Easy Prayerism vs. True Evangelism
There is the real issue that people are actually replacing true evangelism with easy prayerism hence the article, "The Sinner's Prayer Controversy". The reality is so true that people today are actually having some false conversions because they claim that some "crusade" they made a decision for Christ. Here's a little bit of the truths beneath those "crusades" where people make "decisions for Christ":
- Many of them teach WORKS SALVATION. Sad but true. The charismatics say, "Hey who wants to receive Jesus Christ into their hearts?" Many times, these perverted crusades stress out DAMNABLE heresies that defend salvation by works. Try attending one charismatic crusade and you'll hear a lot of garbage of adding works to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul Washer keeps pounding the methods of charismatic meetings and washing away dirt for such a means of salvation. Many who say they did pray the sinner's prayer during those meetings belong to a camp that do not even understand the Gospel at all! This also includes the social gospel proponents.
- Many who have said this "sinner's prayer" actually do not put their trust in Christ alone for salvation. They still preach works salvation unto others. Think it over- when somebody gets converted, they LEAVE the evils of this world. But many do not. That's the proof they're not saved. Many who are works salvationist live like the rest of the world. Why? It's best explained in Romans 10:3- being ignorant of God's righteousness and trying to establish THEIR righteousness (by their own standards) and Hebrews 10:26- people will keep on sinning willfully (i.e. live so sinfully) if they reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! Hmmm... sin distressed Lot, not parade his sins in public!
This is where it hurts. Today, people really put a seed of doubt and not a seed of saving faith into the listeners because they have NEVER heard of the full Gospel. They just know it in part or not at all. That's why Paul Washer says he's declaring war on the simple prayer or better yet, the sinner's MURMUR! Paul Washer in one of his many sermons actually shared his experience of staying with a man for THREE WEEKS to explain the Gospel until the man would fully understand it. Then the man after for so long knew salvation after understanding the Gospel excitedly proclaimed to Paul Washer, "I know I'm saved." Then Paul Washer asked, "How do you know you're saved?" "Haven't you read John 3:16?" said the man. Paul Washer in remembering the WHOLE experience shows the difference of really stressing out the Gospel. It's possible that the man did pray to God for salvation but he didn't rely on the prayer to be saved.
Many people who got saved by the preaching of Pastor Armie F. Jesalva admit that he was tough on sin and showed the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. There were no turns, no twists, he pulled no punches. When he preached, he was actually tough on sin and showed why people needed to get saved. In the very crusade where Pastor Armie F. Jesalva got converted, it was not a wishy washy crusade- it was thoroughly preaching the Jesus you can't ignore- the Jesus that's gentle on the sinner but tough on SIN. Unless Jesus Christ is presented as Lord and sin is presented as offensive, men are presented as sinners, unless people are willing to turn from sin, unless people want to stop living a life of sin- well nobody will get saved. Why? People who are not willing to obey Christ even one bit will REJECT the Gospel. The late Pastor John Rice said, "Unless you preach about and against sin then FORGET ABOUT SALVATION."
Pastor Harry Allen Ironside preached this, "The doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today." This is not a new battle. This is an old battle. People today are preaching a gospel that says, "Well, look, just believe, don't worry about your sin, don't worry about your past, just believe and that will all come later." How true. How on Earth can anybody really believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the CURE FOR SIN If they themselves are not willing to be cured from it? He being the greatest doctor does not force the cure on anybody who doesn' want it. And yes, the late pastor was truly right. Pastor John Macarthur said, "Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing. Salvation isn’t gained by reciting mere words. Saving faith transforms the heart, and that in turn transforms behavior. Faith’s fruit is seen in actions, not intentions. There’s no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile. Remember that what John saw in his vision of judgment was a Book of Life, not a book of Words or Book of Intellectual Musings. The life we live, not the words we speak, reveals whether our faith is authentic."
And indeed, here's what- Judas Iscariot was proven not to be a Christian. He never gave his life to Jesus which was evidenced he was a thief. In John 17:12, Jesus was praying for the salvation of Judas Iscariot! He was still trusting HIMSELF. He sold Jesus to the works salvation crowd to be crucified. And his suicide in the end is like what happens to many works salvation proponents- they kill themselves! And as said, false pastors don't need to be singled out, they single out themselves. Just attack the doctrine and it refutes them!