The Sinner’s Prayer Won’t Save Anyone!

There is much confusion in our world about salvation. For example, followers of John Calvin teach that people are predestined to go to Heaven or Hell and there is nothing they can do to change that. Catholicism teaches that one must follow some teachings of men that are not in Scripture to be saved. Much of the Protestant world teaches that all a person has to do is believe in Jesus and he will be saved. Billy Graham and many in the Baptist faith teach that to be saved you must believe in Jesus and say the sinner’s prayer. Does the sinner’s prayer save? Is there a Scriptural example of someone saying the sinner’s prayer and being saved? Let’s take just a moment to examine what the Bible says about the sinner’s prayer and salvation.

On Billy Graham’s website and in his sermons he always encourages people to say the following prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen” (http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp). At the conclusion of this prayer people are left with the impression that they are NOW saved. Is this God's way of Salvation?  Absolutely not!   The sinner’s prayer is a damnable doctrine because it causes people to have a false sense of hope in something that the Bible does not teach. Allow me to illustrate. Where in the Bible do you find the sinner’s prayer recorded? Between the following parenthesis are all the passages that teach salvation is through the sinner’s prayer (                                                                   ). Do you see the point? Friend, you can search the Scriptures from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 and you will not find the above prayer or any prayer like it. Since the sinner’s prayer is not recorded in Scripture, then it cannot be Jesus’ way of salvation. The Bible teaches that we must do everything by the authority of Christ (Col. 3:17). The Apostle Paul said that we must not go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6). John warned us not to add to or take away from God’s Word (Rev. 22:18-19). Please listen very carefully, no where in Scripture will you every find one person saying the sinner’s prayer and being saved. It’s just not there. In fact, the only example we have of a person who said a many of “sinner’s prayers” is the Apostle Paul. In Acts 9:9-12 we are told that Paul was praying and fasting after the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Yet, even though Paul said a many of sinner’s prayer over that three day period, he was still not saved. Paul had something else to do to be saved. And, so does every person who has been duped by false teachers into thinking that belief and prayer alone will save.

What else did Paul have to do to be saved? In Acts 22:16 Paul was told “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Paul had to be baptized to have his sins washed away. Jesus taught, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved…” (Mk. 16:16). When people asked Peter what they needed to do to be saved he said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Friend, the Bible teaches that one must hear God’s word (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of past sins (Luke 13:3), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:10), and be baptized to be saved (1 Peter 3:21). Have you obeyed what God says you must do to be saved? Or, have you let men lead you down the wrong path for salvation?