Salvation Is More Than A Prayer!
Scripture
Luke 23
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Observation
Don’t think that by mumbling, saying, or repeating a certain prayer that you will be saved. The words you say or repeat do not save you.
You must be born again.
The criminal on the cross did not use our standard salvation prayer that we commonly have people repeat today, but in that moment on the cross that criminal passed from death unto life. Jesus told him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.
So if it is not the words that you say to God that saves you then how is a person saved?
Romans 10:9-10; 13
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
John 3:3
Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God."
As we preach the Gospel we invite people to express what has happened in their hearts. We do that by encouraging them to pray what we call the sinner’s prayer. If they have not believed, or more accurately, if they have not by faith trusted in their hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, if they have not repented (turned from sin and self and turned to God) of their sins, then they are not born again.
How do we know if someone has truly been saved? We don’t. Should we stop extending an invitation at the end of our worship services … absolutely not! We share the Gospel … then we ask people to respond ... Only God saves!
If all the people that make decisions at the end of the service are not saved then why do we extend an invitation. For some that come forward during the invitation it is the first step towards God. We have the opportunity to counsel with them so they can better understand the Gospel and move even closer to God. It may be a month, year, or several years before that person truly understands the Gospel message and is saved.
God pursues us. God saves us.
The one thief on the cross died and went to Hell. The other thief trusted in Christ for his salvation and will spend eternity in Paradise with Jesus. Both heard Jesus’ words while they hung on the cross, one repented and trusted in the Messiah and the other did not.
It is our job to make the Gospel message as clear as possible. It is God’s job to save those that hear the Gospel message.
Application
I will continue to share the Gospel. I know that those that turn from their sins and trust in Christ for their salvation will be saved.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray for a movement of Your Holy Spirit like happened at Pentecost for our church. I pray that many will be saved. I pray that they would follow their decisions with baptism and I pray that they would grow in Christ and find a place to serve. I pray that You would move in a Mighty way in the life of our church. I pray that Your Hand would remain on our church and that it would continue to reach our city for Christ. Amen.
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