Does saying a prayer produce salvation? If I say, “Lord, I know I am a sinner and I believe you died for my sins, and I want you to save me,” does that save me? I realize that I am treading upon ground that can be very volatile and, yet, this is an issue that must be addressed among those who care about the souls of men.
It is my belief that my early ministry left many people more lost than I found them. As I would go out door-knocking, I would apply the principles I had been taught in soul-winning class. You know the drill. . .Knock the door. . .slide your foot into the door opening so they could not close it again. . .lead them down the Roman’s Road. . .and, ultimately, lead them in the Sinner’s Prayer. The number of people that I lead through the “Sinner’s Prayer” is many. Yet, they did not experience the changed life that Second Corinthians 5:17 speaks of. They never darkened the door of the church. They never forsook their wicked lifestyles. Yet, if you asked them today if they were saved, they would probably say, “Yes I am. . .I prayed a prayer years ago when a preacher came by.” Thus, they were left more lost than I had found them.
I know a man that had such an experience. Yet, his lifestyle of drunkenness and immorality are clear evidences that he has not be saved. However, he insist that he has “done all I know to do!” He is depending on a day when, after hearing J. Harold Smith preach “God’s Three Deadlines,” he went forward and said a prayer. Like so many, he is depending on a day when he “said a prayer.” Oh, that he would realize that saying a sentence of words is not salvation. How many people, who “said a prayer,” will find themselves being sentenced to eternal damnation? Oh, that people would realize that one must come to Christ, by faith alone. Too many have made the “Sinner’s Prayer” nothing more that the Baptist Rosary. If praying prayers saved a person, then a faithful Catholic person would assuredly be saved. Yet, it is not mere mouth confession that produces salvation (James 2:17-18). Salvation begins within the heart, and then proceeds to the confession of the mouth (Romans 10:10). I pray for this man’s salvation.
The problem is that the “Sinner’s Prayer” has become nothing more than a Baptist Rosary. To have a sinner “pray,” when there has been no conviction, is unbiblical. Salvation is not merely an mental acceptance of the facts of salvation (cf. James 2:19). Satan believes that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died and rose again. Satan was there when it all happened. Yet, Satan will not ever be saved, even though he mentally agrees with the facts. There must be a conviction of one’s lost and sinful condition, before they will ever believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we must get back to presenting the gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, as Paul set forth in First Corinthians 15:1-6. It is this gospel that will produce conviction in the hearts of sinful men, and then genuine confession and conversion will take place. When the man who is convicted of his sinful state prays, it will be his prayer to God, and not a rote “Sinner’s Prayer.” It will be from his heart and not merely his mouth.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Please feel free to comment below.
Without faith it is impossible to please God no matter what you may say or repeat. I believe the premise in the article is substantiated by the sheer number of people who claim to be born again but with zero evidence.
Thanks, John for your comment. I agree. As someone has stated, “The evidence of a new birth is a new life.”
I agree . I could have allot of converts but the problem is that they would be my converts and not the Lord’s. I was a false convert for 20 years so I know what it means to only count the facts of the Gospel to be true without trusting in those facts. I said allot of sinners prayers in those years. The problem was I never transferred my trust to the person and work of Jesus (the Gospel).
The Gospel of John was written for the purpose of saving people John 20:30, 31. That is why we Christians point the unsaved to that Gospel first because of its expressed purpose that they might have life. 99 times the word believe is used in the Gospel of John in the context of salvation. I believe that Biblical belief is defined in Romans 10:10 as a hearts trust, or a transfer of trust if you will from whatever you are trusting in to solely and completely trusting in the person and work of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-6; John 1:1)
There is a huge different between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him personally (Matthew 7:21-23). There is a huge difference between professing Jesus and possessing Him (John 17).
I am very careful when I give invitations to trust Christ that it is not the prayer that saves you but the dependance upon Christ for your everlasting destiny.
Blessings
In Christ, PT
Very good reply. Thanks for your comments and encouragement. We must continue to proclaim that salvation is by faith alone.
I couldn’t agree more with your assessment. Over the years I have heard many things preached from Baptist pulpits that only produced confusion, not salvation. We are not just talking about the Baptist Rosary of the Sinners Prayer, but all kinds of Baptist works of penance and sacraments. I have heard many preachers make statements such as: A decision made in the pew stays in the pew; If you can’t remember the specific date, time and place, you are probably not saved; if you have never walked an aisle, you are probably not saved; If you weren’t lead to the Lord from the King James Version, you are probably not saved; If you aren’t winning x number of souls every year, you are probably not saved; If you doubt your salvation, go to some place in your yard and pray again, then drive a stake (a faith object, not real faith), with the date and time of your latest prayer. These things produce faith in the wrong things; in the things we do. I struggled with assurance of salvation most of my teen years and into early adulthood because I fell prey to these lies and half truths. Only when I began to study the life and ministry of Martin Luther, and saw how he struggled so much to break from the false teachings of the Roman Church, and attained true justification by faith alone, did I come to realize it was not what I have done, but what Christ has done for me as a helpless sinner, and accept God’s promises as presented in scripture. Only then does true salvation come to the sinner’s heart. I finally gained victory over my lack of assurance when I clearly understood this. I have since often wondered if many of those so called ministers were themselves unsaved.
Thanks for your additional insight. Sadly, man has attempted to add many unbiblical teachings to salvation.
I totally agree, with this article, I have been teaching and preaching this for years, and a lot of people sit in a church pew and look at you like a calf looking at a new gate. Yet, Jesus said in Mark 1:15 “repent ye and believe the gospel”, that says it all.
Thanks Brother Wayne for commenting. Well stated!