"THE SINNER'S PRAYER"

All you have to do to be eternally saved is to repeat this sinners prayer or just "Ask Jesus into your Heart" or “just believe Jesus died for your sins and make a profession of faith in Him and you will be eternally saved”. The fact of the matter is that NOBODY in the Bible ever ‘asked Jesus into their heart’ or ‘gave their heart to the Lord' or ‘made a profession of faith in Christ’ to become a Christian. There is not one instance of this ever happening. There are no people in the Book of Acts repeating a "Sinner's prayer" to get saved. There is nothing even close to resembling this doctrine. This doctrine simply does not exist in the Bible.

There is also no scripture or verse in the Bible to tell us that when you make this ‘profession of faith in Christ’, or ‘ask Him into your heart’ or whatever, even confess your sins, that all your sins, past, present and future are all immediately and completely forgiven. I have had many say that they don’t have to confess or ask forgiveness of sins they commit since they made their profession of faith because all sin, including future sins were forgiven at that time and they don’t need to make another confession of sin for that one was sufficient for all sin throughout their life. That is not Biblical doctrine but heresy that is causing people to live in and with unconfessed sin!

Take just this one passage that is spoken to believers, who have already come to Christ and been redeemed and not to unbelievers. 1 John 1:6-19 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” The word ‘sins’ is plural and specific not a one time general confession for all sin will do. That is not confession and repentance. You will not turn from a sin that you have not faced, been convicted of and repented of. Then walking in repentance becomes a lifestyle, a part of this life we live by faith and obedience to Christ.

So where are you standing if you don’t believe you have to confess the sins you committed since you made your “profession of faith and asked forgiveness of sin in general terms?” Incomplete confession and repentance leads to incomplete sanctification and incomplete salvation. Repentance comes because God first convicts us of our sin by the Holy Spirit, then when we confess He grants our repentance. It is not our choice or something we do and it all up to us as if God has no part. He is the author and finisher of our faith and this process of salvation, not us.

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The Word reprove here means to convict, convince, rebuke, reprove, admonish of sin, your sin, God’s righteousness and His judgment upon sin. In John chapter 8, the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman taken in adultery and said, “Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” It was a sham to tempt the Lord so they could accuse Him. Jesus replied, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The scripture tells us in verse 9, “when they heart it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.” Notice it was the older men who first admitted to themselves that they were also guilty of sin before God and really no better then this woman and had no right to judge and condemn her to death.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure (if, perhaps, whether or not God) will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” If God doesn’t grant repentance they are locked into their present state of bondage to sin. These are people who are in a snare or trap of Satan, meaning they are fastened by a noose, as a bird taken by a fowler or a soldier captured alive in battle. It is only when God grants repentance that your bondage to that sin is broken and you are set free. Why do you think so many people “repent” of a particular sin again and again and keep going back to it and never stop their sinning? God has not granted them repentance and removed them from Satan’s bondage.

This is for those who are walking in the light, in fellowship with Jesus, who have been cleansed by His blood and it says that if we continue to walk in the light and in fellowship, the blood of Jesus “cleanseth” meaning continually cleanses us from sin as we meet the conditions, the “if’s”. Then he reminds us that “If” we confess our sins He will forgive us. If all our sins were already forgiven when we first came to Jesus, then there is no need for asking for forgiveness in the future when we sin if we have already been forgiven. And that is the way many “believers” in Christ think. They think that they don’t have to keep asking forgiveness, to continually keep confessing their current sin because they already confessed their sin once and were already forgiven of all their sins, even future ones they have not committed yet. That is not a godly doctrine, but one out of hell to deceive and keep people walking in sin, presumptuously and that is a great sin according to God’s Word.

Psalm 19:13 “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” We need to understand how serious God takes presumptuous sins, or the attitude that I need not worry or repent of my sin because God doesn’t see my sin anymore since I professed Christ, He just sees the blood because I am already forgiven even before I sin. It is a presumption that you can get by with your sin and that God isn’t noticing or looking at your sins committed anymore. But what does God have to say about it? Numbers 15:30-31 “But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” The only way to be forgiven and be free of any sin, is to repent of that sin. There is no scripture that says that asking forgiveness for sin is a once in a lifetime act, but an attitude of walking in repentance and forgiveness such that whenever we sin and realize that our sin breaks our fellowship and communion with God that we repent so that our fellowship can we restored and we can be in right relationship with Him.

