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Peculiar Misunderstandings
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1989
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

Message #1

MISUNDERSTANDING PRAYER TO BE THE MEANS OF APPROPRIATING ETERNAL LIFE

Text * Acts 16:30-31

This is the first in a series of messages in which I will deal with theological positions which we hold; but which many, even among our closest Baptist brethren, think peculiar. We do not think our positions on these issues to be peculiar. And, it is our belief that those who think us peculiar have misunderstood. We believe they have either misunderstood what our true positions are on the issues, or they have a misunderstanding of what the Bible truly teaches on these subjects.

This series is a look at the main issues where our positions are thought to be peculiar. Each message will first explain why some people think what we believe on the issue is peculiar. Then, it will set forth as simply and clearly as possible our position. Finally, the message will conclude with an effort to show our position on the subject to be the Biblical position on the subject. If our positions are indeed the positions of the Bible on the issues we consider, then they are not peculiar at all.

In this church we do not ask a lost person to pray in order to be saved. The vast, vast majority of professing Christiandom thinks we are really off base, wrong, and peculiar in this. So, I am going to show you today why we do not ask lost sinners to pray a prayer to be saved.

I. IT IS A VERY COMMON PRACTICE OF MANY TO ASK LOST SINNERS TO PRAY IN ORDER TO BE SAVED FROM SIN'S PENALTY:

A. In the ranks of those who consider themselves fundamental, Bible-believing, or conservative Christians, the practice is so widespread that those who do not practice it appear to be peculiar or out of step with Bible Christianity:

1. Most of the well known T.V. and radio preachers tell lost people to bow their heads, confess their sins, and ask Jesus to come into their hearts.

2. By far the vast majority of today's "Salvation tracts" end with a written prayer, which the reader is asked to pray to cinch his salvation.

3. In thousands of Baptist churches, independent, southern, fundamentalist, or otherwise, the invitation is always characterized by the preacher asking people to bow their heads and pray a prayer of confession and invitation of Jesus in for salvation.

4. Standard furniture in thousands of churches is a long prayer bench or "altar" down front where people are invited to kneel and pray for God's forgiveness and salvation. Many trained counselors immediately get them on their knees when they come to "get saved".

5. So called "Roman Road Evangelism" takes you right to it. The preplanned approach is: show them they're lost, show them they're going to hell, show them the work of Christ; then, have them pray "the sinner's prayer," which is a prayer requesting God to save them.

6. The sinner's prayer is to thousands of churches what water is to a well or wheels are to a car. Folks who have seen nothing else all their lives are flabbergasted when they see a church that does not ask lost people to pray to get saved. To some it seems so peculiar that it is regarded as sacrilegious. Some even become angry and critical, and will not even stop to find out why churches like this one do not use the "sinner's prayer." They are so ensnared in a lifelong habit and tradition they do not even want to check to see if it is a sound, biblical tradition or not. So, they just get mad and leave and call us heretics.

B. Some have in mind certain scriptures which they sincerely think we are violating:

1. No doubt the most notorious of these scriptures is Romans 10:13 which says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." This is the verse most commonly quoted on tracts and offered at invitations.

At first it seems for sure that this verse is inviting lost men to pray in order to be saved. But, the very next verse or the one just before it will quickly dispel the idea that verse 13 is inviting lost, hellbound sinners to pray to be saved. Verse 12 is discussing a place in which there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, and it says that place is in the Lord. And, as the verse continues, it is in that place and that place alone that men can call upon the Lord. Should anyone doubt that interpretation, he can look to verse 14 which cinches it. It makes sure that there can be no calling or praying until there is believing; and there can be no believing until there is hearing, for as verse 17 says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of the Lord."

Romans 10:13 is not instructing lost men to pray to be saved from sin's penalty; it is instructing God's saved people to pray for daily deliverance from sin's power or control over their lives.

2. Another Bible passage some think we are ignoring is Luke 18:9-14. This passage talks about two men, a Pharisee and a publican, both of whom went up to the temple to pray. The publican smote on his breast and said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner," Luke 18:13. Some just know this is a case of a lost, hellbound sinner praying to get saved.

The fact is that both these men went up to the temple specifically "to pray." Even the Pharisees knew that "God heareth not sinners," which is specifically stated in John 9:31. By the law under which these men lived, they could not even have entered the temple had they not been professing embracers of the Jewish faith as evidenced by their circumcision, Ezekiel 44:7. So, in Jesus' parable (verse 9), he does not use men who symbolize the lost, who can't pray. He uses men who symbolize the saved, who can pray; and he makes a point about those who are in a position to pray. Even men, who are saved and can pray, fail. When they do, they are to come in prayer asking mercy, Hebrews 4:16; not in arrogant pride gloating over how much better they are than their failing brothers.

Jesus' point in his parable is not at all how lost men get saved. He's dealing with humility versus pride, in the lives of his children. Those who would use this passage to support a "sinner's prayer" position are artificially forcing a passage to teach a point it is in no way teaching.

