The Sinner’s Prayer: From God or Man

Romans 3:4

I'm continually confounded as I pick up a Bible Track written about salvation which states, “Just say this simple prayer and you will be saved.” Likewise, famed religious preachers preach the same. Then there is the Gideon Bible which has been placed in hospitals, hotels, doctor offices, etc. for fifty plus years with the same message, “Just say this simple sinner’s prayer for salvation.” In this regard a couple of days ago I was asked to review two Bibles published by Zondervan. I was surprised both had the following: “Jesus, I acknowledge my sin and your payment for it on the cross. I now ask you to forgive me and I willingly give my life to you.” At that very moment, he will come into your innermost being through the power of his Holy Spirit and start you on your journey toward intimacy and eternal life with God.”

Brethren it is imperative we study the Bible with our families and others and grow in our assurance of salvation based on God’s Word rather than the teaching of men. “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words, that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So, whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say,” John 12:47-50. “Let God be true and every man a liar,” Romans 3:4.

The truth of the matter is for generations individuals have attempted to write or teach a simple explanation of how to become a Christian. Unfortunately, many including myself have overlooked or ignored the biblical teaching of the genesis of Christianity and the Lord’s church as recorded in Acts 2:1-47. Please consider the following:

The day of Pentecost (fifty days after the Jewish Passover) was a great day of celebration. Most Jews traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate it. Acts two begins, “When the day of Pentecost came, they (Jews) were all together in one place.” It was on this Jewish celebratory day that the Lord chose to usher in the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 31:31-34. During the day of Pentecost the Lord did miraculous works to get the people’s attention and to prove the message to be preached was authoritative. The message began with the fulfillment of another prophecy from Joel, Joel 2:28-32 explaining the outpouring of God’s Spirit on all people.

Peter stood up with the eleven apostles and preached a riveting message; “Men of Israel listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God set purpose and (foreknowledge) and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him,” Acts 2:22-24. Following, Peter spoke concerning David because the Jews knew the Messiah was to come through the seed of David. “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead he spoke of the resurrection of Christ that he was not abandoned to the grave nor his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we're all witnesses of the fact,” Acts 2:29-33. Peter concluded his message, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this; God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ, Acts 2:36.

When the Jews understood Peters message they asked, “What shall we do?” Acts 2:37.“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off. For all whom the Lord our God will call,’” Acts 2:38-39.

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day,” Acts 2:41. The believer’s devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship and continued to meet and eat together, Acts 2:42-46.

“Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added, to their number (church from the Greek word Ekklesia) that day,” Acts 2:47. Consider, “He, Jesus, came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of a human decision or a husband's will but born of God,” John 1:11-13

Jesus had previously charged His Apostles to preach this message. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” Acts 1:8. Further, He charged, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,” Mark 16:16. A continued study of the Book of Acts reveals, “the gospel”, the death, burial and resurrection, was the recurring message taught by the Apostles: Acts 3:12-15, 24-26; Acts 4:2, 10, 20, 32-33; Acts 5:20, 27-32, 42, Acts 10:39-43 By Stephen, Acts 7:52. By Philip, Acts 8:12. By Saul who later became Paul, Acts 9:19-22; Acts 13:29-30; Acts 13:32-36; Acts 17:1-3; Acts 17:18; etc.

The apostle Paul gave clarity to the word gospel, “Go into all the world and preach the “good news,” (gospel) as used in Mark 16:16, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preach to you. Otherwise, you believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as a first importance. That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Additionally, Paul wrote “I'm astonished that you're so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an Angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again; ‘if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:6-9. Further, Paul wrote, “God is just; he will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you because you believed our testimony to you,” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.

Paul also made claim he and others were saved through obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; How can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this and his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who died has been has been freed from sin. Now if we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has majesty over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; But the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you're not under law, but under grace,” Romans 6:1-14.

Note concerning Paul’s conversion: “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away calling on his name,” Acts 22:16.

Consider an additional challenging writing of Paul’s: “A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving he was great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard there is a Holy Spirit.’ So, Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John's baptism,’ they replied.’ Paul said, ‘John's baptism,’ they replied.’ Paul said, ‘John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.’ He told the people to believe in the one coming after him that is, in Jesus. On hearing this they were baptized into the name of Lord Jesus,” Acts 18:24-19:5.

Question: If these men had died between the time they were taught and baptized incorrectly by Apollos and were taught correctly and baptized correctly, would they have been saved or lost? The Scriptures teach they would be lost because John baptism did not include receiving the Holy Spirit. “You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ,” Romans 8:9.

Apollos was a great preacher, but he evidently didn’t know about Pentecost; therefore, he was teaching John’s baptism. Remember Paul’s teaching? “John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to ‘Believe in the one coming after him that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this they were baptized into the name of the Lord,” Acts 19:4 (The Scriptures are clear, one cannot be taught wrong and obey right). Consider “There is one baptism,” Ephesians 4:5.

Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit. But a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the king of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock,” Matthew 7:15-25

Jesus further said, “He who has ears, let him hear. The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you'll be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. Listen then to what the parable of the Sower means: When anyone hears a message about the Kingdom of God and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path,’” Matthew 13:9-19

“But the one who received the good seed that fell on the good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produced a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown,” Matthew 13:23. (I believe this Scripture is discussing producing new converts not the fruits of the Spirit. Think about it).

Paul wrote, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one in whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Roman 10:14

Brethren let’s be like Cornelius, when he was expecting Peter to arrive and teach a message whereby, they could be saved. “The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends,” Acts 10:23b-24.

Because of Calvary,

Tyrone Mynhier