Featured The Sinners Prayer

An example how Charles Spurgeon wrapped up a sermon:

The Spurgeon Library ❧ A Free Grace Promise

"...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'. [Hymn interlude]. '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 to-night, for Jesus’ sake. Amen'."

 

The sinners prayer is man humbling himself before God in response to the promptings of God. Salvation is God saving us via His grace those that humble themselves before Him.

 

What would you say is the biggest difference between the sinners prayer and true salvation?

A sinners prayer is something we do, but salvation is something God alone does!!

Putting our faith, as worthless as a filthy rag, in Christ opens the possibility of God crediting our faith as righteousness.

Saying all the "right things" in a man-made sinners prayer does not cut the mustard, as it is God who knows our heart. Lip service faith, or still treasuring earthly things, comfort, security, loved ones, rather than having an overriding love and devotion to Christ, will not obtain approval by faith. See Matthew 13.

 

Every morning I get up I say the sinners prayer... Until I stop being a sinner (until I breathe my last) I'll say the sinner prayer... Brother Glen

 

It is what ever one asks God to save one, trusting in God's promises in His Son who died and who arose for our sins. It is not by one's work of a prayer, but God's promises.

 

I don't cry for Salvation as some do... My Salvation is in Christ alone, the sinners pray to me is to bless others and to thank the Lord for the 77 years that he has blessed this unworthy one... And help me do better as I serve him daily... Brother Glen

 

No, I am stating that those that humble themselves before God, even if it is by saying the "sinners prayer" can be saved by God. Note I did not say will be. Man does not force God to save them but God does respond to the faith of those that pray even the "sinners prayer" or even just "God have mercy on a sinner such as me."

If someone has to "repeat after me" then I would have to question whether they are truly humble before God. Perhaps they are perhaps they are not, I am not the one to judge their heart. The reality is that God does not really judge by our words but by what is in our heart. Whether evil or good.

 

Decision for Christ

Evangelist John R. Rice
Multifreesboro, Tennessee 37137

Dear Brother Rice:
I have read your sermon..."At the Last!" I realize that at the last if I go on as I am now, I will wake up in Hell. I realize that I am a poor, lost sinner. So here and now I turn my back on my sins. This very day I turn to Jesus Christ. I trust Him to save my soul, I give Him my heart. Here and now I depend on Jesus Christ for salvation and I will set out to live for Him the balance of my life, depending on Him for help. I mean this as my confession of faith in Christ and I intend to take my place as a Christian.

Signed _________________________
Address _________________________________
Date ____________

From the book "You Must Be Born Again", by John R. Rice pg 58

I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

I have no doubt that most people on this board will have prayed some sort of prayer to God at the time of their salvation.
The problem arises when preachers tell folk that if they repeat a certain screed they will automatically be saved.
God looks at the heart of man, and if such a prayer comes from the heart there need be no doubt that it will lead the one who prays to salvation, but just to mouth a set of words, no matter how elegant, saves no one.

 

It needs to be addressed to God, not to John R. Rice.

 

The paragraph before said :

"If you will turn to Jesus Christ today, trust Him to save you, give Him your heart, then I beg you to say so in your heart this moment. There as you sit in your chair, or perhaps as you kneel by your chair or by the bed, will you tell Jesus Christ that you want Him, that you trust Him, that you will receive Him today. Have it settled in your own, quiet heart this moment. Then sign this statement and go on record between you and God and your loved ones. Then won't you write me a letter and copy this decision form, and let me know you have taken Christ as your savior? If you will do so, it will rejoice my heart greatly. I will send you a letter of counsel and encouragement. If you have not been a Christian hithertofore, have not been born again, I beg you in Jesus' name, make this great decision and get on the road that leads to life, leaving the road that leads to sin and death. Will you do it today? If you honestly decide for Christ, then sign the decision form on the next page and send me a copy of this today, in Jesus name."

So, you just send a COPY to John, I guess. The sermon or tract "At the Last" is a brief, hard hitting sermon about the sin of drink, sexual sin, the sin of ill-gotten riches, worldly pleasure, and morality and religion without the new birth.

 

In other words: God saves those who save themselves.

We can reword your sentence like this:
"Those who humble themselves before God, God will save, because God is gracious."

Humanism 101

 

Another one. At the end of his sermon he said "Think, therefore I pray you, therefore on these things, go home, go home, go home, pray over the text and say 'Lord God, thou hast brought into the world an everlasting righteousness by the Lord Jesus Christ; by the blesses Spirit bring it into my heart!", then die when ye will, ye are safe; if it be tomorrow, ye shall be immediately translated into the presence of the everlasting God; that will be sweet."
George Whitfield from J.I Packer's "A Quest for Godliness" page 161.

 

It’s not the words you say, it’s the faith in your heart.

 

The more you post the more you show how little of the Christian ethic you possess. To say you are only disingenuous would be kind.