"Ask Jesus into your heart"/"The Sinners Prayer"

[Jordan Kurecki]

I think sloppy choice of words in evangelism
can lead to lack of assurance of salvation

This is another reason to stay away from unbiblical terminology: you will never find a verse that says of you ask Jesus into your heart your saved, or give your life to Christ and you will be saved, so if we use unbiblical terminology, they will never be able to find that in the scripture and they will have to trust in our words instead of Gods words to know if they are saved or not.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

In relation to Revelation 3:20 probably the most popular verse used.

Notice, however, that the verse does not mention the heart at all.

Where does it say you open the door to him by asking him into your heart?

Neither does the individual ask Jesus to do anything; rather, Jesus asks us to do something.

I believe Jesus comes in and we open the door to him by repentance and faith.

The idea of Jesus “coming into your heart” is nowhere used in any preaching in the Bible.

If it causes us some measure of panic to have to use passages other than Revelation 3:20 when we share the gospel, keep in mind that the earliest Christians did not have this verse. Revelation is the last book of the Bible to be written. How was it possible for Peter and Paul and James to ever see anyone get saved without this verse? They never had it! But if I read the book of Acts correctly, they had a measure of success in sharing the gospel even in spite of this handicap.

The problem is that many people cling to the symbol but never understand the reality it is intended to represent. Most likely, tens of thousands of people have "invited Christ into [their] hearts," thinking that a mystical experience is what saves them. Then, they go on their merry way, living their lives as they did before. If you were to ask them, "How do you know that you are going to heaven?" they would respond, "Because I invited Christ into my heart." But if you probe, there is nothing beneath the shallowness of that reply. They did what someone told them to do, but never really embraced.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

praying for Jesus to come into your heart is not a condition for salvation but him coming into your heart is a consequence of salvation.

When sharing the gospel, we should be careful what we say and how we say it. Even the word believe can be misleading if it is presented as mere intellectual assent (agreeing that certain facts are true) instead of as trust (relying on those true facts). Judas Iscariot believed certain facts about Jesus, but he never trusted Jesus for salvation. Salvation is not about believing a list of facts. Salvation is not even about asking God to forgive you. Salvation is about trusting in Jesus as your Savior, receiving the forgiveness He offers by grace through faith.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

The Gospel is not


Asking Jesus into your heart
Giving your life to Jesus
Giving your heart to Jesus
Making Jesus Lord of your life
Asking God for forgiveness

The Gospel is not you as a sinner giving your heart and life to Jesus, But it’s that Jesus gave his life for us on Calvary.

The Gospel is that God accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross

The way you get saved is not by:

Praying a prayer
Saying sorry to God
Being a good person
Getting baptized
Asking Jesus into your heart

You get saved when you receive Jesus by putting your faith and trust in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the payment for your sins

A lot of times young people don’t know for sure if they are saved.

Typically what happens is this, a person hears a message, they give an invitation and ask anyone if they want to get saved and they take that person and have them pray a prayer asking Jesus into their heart, or asking Jesus to save them, or something along those lines

People then often later on say things like:

Was I sincere enough?
Did I do it correctly?
Did I repent enough?
Did I say the right words in my prayer?
Did I really mean it?
How can I be saved and do (insert sin here)

The problem is the focus becomes something we do rather than what Christ has done. Our focus tends to be inside rather than us looking to Christ

John 3:14-16 KJV

[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. [16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

[Jesus Saves!]

2 Corinthians 7:10 KJVS
[10] For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Psalm 34:18 KJVS
[18] The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Isaiah 66:2 KJVS
[2] For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord : but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Mark 1:15 KJVS
[15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luke 24:44-47 KJVS
[44] And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. [45] Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, [46] And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: [47] And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

From experiences in my life, I remember more than once when I was enlightened to the truth in the gospel which revealed to me that I wasn't a good boy as I had been taught, but was a lost sinner. Man couldn't reveal this to me, but God. When I truly became sorryful for my sins and who I was with God, I was able to turn to Christ in faith and be saved. I was humbled and still am by his presence and realize that in myself I'm nothing, and only by his saving grace I am what I am.

 

[Aaron]

Of all the verses in the bible that describe God's requirement for man to receive salvation what percentage of them use the words "Faith", "Believe" or "Repent" as opposed to "Ask Jesus into your heart" or even praying a prayer for that matter? I'll help you out, Faith and Believe are found the most over 100 times, Repent is probably second with at least 33 times, and you could maybe argue that 3-5 particular passages describe a prayer, and ZERO times do we find man commanded to "Ask Jesus into your heart"

Now take those figures and ask yourself if those numbers accurately reflects what we most often emphasis as man's responsibility in salvation is? Maybe we need to rethink about how we are explaining the Gospel to people.

Neither is there a commandment to touch the hem of his garment, but the faith of the woman made it effectual.

Be careful about casting aspersions upon the wording a lisping, stammering sinner used to repent, lest you cause one to doubt his faith. Faith is what makes the prayer effectual.

