religious elite as He was prior to this story. It’s also of interest to note that Lazarus is the Greek name for Abraham’s chief servant. If you remember, the chief servant was to receive the inheritance until the promised son arrived, then Lazarus was left out in the cold. This parable is actually Jesus condemning the religious elite represented by the rich man in fine clothes. They had Jesus with them but they didn’t acknowledge Him as God’s Son. Now they are faced with the fiery destruction that awaits them.
Also, if this story were literal, it still wouldn’t give us a description of hell. For this story takes place before Jesus’ sacrifice, death and resurrection. In addition, the final judgment of the wicked (Rev. 20) has not yet taken place.
Jesus is clear that those who don’t believe will perish. This was the teaching of the Old Testament and is still taught in the New Testament.
Hello, please message VERY
IMPORTANT for GOD”S PEOPLE!
I am
witness! great tribulation is almost here! the spiritual plagues coming into all
churches on earth!
All churches on earth are
spiritually apostate! Hear my testimony on video just google,”Christ testimony
of the churches around the world”!
God is calling his people out
of the man made churches and their teachings on earth.
the outpouring of God’s
Spirit happens just before great tribulation Joel 2:28-30;Acts 2:16-20;
Revelation 7:1-3, 13-14, Daniel 12:7,10.
I am witness to seeing the
beast ascended out of the bottomless pit. The beast is in perdition even as you
read this message. This perdition is 3.5 years Dan 7:25; Rev 12:6,14,17; Rev
13:5-6; Rev 17:8.
I am witness thru the power and anointing of the Holy
Spirit of truth in seeing image of beast, his mark, and the number of his name
in the people of churches on earth Revelation 15:2-3.
The mark of beast comes from the
churches Rev 16:14; Rev 13:6,7-8,16-18; Rev 18:23;1 John 2:15-17; Isaiah 9:6kjv
vs. Isaiah 9:5Torah.
The mark of the beast is spiritual. For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places Eph
6:12;Matt 10:28.
How does the devil deceive
the whole world? Revelation 13:8
thru image of man- Rom 1:23,
25; Isaiah 14:13-14; Rev 13:18; Mark 8:33; 2 Thess 2:4; Matt 24:15; Rev 17:8;
Rev 6:15;Rev 19:20.
thru churches on earth -Isaiah 14:17; Dan 7:21,25; Dan
8:12-13; Dan 11:22,31-32, ; Dan 11:39,45; Matt 24:23-26; Luke 4:5-6; Luke
17:20-23;Mark 11:17; Mark 13:1-2, 5-6; Matt 13:30.
thru their teachings- 1
thess 5:3,Dan 9:26; Dan 11:22, 31-32;1Tim 4:1; 1Tim 1:6-10; 2Tim 2:16; 2Tim
4:3-4; Titus 1:10-11; Matt 15: 5-6; Matt 16:11; 2 Peter 2:2-3, 18-19; 1 John
4:5;Jude 1: 12,16;1 Cor 2:13; Dan 12:4; 2Tim 3:7.
thru signs and lying wonders-
Matt 7:22; Matt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9-10;Acts 16:17; Rev 16:14; Rev 18:23; 2 Cor
11:13-15;Daniel 8:12.
God seals his people in their
homes Joel2:28-29; Acts 1:13-14; Isaiah 26:20-21;Ezekiel 9:3-4.
In book of Daniel fourth
kingdom will devour the whole earth Dan 7:23; Joel 2:3; Isaiah 14:17.
This fourth kingdom and her beast
is the mother church in Rome called,” Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of
Harlots Abominations of the earth” Rev10:7; Rev17:5. This mother church
spiritually connected to ALL churches great or small of Catholics, Christians,
Mormons, Jehovah witnesses. this mother church in Rome spiritually connected
Babylon, the Great City, which is spiritually called, “Sodom and Egypt” 2 Thess
2:7; Rev 11:8; Rev 17:9,15,18. This spiritual city is about to receive her hour
of judgement Rev 17:1-2; Rev 11:13.
All churches around the world
have same roots as mother church in Rome- pulpit /raised platform, image of
man/host (idols), congregation, church buildings between the seas, communion
wafer/juice, choir, instruments, celebrate winter/spring holiday-(Rev 11:10; Dan
8:12), weddings, birthdays, funerals, candles, and many more Revelation
18:22-23.
