WHAT ABOUT THE SINNERS PRAYER

1
WHAT ABOUTTHE SINNERS PRAYER?

• The Most Important Question
• WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

2
An Example of the Sinners Prayer

• "Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner,
  in need of your forgiveness. I believe what Your
  Word tells me, that You died on the cross,
  bearing all my sins, and that You arose from
  death, so that I could be forgiven. I thank You,
  Lord, for this precious gift, and I pray that You
  will help me turn away from my sins, so that I
  can live a life that is pleasing to You. I turn
  my life over to You now, as I accept You into my
  heart. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me, and for
  being Lord of my life. In Jesus name I pray,
  Amen."

3
Claimed Resultsof the Sinners Prayer

• "Congratulations! If you prayed this prayer
  earnestly, from your heart, you are now a
  Christian. Your sins have all been washed away by
  the precious blood of Jesus. And now you have a
  home in heaven with your wonderful Savior! PRAISE
  THE LORD!"

4
THE SINNERS PRAYER

• An obvious fact If the sinners prayer is
  required by God for salvation, it would be
  included in the Bible as a command and example
  for us to follow.
• An indisputable fact THE SINNERS PRAYER IS NOT
  IN THE BIBLE!
• Neither Jesus, the apostles, inspired evangelists
  or any first century Christian ever told a alien
  (non-Christian) sinner to pray for salvation.

5
TERRIBLE SIN TO QUESTIONANYONES RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS?

• This subject is of eternal consequences.
• Acts 1711 Bereans searched the scriptures
  daily, to find out whether these things were so.
• With this attitude - less error
• John 832 Only the truth can set us free!
• Error, if believed and obeyed will keep us in the
  bonds of sin and result in our losing our souls.

6
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 2)

• "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts
  237)
• Repeat this prayer after me and you will receive
  the forgiveness of your sins
• Receive Christ as your personal Savior and
  repeat this prayer after me.

• "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts
  237)
• Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every
  one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
  Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 238).

7
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 2)

• Receive Christ as your personal Savior.
• PERSONAL of, affecting, or belonging to a
  particular person. (Webster).
• If Jesus is your personal Savior, He cannot be
  the Savior of anyone else.
• Jesus came to save the world (John 316 442
  1247 1 John 414).
• Jesus came to save the church (Ephesians 523)
• It is wrong to refer to Jesus as your personal
  Savior (Hebrews 725).

8
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 8)

• Do you understand what you are reading? (30)
• ...How can I, unless someone guides me? (31)
• "The place in the Scripture which he read was
  this 'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter
  and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He
  opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His
  justice was taken away, and who will declare His
  generation? For His life is taken from the
  earth.' So the eunuch answered Philip and said,
  'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of
  himself or of some other man?' Then Philip opened
  his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture,
  preached Jesus to him." (Acts 832-35).

9
SINNERS PRAYER?

• Acts 836 - "Now as they went down the road, they
  came to some water. And the eunuch said, 'See,
  here is water. What hinders me from being
  baptized?'"
• You dont have to be baptized right now.
• Just receive Christ as your personal Savior and
  say this prayer
• But Philip didnt say anything about a sinners
  prayer!

10
SINNERS PRAYER?

• "Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your
  heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I
  believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' So
  he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both
  Philip and the eunuch went down into the water,
  and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of
  the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip
  away, so that the eunuch saw him no more and he
  went on his way rejoicing."

11
SINNERS PRAYER?

• Was the Eunuch converted to Christ? YES!
• Did he receive salvation? YES!
• Did he receive salvation as a result of prayer?
  NO!
• The Eunuch was saved when he did what Philip
  taught him to do when he preached Jesus to him!
• See, here is water. What hinders me from being
  baptized?

12
SINNERS PRAYER?

• This account specifically mentions three things
  that the Eunuch did to receive salvation.
• FAITH If you believe with all your heart you
  may
• CONFESSION I believe that Jesus Christ is the
  Son of God.
• BAPTISM ...here is water. What hinders me from
  being baptized?... And he baptized him
• No mention of prayer!

