Spend any great deal of time within most evangelical circles, and you will quickly become acquainted with the “sinner's prayer”. It is often seen as an evangelism tool, a way through which sinners are saved. Typically, a pastor will have people who come down to an altar call and repeat this prayer, after which they are declared saved. The same thing can be seen with people witnessing one-on-one or to small groups. An example of it would be something like this: “Father, I admit I have sinned against you. I repent of all my sins. I give my life to you and I will follow you. In Jesus' name, Amen.” All in all, it is a very common site in most evangelical churches. The question is this: Is the sinner's prayer biblical, and is it effective in producing genuine converts? My answer will certainly be controversial, as I myself come from a background where the sinner's prayer is commonplace. To both questions, I must answer no. This can be shown both biblically and empirically. In the end, I hope that I can convince that this so-called “prayer” has no power to save whatsoever, and furthermore, has no basis in scripture.
First, let us take a look at the current state of the church. We have huge numbers of new “converts” coming into the church, but many of these quickly fall away and go back into the world. This is contrary to biblical salvations, in which people were eager to be part of the body of Christ and proclaim the gospel to the lost. Instead, you have many in the church who live just as wicked of lives as they did before they were “saved”. Their lives show no difference compared to those outside the church. And I am not even talking about liberal churches here. These are conservative, Bible-believing churches. If we have a bunch of people filling our churches in whom no evidence can be found of their conversion, there is a serious problem. Statistics show as high as a 100% fall-away rate for “converts” in some evangelistic crusades and outreaches [1]. It would appear as though we are taking goats, presenting them with a weak gospel and having them jump through some evangelical hoops before we pronounce them sheep – and yet, in spite of this, they are still goats. From this alone, it becomes clear that the sinner's prayer does not have the power to save as many would think. Granted, part of this is many are preaching a weak gospel (click here for my post regarding this), but at the same time, the methodology of the sinner's prayer must be called into question.
Many would make the claim that the sinners prayer is, in fact, biblically based. They point to Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. In the parable, the tax collector cries out, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” and then returns home justified before God. There are, however, some important things to note. First, this was a cry of desperation. How many people, being led in the sinner's prayer are desperately crying out to God? This tax collector was desperate because he had been convicted of his sin and knew that God was going to carry out His justice upon him. Secondly, the tax collector was repentant. He knew the severity of his sin, and was broken over it. He would not even approach the altar nor look up to heaven. Many who are led in the sinner's prayer are not like this at all. They are upbeat or completely apathetic, showing no brokenness over sin whatsoever. If there is no repentance, and I mean genuine repentance, there can be no salvation. Sure, some claim to be sincere – and they are, but not in sense of being broken over their sin. They are sincere in that they truly do want to see if trying out the whole “God thing” is better than the life of sin they have been living in. No true repentance there. No brokenness over sin. And they will turn away once they see all the hardship that following Christ brings. Thirdly, the tax collector was not led in this prayer. This was a desperate cry of his own heart. He knew full well the consequences of his sin, and he was desperately crying out for mercy. There was no external initiation except the work of God upon his heart.
