why do Bible-fundamentalists say that they don't believe works can save them?

Question

when they believe that they have to recite the "Sinner's Prayer" (which is unbiblical by the way) in order to be saved?

well, isn't that an act of believing that you must work for your salvation?

Bible-fundamentalists really contadict themselves all the time!

Answer 1

They have never heard of the quote from Jesus: "Not everyone that saith unto me 'Lord Lord' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven."
They have not heard of it because their knowledge of their own Bible is quite shallow.

As for the sinner's prayer, I'm not familiar.

Answer 2

Yes, it's works-based.

And now the other side of the coin, someone comes to you and says, "look, I'm seeing myself differently today. I want to change, and I believe in God, but I don't know anything about this stuff. You're a Christian, you know how this works. What do I do?"

Well, if all you can think of is a "sinner's prayer," why not just allow the guy to come to the Lord as a child, and figure out the theological stuff later? He'll grow, and in time he'll be able to get off the milk and onto the meat.

Answer 3

We are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.

To add ANYTHING to the Gospel is to say that Jesus' death on the cross was not sufficient to purchase our salvation.

To say that we must recite the "Sinner's Prayer" or be baptized in order to be saved is to say that we must add our own good works to Christ's death in order to make it sufficient for salvation. Jesus' death alone paid for our sins.

Good works are the result of salvation, not the cause of salvation.

Answer 4

As far as I know, no fundamentalist sect (or any Christian sect, for that matter) teaches that reciting the "Sinner's Prayer" is a requirement for salvation.

Claiming that the "Sinner's Prayer" is unbiblical is not entirely accurate.
From http://home.swbell.net/cshann/index0.html
"The Sinners Prayer"
Heavenly Father (attested Mat 5:48)
I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of my Sins. (attested Jam 5:15)
I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that Jesus is your Son, (attested in several verses)
And that he died on the Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. (also attested in numerous verses)
Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead (attested in many, many verses)
and I ask you right now to come in to my life and be my personal Lord and Savior. (attested Rom 8:7, except for the "personal" part, something I never understood, but this adjective is not of great significance)
I repent of my Sins and will Worship you all the day's of my Life!. (attested in several verses)
Because your word is truth, (attested several verses)
I confess with my mouth that I am Born Again (attested in John 3:3)
and Cleansed by the Blood of Jesus! (attested in several verses)
In Jesus Name, Amen. (attested in several verses)

Thus, we see that the entire prayer is drawn from the bible (except for that odd use of "personal"), just as is the Hail Mary, for example, or the Magnificat.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 5

Oldguy63 has it right, by grace you are saved not by works, you need the blood of Jesus Christ, try reading the bible and studying and maybe you will find salvation for your self. Stop hating for a while. The will of the father is to follow his son Jesus and to believe in him.

Answer 6

fundamentalist don't believe in the sinners prayer. We are saved by grace alone. Works are what we do because we are Christian's

Answer 7

short answer? we don't believe works can save us, because the bible says that 'for by grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast'

longer answer? believing occurs in the heart, my friend...one can use a "sinner's prayer" to express this belief to God, if one wishes...but the prayer is NOT what saves...God can read your heart,and knows what you believe...any kind of recitation without faith is just 'flapping your gums'...you seem terribly confused, and i don't understand why-Christ's message is not complicated; it does not require teams of 'theologians' and religious 'leaders' to make sense of it-He spoke plainly; it is mankind who makes 'mysteries' out of His message. perhaps you have been brought up to believe that a person cannot have a personal relationship with God? your church cannot intercede for you; the only intercessor and authority is Christ.

Answer 8

No, faith in itself is not a work. Work says, "I must do this and that", while faith trusts someone else (Jesus) to do the work. No contradiction at all.

As far as the sinner's prayer goes, it is sometimes a useful tool, but it's not necessary. The important thing is for the sinner to acknowledge his sinfulness before God, and repent of it, and to turn to Christ in faith. I was converted with no one to pray with me, yet I have used the sinner's prayer in my meeting at times, which resulted in conversions.

Answer 9

When I was an atheists, a preacher told me that I don't need to do any good acts to attain heaven...I could be doing the works of satan and be saved...only if I believed in Jesus.
When I found God, he told me that preacher was a liar.
It's funny that many Christians pick out one verse of Paul and completely ignore all the other Mentions of Good works by Jesus, John, James and others in the New Testament.

Answer 10

Whose faith saves us to eternal life? Eph 2:8, "For by grace
are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF
YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT OF GOD::: Not of works,
LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST".

Doesn't this say, it isn't our faith NOR our works, that saves
us,but grace? But "through faith; and that not of yourselves".
If the faith is not of us, then, of whom?

Eph 1:12, "That we should be to the praise of HIS glory,
WHO FIRST TRUSTED IN CHRIST". God had faith/trust
in Christ FIRST. Heb 3:1-2, "...consider the Apostle and
High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; WHO WAS
FAITHFUL TO HIM THAT APPOINTED HIM, as also
Moses was faithful in all his house".

The faith which saves us to eternal life, is the faith the Father
had in Jesus accomplishing all that he was sent to do, and
the faith Jesus had in the Father raising him from the dead,
once he had accomplished it ALL. This is the faith that is
not "of yourselves: it is the gift of God".

Answer 11

It is written that whosoever confesses Jesus Christ Lord & believes in their heart Jesus raised from the dead shall be saved. That is by grace & not by works. Eternal life is privided for us in the shed blood of Jesus. See? When we are saved by our own self righteousness, then we get proud. God resists the proud & gives grace to the humble.

I think the confusion with work for your salvation is the definition of 'works" or 'salvation'.

Works could be in ones mind, to do all the laws of the 10 commandments & be good enouph to go to heaven. Or it could be to do all the rituals of the Church or religion to go to heaven. Doing all the law would save you, but sadly, all have sinned & come short of the Glory of God. And to do the rituals makes void the Word of God.

To me the work that is part of being saved is the act of Confessing Jesus Christ ones Lord & Savior (Atonement for sins) and believing in ones heart He raised from the dead, is the faith needed. So? This is the act of faith (work) & faith. You need both. Without confessing Jesus Christ your Lord & just believing in Jesus & God, this won't save you. Confessing Jesus Christ your Lord & not believing in your heart He raised from the dead, this won't save you.

Then there is 'salvation' where our sins are covered & is receiving eternal life. Then there is working out our salvation daily. This is trusting & obeying God. This salvation saves us from Gods discipline or from conscequences of wrong decisions. See? When we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God; then we are spiritually born (made whole; body, soul & spirit). Then we die to flesh (not reacting by yelling, cussing, etc.) & make the soul choice to follow after the Spirit (faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, honesty, truth, forgiveness). The Holy Spirit won't force us to. We have to choose to. See? The Holy Spirit convicts our new born spiritman. When we sin, we confess our sin, & He (Jesus) is faithful & just to forgive us our sin & cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So? We mature in Christ. It is impossible for those born of God to abide in sin (make it a comfortable habit) because of the Holy Seed within. Because of conviction when we sin. Where we make the choice to trust & obey God or not. So? When we build on the Rock foundation everlasting (obedience to Gods Word) then we save to ourselves eternal rewards. If we are disobedient, we build on the Rock perishable that will fry when tested by fire. The perishable soul choices don't go to heaven. See? Some baby Christians don't build many eternal rewards on the rock foundation. So? Loose them. But when we obey God, building everlasting (faith, hope, love) then we are saving eternal rewards that are also saving us & ours today.