"Disciple or Christian?" continued…
"The Sinner's Prayer"
The Simple Prayer
I
suppose "The Sinner's Prayer," is derived from Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Whoever came up with the phrase to call it "The Sinner's Prayer" may have meant well in doing so. However, the danger in reducing salvation to a formula, is that obviously, you can't sum it all up into a twenty-second cliché someone repeats, and poof, they're saved! Jesus spent three and a half years teaching His "Disciples" on what it takes to be saved! Many vital passages Jesus taught concerning salvation are omitted from "The Sinner's Prayer", and may leave a person under the impression that those other passages really aren't necessary for salvation, only the so-called "Essentials." Who is man to say what is essential and what is not! They are not the Author and Finisher of our faith! Our sin debt was not purchased by their blood! If we're telling people they're saved just because they mouth some words and not really knowing if God changed their heart, we are just as guilty as "Once Saved Always Saved" preachers, by giving people a false sense of security thinking they're saved!
Confessing the lord
A
wise preacher once told me, "Don't tell someone they're saved, let them tell you!" because IF they really got saved, they'll KNOW IT! They'll sense a change! Like a NEW man! (2 Corinthians 5:17) You won't have to tell or convince them they're saved. But if they said "The Sinner's Prayer" and there was really NO transformation from darkness to light. NO glorious liberty of the sons of God from the powers of the devil to the kingdom of God's dear Son! If NO real change on the inside took place, then preachers telling them they're saved is just as damning and wicked as the "Once Saved Always Saved gospel!"Our Theology seems to be, as long as they confess Jesus is Lord, they're saved! The big problem with that is found in Matthew 7:21 "
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." If confessing that Jesus IS LORD is a sure- fire guarantee of eternal life, then Jesus lied and just contradicted Himself! It is God who is true, and EVERY man the liar! (Rom 3:4) "Confessing the Lord Jesus" is not ONLY confessing Him publicly as your Lord and Savior when you get saved, but continually confessing Him throughout your lifetime, not being ashamed, not denying the faith, enduring to the end, the same SHALL be saved!
Contrasting Altar Calls
T
ruthfully, when is the last time you heard a preacher call people to salvation the same way as Jesus called people to salvation? Chances are you might not hear it unless you read it for yourself out of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!Jesus' Alter Calls:
"And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"
-Luke 18:18-24
Today's Alter Calls:
"Praise God! God is sending me rich people to support my ministry! Get saved by repeating after me "The Sinner's Prayer!" You can keep your idols, as long as you give some to my ministry! We'll shorten the services to one hour so it won't interrupt your golfing schedule. Hallelujah, we can finish building our dynasty now!"
Jesus' Alter Calls:
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:28-33
Today's Alter Calls:
"TRY Jesus! You don't have to commit yourself to following Him at first, just TRY Jesus! Ask Him into your heart, you can keep smoking, drinking, lying and swearing, He'll change you after a period of time, TRY Jesus!"
Jesus' Alter Calls:
" And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." -Luke 9:57-58
Today's Alter Calls:
"I'm a King's Kid, and you can be a King's Kid too! Repeat after me "The Sinner's Prayer!" We'll have the best of everything you're a King's Kid now! No more trials, tribulations or hard times. We'll stay at the best hotels, eat the best food
Jesus' Alter Calls:
"And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." - Luke 9:59-62
Today's Alter Calls:
"God knows your heart! He doesn't really expect you to be sold out to Him! That "you are bought with a price, and you are not your own" scripture doesn't apply to us; it's just there to encourage us."
Jesus' Alter Calls:
"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." - Mark 8:34-38
Today's Alter Calls:
(Multitudes come to hear the Preacher) "It's time to take up an offering, God is blessing my ministry! None of that "denying yourself and taking up your cross" stuff! Just follow Jesus. Just show up to Church every once in a while, I'll tell you what you want to hear, I won't really tell you like it is, I won't ask you to commit all! Please come! If you can't come, at least send your offering, be a part of what God is doing!"
Jesus taught the way of true salvation and was more concerned with making "Disciples." And in doing so
He challenged them with more than just saying "The Sinner's Prayer," but to be 100% committed before coming after Him! Verbally confessing with words found in "The Sinner's Prayer" is a good start, but the focus is for you to be a "disciple" of Jesus, to observe and TO DO whatsoever He has commanded you! (Matthew 28:20) "Christian" is something that should be said of you by others, not what you should call yourself! Set yourself on being a "disciple," committed, willing and ready to serve and obey ALL of Scripture! It is a Holy honor "to be called a Christian!"
