Does God care if your repentance is scripted and rehearsed?
2007-08-16 07:46:06 · 25 answers · asked by Dr. G™ 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2007-08-16 12:13:36 · update #1
it take more than "Sinner's Prayer" to get to heaven
you have to Repent not just say sorry
that is only step 1
2 is Baptism in "Jesus" name (not titles)(for remission of sin not a public statement)
3 is the infilling of the Holy Ghost
this is in Acts 2:38
2007-08-16 08:00:50 · answer #1 · answered by Noble Angel 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Has the "Sinner's Prayer" replaced repentance?
NO absolutely not. The so called sinners prayer is a new age type thing and not found in the bible.
Does God care if your repentance is scripted and rehearsed?
YES God does care! God knows our hearts and we should talk / pray to Him from our hearts, not something that some one else wrote.
True repentance means that we examine ourself and see what is wrong and ask for God to forgive us for it and for us to stop doing it.
Just quoting something that some one tells you does not get your heart and soul right with God! !
k
2007-08-16 08:43:45 · answer #2 · answered by k 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It seems as though it has, doesn't it?
Repentance is not saying something. No prayer is repentance. Prayer may be part of your repentance. But true repentance is actually turning away from your sins. That what the word means. Just praying a prayer does not save you!
Also, the so-called sinner's prayer is written by man, and is found no where in the Bible. A more effective prayer would be the Lord's Prayer.
2007-08-16 07:53:46 · answer #3 · answered by valschmal 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The sinner's prayer is not repentance.
The SP is a rehearsed confession, that is short and requires no emotion, no repentence, no weeping or sorrow. It's a sorry replacement of true repentance, and as harsh as it sounds, it is misleading an innumerable amount of people to a false security in God's salvation.
What the SP "is", is a good step "towards" repentance. Repentance involves emotion, will and intellect. It's meaning is derived from an abrupt "about face"; a 180 Degree turn, AND forward march in the right direction. It also involves being sorry and sorrowful, to which the will is given up.
While God does care and accept "geniune" SP's, it's not the whole ball of wax, which it is made to be: "Say the SP, and welcome to the family of God." That is NOT being born again!
John 3:1-7, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:45-48, Acts 19:1-6, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:4,5 all pertain to one thing.. how to be Born Again.
Repentance, Baptism in Jesus' name, and receiving the Holy Ghost, you then become born "again". Then!!... you can say "welcome into the family"!
http://www.housefellowship.org
The new birth--> http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pentecostal/New-Top.htm
2007-08-16 07:57:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus said: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15
Right now in America people have changed this to "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Now pray this little prayer after me and you will be saved.
Do you see the problem here. The power of the gospel is lost. God is the one who saves not us. Only God can change the heart not us. We have to be broken with a heart of repentance and believe to be saved.
The false gospel going around says God has a wonderful plan for your life. Now pray this prayer after me and you will go to heaven. This gospel has no need for repentance. Repent means to turn from our sins. God will forgive you of anything you have every done no matter what it is. We are to repent and believe and continue to repent and believe the gospel. Salvation is not just like a flu shot. Oh I did that once. Salvation is only a supernatural work of God not a little prayer.
2007-08-16 12:12:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi Dr. G . I like your Avatar.
There are many variations to the "Sinner's prayer". Repentance should always be inclusive of the sinner's prayer regardless as to the wording of the prayer itself. The prayer should embrace belief in God, Confession of sin, and acceptance of Christ as one's personal Savior.
God reads the heart of the individual moreso than the actual words spoken by the petitioner. There are many people who sincerely desire to pray but really don't know how to pray or approach God. Therefore they may welcome some guidance from Christians who have been established in the faith. We are like the training wheels on a Child's first bicycle. The day will come when those wheels are taken off and the person can make it on their own through further study, worship assemblies and faith sharing opportunities.
Romans 10:9
Matthew 6:9-13
1 John 3:2
Have faith dear friends in God.
2007-08-16 08:32:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not at all. After the "sinner's prayer", one should live in a continual state of repentance. If our repentance is scripted or rehearsed. He will not hear it. We will be like the Pharisees who stand in front of the synagogues, praying in vain. God sees the heart, and that is what you will be judged for.
Matthew 23:26-28 (New International Version)
26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
If we are not in a true state of repentance, then we must ask ourselves if we are really believers. If we truly are, then the Holy Spirit will convict us of when we need to repent.
1st John 1:5-10
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
2007-08-16 17:12:13 · answer #7 · answered by mekelbee04 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for "vain repetitions" and hypocrisy. I think it matters a great deal. Even with the Lord's prayer he said "After this manner pray" indicating he was showing us the important things to pray about, not the exact words that can devolve into a repetition or vain ritual. The Evangelical "sinners prayer" is not even mentioned in the Bible... it is a tradition of man.
I like Noble Angel's answer that follows... right on the money... just add also "Endure unto the end".
2007-08-16 07:59:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nope. The sinner's prayer includes repentance, but it is just a model--not a directive. It's basically admit that your sin has separated you from God, repent of it (ie turn around), ask Jesus to forgive your sin according to His finished work on the cross, thank Him for forgiving you, and ask Him to be Lord of your life.
How you say the above is not important. God looks at the heart.
2007-08-16 07:52:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The sinner's prayer is simply the starting point for the believer...
True repentance should follow as the years go by from that point
2007-08-16 07:53:49 · answer #10 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