Man made church buildings are
spiritual cages of the god of this world Isaiah 14:13,17; Rev 18:2; Matt
24:24-26!
And when he was demanded of the
Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The
kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or,
lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the
disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of
the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here;
or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that
lights out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under
heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Rev 18:4, And I heard
another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not
partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues!
Seek God in
prayer and ask for the truth! this will save you and your family members. I did
for two years asking God for the truth about the churches, her leaders and
followers and about myself. Hear my testimony on video just google, “Christ
testimony of the churches around the world”.
I think altar calls are another misconception of what gets you into heaven. I really never do altar calls at our church, but every once in a while I’ll do some kind of call to commitment. Usually privately during the closing prayer. But there’s this one guy who gets so excited every time I do that. He’ll usually post something on our Facebook page like, “Loved church today, especially the fact that Markus did an almost altar call!”
I love the guy, but I wish he’d understand that real faith has nothing to do with whether or not you stood up during a church service.
Amen.
Yes, altar calls, signing the card, raising the hand, all that strange stuff. I am glad you are sticking to your convictions about how you run the services… An “almost altar call.” Ha! Gotta love it.
I totally agree! Formulaic church ritual does not equate to a move of God. I always chuckle when I drive by a church that has announced that a revival will begin on a certain date, and a certain time. “Come watch us make God perform for us! “
Yeah! That is funny. We so often try to tell God what to do and when.
Is it safe to say that faith and believing are the same thing? If so than even the devils believe in Christ and tremble.
So then what is faith in Christ? Is it simply believing? I believe it is more. The sinners prayer and getting someone to believe in Jesus is almost the same thing if you think about it.
True faith is that faith that produces fruit. Faith that works by love. that why they say faith without works( not the works of the law) is dead.
To have faith in Christ is to love others, not just believe.
Nicholas,
Yes, faith and believing are the same thing, but in James 2:19, it does not say that the demons believe in Jesus for eternal life. The context reveals that they believe that God is one. Yes, even the demons can have correct theological beliefs. But this doesn’t grant them eternal life. For that, they need to believe in Jesus for eternal life, IF it was offered to them, which it isn’t.
Anyway, I have written more on the faith of demons here.
Eternal life is by faith alone in Christ alone, not by any works we have done, must do, and can do.
Jeremy,
Your article The Faith of Demons helped shine a new light on the book of James. I recommend everyone go over and check it out as it really is powerful. (I hope you don’t mind this long comment but I did it for those who want to follow along.)
No doubt that James was a leading authority figure(and still is). However, I believe that Jesus’ words trump James(that is if you believe the accounts of Matt, Mark, Luke and John). Jesus’ words don’t contradict James but they do add more depth to the subject of inheriting eternal life and doing the will of God.
In Matthew 7 Jesus talks about the importance of fruit. He said that those who don’t produce fruit are cast into the fire.(verse 19). He says that there will be many who who prophesy, drive out demons and even call him Lord who will be cast into fire. These are the ‘religious’ folks who don’t obey his commandments to love one another. Do you think that religious folks today, the modern day Pharisees of our time do not believe that Jesus will give them eternal life? They certainly believe it but if they don’t obey Christ and produce fruits by walking in love, according to Christ, they will be cast out.
With Christ the theme is always, the hearers and the doers. The wheat and tare Matt 13, The fig tree that didn’t produce fruit and was cut down Luke 13, The faithful and Unfaithful servant Luke 12, Sheep and Goats Matt 25. The unfaithful servant of Luke 12 didn’t serve or tend the servants and the master cast him out with the unfaithful. There are tons more examples. Jesus words have more weight than James.
In Luke 6 Christ told some in the group, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.(vs 46,47) He then goes on to say that putting his words into practice are wise and those who don’t will fall into destruction. Again, we see actions are what matters to Christ.
In Matthew 21:28-32 The Parable of the Two Sons: He told one son to go and labor in the vineyard and the son didn’t do it. The Father told him, “Tax collectors and harlots will enter into the kingdom of heaven before you.”
