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Originally Posted by SemperFideles  Quote:
Originally Posted by Pergamum I think I asked the questions first...what's wrong with the prayer?
But...if you must: The greek hints at dipping and the baptism accounts in Acts hint at much water rather than little water. | Oh, so you're saying that you are looking to Scripture for an example of how baptism occurred in the New Testament?
You apply that principle to your sacramentology - so much so that you don't believe you could responsibly serve in a Church that didn't baptize according to your convictions - but then you don't seem to have a problem with a soteriological approach that has no Biblical example nor didactic principle undergirding it.
What I don't understand is why you have to insist that everything that a Reformed person might disagree with is because they're just stodgy and mean and don't have a Biblical reason for something. Yet, you insist something is Biblical and that anyone who disagrees with you is stodgy and mean.
Why aren't you the imperialistic one with your convictions that the Sinner's prayer must be acceptable? |
RICH:
Peter told his hearers to repent. Obviously this repentance will take the shape of either a mental or a verbal repentance.
This is not a act that guarantees salvation, this is a plea for salvation.
My Biblical basis is:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation ..." (2 Corinthians 7:10)
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
"I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
And the example of the pharisee and the Publican where he pleads, "Oh Lord have mercy on me a sinner..." Sounds like a prayer of a sinner asking for salvation to me.
Of course, we all would oppose a formulaic approach where a person is assured of salvation after mouthing words, but we do have the duty to teach sinners how to pray.
Instead of knocking down straw men, take my example I have given above of my own practice and evaluate that.
More info for you to evaluate: Also, when I teach how to pray, I point to Christ's instructions on how to pray (his model prayer) and the prayer of this sinner in Luke, "Oh Lord have mercy on me a sinner.." as examples of how to pray.
If the person still does not know how to pray or is afraid to try, I give them suggestions as to the elements of prayer: thanksgiving, to God, petition to God, and pleading to God for true faith and true repentance...etc. If they want an example I give them examples and I pray in front of them.
It seems that to give the Gospel must entail inviting one to the Gospel and when one desires to come they must be shown the way in greater detail.
Actually, I am shocked at the harshness of the responses here...
Imperialistic? Are you trying to give off heat or light here? Remember, your the one carrying a gun on foreign soil where the locals don't like you. I merely opened up this post with my own practice and asked for thoughts.