The Sinner's Prayer

Very good video....and I agree with Flowers on this one.

To be fair, those who "wage war" on the "sinners prayer" and even on inviting people to, as Spurgeon would often do, "come and drink freely" as an invitation lack understanding of those things when rightly practices.

Their misunderstanding stems from mischaracterizing the whole based on instances of misuse, and this is many times due to personal experiences they had in their lives.

We see this a lot in churches. Somebody attends a church with a gym, but the church uses the gym in a way that somebody frowns upon. Now all church gyms are ungodly.


I kinda disagree with both Platt (one of my favorite evangelists-missionaries) and Flowers about what to do when "preachers" misuse the gospel.

I think we guard those under our charge against false teaching, but Paul praised God that those in his day misusing the gospel were being used by God to reach people with the gospel.


My conclusion is that if your church uses the "sinners prayer"to explain, confirm, and professing Christ then great.

If your church is opposed to using the "sinners prayer" but you have another means of explaining, confirming, and professing Christ then great too.

Christians need to stop focusing on "killing their own" and focus on Christ, His gospel, discipleship, equipping and uplifting one another, and "pleading with men to be reconciled to God".

We, as the body of Christ, should be about the work of the Kingdom rather than becoming an adversary to other members of the Body.

 

I agree.

This issue has been discussed here before, and each time it seems sides talk past one another.

I do think it is appropriate to tell somebody that if the things in the "sinners prayer" genuinely ring true in their lives that they are saved.

But most of the time it seems those against the "prayer" are arguing against something that rarely (if ever) occurs in real life (the "prayer" being used as a type of incantation for salvation).

The point of the "sinners prayer" is to acknowledge the work that has been done in the life of a sinner upon salvation. That is why most pastors who use the "prayer" begin with an "if".

 

This is the context that Graham's website provides:

The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”—a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10).

But here’s the problem:

We have all done, thought or said bad things, which the Bible calls “sin.” The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23).

The good news?

Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God and be with Him forever.

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

But it didn’t end with His death on the cross. He rose again and still lives!

“Christ died for our sins. … He was buried. … He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).

We can’t earn salvation; we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sins—that’s called repentance. Jesus Christ knows you and loves you. What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty.



Then they suggest the prayer.

I've seen Graham's preaching and he uses the "prayer" in the same context.



So the issue is not just the "sinners prayer" but whether the prayer as a summary of recognizing our sin, repenting and believing in Christ, asking Hos forgiveness negates salvation.

I do not believe it does.




But I do recognize that many will say "Lord, Lord" while not being known by Him.

I wonder, however, if the majority of these will be of a simple faith or a worked out theological camp.