Salvation Is Not A Magic Spell

I want us to stop and think about how we share the Gospel with people, and what we tell them when they question if they really have been redeemed.  Primarily I'm thinking about what is often known as "the Sinners Prayer."  That is, the words that we quite often try to get people to say in order to be saved.  We find ourselves telling people, ok, just repeat after me... or, say something like this, but, you know, in your own words.  Then we tell them, ok, you said those words, now you're in, no matter what, and we treat Salvation as if it happens as the result of simply saying some magic words, reducing the Glorious Gospel of Christ to nothing more than some sort of magic spell.  Chant these words, or utter this "prayer" and you'll be good to go.  I'm not saying that it's always wrong to lead someone in a prayer when they are ready to come to Christ, and maybe they just don't really know what to do.  What I am saying is that we cannot just toss these things around thoughtlessly. 

 

I think we need to make sure of some things first.  For one thing, have we actually shared the Gospel with them?  Do we know that they understand that they are sinners and in need of a Savior?  Do they actually understand what Jesus is offering them, and why it is that they need to cry out to Him?  Or have we told them, if you have struggles, if you're sick, if you're poor and needy, well, Jesus can fix that for you?  Are we pitching them a utilitarian Jesus to fix all their problems, if only they'll say these simple little words?  Who wouldn't?  But are those people saved?  If in fact they do not know at least the basics of the Gospel, and don't repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness, then the answer is no.  We must be certain that we are always sharing the Gospel before we ask someone to respond to it.

 

Further, when someone asks how they can know that they are really saved, what answer should they be given?  I think that too often they are asked if they have ever "prayed the prayer," and if they say that they have, then they are told to stop doubting and wondering because they are fine.  Is this how a person knows that they are truly redeemed?  Because they chanted this magic spell?  As I just said, a person can say some form of "sinners prayer" and not actually be saved, so is remembering a moment of saying those words good enough for assurance of Salvation?  Obviously not.  The evidence of true Salvation is a transformed heart and a transformed life. Not that someone must be sinless and perfect, but when there is true Salvation, there will be a transformation of the heart, and a notable change in the life.  The New Testament is chock full of passages that help us to understand how to have assurance of Salvation, and what it means, and what it looks like, to have true Salvation.

 

I hope over the coming months to flesh these thoughts out a lot more and get deeper into these issues, but for today I just wanted to get people thinking about these things, so that we might start to understand where we might be going wrong.