So what did people do in the book of Acts to be saved from their sin? Well, according to scripture, every time they wanted to become a Christian (to be saved), they believed and deeply repented of their sin; they were baptized in water, and also baptized in the Holy Spirit. These three things were always done straight away - and were regarded as essential to salvation and not just "optional extras". We are short-changing the entire church today with a doctrine that simply cannot be found in or supported by New Testament Scripture. Many of our doctrines today are new doctrines only believed by the modern “Western” church and not “Christians” in other countries. Merely “asking Jesus into your life” is totally unscriptural. It is time to go back to getting people saved the Bible way, God’s way, which is the only true and real salvation! Everything else is merely empty religious activity that has replaced truth that leads to true salvation with that which is nothing more than man-made religion.

Acts 2:37-38 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” First they were convicted of their sin and then they repented and then were baptized and then received the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:12-17 “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 19:1-6 “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

Without Repentance there is no salvation for Salvation without repentance is NO salvation at all. And repentance is not a one time act, but a part of the Christian lifestyle. It is an attitude, not a one time act. We repent of our past sins when we come to Christ for salvation, but then we walk in repentance, which means we ask for forgiveness whenever we sin and we also forgive others who sin against us. Why? Because unforgiveness toward others is a sin and if we are not willing to forgive others then we are not truly repentant of our sin and realizing the truth about our own sin and our own need for forgiveness. If one is claiming faith in Christ and not forgiving others, but holding grudges, bitterness and unforgiveness, then they are not walking in repentance, are in sin and need of repentance and if they do not repent, eventually they will loose their salvation. The time will come when the Holy Spirit will give them a choice and one last chance to repent and stop their sin and if they do not repent, then the Holy Spirit will leave them and they will be lost, as the prodigal son who choose to walk away from the Father. It is a choice you make, to follow Jesus, daily. Luke 9:23 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

When you first believed upon Him and came to Him for salvation, you did not cease to be a free moral agent with the power to choose whom you would serve and yet that is the way that many act and think. Yet not entirely, they believe they are free to choose, just that their choices, no matter what, have no affect on their salvation because they believe there is nothing they can do to loose it. They believe that once you receive the gift, it is yours no matter what and don’t consider that a gift can be given back, returned. And many turn back to the world from their faith and cease to follow Jesus and walk in faith in Him and scripture tells us “the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38).

Many begin to follow Jesus or at least hear the truth about Him, but don’t continue on with Him as we see in many scriptures, as the story of the sower and the seed in Luke chapter 8, which tells us of four types of hearts. The first three types of hearts hear the word, two of those three put their faith in Jesus but don’t continue with Him because of persecution or love of the world and only the fourth heart, one that is fertile soil for the Word that is received bears fruit unto salvation and is saved in the end. Luke 8:13-15 tells us of the three that believed and received the Word of God which they heard. “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” We have to keep, continue in the Word which we heard and believed when we first professed Christ. Jesus said, “…but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” Matthew 10:22. I could give a hundred scriptures to support this, but there is no space here for such. It shouldn’t take such to believe what God has said that is “plain English”.

What the majority of leaders in the church are doing with this doctrine of the “sinner’s prayer or confession” is replacing Truth with something CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE and EASY. I call it easy, greasy grace. They say, “Just say this little prayer” and then everything will be alright and you will be saved and have your ticket punched to get to heaven. They don’t use those words but that is the implication, you will be saved and on your way to heaven and forever a child of God no matter what. There is no mention of DEEP REPENTANCE at all. There is a total lack of any real TRANSFORMATION into a “NEW CREATURE” in Christ because there was no real turning from sin to faith and obedience that God demands. This is not salvation at all.

Those who teach such false doctrine are robbing people blind in the name of comfort and convenience. How typical of the Western world. They have invented a lukewarm “salvation experience” to go with our lukewarm church so that everyone feels comfortable in our church, in their sin with only a religious cloak for their sin. A salvation without cost or commitment, all for a simple “profession of faith” that is not salvation, but only deception that is deceiving people so they can make merchandise of them because its all about numbers and money and not true salvation in this man-made religion which is a false salvation.

Ezekiel 33:11-20 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel , I will judge you every one after his ways.”

True Salvation comes because we repent of living a life independently of God in of rebellion against the authority of God and His Word over our lives. True salvation is coming to the kingdom of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:11 “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Notice, God must minister to you, bring you into His kingdom, it is nothing something you do on your own, by your own doing or choosing and it is into His kingdom, meaning under His lordship, the authority of the king. He is first Lord and then Saviour, not saviour and then Lord.

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