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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

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savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


 "If you want to be born again, say these words..."



“If you want to be born again, say these words to the Lord in sincerity from your heart, right now:

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. I am a sinner who deserves hell. Thank You for loving me and dying for my sins on the cross. I believe You rose from the dead and are living today. I want to turn from my sinful life right now. Please forgive me all my sins and give me a hatred for sin. I forgive everyone who has harmed me in any way. Come into my life Lord Jesus, and be the Lord of my life from today onwards. Make me a child of God right now.”

God’s Word says, “As many as received Christ, to them He gave the right to become the children of God” (John 1:12). The Lord Jesus says, I will never reject anyone who comes to Me” (John 6:37). ”

So you can be certain that He has accepted you.

Then you can thank Him saying, “Thank you Lord Jesus, for forgiving me and receiving me. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me power to live for You. I want to please You alone from today onwards.”

Is the above Biblical?

Would this be good to place on one's website?

Any thoughts?

 2010/8/3 6:53Profile
RainMan
Member



Joined: 2010/4/21
Posts: 227


 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

I remember saying a similar prayer a while back myself. What was even worse was after that i was asked if i wanted the Holy Spirit (obviously rhetorical as you are expected to say yes) and then some guy prayed for me and tells me to start speaking in tongues. I didn't have a clue what was going on just that this bloke kept on yelling at me and my wife "common let it out, speak" after a very long time i was speaking in tongues but something in me told me that something was wrong i could speak in tongues had other gifts but i was being led away from Christ not to him i was more selfish than selfless. Whatever was the source of these gifts were i dont know i just felt a deep cry in me for Jesus and a baptism of the Holy Spirit as i didnt think any of the gifts were authentic. Later i doubted whether any of the Gifts manifested in that church was authentic either it pointed to self more than Jesus.

Anyway i thank God that he took me in the messed up horrible state the church had left me and cleaned and fixed me up(he still works on me daily). Now i dont question who lives with in me anymore just always want more of the same(like the song says fill me till i want no more).

Can one be saved and filled with the spirit and not be totally in love with Jesus?

Prayers like the one you mentioned have been said by millions and led millions like myself into a false security. When God does a genuine work its is lasting. But when we try to do Gods work with psychosomatic induced emotionalism and mind control we produce believers with no real root within themselves that will only wither away




my 2c

 2010/8/3 7:24Profile
mguldner
Member



Joined: 2009/12/4
Posts: 1862
Kansas

 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

Living this prayer is more biblical than the actual prayer, my only problem with the sinner's prayer is it doesn't necessarily lead to repentance or relationship with Christ Jesus which is really what saves us not this prayer. I would also be leary of putting it on a website because discipleship or making sure people understand what a relationship with the Lord is all about is near impossible. Many will pray this prayer and it all ends there, the person tries a live a good life for Jesus in their own strength and power and then are placed under heavy condemnation when it doesn't work because they aren't quite sure what a relationship with the Lord is about.

Jesus never gives us the sinner's prayer for leading people to Christ but simply says Follow Me. I believe with Christ and having a relationship Action Speak Louder than words by far, and many pray this prayer to be "saved from hell" while not realizing our salvation isn't from hell but from sin that is killing us daily.

I apologize if my words seem strong or harsh but I lived 21 years of hypocrisy because of the sinner's prayer. I will say that if one doesn't stop with the sinner's prayer and continues in a relationship with the Lord by follow Christ Jesus, then there is no harm done, But for most I know these are just magical words that save them from hell. If I had a website I wouldn't put this on there for fear of leading others down a bunny trail of sin as I was. I would however put contact information for those interested in having a relationship with the Lord that they could contact me and I can counsel them with the help of the Holy Spirit. :)

God Bless,
Matthew


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Matthew Guldner

 2010/8/3 7:24Profile
learn
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Joined: 2008/7/24
Posts: 613


 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

Hope the below helps.

Paul Washer says this is the type of prayer that leads people to hell.

Leonard Ravenhill also mentioned that these words will not save people as there is no genuine repentance/brokeness. He said something like these words take shorter than a car wash, less than 5 minutes and are we really going to be saved, to know God in such a short time.

John MacArthur mentioned that this confession is worth nothing.

The point that all these preachers (and I agree with them) are trying to make is that being born again/saved is a supernatural work of God and is not made by some human manipulation such as mouthing some words. The proof as others have mentioned are the many people that have said these words and are not saved, do not follow God, do not have an understanding of sin or repentance. Also, how many people have said this prayer or a variation of it many times and still know they are not saved. How many times have we ourselves when we are in doubt of our salvation in our walk with God, start praying this prayer again and know deep down that it doesn't mean that by saying such things, we are automatically saved.Plenty.

There are certainly times when saying this type of prayer does result in a person truly saved. But to imply or say that people are certainly saved by saying these words is false. There has to be a genuine work by the Holy Spirit and this at times can be witnessed by some brokeness in people during this prayer but the real proof is a changed life after they are saved.

If you are really in doubt, I would suggest you see Paul Washer's sermons in youtube. Paul Washer love to touch on this subject.

Below is a clip from Paul Washer on this.