 

[Revmitchell]

Of all the verses in the bible that describe God's requirement for man to receive salvation what percentage of them use the words "Faith", "Believe" or "Repent" as opposed to "Ask Jesus into your heart" or even praying a prayer for that matter? I'll help you out, Faith and Believe are found the most over 100 times, Repent is probably second with at least 33 times, and you could maybe argue that 3-5 particular passages describe a prayer, and ZERO times do we find man commanded to "Ask Jesus into your heart"

Now take those figures and ask yourself if those numbers accurately reflects what we most often emphasis as man's responsibility in salvation is? Maybe we need to rethink about how we are explaining the Gospel to people.

How many times in the bible to we find the word "Trinity"?

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

How many times in the bible to we find the word "Trinity"?

How is that even comparable?
The concept or doctrine of the trinity is taught in plenty of passages, but a prayer to ask Jesus into ones heart is never taught.

At best teaching someone to ask Jesus into ones heart is unclear and at worst it is misleading and unbiblical, plus it creates confusion in people.

Show me anything remotely close to that in the preaching of the Apostles in Acts.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

Neither is there a commandment to touch the hem of his garment, but the faith of the woman made it effectual.

Be careful about casting aspersions upon the wording a lisping, stammering sinner used to repent, lest you cause one to doubt his faith. Faith is what makes the prayer effectual.

Faith in the Gospel of Christ is what makes the prayer effectual. If a person is trusting in the words they used to pray a prayer it shows that their faith is misplaced.

Your statements here are showing exactly the problem that I am trying to address. When people start to ask questions like “did I pray the right words” then I would suspect it’s because the person who dealt with them was unclear and this person was probably confused (perhaps by our pet phrases and unbiblical terminology?)

 

[Revmitchell]

How is that even comparable?
The concept or doctrine of the trinity is taught in plenty of passages, but a prayer to ask Jesus into ones heart is never taught.

The phrase is never taught the action is:

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

At best teaching someone to ask Jesus into ones heart is unclear and at worst it is misleading and unbiblical, plus it creates confusion in people.

It is neither unclear nor is it misleading. Everyone I have ever lead to the Lord has a clear understanding about what they are doing.

Show me anything remotely close to that in the preaching of the Apostles in Acts.

They are not the only ones who address this issue in scripture and neither does scripture always tell all the details about the Apostles actions. Your attempt to narrow the standard for this is unclear and at worst misleading.

 

[Aaron]

Faith in the Gospel of Christ is what makes the prayer effectual.

Which is what I said. I just said it the way Jesus stated it.

If a person is trusting in the words they used to pray a prayer it shows that their faith is misplaced.

I don't know anyone who thinks that their salvation is based on using the right words, but I know the tendency of people to put formula over faith. Baptists do it all the time with baptism. "If it isn't done just so ... then you haven't been baptized." Or, "Unless you can trace the ordination of the man who baptized you back to John the Baptist, you haven't been baptized." This thinking creeps into instructions about prayer.

I didn't say no one needs instruction. I said, be careful when casting aspersions on the words a repentant sinner used. Christ calls them little children, and He said to suffer the little children to come to Him, and forbid them not.

When people start to ask questions like “did I pray the right words” then I would suspect it’s because the person who dealt with them was unclear and this person was probably confused (perhaps by our pet phrases and unbiblical terminology?)

You're still pointing them to terminology instead of faith. Just be careful. If Jesus received them despite their puerile manner of expression, it is presumption indeed to strain at gnats.

 

[John D. Wright]

Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

While a popular passage to teach for salvation, this particular passage is about christian fellowship. Christ wants fellowship with us as believers. If you read Rev 3:19-22, you can easily see the context

 

[John D. Wright]

The key is that a lost person comes to know that they are lost and in need of salvation. When they come to see their life as sinful that is repentance. They've turned from viewing how they live as good and recognized it as evil and sinful.

When they know they are lost, they must know that Jesus is the only answer and the only way to be saved. Only Jesus can save because he is Lord.

If you accept Christ and believe on Him for salvation then you are saved. Given you know what is written above when you believe. You can't really believe without knowing these things. Of course, the conviction of the Holy Spirit has to be present but if you desire to be saved that is an indication it is present.

We should be cautious to not front load or back load the gospel. Once we are saved, Christ begins a work in us that he will see to completion.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Neither is there a commandment to touch the hem of his garment, but the faith of the woman made it effectual.

Be careful about casting aspersions upon the wording a lisping, stammering sinner used to repent, lest you cause one to doubt his faith. Faith is what makes the prayer effectual.

This is correct. I think it is almost inevitable that a brand new Christian is going to pray. The danger is that someone is told that by making the prayer he is actually saving himself, or that God is somehow obliged to save him because he has prayed.
Jordan is quite right that we are never told that prayer saves anyone. Prayer is the natural action of the new Christian (c.f. Acts 9:11) just as crying is the natural reaction of a new baby

 

[Yeshua1]

Faith in the Gospel of Christ is what makes the prayer effectual. If a person is trusting in the words they used to pray a prayer it shows that their faith is misplaced.

Your statements here are showing exactly the problem that I am trying to address. When people start to ask questions like “did I pray the right words” then I would suspect it’s because the person who dealt with them was unclear and this person was probably confused (perhaps by our pet phrases and unbiblical terminology?)

Faith in the Person of Jesus...