Thoughts From Romans 10 - Part 1

 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 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. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.   Romans 10:5-13

            Growing up in Evangelical Christianity, the sinner's prayer has been generally accepted as the means to salvation. It always has some facet of admitting you're a sinner and no amount of good deeds can save you. Next is an acknowledgment of believing God sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins and He rose from the dead to give me life. Lastly is by faith receiving Him into your life and through His power live for Him the rest of our life and live with Him forever in Heaven.

         Saying this prayer for salvation is never spelled out in the Bible but we get glimpses of it here. Paul says for salvation we first have to believe in our inmost being that God raised Jesus from the dead. By this alone, any liberal faction of Christianity that doesn't believe in the bodily resurrection as described in the gospels can't be saved. Secondly, he says that you have to profess your belief that Jesus is Lord openly with your mouth. This is probably where we get that it's necessary to pray out loud the sinner's prayer.

        My guess is that in the early church this was all done at the time of baptism, thus the rush to get baptized like Phillip with the Ethiopian and the confusion in churches today that you have to be baptized to be saved, or Baptismal Regeneration. Peter says that it isn't the water or baptism that saves us but rather the pledge of a clear conscience toward God which would be the first part of the prayer and the last part.

        My contention is that somewhere along the line getting saved by a public display and declaration at the time of baptism got replaced by the sinner's prayer. Although it's never mentioned directly in the Bible it does cover what's mentioned as a means to salvation in Romans 10 and 1Peter 3 so I endorse it.

      My dad after salvation went to some Dutch Reformed churches and his gripe was no one knew how to get saved. When you take away altar calls and the sinner's prayer it breeds confusion and non-assurance of salvation. I say use the prayer and don't apologize for it. Does that mean everyone who says it is saved? No, but that's for another time.