Is a person saved once they say the sinners prayer ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBTSGDn2bt0&feature=related


I was trying to google for a Paul Washer clip that addresses this and I found this by another preacher ie
The Prayer that Damns Many to Hell by James Malachi Jennings
(have not seen this video before though so not sure what it says here)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXYu6x9ywLU&feature=PlayList&p=BE9AD515793ED313&playnext=1&index=6


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geraldine

 2010/8/3 10:00Profile
believingGod
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Joined: 2009/12/28
Posts: 8
ON, Canada

 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

We need to ask ourselves: If we cannot find this methodology used in the Bible, then where did it come from?



 2010/8/3 10:15Profile
learn
Member



Joined: 2008/7/24
Posts: 613


 Re:

BelievingGod, see the videos I posted and you shall have your answer.



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geraldine

 2010/8/3 10:22Profile
enid
Member



Joined: 2006/5/22
Posts: 2680
Nottingham, England

 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

I think the nearest we come to a sinner's prayer in the Bible is in Luke 18v13, '...God be merciful to me a sinner.'

As it is, this was no vain mantra, or hail mary, uttered out parrot fashion.

It was a sinner who knew he needed the mercy of God, and why. And if God could or would not be merciful to him, then all was lost.

God bless.

 2010/8/3 10:23Profile
hmmhmm
Member



Joined: 2006/1/31
Posts: 4994
Sweden

 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

no doubt such a prayer saved many souls, i am sure of that, i am also sure such a prayer deceived millions in our world believing they are saved. Myself was saved from something similar.... but not in a church meeting or altar call, but through a telephone call, but i had reached the point where the only way for me was to either die or be saved, the "master artist" had for some long time been painting a portrait of repentance, in every detail and aspect of my life, and when he works it is not like with computers you can use the edit button, no the Lord paints a perfect picture of repentence for us, and when the time comes for the finishing touch it may be a prayer like that is what is needed to open the kingdom of God for us, but if that picture has not been drawn and human manipulative methods are used to "push" people to do this and no picture or work of God has been done, its a counterfeit picture....

so we need to know something about the people we ask to pray this, do we know they are very close to the kingdom we might lead them in such a prayer, but if we by the spirit get a sense they are far away we might need to sit down for three or four hours leading them through scriptures, show them they are guilty sinners, verse to verse to verse show them and when they KNOW they are sinners and without hope we can show them what God has done.

It all depends on one thing, if we are anointed by the Lord and his spirit leads us, i am sure sometimes one word can be an instrument to save someone, sometimes years of "work" , sometimes may be a sinners prayer and altar call.... anyhow, i think we need to most important be filled with the spirit and lead by him and we will do right.


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CHRISTIAN

 2010/8/3 11:07Profile
Axe1338
Member



Joined: 2005/10/31
Posts: 120
Miami, Fl

 Re:

I believe the best treatment of this answer is found in John chapter 3, Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus.

Nicodemus asked how he can be born again, Jesus later replied "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Jesus didn't tell him repeat this prayer and you will be saved, His words are clear: Nicodemus, salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit; it is effectual at His time.

Hope this helps...

 2010/8/3 11:24Profile
learn
Member



Joined: 2008/7/24
Posts: 613


 Re: "If you want to be born again, say these words..."

Savannah,

I think that it would be better to put something along these lines. This is just a very rough copy.

The evidence that we are saved is when we desire Him, when we learn to walk in obedience to His will, when we have a relationship with Him, when we love reading His words, when we love to pray etc. The bible states that we know that we are saved when we have the fruits of the spirit and when the Spirit witness to our spirit.

Does this mean all this comes immediately--no. There are times when certain fruits eg: longsuffering will exhibit faster than the others, while some will take much longer. There are times, certain of our faults eg: taking drugs will vanish immediately while others will disappear through much struggle.

Read the bible dilligently to show yourself approve of God, to know God, to know God's will and to know whether one is really saved. The bible mentioned that 'my people perish because of lack of knowledge'--that's a clear warning here. Being saved is not a bandaid where by some magic words we are automaticaly saved. Being saved is continously walking with God.

While at times, people by saying a prayer do indeed get saved and start exhibiting a changed life, there are times too that people can say a prayer and not be saved yet. Why is that so? That's because human manipulations and/or certain words do not save us. Saving us is a supernatural work of God. So don't try to do a bandaid stuff on getting God to save you. It doesn't work that way.

Rather, seek to know Him, His words,obey Him. When you do that, you do not have to worry what type of words you need to mouth to be saved. God will save you and He will guide you on what you need to pray if any.

Remember, God is no fool. A person will know that you do not love him/her (even though you may mouth the most perfect love speech) because she is able to see your actions. What more of God who knows everything.

Edit to include:
I don't agree with everything on Campus Crusade, but I do like 1 thing which may be good to attach. In their booklets before coming to Christ, there's 2 pictures ie 1 picture where you are sitting on the throne and the next picture is where Christ is sitting on the throne and directing your life. I know that in several of the sinners prayer, there are words stating this ie repent, turn from your sins, let God be Lord and Saviour--but sometimes, words do not impact us so greatly as the visual. The visual that Campus Crusade used is very good and will get people to think whether they will let God direct every part of their life before simply mouthing off a sinners prayer.

I'm not totally opposed to putting words such as 'If you confess with your mouth that ...." but the thing is we need to be clear that mouthing such words do not automatically mean we are saved. The evidence that we are saved is walking continously with Him, the fruits of the spirit and witness of the spirit. That's something that people need to understand.


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geraldine

 2010/8/3 12:11Profile





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