Can a Sinner’s Prayer Save?

Certainly not without true conviction of sin and a desire for God’s mercy!  But, a prayer expressing the heartfelt surrender to Jesus with or without the understanding of His death burial and resurrection is going to be “receiving” Jesus in John 1:12.  

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:”

—Salvation does not come by praying an “insincere” prayer. 

—It comes by repentance and faith. It comes when a man or women is broken (having realized they need and want a Savior turning to God in faith). 

—That is what must take place and it is not simply rhetorically voicing meaningless words. 

—We must never give people the idea that reciting a few words in a prayer is somehow a saving act, or that going forward in a service without any heart felt need for forgiveness surrender to Jesus as Lord, or that getting baptized without a profession, or taking a communion, or doing good works or any kind is somehow fulfilling John 1:12. 

—Salvation comes by the grace of God to those who feel the weight of sin’s guilt which may be shown by placing their small mustard seed of faith in Christ by a mental or verbal prayer. 

—But how do they do that? Well, it is a prayer, isn’t it? We express our repentance and faith in a prayer, mental or verbal, but it is always a heart driven prayer. That prayer isn’t works to be saved by but rather the result of what actually heart happened, or is going on as the words flow. 

—So, if an evangelist gives a person a little help in wording that prayer, it isn’t an act of evil. 

—It would seem that it is a good thing to help people find the words to express the repentance and faith that is or has happened in their heart. Of course, no prayer can create what does not actually exist. Either it has occurred or is being professed as best they can say. Saying a prayer may well be attesting to what happened but God is not count that as “works”. 

—We are only saved by grace through faith not of ourselves, it is a work of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” 

—Gifts are received or they are only unrealized gift offers. We don’t want people to believe they are saved before they are converted. Likewise, in no way is a Sinner’s Prayer a guarantee to send people to Hell or Heaven. 

—Our refusal to trust Christ for His salvation is what condemns.  That’s the unpardonable sin. 

—Is the prayer itself the problem or is it the misuse and abuse by (maybe) well meaning Christians who think they are doing God’s work and His Will with exaggerated invitations?

—At least they are concerned about the lost as (maybe) their critics do nothing to reach the lost around them. Therefore, the rhetoric on both sides needs to be turned into prayers for each other and some urging to consider how best to proceed while keeping a zeal for evangelism which we all fail on. —As one Christian I read says, “Those who use the Sinner’s Prayer have not all rejected the Gospel and those who are critiquing it are not opponents of evangelism. There is a legitimate place for helping a repentant sinner pray properly but there is a legitimate reason to question the way many have used it.”  He went on, “Tone down the rhetoric. That’s true in about 98% of our issues. There are some extremists on this issue, of course, as is true in everything, but this is not an “us against them” thing. We’ve made it into that, but it isn’t that and shouldn’t be that.

• Both sides believe in salvation by grace through faith.
• Neither side (in the SBC) believes that reciting a prayer saves us.

Our quarrel concerns a method, not the Gospel itself. We should stop acting like those who use the Sinner’s Prayer desire to offer a cheap grace or that those who criticize the Prayer are opposing evangelism and the free offer of the Gospel. Carefully wording our critiques to give honor to those with whom we disagree is a good first step.

2. Listen to the other side.

We are so defensive today, so quick to play the victim and pronounce ourselves offended and injured. But much trouble could be avoided if we would simply listen to the criticisms of the other side.

• Sinner’s Prayer supporters – please listen! A very good and godly man today gave a clear gospel presentation and then capped it with a false statement. I know very well that he does not believe that salvation is by praying a prayer. 
• Sinner’s Prayer critics – please listen! The people you criticize are not enemies of the Gospel. They are not desirous of gaining false converts by manipulation (most aren’t anyway). Come away from your insulated conference-going, book-reading tendencies and engage some of the folks who use the prayer on a regular basis. Realize that they love the Gospel just as you do and just use a different method. Show grace. There is passion for truth in the other side.”
• Finally, Frank Landrey’s thoughts are that both sides use less energy and time trying to find fault and get busy spreading the Gospel. 

—We are not to be causing a brother to stumble by our insensitive accusation that we didn’t hear or accept their salvation testimonial do to it not fitting our human understanding or biblical interpretation of it being true. God seperated tears from the wheat not us pompous judges. 

Matthew 13:24-30 “Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Missions In Action Inc is all about spreading the Gospel. Please help us while you give out God’s Gospel seed by way of Grateful Heart cards. Help us. Share your salvation testimony with us. We will post it to encourage others to write out theirs making them better prepared to share their hope.