SBC Committee Hears Proposal on Sinner's Prayer

[Tom Butler]

A resolution submitted to the SBC's Resolutions Committee declares that the Sinner's Prayer is appropriate and Biblical:

Here's part of the Baptist Press Article

A proposal titled "On the 'Sinner's Prayer'" by Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oxford, Miss., was publicized by The Christian Index in Georgia. Hankins notes there is "no one uniform wording found in Scripture or in the churches for a 'Sinner's Prayer,' the prayer of repentance and faith," yet it is "biblically appropriate to help a sinner in calling on the Lord for salvation."

A sinner's prayer, Hankins states, "is not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel."

Hankins would have the convention go on record affirming the use of a sinner's prayer as a "biblically sound and spiritually significant component of the evangelistic task of the church."

In an article posted May 31, Gerald Harris, editor of The Index, quoted David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., as saying at a recent conference, "Many people in our churches are simply missing the life of Christ, and a lot of it has to do with what we have sold them as the Gospel. [For example], 'Pray this prayer, accept Jesus into your heart, invite Christ into your life.' Should it not concern us that there is no such superstitious prayer in the New Testament?"

Here's the full article, which includes other proposals submitted to the Resolutions Committee:
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38021

Which side do you take on this issue?

 

[TadQueasy]

This stuff gets sillier by the day. God help us.

 

[Benjamin]

Which side do you take on this issue?

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Rom 10:9-11)

 

[preachinjesus]

I'll let the non-binding decision by the pseudo-resolutions committee's recommendation for the vote of our voluntarily associated and purely ceremonial annual convention which has no actual means of enforcing their decisions speak for itself.

 

[saturneptune]

It is up to each local church how they handle the invitation, and the use or non use of a sinner's prayer.

The games and antics of the SBC leadership as of late render them weaker everytime they open their mouths. If we did have a governing hierarchy in the SBC, they would fall flat on their face for their inability to lead.

It seems like the SBC leadership is in a contest with the universal church in becoming the most useless entity on earth.

 

[SolaSaint]

Rick Warren, I'm sure is real proud about this. Now if we can just get them to include the checking off on the decision card as a means of salvation. :BangHead:

 

[Herald]

No dog in this hunt but watching with mild amusement.

 

[Luke2427]

A resolution submitted to the SBC's Resolutions Committee declares that the Sinner's Prayer is appropriate and Biblical:

Here's part of the Baptist Press Article


Here's the full article, which includes other proposals submitted to the Resolutions Committee:
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38021

Which side do you take on this issue?

Erik Hankins is a troublemaker.

How dare ANYBODY take something that they ADMIT is not in the Bible and say that it is a "spiritually significant component of the evangelistic task of the church"

Really, to me, its wicked.

Christ ALONE gets to say what is a spiritually significant component of the evangelistic task of the church.

We can come up with all kinds of ways to go about the Great Commission (utilizing the internet, television, etc...)

But what we do NOT get to do is CREATE something not in the Bible AND THEN SAY that WHAT WE HAVE CREATED is a spiritually significant part of the Church's task!

I am very aggravated by this. Pray for me.

 

[Jerome]

Huh? Y'all think the following is oh so unbiblical, superstitious, [insert epithet], etc.?

"Oh, that the unconverted among you may be moved to pray. Before you leave this place, breathe an earnest prayer to God, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner. Lord, I need to be saved. Save me. I call upon thy name." Join with me in prayer at this moment, I entreat you. Join with me while I put words into your mouths, and speak them on your behalf—"Lord, I am guilty. I deserve thy wrath. Lord I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to will and to do of thy good pleasure. ♫Thou alone hast power, I know, ♫To save a wretch like me; ♫To whom, or whither should I go ♫If I should turn from thee?♫ But I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of thy dear Son; I trust thy mercy, and thy love, and thy power, as they are revealed in him. I dare to lay hold upon this word of thine, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus' sake. Amen." —Charles Spurgeon, "A Free Grace Promise" (1888)

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Let me get this straight.....Sinners Prayer...as in An Act of Contrition? Is that correct?

 

[12strings]

why don't they just pass a resolution that Southern Baptists approve of using carpet on pews, or that eating is a biblical way to sustain the body...It would do about the same amount of real good.

[EDITED TO ADD THIS...AFTER READING AND AGREEING WITH LUKE'S 2 POSTS]:

I'll add that resolutions on carpet and eating would actually be better, because they would cause LESS trouble.

