The Sinner's Prayer Exposed — E.A. Johnston

The Sinner's Prayer and False Assurance

There are some men who have built their congregations on getting folks to recite the sinner's prayer. There sits a multitude today of church members who hang their hope of heaven on heaven recited the sinner's prayer, and there sits in hell at this hour multitudes who mistakenly believed they were saved by reciting the sinner's prayer.

The sinner's prayer is a modern product of mass evangelism birthed out of football stadiums and big crusades and many Baptist churches have adopted it as a means to get new members. A church member in hell may ask why am I in hell if I recited the sinner's prayer?

Well, let's take a look friends at this so-called sinner's prayer. Here is a real example used by a well-known pastor. Do you want to be saved friend? Then pray this prayer. Let me pause here. From the outset, the sinner's prayer is flawed.

Here is a preacher who is promising a sinner who is hoarding in his sins that he can be saved just by repeating this prayer. This non-biblical approach to evangelism has given multitudes a false security and led them into a false faith.

Human Depravity and Spiritual Helplessness

This mass approach to evangelism denies the Bible, which speaks of the utter depravity of man, that every man is completely corrupted by nature and thoroughly unaware of his own helpless, wretched, blind, dead condition in trespasses and sins.

The sinner's heart is filled with enmity against God and is so wicked that in Job, it states that man drinks iniquity like water. Well, let's continue with this sinner's prayer. Dear God, I know that you love me and I know you want to save me.

Divine Sovereignty, Saving Faith, and Regeneration

Let me pause again friends to state the obvious. The preacher's presuming something here by leading somebody along to recite this who is presuming something about God that may not be so. They are presuming something about the sovereignty of God in salvation.

They're presuming God will save them if they just repeat this prayer. Listen friends, God is the one who gives saving faith and he can give it or withhold it and still be God. He can send you to hell for your deserved punishment and still receive glory from it.

How dare an evangelist or pastor tell someone God is promising to save them if they just repeat this prayer. This is akin to a cult religion. Are sinners saved by making a decision or are they saved by the Holy Spirit performing a work on the heart through the supernatural act of regeneration?

The sinner's prayer is a man-centered methodology that traffics in the souls of man. Let us continue with this so-called sinner's prayer. Jesus, thank you for paying for my sin with your blood on the cross.

I believe you're the Son of God. I believe God raised you from the dead and I now receive you as my Lord and Savior and Master forever. Save me Lord Jesus and help me never to be ashamed of you. Save me by your grace and keep me for your glory and Lord Jesus, I thank you for doing it.

I will make it public. I will not be ashamed of you and I will live for you the rest of my life as you give me strength. Amen. Notice friends that this evangelist puts great emphasis on making it public.

Public Professions and Conversion Numbers

If people don't walk an aisle and fill out a card of profession, how can they be numbered by the church? This minister is looking for results and numbers and he makes them feel that if they don't make a public profession of faith, it is because they are ashamed of Jesus.

These high-pressure sales tactics may work in selling insurance, but not getting you an insurance policy against hell. But the biggest heresy about the sinner's prayer is the omission of man's duty of repentance.

Repentance as a Gospel Necessity

There is no mention at all about repentance or confessing sin or turning from sin. This is because the sinner's prayer is the centerpiece of the only believed gospel which states that repentance is not necessary for salvation.

All you have to do to be saved is to believe. To tell a wicked sinner that all he has to do to be saved is just to accept Jesus is not true because God's Word is plain that sinners must repent and turn from their wicked ways.

God has declared that they only that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy. God's wrath against sin demands justice for sin and until a man repents he is in imminent danger and a terrible judgment awaits him.

If God let his severest judgment fall on his only beloved son, how much more would the punishment be for sin-loving rebels hardened in their sins? The gospel shows how unsparingly God deals with sin and one look at Calvary demonstrates God's hatred of sin.

To tell a person they can have Jesus who bore the curse on a bloody cross without confessing and forsaking their sins goes against God's Word and his gospel of the Son of God. The sinner's prayer has filled congregations with new members and has filled hell with false converts.

The Publican's Prayer in Luke 18

The sinner's prayer in my Bible is found in Luke 18 13. And a publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes on to heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner.

Let us pray. Amen.