Perhaps the greatest deception in Christendom, including within Charismatic circles, is the Sinner’s Prayer. Said to be introduced in the 20th century as a quick and easy way to “save” people like a mantra, it has brought about false hope and false assurance to millions to this day, seldom dealing with the core issue of why we need to be saved in the first place.
This will be a shock to many, but the Sinner’s Prayer is not in the Bible, neither did the Apostles use any form of prayer to get someone saved. Throughout the Bible, the emphasis on receiving eternal life has always been on believing the Gospel.
So how does one be saved? We need to go back to why we need to be saved.
We all have sinned, broken God’s moral laws & deserve eternity in Hell
1 John 3:4 – Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
James 2:10 – For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Romans 3:10 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelation 21:8 – But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Good deeds cannot save our souls
Isaiah 64:6 -But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Only Jesus Christ, the perfect sinless Son of God and who is God in flesh born of a virgin, shed His blood on the cross, was buried and rose again on the 3rd day. Only He can pay our sins (past, present, future) in full. Only He can reconcile us to God by justifying us before a holy God through faith in him alone.
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Romans 5:6-8 – For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Nothing (not your works, deeds, rituals, rites, church attendance, water baptism, etc.) can wash away your sins except the blood of Christ
Matthew 26:28 – For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Hebrews 9:22 – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:12 – Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
1 Peter 3:18 – For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
1 Corinthians 3:4 – For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Christ’s imputed righteousness, not our righteousness, justifies us before God
Romans 4:22-25– And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Salvation is a FREE gift. Receive it by believing & trusting in Jesus alone today!
Romans 10:9 – 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.
John 5:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
John 3:36 – He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Once you are saved, you are permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14 – In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 4:30 – And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Ex-Charismatics 