This morning I hope to talk about three things in a way that relate one to another and should serve to reinforce an important point. First, by now most Christians have heard of the Prayer of Jabez book from 1 Chronicles 4:10. From one verse, ripped out of context, an entire book was developed and marketed to millions. Without regard to the motive of the author of the book, one thing is clear—the book is a sham. It suggests that the articulation of Jabez’s prayer in faith obligates God to perform for the one praying the same thing that He did for Jabez. Most Baptists understand that God doesn’t operate that way. There aren’t words that can be articulated which obligate God to do anything. Even the words “Have mercy upon me!” may not automatically result in mercy. In the end, God will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy (Romans 9:15).
Second, John Eckhardt, a self-proclaimed Apostle, markets a book that suggests that certain prayers rout demons and break curses. Obviously only he knows what prayers work and do not work. Therefore, you need to buy his book—the Bible is not be sufficient. So like Bruce Wilkinson, the author of the Prayer of Jabez, Eckhardt has the inside scoop and you need to buy his book. Again most Baptists (including other Fundamentalists and conservative Evangelicals) seem to understand that it is ridiculous to suggest that a particular prayer is necessary to gain victory over our Enemy or automatically gain victory over Satan and his cronies. It is seems as though nearly all Baptists understand that it is faith in the power of God that overcomes the devil and the flesh.
However, I find it quite ironical, sad, and disconcerting that these same Baptists sometimes teach by word and/or practice that a certain prayer is necessary for salvation or this prayer guarantees salvation. How can this be? How can Baptists refute the idea that the mere articulation of Jabez’s prayer will not obligate God to bless and how can they rebut the idea that saying the words in Eckhardt’s book will not obligate God to remove a demon from a person, but these same Baptists teach a child that the articulation of a prayer of salvation guarantees eternal life. How can these three things be reconciled? Where is this model prayer of salvation in the Bible? Where is the scriptural proof?
Is it Romans 10.13? Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Is that the same thing as say this prayer?
Is that what the Bible teaches? Is that how we tell somehow to be saved? Do we lead them in prayer? Can we not see that the mere articulation of words does not obligate God to bless financially or exorcise a demon or save a soul from hell?
Is it not repentance toward God and faith in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that saves the soul from hell (Acts 20:21)?
How can we say, “yes, I agree with you” and then violate our very words as we lead a six year old in a prayer—are they supposed to understand the difference?
Read about what does it means to call upon the name of the Lord here:
Can’t we stop practicing that which we know is not a guarantee of anything? In the end we can only tell someone what the Bible says and challenge them to repent and believe the gospel. We can do know more to seal the deal or close the net or invoke decision—only the Spirit of God can do that.
Showing posts with label soul winning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soul winning. Show all posts
Another Tract that Adds to Faith Alone
Today, I received tract in my box titled “It’s Time for You to Know.” That’s a great title. It is a beautiful tract. It has a clock on it with the hour glass divided into 12 wedges with nice pictures in each pie. It is very professionally done with a particular church name on the back and a map etc.
In the center of the tract is the message
“The Good News Is that Christ Paid for Our Sins.”
That is definitely true and it is certainly good news.
It is the next section of the tract that is disconcerting. It states:
“We must Personally Pray and Receive Christ by Faith as Our Savior”
Then Romans 10:13 is quoted as the proof text that we must “personally pray.”
This isn’t biblical. The Bible doesn’t say “we must personally pray.”
What must one do to be saved? Acts 16:30-31 answers this question; read it with me.
Acts 16:30-31
And brought them [Paul and Silas] out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Notice Paul didn’t say “personally pray.” Instead, he said “believe!”
The fact is a person does not have to pray to be saved, but he or she must believe. You can pray without believing. But God knows authenticate belief. A person can trick the preacher or his wife into believing that he or she is a Christian with words, but you can’t trick God. God knows who has believed and who has not believed. God knows who is born again and who is only saying a prayer.
I have already explained what it means to call upon the name of the Lord (in a previous posting) so I will not explain it again.
Authenticate original unsolicited prayer— as an expression of genuine faith—should never be hindered, but that is completely contrary to telling someone that they “must personally pray.”
This sounds like a work. It is something I must do. But my salvation is not based upon something I do.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
My response to message of the gospel is belief or faith. And the Bible says faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord.
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
When someone says “we must personally pray” he is adding to the gospel.
Some denominations (like the Church of Christ) teach a person must be baptized. Baptists have always taught that that is heretical because it is creating something that man must do. Baptists have always insisted that man is saved by grace though faith—not by words that must be articulated.
Romans 4:3
For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
In the past, soul-winning tracts would contain something like “this prayer of salvation” is an expression of your faith.
But not now, this tract (and others) is so bold as to suggest that a person “must personally pray.”
According to the tract titled “It’s Time for You to Know” prayer is no longer an optional expression of faith in Christ—it is now a requirement for salvation.
But this is what Jesus said:
Mark 1:15
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.
A person can pray after he is born again and he can pray before he is born again, but in either case it is not his prayer that makes him born again. Prayer doesn’t save; therefore, no one should be told they “must personally pray.”
When a person is told that, there is an automatic inference that implies this prayer saves me but it doesn’t!
This tract, “It’s Time for You to Know” is just as wrong as a tract that teaches one must be baptized to be saved.
In the center of the tract is the message
“The Good News Is that Christ Paid for Our Sins.”
That is definitely true and it is certainly good news.
It is the next section of the tract that is disconcerting. It states:
“We must Personally Pray and Receive Christ by Faith as Our Savior”
Then Romans 10:13 is quoted as the proof text that we must “personally pray.”
This isn’t biblical. The Bible doesn’t say “we must personally pray.”
What must one do to be saved? Acts 16:30-31 answers this question; read it with me.
Acts 16:30-31
And brought them [Paul and Silas] out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Notice Paul didn’t say “personally pray.” Instead, he said “believe!”
The fact is a person does not have to pray to be saved, but he or she must believe. You can pray without believing. But God knows authenticate belief. A person can trick the preacher or his wife into believing that he or she is a Christian with words, but you can’t trick God. God knows who has believed and who has not believed. God knows who is born again and who is only saying a prayer.
I have already explained what it means to call upon the name of the Lord (in a previous posting) so I will not explain it again.
Authenticate original unsolicited prayer— as an expression of genuine faith—should never be hindered, but that is completely contrary to telling someone that they “must personally pray.”
This sounds like a work. It is something I must do. But my salvation is not based upon something I do.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
My response to message of the gospel is belief or faith. And the Bible says faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord.
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
When someone says “we must personally pray” he is adding to the gospel.
Some denominations (like the Church of Christ) teach a person must be baptized. Baptists have always taught that that is heretical because it is creating something that man must do. Baptists have always insisted that man is saved by grace though faith—not by words that must be articulated.
Romans 4:3
For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
In the past, soul-winning tracts would contain something like “this prayer of salvation” is an expression of your faith.
But not now, this tract (and others) is so bold as to suggest that a person “must personally pray.”
According to the tract titled “It’s Time for You to Know” prayer is no longer an optional expression of faith in Christ—it is now a requirement for salvation.
But this is what Jesus said:
Mark 1:15
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.
A person can pray after he is born again and he can pray before he is born again, but in either case it is not his prayer that makes him born again. Prayer doesn’t save; therefore, no one should be told they “must personally pray.”
When a person is told that, there is an automatic inference that implies this prayer saves me but it doesn’t!
This tract, “It’s Time for You to Know” is just as wrong as a tract that teaches one must be baptized to be saved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)