The constant theme that Christ brought time after time was that laboring, working, serving in the kingdom is what leads to eternal life, not simply hearing or believing. So to tie it all together. We are both right.(i think). Here’s why: When you believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life, you get it immediately. However, if you do not labor or love one another and become like those in his many parables, you will be cast out as an unprofitable and lazy servant. So believing in Jesus Christ for eternal life WITHOUT walking in love, making a difference, helping others, etc, is meaningless, unless of coarse you are on your death bed or are physically unable to ‘labor’.
It seems that eternal life is not so much about what we get, but what we can give others, at least according to Christ. True salvation and eternal life is being a part of that lush vine that gives the fruit of life and love to the world. That is eternal life. The most powerful instance of this is in John 15:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The whole rest of chapter says over and over and over again that
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
Nicholas,
I don’t mind long comments, though I rarely can reply to all the points in them. I am glad the article on the faith of demons helped a bit.
Looking over the passages you mentioned, I have written posts or articles on nearly all of those passages elsewhere in this blog. You can probably find them using the search widget.
Obviously, I am aware of all these passages, and have studied them, and understand them to be saying much the same thing that James is saying in James 2. In fact, James got his teaching from Jesus, so there is no contradiction. Remember to not be guilty of Shotgun Hermeneutics!
If we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10.
Surely this is the Truth , Gods Word does not lie. To me it is this simple, as we agree with Gods Word our relationship begins and we embark on our journey of getting to know Him personally which results in us changing by His spirit living in us. The problem comes after the Sinners prayer where we are like babies, we need mature believers to walk alongside us until we are mature enough to carry on .
Amen Melanie! I have seen all too often where churches work so hard to put on their salvation shows by manipulating people down the aisle so like a old western gunslinger they can put another notch on their belts. Unfortunately they rarely get any follow up other than to schedule a baptism date…got to get that notch too! Got to let the church corporate HQ know that we are producing results!
Great discussion here, Melanie and Ward. Yes, ultimately I am against manipulation and trying to get people to do things for God so that God will “do” something for them in exchange. This is the first seed of religion.
Great discussion going on here, Jeremy!! Thanks for bringing this out. I
must agree there are too many who use a ‘sinner’s prayer’ but leave the
believing in Christ Jesus for salvation out.
Thanks, David. The sinner’s prayer can be helpful, but if used, I prefer to use it as a “believer’s prayer” for the first prayer a new believer prays.
I love the illusion of method here and the effort to cast murky questions as matters of factual error.
Christ plan of salvation is simple .. yes this is true but complex as well, in that many are misled and not given the whole scope of the gospel … Professing and Possessing go hand in hand…and we who are truly born again will be able to spiritually discern what this means. I have a Sister who swears by “the sinner’s prayer” but is beholding to “the secret” and her life has not been radically transformed, she still engages in sexual activity outside of the confines of marriage and feels this is natural…I would never be able to participate in this sordid activity now that i am truly saved for there was a time i myself was being deceived in much the same way as my Sister is now, I just couldn’t bring myself to do these acts and further, would not place myself in such a predicament that I would..this is just one example of how a person changes when they are genuinely renewed… do you see how so many are being deceived just thru the few examples I’ve listed here and there are many more looming….Satan and the demons know of Christ and they tremble, i would say that is them professing Jesus Christ exist … being born again is God taking “Possession” of your heart and mind … if we simply say “just believe” we also run the risk of a head confession without the heart, and we know only God brings repentance unto salvation and not Man or any form of Man doctrine ! God has opened my eyes to faulty man-made practices…we must give the whole counsel of way of salvation…i would never use the sinners prayer…i have been duped not once but twice…deception is very powerful and Satan knows this…
I think it’s important what you do when you hear the gospel and apparently the man you spoke of hadn’t heard it. I also find it interesting about a man I once heard of that was dying and going in and out of consciousness and he was scared to death every time he came back because he was experiencing hell or at least seeing it. The doctor that was with him made him pray a prayer that he made up and “it saved his life.” (but of course I believe Jesus saved his life). I don’t remember exactly what he made him pray but it was according to scripture I think. For example according to I John anyone that confesses Jesus is the son of God, then God dwells in him. Or anyone that calls on the name of the Lord will be saved as Peter says in Acts. So it’s interesting the sinner’s prayer is based on scripture many times (maybe not all the time). Anyway God makes it simple (like you said) and I’m very thankful he does. He could make it hard but He doesn’t. As Robert Capon would say what you do with the free gift is up to you but to reject is utterly foolish (or something along those lines).
