Jesus and the Sinner’s Prayer | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Free Newsletters:

RSS Feeds |

Audio |

Twitter

Home > 2007 > March

Christianity Today, March, 2007 |

Jesus and the Sinner’s Prayer

What Jesus says doesn’t match what we usually say.

David P. Gushee | posted 3/06/2007 08:31AM

2 of 2

If Jesus is to be believed, inheriting eternal life involves a comprehensive divine assessment at every step along our journey, not just at its inception.

Mediocrity and hypocrisy characterize the lives of many avowed Christians, at least in part because of our default answer to the salvation question. Anyone can, and most Americans do, "believe" in Jesus rather than some alternative savior. Anyone can, and many Americans sometimes do, say a prayer asking Jesus to save them. But not many embark on a life fully devoted to the love of God, the love of neighbor, the moral practice of God's will, and radical, costly discipleship.

If it comes down to a choice between our habitual, ingrained ways of talking about salvation and what Jesus himself said when asked the question, I know what I must choose.

Related Elsewhere:

David Gushee's columns are available on our site.

Gushee's webpage has a biography and information on his books and articles.

Other Christianity Today articles on salvation include:

A Call to Evangelical Unity | Introduction and 'The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration' (June 14, 1999). A discussion followed in Books & Culture: 'Why I Didn't Endorse The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration' (January 1, 2001) and Thomas Oden's 'Calm Answer' (March 1, 2001)

The Work of Faith | How the torch of racial reconciliation, once carried by Christian civil-rights workers, is now being held by faith-based organizations. (March 5, 2007)

Reflections: The Way of Salvation | Quotations to stir heart and mind. (November 1, 2004)

Good Question: Prayers for Salvation | God may have lessons for us in the way he answers our askings. (J.I. Packer, April 1, 2003)

What's the Good News? | Nine evangelical leaders define the gospel. (February 7, 2000)

Are We Speaking the Same Language? | What Catholics really believe about justification—and why defining our terms makes all the difference. (November 1, 1999)

first page |

2 of 2

share this page

March 2007, Vol. 51, No. 3

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment

Reader Reviews are below

Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.

Click here for international orders

2-for-1 Gifts!

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Displaying 1 - 3 of 213 comments.

See all comments

Anonymous

Posted: March 21, 2007 12:00 AM


I'm so confused about religions, it is so hard for a teenager to live a Christian life when there are so many adults that have their own opinion about things.

Russ McCullough

Posted: March 19, 2007 11:02 PM

I hope and pray that this article, especially in this forum, is the beginning of a journey back to the Bible. One is hard pressed to find any kind of "sinner's prayer" before the time of Charles Finney (early to mid 1800's). The "sinner's prayer" is based upon a misapplication of both Romans 10:9 and 10 as well as Revelation 3:19 and 20. BOTH passages are, in both text and context, addressed to and referring to persons who are already Christians! NEITHER passage has anything to do with the alien sinner. We are indeed saved by grace and NOT of works (Eph. 2:8 and 9). Grace is applied in baptism which is NOT a work of man but IS a work of God (Col. 2:12) upon one's belief in Christ which is also a work of God (John 6:25 - 29). We must call on God for salvation. Calling on God for salvation is synonomous with baptism where we meet the saving power of the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16). May God through Christ grant many to go to the Word to "see whether these things are so!

phillyfanatic@juno.com

Posted: March 19, 2007 1:58 PM

This is an important point to be made in our Seminaries as well as our churches. I pray that G's 4 steps will be published in many denominational media outlets. The drive to easy believism undermines the works of Paul, Augustine, Edwards, Nouwen, and others who want Christians to meditate, pray, and do the hard work of thinking, writing, acting out their faith so a real impact can be made on society. Wilburforce was such an example as was Calvin's and Luther's attempts to transform their society. Machen would be proud of this article and might even have wanted to match his works with the need for social justice in our world and nation. Liberals will not like this article because it still asks for a belief alone in Jesus as the Savior and Creator.

The allotted time for commenting has ended.