Featured SBC Committee Hears Proposal on Sinner's Prayer

Platt backed up on his statement on the sinners prayer and admitted it is in scripture. The constant misrepresentation of it by cals is what drives stuff like this. You may not agree with it but you need to represent it honestly.

 

It is not biblical in the same way that having an organ in the church is not biblical.

It's not AGAINST the Bible. It's not condemned by the Bible. But it's not IN the Bible.

The problem here is not, to me, the use of the sinners prayer.

Use it. I don't care. I don't like it. I do think it is problematic on many levels.

But that's not what I am citing here.

The problem with this resolution is that it says that something which is NOT in the Bible, recitation of a prayer, is a "spiritually significant component of the evangelistic task of the church."

You don't get to INVENT something and then say that it a significant part of the Church's TASK.

That would be like saying, "The ORGAN is a spiritually significant part of the church's TASK."

No it isn't. It is a tool we can use or not use that we invented. But having and playing the ORGAN is not part of our Lord's evangelistic TASK assigned to his church.

To say something that we invented IS a part of the evangelistic task of the church is, at best- STUPID, and at worst wicked.

 

FAITH is what is necessary for salvation- not prayer.

Calling upon the name of the Lord is what people do who have faith.

Being baptized is another thing that people do who have faith.

Confessing Christ before men is another thing that people do who have faith.

Keeping Christ's commandments is another thing that people do who have faith.

And often times the language concerning these things SOUNDS on the SURFACE as if the doing of these things is salvific.

We are all familiar with the passages, for example, that Church of Christ, UPC's and others use to justify baptismal regeneration.

But the message of the Scripture for salvation is not- PRAY! BE BAPTIZED!

It is- BELIEVE.

But we've put the emphasis on the things that ACCOMPANY faith by this inordinate pursuit of the "sinner's prayer" rather than putting the emphasis on the thing through which we are ACTUALLY saved- FAITH.

This is VERY problematic.

 

The sinner's prayer is designed to ensure those seeking salvation understand what they must believe in from the heart. We go off the mark when we teach that if you claim to believe all those things, you are saved. Would we not be better off in a one on one discussion, where we ask questions and the person answers them in their own words. Do they really understand that all those who profess Jesus will be persecuted? Do they understand they are making a lifetime commitment to put Jesus ahead of all worldly concerns, such as family relationships?

 

It is not invented read Romans 10:13 What do you call calling on the name of the Lord

 

In our church we're looking for profession and evidence. Profession is not the sinner's prayer. Profession is actually a confession of certain biblical truths; i.e. personal responsibility for sin, the wrath of God on sin, Jesus Christ (who He is; His deity; His purpose for coming to earth; His death, burial and resurrection), and repentance from sin and faith in Christ alone. Evidence includes obedience in submitting to baptism, commitment to the body of Christ (the Church), love for the saints, good works etc.

 

I dealt with this in post #24.

 

And you will have to live with what is obviously wrong. Scripture is clear.

 

The rolls I usually see you on are the ones from Hardees and the donut shop.