Many years ago I made a profession of faith, if you can call it that, when I repeated a prayer because evidently I had a hole in my heart that only Christ could fill. Simple as that, say the prayer, make sure you mean it and your saved. Wheres that Staples easy button? So, then naturally I wanted everyone else I knew to have Jesus do for them what He did for me. Although I probably couldn't tell you what that was other than make a way for me to go to heaven when I die. I thought all you have to do is say a simple prayer and your in.....who wouldn't want to do that?
After a couple of months, I didn't know why, but I really didn't feel any different. The sort of "high" I had after "being saved" had worn off. And my life really didn't look any different to anyone else looking in, other than I had a Jesus fish on my car and a cross around my neck. To make a long story short this went on for about two years and it wasn't until I picked up a book by Ray Comfort called The Way of the Master that my life did a complete 180. The book lead me to Gods word and what He says about salvation. I looked up Ray teaching Hells Best Kept Secret and True and False Conversion and realized that I was a false convert. I was the tares among the wheat. I was the one that would be saying Lord Lord, to which Jesus would reply to me, "Depart from Me, I never knew you." This led me to genuine repentance and saving faith in Jesus Christ, and I knew that I was born again! I had gotten on my face and I felt the weight and burden of my sin on me. All the lies, cursing, drunkenness, blaspheming, dishonoring my parents, lusting, stealing, and hating was on my shoulders and I cried out to Jesus to save me, that I would repent (turn) from sin and follow Him. When I got up, that weight was gone and in my mind I could see Christ being beaten, whipped, and crucified and I just wept, in fact as I write this I begin to tear up. He did that for me!! Still hard to take in. I certainly do not deserve His grace and mercy, but I gladly receive it.
Anyway, got off topic there a minute....sorry. But you see the difference? Repeating a prayer saves NO ONE! Could God use the sinners prayer to save someone? Of course, He is God. But that is not how He tells us it happens. Jesus never asked anyone if they wanted to pray and ask Him into their hearts. In fact Jesus first words in Ministry was Repent! Look for the sinners prayer in the Bible and let me know if you find it because I can not. Do you realize how dangerous this is!? You lead someone in a prayer, they think they are saved, you put a notch in your evangelism belt and when that person dies they will hear those words that gives me chills even thinking about..."depart from me, you worker of lawlessness, I never knew you." This is not a game folks! Wake up! Model yourself after Jesus Christ, take the person you care about through the law of God, don't just gloss over sin. Talk about righteousness and judgement. Jesus did. Stephen did. Paul did. THEN lead them to the cross and speak of mercy and forgiveness IF they repent and by faith alone put their trust in Jesus Christ. Advise them to call out to God in a prayer of repentance, in their own words. Use Psalm 51 as a model prayer. Pray FOR them and WITH them. Then let the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit, do His thing. Remember, we can not save anyone......its not our job. We are to be faithful and obedient to God when we speak the truth in love to people, calling them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
I just cringe when I see a tract with the sinners prayer on it, or I hear someone say "just pray this prayer." Please go over to CARM.org and read Tony Miano's articles addressing "Why the Sinners Prayer is Unbiblical" It's a great article and even handy to keep a copy around in your evangelism box, because I will guarantee you it will come up when you are out on the streets and run into a Christian who questions and disapproves of how you are evangelizing.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Steven
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