Does the Sinners Prayer Save Us?
Jesus was a man of prayer. He taught the disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9) and prayed the night He was betrayed (Luke 23:44). Jesus never said an alien sinner could pray and be forgiven of sins. An alien sinner is one who is of the age of consent and has never obeyed the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9). Some teach that by saying a prayer such as found in Luke 18:13, a person can become a Christian. In this passage, there is no evidence showing the publican was an alien sinner. Both men went to the temple to pray. The real lesson in the story is the difference between pride and humility. Can prayer change an alien sinner into a Christian? If alien sinners can be saved by prayer then why didnt Peter tell those on Pentecost that they should pray (Acts 2:38) instead of repent and be baptized? Why wasnt the Ethiopian nobleman, Cornelius, Lydia and the Philippian jailor told to pray for their salvation (Acts 8:38; 10:47, 48; 16:15,33)? Why didnt Jesus say, “He that prayeth shall be saved” (