Take note of this. I am not against praying to God for salvation. I am against using a recited prayer as way to gain salvation. The tax collector cried out in prayer because God had already wrought conviction and repentance in his heart. And he cried out in both faith and in repentance. Merely praying a prayer will not produce salvation. Salvation is a work of Almighty God, not the work of man's tongue. I, for one, never prayed a prayer. My salvation was preceded by conviction and a desire to repent, and finally, during worship, I was overcome with a passion for God that I never had before. It was a spontaneous act of God's mercy, and nothing of my own effort. I was not even seeking salvation, as I considered myself already saved. How great His mercy that He saved me out of false profession in a spontaneous act of His great, unending love. It was only after this that God opened my eyes to the reality of my hypocrisy, and wrought within me genuine faith and repentance. Look at the apostles. Jesus didn't have them pray a prayer – He merely called them, and they followed. It is a purely a work of God. This is a self-evident and biblically supported truth that is often overlooked in today's evangelism. Here are some reasons why the sinner's prayer goes against this truth:
It is an affront to God's sovereignty
One of the greatest errors involving the use of the sinner's prayer in evangelism is that it goes against God's sovereignty. God's sovereignty is absolute, and He cannot be influenced by anything outside of Himself. His sovereignty is spoken of in Scripture over and over again. There is nothing that can make God change His mind, and this is solidly based in Scripture: “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind” (1 Samuel 15:29). There is nothing that can influence the will of God, neither man nor angel. To say otherwise would nullify God's absolute sovereignty, and thus nullify God's unquestionable claim to the throne of heaven. It is out of God's own good pleasure that He saves people, and He has no obligation to save a creature that has been deservingly condemned under His own justice. Whether you consider yourself to be Calvinist or Armenian, all can agree that God is under no obligation to save anyone and it is only out of His own good pleasure that He does. Who are we, to think we can somehow manipulate the hand of God into saving us, when we have absolutely no merit whatsoever that God should find us worthy? We cannot influence God on this. His decisions are his own; they are His to make. We cannot bribe God and pervert the course of justice. This would not only make a mockery of His sovereignty, but as it is written, “A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice” (Proverbs 17:23). Only a wicked man accepts a bribe, and as such, it would make God wicked to accept a bribe, even in the form of a prayer. It not possible that God should become wicked, and furthermore, He will not yield His sovereign claim to power. He is above any and all influence.
Does this mean there is no hope for the sinner? If the sinner has no desire to repent and forsake his sins once and for all, then no. But for anyone who is broken over sin, who desires to repent, who longs for God's mercy and will yield to His lordship, then yes, there is hope. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJV). God will not cast out those who truly come to Him in submission and repentance. But this is because God has influenced them, not they that have influenced God. In hearing the gospel preached, the Holy Spirit has convicted them of their sin, and God has driven them to repentance. If you feel hopeless before God, take hope in that indeed! Cry out to God that He would save you. Come before the cross and lay your life down to Him that is worthy. If God has broken you and filled you with despair, seek Him out until He saves you. For if He has indeed brought you under conviction and broken you over your sins, run to Him, for He will surely not cast you out. Only in this is there hope, because it is God who has sovereignly brought you to repentance. The unrepentant, however, will continue in their own wicked pride, defiant to the end, thinking they can somehow manipulate God. Their condemnation will come as a great surprise, for they thought they could manipulate God and continue living in sin. How wrong they are, and how deserved is their condemnation!
It is works-based
It is important that we understand that salvation is by grace through faith, and only by those means: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, see also Romans 5:1-2). It would be in vain, and in fact sin in itself, to presume that any of our works could gain us favor with God. Even our faith is not of us, but a gift of God. Scripture clearly speaks against any kind of works salvation: “I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you” (Isaiah 57:12). Our works serve us no benefit whatsoever. Before the righteousness of God, they are meaningless. Yet, if we turn from works and have faith in the Lord:
However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Romans 4:1-8)
It is by our faith that righteousness is credited to us, not by our works. This is the saving faith in which we are saved by grace. Romans 11:6 probably states it more clearly than anywhere else: “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” If we add any sort of work, it nullifies grace, and we are no longer under it. It is absolutely futile to think that we can be saved by any sort of work. If we seek to nullify grace with our works, we are beyond all hope. For none can be saved of his own merit: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Our so-called “good works” mean nothing to God; in fact, as we are defiled in our sin, even our most righteous acts are repulsive before God. It is only by faith in Christ we are found to be righteous, as His righteousness is imputed upon us. Only in this; only by God's sovereign grace can we be saved.
