prayer for salvation? heresy?
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:29 am
We are having a discussion with a friend who calls it heresy to suggest that someone pray to ask God to save them from their sin. We're not talking about the 1,2,3, Pray after me and you're saved-type of thing. We're talking about a prayer of repentance and belief. We also emphasize that the salvation is not in the prayer, but in the Savior and that a person can definitely be saved apart from saying a prayer in front of the counselor. Our friend says that even suggesting a prayer leads to many false conversions and lack of assurance. One thing we believe he's neglecting to consider is that we're only called to share the gospel; God is still the one Who does the saving. He's big on presenting the Law as a means of showing a lost person their sinful condition. We, too, believe the Law is given to be our school master and our inability to meet all of the requirements detailed in it, do show us how far short we fall of God's holiness. However, does showing someone the Law as opposed to emphasizing God's love, have any more effect on a person trusting Christ as their Savior from sin. Yes, you have to show them they're lost before you can have them see the need to be saved, but love and grace are such an important aspect of God's character. No doubt it's the Holy Spirit Who does the leading in a person's acceptance of Christ as their Savior so is it really heresy to pray with that person?