13
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 9, 22, 26)

• Saul - "...and suddenly a light shone around him
  from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and
  heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are
  you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You,
  Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you
  are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick
  against the goads.' So he, trembling and
  astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to
  do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go
  into the city, and you will be told what you must
  do'" (Acts 93-6).
• Why didnt Jesus tell him to pray for salvation
  right there?

14
SINNERS PRAYER?

• Saul - "Now there was a certain disciple at
  Damascus named Ananias and to him the Lord said
  in a vision, 'Ananias.' And he said, 'Here I am,
  Lord.' So the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go to
  the street called Straight, and inquire at the
  house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for
  behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has
  seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting
  his hand on him, so that he might receive his
  sight.'" (Acts 910-12).
• You have been saved by praying.

15
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 22)

• "'What shall I do Lord?' And the Lord said to
  me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you
  will be told all things which are appointed for
  you to do.' (Acts 2210).
• Something appointed for Saul to do.
• Was it to pray for salvation?

16
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 22)

• "'Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according
  to the law, having a good testimony with all the
  Jews who dwelt there, came to me and he stood
  and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your
  sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him.
  Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen
  you that you should know His will, and see the
  Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 'For
  you will be His witness to all men of what you
  have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting?
  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,
  calling on the name of the Lord.' (Acts
  2212-16).

17
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 22)

• If sin is washed away as a result of prayer, then
  why was Saul still in his sins?
• behold, he is praying.
• Saul was praying but still in his sins.
• When did he have his sins washed away?
• When he complied with what Ananias told him to do
• Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins,
  calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 2216).

18
SINNERS PRAYER? (Acts 22)

• Is Calling on the name of the Lord Prayer?
• Could not be because Saul was already praying.
• Calling on
• means to call upon for ones self, in ones
  behalf to appeal unto (Thayer).
• Not done by prayer but obedience.
• 1 Peter 321 (ESV) - Baptism, which corresponds
  to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt
  from the body but as an appeal to God for a good
  conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus
  Christ,

19
WHAT ABOUTTHE SINNERS PRAYER?

• 3 Conversions No sinners prayer.
• True of all the conversions in the N.T.
• Never any mention of alien sinners
  (non-Christians) being told to pray for
  salvation.
• If its not in the Bible why teach it?
• How can we teach it and still claim to be
  teaching the Bible and honoring Jesus?

20
WHAT DID FIRST CENTURY PEOPLE DO TO BE SAVED?

• Pentecost faith, repentance, baptism.
• Eunuch faith, confession, baptism.
• Saul faith, baptism.
• Taken altogether?
• Faith
• Repentance
• Confession of faith
• Baptism
• If this is what they did, this is what we must do
  to receive salvation and become a Christian.

21
WHAT DID FIRST CENTURY PEOPLE DO TO BE SAVED?

• The only sinners who were ever told to pray for
  forgiveness were Christians who had sinned.
• Simon
• Acts 85 Then Philip went down to the city of
  Samaria and preached Christ to them.
• Acts 812 But when they believed Philip as he
  preached the things concerning the kingdom of God
  and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women
  were baptized.
• Acts 813 Then Simon himself also believed and
  when he was baptized he continued with Philip

22
WHAT DID FIRST CENTURY PEOPLE DO TO BE SAVED?

• Acts 814-15 Now when the apostles who were at
  Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the
  word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
  who, when they had come down, prayed for them
  that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 818-19 And when Simon saw that through the
  laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit
  was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give
  me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay
  hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

23
WHAT DID FIRST CENTURY PEOPLE DO TO BE SAVED?

• Acts 820-22 But Peter said to him, "Your money
  perish with you, because you thought that the
  gift of God could be purchased with money! "You
  have neither part nor portion in this matter, for
  your heart is not right in the sight of God.
  "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and
  pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may
  be forgiven you.
• Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord
  for me, that none of the things which you have
  spoken may come upon me.
• Repent pray. (1 John 19 confess).