Therefore, what are we to think that praying a prayer is going to get anyone saved? It is tantamount to works – we are proceeding with an act of our own flesh, and expecting God to look upon us with favor and so save us. Contrarily, it will be repulsive before God, and He will reject it. Many will argue that God must save, because it is promised in Scripture. Those promises are for those who are genuinely repentant and have already been given faith by God. Someone who is expecting to be saved by the act of simply praying a prayer is sorely mistaken. Faith, conviction, repentance and submission are all works that are wrought in the hearts of the believer by God, not by the believer's own efforts. Simply repeating a prayer cannot save! There is no power in it! Salvation is a work of God, by His grace, through faith – and nothing more, nothing less. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! Stop fooling around with your own worthless deeds! The will not get you anywhere! Do you not have the faith to be saved? Continue to seek the Lord, and if you genuinely desire to yield your entire life to the absolute lordship of Christ, then it will be given. Forget all your works, and lay it all down before Him – for He will save those whom He has drawn.
It gives false assurance
There arises a terrible fallout from the use of this sinner's prayer, in that it has produced a great number of false converts. When these supposed Christians begin to see that their profession may in fact be false, they often seek counseling from their pastors. While well-meaning, many pastors simply ask those who question if they have “prayed the prayer” and if they were sincere about it. If they answer yes, then the pastor pronounces them saved, apart from any evidence of conversion whatsoever, and sends them on their way, justified in their sinful life. If they continue to doubt their salvation, they are told that they need to “yell at the devil” and tell him to leave them alone. The problem is, they aren't telling the devil to leave them alone – they are silencing their own conscience and ignoring the Holy Spirit. Oh, how we have blinded these people! We must change our ways, or their blood shall be on our hands! How can anyone presume that a recited prayer, even done sincerely, will save anyone? We are trusting in a sincere work of the flesh to somehow manipulate the sovereign hand of God, and thus produce “converts” who lack any kind of inward transformation, and show no evidence of being converted whatsoever. As though we can be justified and not be sanctified! Blasphemy! True assurance is that we will hate what is ungodly and love that which is righteous. Jesus talks about this in the beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)
Can we not see? It is the broken, the poor in spirit, who lay claim to nothing except for Christ, who shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. The meek, who humble themselves before the Lord and refuse to exalt themselves before anyone, to these, the world is given. It is the one who harbors no malice in his heart that finds mercy before God. Those who yearn for righteousness and in whose heart no wickedness is found, only these shall see God. To those who hold to righteousness even in the face of persecution, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is the assurance: No sinner shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21). They will be cast into eternal fire, where there will be no rest. But the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God. Theirs is the Kingdom, eternal life and rest. For the righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17). In this, we have assurance. But those who have merely prayed a prayer and are not living by faith in righteousness, there is only condemnation.
How can we be sure? Again, we must turn to Scripture: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). We must each look at our own lives. We must see if we are being conformed to Christ; being conformed in our thoughts, our feelings and our actions. We must see if we have repentance over sin – not just feeling sorry about sin, but a complete change of mind regarding sin. That we no longer revel in sin, but abhor it; abhorring every bit of sin we find in our lives. Likewise, we will no longer despise the sovereign will of God, but will eagerly submit to His lordship, and we will desire righteousness. If we see this in our lives, we have assurance of salvation. If not, we have much to be concerned about and we ought to seek the Lord's mercy in humility and repentance. Furthermore, the book of 1 John provides an example by which we may examine our lives. Let us examine ourselves, and teach others to do the same. Only in this can we find assurance, not in the act of reciting a prayer.
It is not my intent in any of this to label anyone as a heretic. I know a number of people whom I respect that do use this “sinner's prayer”. But it is neither biblically or historically accurate. But I do say this: It is a grave error to think that having people repeat this prayer will save anyone. Granted, some are saved, but this is an independent work of God that has nothing to do with anyone reciting a prayer. God has pitied and freely given grace those who know and despise their unrighteousness, who are repentant and who are desperate for mercy – not because any of these have casually recited a prayer. It is my hope that I can convince those, especially those in ministry, of the error of their way. I have repented of the sinner's prayer and I hope that you will too. May God open our eyes to see what is true.
References:
[1] Comfort, Ray. God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life. Bellflower: Living Waters, 2010: 75-79
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