3. Cornelius, of Acts 10, is another case often cited in support of the "pray for salvation" position. There is no question that Cornelius was a lost man, and that he was praying in his lost condition. Verse 2 says he prayed, and verse 4 says his prayers came up as "a memorial before God." Although, God did not save Cornelius because he prayed. In fact, in spite of all his praying, he remained lost until God raised up Peter who went to Cornelius with "words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved," Acts 11:14. If praying could save a man, Cornelius would surely have gotten saved that way for no lost man was ever more devout, good, and faithful to pray. Acts 10:1 & 2 says so. Yet, he didn't get saved until he believed on Christ.

In the case of Cornelius, who was a Gentile, God had promised in Hosea 2:23, "will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." Romans 9:24-26 specifically identifies this prophecy to be a promise of Gentile conversions. Before Cornelius, Peter and the early believers had limited their preaching of Christ to the, Jews, Jesus had confirmed the preaching of the cross to the Gentiles when he said, "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," Luke 24:47. With Cornelius, God began the fulfillment of his promise to open the door of salvation wide to the Gentiles. His prayers were simply a memorial reminder before God that the time had come to fulfill that longstanding promise. God didn't save Cornelius because he prayed. He saved him because he believed in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and only when he believed.

4. There are a few other passages similar to these, each of which-upon careful examination melts as any support for prayer as the means of appropriating eternal life.

II. WHAT BECOMES INCREASINGLY CLEAR AS ONE SEARCHES THE SCRIPTURES IS THE FACT THAT GOD HAS ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY OF APPROPRIATING THE MERITS OF HIS FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS, AND THAT IS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS ONE'S OWN PERSONAL SAVIOUR:

A. No truth is presented more clearly nor labored more diligently in the Holy Bible than salvation by grace through faith:

1. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, "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."

2. Hear it in John 3:15-18, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

3. Jesus said in 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.

4. Romans 1:16 puts it this way, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

5. And, Acts 16:30 & 31 asks the question as to how one is saved and gives the answer in the clearest of mortal terms. The question is "What must I do to be saved?" And the answer is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

B. There is no other way:

1. Jesus said, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins," John 8:24.

2. He also said in John 3:18, "He that believeth not is condemned already because he has not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God."

3. Listen to 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."

4. You can go to church; but if you don't believe, you are not saved. You can be moral; but if you do not believe, you are not saved. You can be baptized; but if you do not believe, you are not saved. And, you can pray the sinner's prayer, but if you do not believe, you are not saved. The Bible says, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness," in Romans 10:10. You can do anything else you want to do; but until you believe on Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you will never be saved. But, let me hasten to add, that the minute you believe on him, you will be saved, regardless of whatever else you may have done.

C. This being true, and it is, then what effect will asking Jesus into your heart have on your salvation?

l. The answer to that is quite simply, "None!" You can ask him into your heart all you want; but if you do not believe on him, he won't save you. On the other hand, if you believe on him as your Saviour, he will save you, even if you do not ask him to save you.

It is pretty obvious that your asking doesn't matter one way or the other. It is not the "asking" that makes the difference; it is the "believing" that makes the difference.

2. You ask, "Can a person who asks Jesus into his heart be saved?" The answer is yes, if he believes." God will not refuse to save a believing sinner just because he is asking. Yes, he'll save him anyway, in spite of his asking. Of course, he'd have saved him just the same, even if he had not asked at all. Now, if the sinner thinks the asking is contributing to his salvation, then he won't be saved. It is believing in Christ, plus nothing, minus nothing, that produces eternal salvation. The big danger in asking a sinner to pray at the point of salvation is that the sinner will think somehow the prayer contributed to his salvation and by so doing nullify the whole redemption transaction.

3. The wisest thing a soulwinner can do is keep the message clear and simple. Just tell lost sinners to believe on Jesus Christ to be saved. That's all it takes. To tell them to do anything more is to confuse the issue. Such additions contribute nothing to the transaction, but run the grave risk of causing the lost person to make a false profession of faith. The one who thinks prayer, or baptism, or good works, or anything other than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will result in eternal salvation is still lost and damned to hell. Jesus saves only those who believe; not those who pray; not those who reform; not those who work good works; not those who are baptized; only those who believe. Jesus will save those doing these things; but not because of these things or when the doer thinks these things are getting him saved. Jesus saves sinners only when they come to him in faith, apart from trust in any of these things.

4. So, in this church, we do not ask people to pray in order to be saved. Why should we? Prayer doesn't save; faith in Christ does. Why should we confuse the issue and muddy the water for a sinner by asking him to do something God doesn't ask him to do, something which has the potential of damning his soul to hell? And why should we be thought peculiar for taking such a wholehearted Bible position on the issue?

And, if you prayed to be saved, why should you continue to think you are saved in view of the fact that God told you to believe; not pray, to be saved? If you examine your heart and find you've done anything short of or more than believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, you are lost. And, if you are lost, I urge you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right now and be saved.

 

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"