Christ First Forum

by **LdyinChrist** » 10 Apr 2010, 12:59

I have a real problem with the "sinners prayer" as it is so easily presented to many.

My daughter came home one day and told me someone at her Pop's had her pray a prayer and then told her she was saved.

She didn't really know what she was doing, she said she just went along with it because she felt awkward.

Here is a powerful video on the sinners prayer and it's ability to bring about apostasy rather than true repentance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQf_GICd4Zk

Here is the message in text if you don't have audio:

In the most popular Christian book, The Purpose Driven Life, you will look long and hard in this book on the purpose driven life to find the gospel. Now I don't know how you could ever live a purpose driven life if you didn't know how to get into the Kingdom of God, or how to be saved. And as I went through the book, this is the gospel presentation, the only one that I found. "First believe, believe God loves you and made you for His purposes. Believe God has chosen you to have a relationship with Jesus who died on the cross for you. Believe that no matter what you've done, God wants to forgive you. Second, receive Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior. Receive His forgiveness for your sins." Is there anything missing there? What might be missing there? Repentance. "So I invite you to bow your head and quietly whisper the prayer that will change your eternity. Jesus, I believe in You and I receive You." What Jesus? Who did what? Where's the resurrection? It goes on. "If you sincerely meant that prayer, congratulations, welcome to the family of God." How does he know who's in the family of God? No repentance, no judgment, no hell, no heaven, no self-denial, no discussion of sin, no laying down of the Law of God against which the sinner is broken, no sense of guilt, no sense of condemnation, no fear of eternal torment. That is an inadequate gospel. That is a gospel that I will tell you will contribute to apostasy. It will contribute to defection because people are going to come to that which they think is the saving message and when it doesn't do anything, they're gone. A shallow gospel presentation that doesn't present the reality of eternal judgment, the reality of the Law of God, the reality of condemnation, eternal hell, does not warn of God's wrath, that does not crush the sinner under the weight of his violation of the Law of God, that does not make him stand before God guilty.
The gospel presentation that doesn't do that isn't a faithful gospel presentation. And then to tell somebody, "Welcome to the family," as if you knew. This is fantasy. The stronger the gospel message, listen, the harder the gospel message, the more demanding...the more law is incorporated into it, the more guilt is produced by it. The more the sinner trembles, the more conviction, the more fear, the greater the understanding of hell and judgment, the less likely it is to generate a false response. The Jews knew enough about God and they walked away. We want to make sure that when people, if they will walk away, they're walking away from the knowledge of the truth, not some superficial non-saving message that doesn't even mention the resurrection without which you couldn't be saved, because you can't be saved if you don't confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God...what?...raised Him from the dead.

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/65 ... riven+life

We need to make sure we present the TRUE gospel when leading people to Christ!!

The man that lead my daughter through the sinners prayer came to our house to follow up on her.

I would not let him in the door.

I saw no evidence of the new birth in my daughter and still don't today...however I keep presenting the TRUE gospel that includes the wrath of God ...the condemnation that is on those who don't believe...and what Jesus did and what she needs to do...

But I tell her I can't do it for her....it is between she and the Lord!

by **Carmela** » 10 Apr 2010, 13:26

Well, this is Rick Warren so no surprise there. He's one of the "emergent church" leaders. . . .leading thousands into apostasy.

by **Remnant** » 10 Apr 2010, 15:49

Good post Libby and as far as the so called sinners prayers, there is none!

No one comes to the Father unless the spirit draws him. The prayer of repentance leads to salvation and with the mouth one makes it unto the Lord. Can one be saved by saying a prayer? Yes but it is no the prayer that saves them, but the drawing and convicting power of God and then through faith one believes unto salvation.

I believe we should still give invitations and lead people to Christ through the word. Jesus gave an invitation in the last chapter of Revelation. He said Come, all who are thirsty. Come!

by **WKUHilltopper** » 10 Apr 2010, 16:04

I've had problems with the so-called "sinners prayer" too. I think it's silly and may not do anything. I tell people they should apologize to God for their rebellion and the transgressions against a Holy and Just God. And be thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus provided for us--and be thankful He took the wrath of God, that we so deserve, for us. It should be in their own words.

While I'm thinking about it, I want to thank God personally for not striking me down during my lifetime before I understood this. And thank Him for His patience and concern while I was His enemy and I was His pathetic rebelling traitor.

by **open door** » 10 Apr 2010, 23:04

Great posts, everyone, I agree with all of you!! It is sooo wrong to simply tell someone to say a prayer and then tell them that they're saved. What did Jesus say in John 3:3, 5 & 7? He told Nicodemus 3 times, "you must be born again". You don't get that way by saying a few words. It is NOT an intellectual belief that Jesus is the Son of God. It IS a belief from the heart. The Holy Spirit convicts a person, just as I was, that I was a wretched, mass of rotting flesh that deserved nothing less than the pits of hell for my many sins. The Holy Spirit helped me realize that, and I immediately became sorry, totally repentant, for my sins against a Holy and Pure God. I didn't just ask the Lord for His forgiveness, I begged it. There were many tears shed when I realized it was my sins that put Him on that cross. He went through all that, for me!! No, I didn't hear His Words or anything like that, but my heart DID change, instantly. I'll never forget the day I walked the aisle and accepted Christ, and the day that I was baptized - both experiences were like the world being lifted from my shoulders. That was His way of telling me I was saved, or born again. He speaks to others in different ways. He changed my life, and I've tried hard to serve Him since then, not because someone said I was supposed to, that it was the right thing to do, or that I had to - I did it because I WANTED to. How I've failed, utterly failed, so many times; yet, He says, for a person who's born again, they're forgiven. Thank you, Jesus, with all my heart!!!!

Scripture says God is love - 1 John 4:16 (which happened to be my daily Bible reading today). Please, people, for those of you out there who are reading who may be questioning your salvation, please read First John, it will tell you how to KNOW if you're saved.

by **januarie** » 11 Apr 2010, 07:33

open door wrote:Great posts, everyone, I agree with all of you!!

Me too!

by **Jeani** » 11 Apr 2010, 14:34

The reason for the 'sinner's prayer' is that a person needs to realize they are a sinner,and are in need of a Savior....

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

It's true that God pursues a love relationship with us..

God takes the intiative.

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, NO ONE SEEKS GOD. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Romans 3:10-12

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. John 6

However....

I still believe one has to believe they are a sinner,and in the need of a Savior...

ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER DOES NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER IT.Mark. 10:15

When you are a 'child' you don't have all of the answers,but you know that you are change...

Upon salvation, one comes as a child...

You are on the 'milk of the Word',and I don't think it's wise to stop anyone from receiving that milk...

In teaching, one come to the 'meat' in time...

That's why I don't believe it's right to ever turn a child away from making a 'profession of faith.'

We don't know if that child accepted the Lord at that very moment,but in time, we will see a change in them or not...

Through the HS, God does the saving..We are not to 'hindered' one from coming,but present the Gospel to that person...

LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME, AND DO NOT FORBID THEM; FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER DOES NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AS A LITTLE CHILD WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER IT.

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