Was I saved by saying the sinner's prayer?
I think most evangelicals would check
NO even though most would agree that it can be a good tool to reinforce the quite correct doctrine that one is passing from death to life when they "receive" Jesus and will never again come into condemnation.
I don't particularly like the preacher in the video or some others who rail against the sinner's prayer in general.
Having said that - I do remember serving with a team of evangelists who had booth at the state fair. They called it the "God Mobile" and the technique used was to ask the public the question, "Are you going to Heaven?" Then when they answered the follow up question was, "Why do you think you are going to Heaven?"
Many would say things like, "Because I'm a pretty good person." Or, if they were religious, they might talk about their various religious practices and such.
In cases like that, we were then able to correct them and tell them the simple gospel and how the scriptures tell us that a personal faith in Jesus' work on our behalf was the only means to salvation and that works didn't count etc. etc.
Then - the people were asked if they would like to say the sinner's prayer. Many said the prayer - repeating the words after the evangelist. If they did so - they were pronounced "saved" by the evangelist.
I disagreed that they were necessarily saved. But I didn't particularly object to the evangelist trusting that their "decision" was real.
But when I tried to follow up to see if they really believed or were just praying as a way of getting it done with - I was told not to do that.
"Come on. We have to save souls for the Lord and don't have time for follow up discussions."
Now, I remember praying the sinner's prayer several times in the year or so I struggled with believing the truth. Just as with those at the God Mobile - I was pronounced "saved" when I asked Jesus (if He was real) to "come into my heart and forgive my sins".
I disagreed that I was saved simply because I did not yet really "believe" the message. I.e. I was not really convinced of the truth of the gospel.
I wasn't playing games with people. I really wanted it to be true. I simply did not truly believe.
Of course in time I did believe the gospel and prayed my own versions of the sinner's prayer. But I am always a bit put off by people who quickly pronounce others "saved" simply because they prayed the sinners prayer with them.
People are saved by grace "through faith" and not through the practice of evangelistic techniques, no matter how well meaning they may be.