I always say that I have only one law to fulfill and that is to continue to believe that in Jesus Christ. Thanks for this!
Study the scriptures. When Jesus encountered with someone he never said confess your sins to me.. or did HE ask them to say the sinner’s prayer. He did not go in that direction. ( he said to the adulterous woman neither do I accuse you..) he instructed her go and sin no more .What he said to Peter was, who do people say that I am? Peter answered, some say a prophet. some say Elijah.
. But Jesus said to him, “who do YOU say that I am? and Peter answered and said, ” Thou Art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!! That’s the belief that saves US! To believe that God sent His only Begotten Son. Then your sins are forgiven, after your belief in who Jesus is. Once you believe that, you begin to also cleanse your own life with fear and trembling. Christ died for your sins, but that’s not even possible for you to partake of, unless you believe who HE is. That’s why Salvation is called a gift. Read about Philip when he witnessed to the eunuch and asked him if he understood the scriptures, and Philip expounded those to him more perfectly from Isaiah. When he was finished reading, Philip said Do you believe what I have read to you? and the eunuch said yes and he said well what prevents me now from being baptized, and Philip said. Let’s go! there is water! I don’t read anywhere in that transaction where Philip asked him to confess his sins, i.e. the sinner’s prayer.. I’m sure that was taken care of when he expressed his belief in Christ. Enough of having people confess their sins to enter Heaven, that is all ego-centered and adds those Oh so! important numbers to the church!! What saves us is our total belief that God sent His Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but shall have eternal life.
Thank you for this site. I had said the sinners prayer a lot and still nothing changed. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that He will tell many depart from me I never knew you when they Lord Lord did we not prophesy in Thy name and in Thy name cast out demons.
I started to look up the sinners prayer and saw this.
I understand what you are saying. The sinner’s prayer can be misleading, but so can telling people to be baptized because they may think that baptism will save them, as well. I think that preachers and others should stress the importance of continuing. Didn’t Paul do that? That could prevent people from simply praying a prayer and then going on with their lives similarly to the way they lived before. Look at what Jesus said to the ones who believed in John 8:31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. But the sinner’s prayer is not bad because it too is based on Scripture: If you believe and confess with your mouth. Romans 10:9-10. This seems similar to the ones that say get baptized. But Paul strove to keep believers to continue to seek Jesus for everything and to trust him
I’ve always wondered about that prayer & how it is banded about as the only way into heaven.
Thank you for your commentary on The Sinner’s Prayer. I’m embroiled in a discussion with a good friend who uses it to evangelize then make proclamations that the person who has said it is “saved.” This is so dangerous as people who use it as THE tool to salvation (and not God’s grace) can actually leave this world without true salvation.
The alter call isn’t used in the church I attend. We pray for people seeking to know Jesus. The pastor invites visitors to spend time in prayer and discussion of the Gospel.
Do you know of any resources available to share with unbelievers about the dangers of The Sinner’s Prayer?
The sinners prayer uses fear (of hell) as the motivation. As a result people continue in their faith journey in the same way they received Jesus (Col.2:6) – in this case they continue in fear of God sending them to hell. It’s Gods loving kindness that draws us to repentance (Romans 2:4) – not fear of hell. Much of the Western church is bound to a legal orientation of their relationship with the Father (penal substitution atonement theory). When a person knows the love that the Father, Son and Spirit have for them it promotes repentance.
You have to be baptized to be saved.
1. Hear
2. Believe
3. Confess
4. Repent
5. Be baptized
You are not saved by grace alone.
Jeremy,
You are not a member of the church, are you? Baptism is what saves you. Acts 2:38
I believe strike while the iron is hot. Otherwise Satan rushes in and my stop some who would otherwise receive Christ as Savior and Lord, (John 1:12) Yes, present the gospel which in its essence is the substitutionary atonement and the ask for a response. God may choose to give some the gift of faith and repentance. Otherwise people may wander around in the wilderness for the rest of their lives and eternity. God is the only one who converts, but we are His messengers or ambassadors. Paul said, ” I preach Christ and Him crucified.” God says, “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth” (Isaiah 42:3) Conversion or new birth is the beginning of Lordship in practice. “Teach them to observe.” Let the weeds and wheat grow together and I will sort it our when I come again, said Jesus.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
ROMANS 10:9 KJV