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Is The Sinner’s Prayer Biblical?


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Not under Law. There were two sets of people in OT Israel. The wicked whom God forced to act like they loved him and others under threat of death. And with material rewards for obedience. And the other's who loved God and others having their hearts circumcised (New Birth). These did not need a law just as Abraham, Job, Abel and others did not need God to tell them not to steal or murder.

When Christ abolished the Law and circumcision, only the born again remained as Israel and the unbelievers removed. The believing gentiles grafted into their vacancy.

That makes no sense. Jesus told people to repent during His earthly ministry before the New Covenant officially went into effect with His death.

In Matthew 12:41, Jesus refers to the story of Jonah as an example of repentance.
 
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Dave L

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That makes no sense. Jesus told people to repent during His earthly ministry before the New Covenant officially went into effect with His death.

In Matthew 12:41, Jesus refers to the story of Jonah as an example of repentance.
It was always a call to national repentance followed by judgement for not repenting. The born again in Israel accepted Jesus as the Messiah. The wicked rejected him.
 
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Where did I swear? Please show me where I swore in my posts?

Please carefully look over every word of post #50 and pray about it. If you have to ask after re-reading it carefully, then I cannot help you. For obviously a person would not speak that way in a job interview or in front of their grandmother, etc. But let’s move on (Seeing this is not the topic of this thread).

You said:
And please show me scripture of it because I honestly do not know what that is? I'll be waiting for that scripture..

I said the Scripture verses in post #2. But seeing your not getting what I was trying to say, I will simply re-post the entire post #2 for you here (So you can check out the verses).

I believe the Sinner’s Prayer is just another way of the Bible saying to “Repent.”

A Biblical Case For Repentance:


At the heart, I believe the Bible teaches that "Repentance" means, "Asking God for forgiveness" (Which of course naturally then leads to the "fruits of repentance", i.e. obedience to the Lord):

Important Note: While I may believe "Repentance" does involve to a certain degree a "change of mind" (like a person changing their mind about their old life of sin), I do not think "Repentance" exclusively means a “change of mind.”

"Asking God for forgiveness of sin" can either refer to: The "Sinner's Prayer" (Initial Salvation) (Romans 10:13), and or the seasoned believer "Confessing one's sin" (Continued Salvation) (See 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1).

Anyways, here are my ten points using Scripture showing that "repentance" means "asking God for forgiveness of sin.”

#1. Acts 2:38,
The New Living Translation says in Acts 2:38 to "repent of your sins."
Douay Reheims says in Acts 2:38 to "Do penance."
New Life Version says in Acts 2:38 to "Be sorry for your sins"

#2. Luke 17:3 says, "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him." This doesn't make any sense if "repent" means believe in Jesus (as some teach) or to have a change of mind about sin (as others teach) or to exclusively forsake sin. Yes, we are to forsake sin as a part of repentance but that comes later after repentance (Which is to ask God for forgiveness of our sin). For how can we reconcile with a brother if we do not say we are sorry vs. just going on about life as if we did nothing wrong?

#3. Jesus said in Matthew 12:41 that the Ninevites will rise up in Judgment against this generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. If you were to turn to Jonah chapter 3, you would be able to see in Jonah 3:6-10 that the King of the Ninevites had told his people to:

(a) Cry out to God (i.e. Repentance) (See Jonah 3:8).
(b) Turn from their sins or evil ways (i.e. The Natural Fruits of Repentance).​

#4. Matthew 3:6 (which then lines up with Matthew 3:8). Also, in Mark 1:4-5, it says John preached the "baptism of repentance" for the remission of sins (verse 4), and it then defines this "baptism of repentance" by saying they confessed their sins when they were baptized (verse 5).

#5. We see in Acts of the Apostles 8:22 a clear example of Peter telling Simon to "repent" of his wickedness in trying to pay for the Holy Spirit. Peter is telling Simon to make a prayer towards God. For Peter says that he should pray that God might forgive him. In other words, Peter is telling Simon to repent of a one time event of wickedness by way of prayer to GOD. This only makes sense if "repent" means to "ask for forgiveness."

#6. Ezekiel 14:6 says,
"Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols;" Repent makes the most sense here if a person is asking God for forgiveness by way of prayer instead of a person just believing in God. Naturally a person believes in God as their Savior if they are planning on forsaking their idols.

#7. We see repentance is the topic of discussion in Luke 15 (Luke 15:6) (Luke 15:10); This is then followed up by the "Parable of the Prodigal Son" with the son desiring to be reconciled with his father. We learn the WAY the Prodigal Son desired to be reconciled with his father when he said,

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19).

In other words, the Prodigal Son was seeking forgiveness. This ties into the point of repentance in Luke 15:6 and Luke 15:10.

#8. Luke 10:13 says,
"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." This rules out the theory that repentance is exclusively forsaking sin. Granted, forsaking sin always follow true repentance (Asking God for forgiveness of one's sins) but forsaking sin is not repentance. The word "repented" here is describing a one time event because they "repented", sitting in sackcloth and ashes. In Jonah 3:6 we learn that the King of Nineveh sat in sackcloth and ashes. In Jonah 3:8, the King of Nineveh tells people to put on sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God (i.e. repentance): and then turn from their evil way (i.e. the fruits of repentance).

#9. John the Baptist says we are to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8). Fruits are deeds (or obedience to God). How can repentance be the same thing as the fruit? Is the fruit the same thing as the tree?

#10. Jeremiah 8:6 says, "I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle." Here we see the word "repented of wickedness" tied with the words, "What have I done?" This is an acknowledgement of one's sin to God as a part of asking His forgiveness.


Notable Additional Verses that Deal with Repentance
(But They Do Not Use The Word "Repent" or "Repentance"):

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13).

13 "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:13-14).

Proverbs 28:13 says whosoever confesses and forsakes sin shall have mercy.
 
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It was always a call to national repentance followed by judgement for not repenting. The born again in Israel accepted Jesus as the Messiah. The wicked rejected him.

I don’t see how this reply helps you to explain how repentance does not deal with salvation.
 
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Dave L

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I don’t see how this reply helps you to explain how repentance does not deal with salvation.
What if America repents? Would God bless and not destroy? Do convicts in the penitentiary go to heaven if they stop robbing and killing? They repent and are let loose from time to time.
 
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What if America repents? Would God bless and not destroy?

This would mean America seeks forgiveness with Jesus Christ, which then leads to the fruits of repentance (Which is obedience to the Lord). John the Baptist said bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. This does not make sense if repentance means to forsake sin. The fruit cannot be the the same thing as the tree itself. OT Scripture talks about repenting while one sits in sackcloth and ashes. Repent cannot mean to forsake sin exclusively if such were the case. You cannot forsake sin while you sit in sackcloth and ashes. It makes no sense.
 
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Dave L

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This would mean America seeks forgiveness with Jesus Christ, which then leads to the fruits of repentance (Which is obedience to the Lord). John the Baptist said bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. This does not make sense if repentance means to forsake sin. The fruit cannot be the the same thing as the tree itself. OT Scripture talks about repenting while one sits in sackcloth and ashes. Repent cannot mean to forsake sin exclusively if such were the case. You cannot forsake sin while you sit in sackcloth and ashes. It makes no sense.
This assumes too much. Repentance of convicts does not mean salvation. It was the same in OT Israel too. Believers already repented by living holy lives. So the call was for national repentance.
 
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His student

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Is The Sinner’s Prayer Biblical?
I voted for the choice which stated.
"It is not mentioned in the Bible, but it is still valid."

Having said that - I will tell you that, as one who questioned everything, I struggled for many years with actually "believing" that the Bible was true in general and the idea of God entering our world and dying for our sins.

I prayed various renditions of the sinner's prayer perhaps a dozen times and was pronounced "saved" every time. Where upon I informed the person leading me in prayer that I did not think myself "saved" for doing so for the simple reason that I did not believe the gospel as yet - even though I wanted very much to.

I wasn't just leading well meaning Christians on in this. I was quite upfront with them about having done this before. Yet - almost every time I was pronounced "saved" after saying the sinner's prayer.

In time the Lord "proved Himself" to me in a miraculous way just as He did Paul who was also struggling against the goads of the Holy Spirit for some time.

I believe the prayer is a way to express what is in one's heart toward their belief in the gospel message and that saying it, in and of itself, does not save in the slightest.

I don't believe that the final giving of sight to this blind man was done for the reason of my "Godly struggle". Rather, I believe that that long struggle was simply part of God's process of softening my heart and opening my eyes.

By faith we are saved and justified and that is a gift of God which is given only by grace
.
 
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Just_a_Christian

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If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Seems pretty self explanatory
i believe this too, but I'm not discarding the remaining scripture. I don't have to explain it away. I believe what the Lord has said.
Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38). They are to repent and then be baptized. If baptism was all that was necessary why not simply say be baptized? In Mark 16:16 " He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.", why mention belief at all in the first part of the verse, and then why not mention refusal to get baptised in the second? Surely it would make more sense to say "He who is baptized will be saved."
I don't know, all I know is what yhe Bible says. You question God if you feel the need, there's plenty of scripture on that subject too.
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5) Washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit; not by water.
So says man. The Bible says differently, deny it if you wish. Jesus said we are to live by every word that that proceeds ftom the mouth of God.

What about those who believe, but for one reason or another, do not get baptized. They have saving faith; they trust in the Lord Jesus, but they cannot get baptized, and they die. Are they then damned? If they are, you're admitting that it is the ceremony, the work, in and of itself that saves you. And if not, if their faith saves them, then you're admitting it's faith that takes prescidence over the ceremony of baptism.
Again. If you feel up to questioning God. Have at it.
Yet but another article by another mighty man that does not want the believe what the Bible says. Thus it is written: Whosover believes and is baptized shall he saved.
 
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Not David

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Last I remember, you are Orthodox. Some Orthdox churches believe in infant baptism. Does this mean that the babies are saved via baptism? Or of you of the Orthodox branch that does not hold to this view? I am just curious because I do not think baptism is a replacement for calling upon the name of the Lord as per Acts and Romans. Remember, Paul says he came not to baptize but to preach the gospel in 1 Corinthians 1:17. So we have to look at the whole counsel of God's Word and not just those verses we prefer to see based on our own church experience. Yes, there are times men were saved via with baptism, but there other times where men were saved without baptism. Cornelius received the Spirit (was saved) before he was baptized.
I don't think Cornelius example is a good one, especially if I can mention the Samaritans who didn't receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John laid their hands on them.
Also all Orthodox believe the same since we are in Communion with one another.
And yes, baptism saves you.
 
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This assumes too much. Repentance of convicts does not mean salvation. It was the same in OT Israel too. Believers already repented by living holy lives. So the call was for national repentance.

No. A case for National Repentance would be the Ninevites. They actually sought after forgiveness with the Lord by crying out to God and then this was followed by the fruits of repentance (Which was to forsake their evil ways) (See Jonah 3:6-10). Jesus points to this as an example of repentance in Matthew 12:41.
 
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Just_a_Christian

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In 1 Peter 3:21, Peter explains that baptism saves but not for the putting away of the "filth of the flesh" (i.e. sin). Again, compere similar wording "filth of the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 7:1 (Which is clearly in reference to sin). So we are saved via remitting sin from our conscience in baptism and we are not saved by remitting sin literally from our soul in regards to salvation. Baptism is a picture or symbol of salvation (See Romans 6:3-5). Mark 16 does not say he that is not baptized is condemned. This makes sense because the thief on the cross and Cornelius were saved without water baptism.



Non sequitur. Putting on Christ and being in Christ is not the same thing. Water baptism was something they did as a part of accepting Christ back in the day. It was not always the case. Again, Paul says he came not to baptize but to preach the gospel. How can Paul be against an essential core doctrine in coming to the faith?



No. Being born of water is talking about being born by the Word of God (via the Scriptures).

Ephesians 5:25-27 talks about being washed by the water of the Word.
In John 15:3, Jesus says you are clean by the word I have spoken to you.
1 Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."



Baptism was something they did as a part of accepting the Lord in many cases. But in other cases this was not the case. Baptism was also a picture or symbol of salvation (See again Romans 6:3-5).

The passage mentions circumcision. A person had to first believe before being circumcised even under the Old Covenant (When the OT was once in effect at one time for the Israelites) (See Romans 4 in how Abraham first believed (before he took action) and his belief was accounted to him as righteousness). Yes, it is true that one needed to be circumcised to maintain their salvation later (See Genesis 17:14), but the New Covenant is not about ordinances or ceremonies or rituals, etc (that are mere shadows that point us to Christ). The New Covenant is about loving God and loving your neighbor in a more perfect way via the faith and or teachings of Jesus Christ and His followers.



Be as children means to have the humble attitude. Children generally learn from their parents because they are limited in knowledge. If they make a mistake, they are sometimes punished so as to learn from their mistake so they can learn so as not to make such mistakes in the future. This is from the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant and it speaks nothing about water baptism. In context, being like a child one is innocent and quick to forgive and forget. Forgiveness is more in line with the Sinner's Prayer than water baptism. Water baptism is just a ceremony or ritual that is a picture of symbol of salvation and it is not a work or act in the salvation process.
See post #69
 
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timothyu

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But believers are in the kingdom. There is only one way in....
Jesus says except we be converted, which is to believe that Jesus is the Christ and become as little children.
Actually according to His Gospel of the Kingdom, we are to be converted from living by the will of man to the will of God. Jesus brought us a very good reason to do so, the Kingdom. To be in the Kingdom we live according to the ways of the Kingdom as Jesus taught. No gain at the expense of others, only loving all neighbours as self.
 
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This assumes too much. Repentance of convicts does not mean salvation. It was the same in OT Israel too. Believers already repented by living holy lives. So the call was for national repentance.

Well, I do not believe an entire Gentile nation today will repent like the city of Nineveh did. That was a unique event. But I believe Israel will repent nationally in the future.
 
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timothyu

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So the fruit cannot be the same thing as the tree. Repentance has to be different than the fruits of repentance. For what are the fruits of repentance in your view if you believe "Forsaking sin and living holy" = "Repentance"?

The fruit is an extension of the tree, what the tree produces based upon it's purpose. The Kingdom is loving neighbour as self as a way of life, unlike the way of man which has made this world what it is. The fruits are not the fruits of man's will which is gain at the expense of others, but the exact opposite.
 
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timothyu

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I do not think "Repentance" exclusively means a “change of mind.”

So no leaving gain at the expense of others behind but continuing in the self serving self justifying ways of man since the Garden rather than now loving all neighbours as self? That sounds like the traditional gentile church alight.
 
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AHunbleServant

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I was saved in October 2012. Prior to receiving Salvation, I said the "sinner's prayer" and 3 days later, God sent His Holy Spirit into my body, so I know there is validity in such a prayer. Words can barely describe what I felt but I know it was a Living God.

God knows everything. He knows our hearts and thoughts, past, present, and future. He knows if we are truly turning to Him or if we're just turning to him for an insurance policy.

Even though the "sinner's prayer" isn't explicitly stated in the Bible, it serves as a guide for those seeking salvation because most don't even know how to pray.
 
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timothyu

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it serves as a guide for those seeking salvation because most don't even know how to pray.

Hence the Lord's prayer from the Source.

Btw..does it specifically mention seeking salvation in the prayer? No simply because saying the prayer is submitting to the will of God which is salvation in itself, no longer following the will of man.
 
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Just_a_Christian

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Actually according to His Gospel of the Kingdom, we are to be converted from living by the will of man to the will of God. Jesus brought us a very good reason to do so, the Kingdom. To be in the Kingdom we live according to the ways of the Kingdom as Jesus taught. No gain at the expense of others, only loving all neighbours as self.
Quoting from God's word:
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3
 
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