Eric Hankins is side-stepping any serious debate on the issue by simply trying to get more people to vote and say they agree with him. Which doesn't matter, because each church and evangelists will continue to do what the believe to be best and biblical.

 

[Luke2427]

Huh? Y'all think the following is oh so unbiblical, superstitious, [insert epithet], etc.?

"Oh, that the unconverted among you may be moved to pray. Before you leave this place, breathe an earnest prayer to God, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner. Lord, I need to be saved. Save me. I call upon thy name." Join with me in prayer at this moment, I entreat you. Join with me while I put words into your mouths, and speak them on your behalf—"Lord, I am guilty. I deserve thy wrath. Lord I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to will and to do of thy good pleasure. ♫Thou alone hast power, I know, ♫To save a wretch like me; ♫To whom, or whither should I go ♫If I should turn from thee?♫ But I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of thy dear Son; I trust thy mercy, and thy love, and thy power, as they are revealed in him. I dare to lay hold upon this word of thine, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus' sake. Amen." —Charles Spurgeon, "A Free Grace Promise" (1888)

Reread my post, if it is to my post you are referring.

The problem is not when you utilize the "sinner's prayer."

The problem is when you say that it is a spiritually significant part of the Church's evangelistic task.

Use it or don't use it- I don't care.

But don't try to make the CONVENTION resolve that the sinner's prayer is part of our TASK.

For example, part of our task is singing and praising God with instruments. This is taught in the Bible.

But it would be like saying, "Playing the organ is a spiritually significant part of the Church's evangelistic task. We need to make a resolution that encourages all SBC churches to use organs because it is part of our TASK."

That's terrible.

 

[Bob Alkire]

Reread my post, if it is to my post you are referring.

The problem is not when you utilize the "sinner's prayer."

The problem is when you say that it is a spiritually significant part of the Church's evangelistic task.

Use it or don't use it- I don't care.

But don't try to make the CONVENTION resolve that the sinner's prayer is part of our TASK.

For example, part of our task is singing and praising God with instruments. This is taught in the Bible.

But it would be like saying, "Playing the organ is a spiritually significant part of the Church's evangelistic task. We need to make a resolution that encourages all SBC churches to use organs because it is part of our TASK."

That's terrible.

Well said my friend. We are at a point when so many preachers, educators, theologians and others want to put their finger print on something, that would be better off left alone. It isn't just with the SBC but in most lines of business as well as education. We have seen it in politics for years.

 

[saturneptune]

I think the SBC should pass a resolution allowing only two pot lucks per year and put a weight limit on pastors of 170 lbs. That would create a flood of vacancies.

 

[Sapper Woody]

I think the SBC should pass a resolution allowing only two pot lucks per year and put a weight limit on pastors of 170 lbs. That would create a flood of vacancies.

Not a bad idea, but you'd want to go with Body Mass Index instead of weight. I'm 205lbs myself, but physically fit ranging between 16-18% BMI. If I had to go down to 170, I'd look sick!

 

[Yeshua1]

Rick Warren, I'm sure is real proud about this. Now if we can just get them to include the checking off on the decision card as a means of salvation. :BangHead:

Guess that we in the church have had this all wrong!

Just hand out flash cards when visitors come in, and have them write down that Jesus is OK by them!

 

[Tom Butler]

I propose an amendment to the proposal before the Resolutions Committee.

The amendment would allow someone to tell a lost man to pray the Sinner's Prayer, but he could not tell him what to say.

Along the same lines, the soul-winner would be prohibited from saying "Repeat after me."

The amendment would allow the soul-winner to say something like, "If you want God to save you, ask him," but then would require that the soul-winner shut up.

However, the soul winner would be able to quote or read scripture to provide the lost person with a hint as to the right words.

Since I'm on a roll here, I think I'll come up with some amendments to the non-Cals Affirmations and Denials document. Might take a while, so don't get antsy.

 

[OldRegular]

Salvation is a supernatural act of God not the result of some canned recitation.

 

[Havensdad]

I think the SBC should pass a resolution allowing only two pot lucks per year and put a weight limit on pastors of 170 lbs. That would create a flood of vacancies.

I am a fairly well muscled 6 foot man. I would have to starve myself for days at a time to get down to, and stay at, 170 lbs!

 

[OldRegular]

I am a fairly well muscled 6 foot man. I would have to starve myself for days at a time to get down to, and stay at, 170 lbs!

It is called Perseverance of the Saints!:thumbs: