The Sinners Prayer

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Gottle_of_Geer said:

There can be repentance and saving faith where there is no baptismal water - and sacrilege where there is baptismal water​

Baptising a kitten (as witches did, to raise storms) or a stone doesn’t confer any grace at all. Invoking the Holy Spirit over a currant bun, and baptising the currant bun in the name of the Blessed Trinity, is a waste of time, and a sin.

The “good thief” in Luke 23.43 was not baptised, he never went to confession, he was crucified for his crimes & did not deny that his punishment was just - but he had saving faith in the words of Christ Himself. That’s why the thief has a place in the calendar of saints. And he could not have had faith but for Christ.

Acts 10 shows the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the household of the Roman soldier Cornelius - before anyone was baptised. Baptism followed the reception of the Holy Spirit, rather than preceding it - just as happened in Acts 2.

Besides, without the Holy Spirit, no one can repent. To bring a sinner to repent is as great a thing as to create the world from nothing; so God alone can do it. And none of God’s works is a small thing, even when they fall outside His “usual” ways of working - which is why the Church teaches that God is not limited by or to the Sacraments; as is plain enough even without the Church’s underlining the point; for if God is Transcendent & Infinite, nothing through which He works can limit Him. The limits are in the creatures - such as the Church or the Christian. But our weakness & poverty is no limitation on God. ##
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Silly impulsive, incomplete utterance on my part. I understand the teaching of the Church. Many protestants don’t believe baptism does anything, regardless of the command to “Repent and be baptised,” hence my interjection.
 
Archbishop said:
The sinners’ prayer is simply an evangelistic tool to help someone who may not know how to pray to form the words of repentance and ask Christ to be their Lord and Savior. The scenario should go something like this:
  1. You present the Gospel of Christ to a sinner. You lay the claims of God in front of them and confront them (nicely) with their need for forgiveness and reconcilation with God, etc etc.
  2. You then ask that person if they understand this and if they would like to repent of their sins and ask Christ to be their Savior. If the person says yes, you ask them if they would like to pray for forgiveness and ask the Lord to save them.
  3. If they do not know what to say or how to pray, you lead them in the sinners prayer.
  4. After the prayer, you assure them that if they have been truly repentant, then God does forgive their sins and welcomes them as one of his children (or some such words, similar to what the priest does in confession).
  5. Now, you encourage that person to find a Church, become involved in parish life, and begin reading the Bible, usually starting with the Gospel of John.
  6. As much as possible, you should follow up with that person in discipleship to help them grow in the faith.
The problem with most approaches to using the sinner’s prayer is that a person is left with the understanding that all they need to do is pray that prayer and all is taken care of. However, the person needs to then be discipled and this is where many people fail in their evangelization of others. They go on to someone else and leave the other person behind to fend for themselves and very often that person never continues on in the faith, never grows, and often falls back into the same sinful lifestyle they were living.

The sinners’ prayer is a tool and like other tools it must be used correctly and not as a cure-all and not as the final test of one’s salvation. Nor is it the correct tool for every situation you encounter.

++Mark
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You are correct. One of my friends from church (Catholic) was a volunteer and prayer partner at a Billy Graham crusade. OSAS is a faulty statement, which can be proven from Scripture (even in the KJV) to be false. One needs to abide in Christ in order to be saved. If one falls back into sin, he is lost. Yes, the sinners’ prayer is an excellent tool, but perseverence in faith is necessary for salvation. Reading the Bible daily is an excellent help to someone in order to persevere in the faith. God’s Word, and His Sacraments (Penance and the Eucharist) provide me with much strength to resist Satan.
 
Gottle_of_Geer said:
The “good thief” in Luke 23.43 was not baptised, he never went to confession, he was crucified for his crimes & did not deny that his punishment was just - but he had saving faith in the words of Christ Himself. That’s why the thief has a place in the calendar of saints. And he could not have had faith but for Christ.
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Of course he went to confession - and to the ultimate High Priest! Did he not acknowledge his own crime and guilt and that of his fellow thief who was mocking Christ? But your point is taken of course, since he wasn’t baptised with water (of course baptism by desire is a different kettle of fish entirely)
 
Hi,
I have been walking with the Lord for ten years and Im not quite sure what the sinner’s prayer is. :o Maybe it is the same as the Roman’s walk? Could someone write it down for me:thumbsup: Maybe when I see it Ill say OH yeah I know that!😃
Thanks
AFH
 
You may call the sinners prayer an effective tool but the problem with it that it promotes the thought that you can save yourself. God saves us. We cannot save ourselves by reciting a prayer. God saved us when he died on the cross, and we become part of the family of God when we are baptised at whatever age. The sacraments of the church play an important part in our salvation. Yes there is a personal realtionship with Christ but that is not all.
 
lak611 said:
You are correct. One of my friends from church (Catholic) was a volunteer and prayer partner at a Billy Graham crusade. OSAS is a faulty statement, which can be proven from Scripture (even in the KJV) to be false. One needs to abide in Christ in order to be saved. If one falls back into sin, he is lost. Yes, the sinners’ prayer is an excellent tool, but perseverence in faith is necessary for salvation. Reading the Bible daily is an excellent help to someone in order to persevere in the faith. God’s Word, and His Sacraments (Penance and the Eucharist) provide me with much strength to resist Satan.
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How true.

One thing we forget is that we are as Christians justified and on our way to salvation through our Lord Jesus, but are not saved till we face our Lord. So this presumption that we are saved once the sinner’s prayer has been said, even in all sincerity, is misleading and dangerous.
 
mercygate said:
You might do better to ask them what the Scriptural foundations are for their belief that the sinner’s prayer is the ticket to eternal security.
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Yeah, while you’re at it, be sure to ask them if they still beat their wife.

We don’t believe that the sinners’ prayer saves anyone.
 
jonfan said:
Hi Protestant friends :tiphat:

Is the sinners prayer in the King James Version of the Bible?

Thanks and God bless,
Jonfan
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No, it isn’t found in the Bible. The principles stated in the prayer are, but the prayer, itself, isn’t.

The purpose of the prayer really is just to codify our belief to new believers, but a little over one hundred years ago, it started to make it’s way into revival meetings (also a misnomer) as a way to lead people to Christ.

The problem that I and the other Protestants/Baptists I know have with the prayer is that it’s very short on repentance and very long on emotionalism.

I used to lead people in the sinners’ prayer, but I don’t do that anymore.

Now, typically, I’ll explain God’s plan of salvation and say something to the effect of, “…if God is moving on your heart and you want to know how you can be saved today, Brother So-and-So and I will be here after the service to talk with you and to pray with you.”
 
mikemck said:
Yeah, while you’re at it, be sure to ask them if they still beat their wife.

We don’t believe that the sinners’ prayer saves anyone.
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No need to be cynical. I know many people for whom the sinner’s prayer was a very important part of their life-long conversion. I know many who are Catholic today, converts from Protestant denominations that use it, who point to that moment as a great watershed in their lives: the moment at which they publicly claimed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, the dropout rate is 95% (says by my friend who has worked as a counselor for Billy Graham crusades). But Jesus told us about the seed that falls upon rocky ground. Still, for the 5% who carry on, the sinner’s prayer marks a valued point on their path and I, for one, would not deny that Christ has worked many miracles through it.
 
The thing is, most people who are presented with the Sinner’s Prayer are already baptized Christians who have simply lapsed in their faith. By leading them through the repentance process and reciting the Sinner’s Prayer, what has actually happened is an awakening to faith, not a true “conversion” process akin to a pagan embracing Christianity. I think this needs to be understood so that people don’t get the idea that praying one prayer means they are permanently saved, which it certainly doesn’t.
 
Thank goodness for the Mass and for the Sacrament of Reconciliation!👍
 
Gottle_of_Geer said:
The “good thief” in Luke 23.43 was not baptised, he never went to confession, he was crucified for his crimes & did not deny that his punishment was just - but he had saving faith in the words of Christ Himself. That’s why the thief has a place in the calendar of saints. And he could not have had faith but for Christ.
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The “good thief” did go to confession. He confessed directly to Jesus Christ. He did have saving faith in Christ, but he also did have to suffer for his sin. He had to be crucified before he was able to go to heaven, and his crucifixion was particularly brutal since his legs were broken by the Roman soldiers.
 
jonfan said:
Hi Protestant friends :tiphat:

Is the sinners prayer in the King James Version of the Bible?

Thanks and God bless,
Jonfan
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No, it is not in any of the Scriptures.
But we have the Scriptures, and they have showed us that we can believe and receive the Gospel, call on Jesus, and pray in His name.
Do I need to show the Scriptures?
 
lak611 said:
The “good thief” did go to confession. He confessed directly to Jesus Christ. He did have saving faith in Christ, but he also did have to suffer for his sin. He had to be crucified before he was able to go to heaven, and his crucifixion was particularly brutal since his legs were broken by the Roman soldiers.
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Ya. He was saved and forgiven before that happened.

And that means that Jesus paid for his sins, though he still suffered.

Like any of God’s martyrs, who were sinners, as well.
 
Quite funny the sinner’s prayer…haven’t heard that thing in a long time.

I think that the Sinner’s Prayer is about as misunderstood as the Rosary.

Quite simply like many have said…it’s not specifically in the bible and it alone can not save you. I personally feel relationship with the Father is salvation.

Then as a result of that salvation and continued faith come baptism, service, and love…and lots more good stuff from the Father.

Only one way to God…Jesus…anyone seeking him loving him following his example is going to get where he wants you to go. That’s the point…in my little pea brain.
 
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