Praying A Prayer Saves You?

Unfortunately we find ourselves in a dangerous age. We find ourselves with too many groups preaching what man wants to hear instead of the clear teaching of the Bible. Even prominent evangelical colleges and magazines have caved in to the spirit of the age. We have a church that is so desperate to fit into the culture that we have compromised the very basics of the faith, or at least watered them down significantly. Many times American Christianity is based more on a Christian culture than on the Word itself. Because of this, I think it is important to look at some of the fundamental heresies in the church that really need to be destroyed in order for us to be free. I call these "sacred cows."

A “sacred cow” is anything we consider to be immune to criticism.

The expression comes from the Hindus who venerate the creatures, but I mean the principles that we have held as a church that we often feel are above questioning.

Can theology damn you? Yes false teaching is deadly. Especially when we use false teaching to accommodate a sinful lifestyle. Unfortunately some of the pop theology of the American church has lent itself to a sinful lifestyle. Let’s look at a few of these sacred cows.

Sacred Cow # 1 -- "Praying a prayer saves you"

So many believe that because they prayed a prayer they are going to heaven. With the advent of the altar call, which we associate with the Charles Finney , we have come to the belief that praying a prayer was all that was necessary to be saved. In defense of Charles Finney, what he developed was an "anxious bench", where he invited those who were troubled with how to be saved to come and pray and receive counsel. Finney was not one to give people false assurance.

The biggest heresy in the church today is that if you pray a prayer you will have salvation. I have stumbled on this heresy myself. I have led many people in a prayer, but unfortunately I have found that there has been a temptation to count people as saved before they have demonstrated works that would prove them Christian.

We know that salvation is by faith and faith alone.....

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

...but we have wanted to set ourselves apart from Catholicism so badly, that we have deemphasized works that come from faith. Yet Christ himself emphasized works greatly. Works must have their place. Works confirm and are the fruit of our faith.

According to polls, 99 percent of Americans say they believe in God. 82 percent, according to Barna polls, consider themselves Christians, yet the vast majority don’t go to church. They are not concerned about worldliness. They are not concerned about serving God. They are not concerned about the gospel being preached to the nations.

Many, many polls have been done measuring the morality of the church vs. the world, and all the polls find the same things. The polls find no difference between the church and the world. Immorality, Divorce, and incredibly, abortion, are just as common in the “visible” church as in the world.

What does that tell you? It tells you that somewhere there is a disconnect. We have not linked works and repentance to our faith.

A man comes up to the altar and complains to the pastor.
“I am not sure I am saved.”
The pastor says, “well did you pray and ask Jesus into your life?”
“Yes”
"Well did you look in the back of the Bible where you were told to write the day and time that you made the altar call or prayed that prayer?"
"Yes"
"Good, so that doubt you feel is of the devil . Just look at that date and remember that you prayed that prayer. "

Sound familiar? Probably all too familiar, but we don’t realize how biblically unsound that is.

Faith in Christ includes repentance--a growing in holiness. Let’s look at the scriptures.

2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?

It is a possibility that we could fail the test in examining ourselves. What is the test? Well we will look at that a bit later.

Yet so many evangelists want to tout how many people “got saved” in their meetings. But we need to remember that salvation is a complete life, not just a moment.

Praying a prayer does not save you, but only genuine faith will save.