5
IS THE ALIEN SINNER SAVED BY PRAYER?
Introduction:
There are those who talk about praying through for salvation. They believe that the avenue of spiritual salvation for the alien sinner is prayer. First of all, what is meant by the term “alien sinner”? The Apostle Paul, in speaking to Gentile Christians, stated at Eph. 2:11-12, “Wherefore remember, that yebeingin time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
Under the Jewish covenant those born of other races and males not circumcised were considered aliens or foreigners to the covenants of promise through Abraham. Under the New Testament both Jews and Gentiles (those of other races) who have not been born again in obeying the gospel of Christ are alien sinners. The church of our Lord is His spiritual kingdom. In writing to the church at Colosse the Apostle Paul stated: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translatedusinto the kingdom of his dear Son:In whom we have redemption through his blood,eventhe forgiveness of sins:Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whetherthey bethrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in allthingshe might have the preeminence” (Eph. 1:12-18).
In that we are now living under the new covenant let us go to the New Testament to learn whether or not an alien sinner is saved through prayer.
Discussion:
I. WHAT WOULD AN ALIEN SINNER PRAY FOR? HE NEED NOT PRAY FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
A. There is no need for an alien sinner to pray for grace because it is already available for everyone.
Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”
Heb. 2:9, “…He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
B. Alien sinners need not pray that God love them because our Lord already loves the entire human race.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Rom. 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
C. It would be futile for an alien sinner to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon him and convert him.
1. The Holy Spirit does not supernaturally come upon an alien sinner and convert him. In speaking to the apostles Jesus states at:
John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;Eventhe Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
D. It would be foolish for an alien sinner to pray for God to be reconciled unto him.
1. To be reconciled is to be brought into harmony. God does not need to be brought into harmony with us, but we certainly need to be in harmony with Him.
II Cor. 5:18-20, “And all thingsareof God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseechyouby us: we prayyouin Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.For he hath made himto besin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
E. He need not pray for spiritual light.
1, God’s inspired Word provides us that light.
Psa. 119:105, “Thy wordisa lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
F. Nor should he pray for God to be willing to save him.
1. It is God’s will that all mankind be saved.
II Pet. 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
I Tim. 2:4, “(God)...will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
II. ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST THE APOSTLE PETER REFERRED TO THE PROPHECY OF JOEL AT:
Acts 2:16-21,
But this is that which has been spoken by the prophet Joel,
"And it shall be" in the last days, God says, "I will pour from My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;" "and your young men shall see visions," "and your old men shall dream dreams;"
"and also I will pour out My Spirit on My slaves and slave women in those days," and they shall prophesy.
"And I will give wonders in the heaven above," and miraculous signs "on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the" "coming of the great and glorious" "day of the Lord."
"And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Joel 2:28-32)
A. When those who heard this, they inquired as to what they were to do.
1. They were not told to pray for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:37-38, “Now when they heardthis, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Menandbrethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
2. Those who gladly received the Word did not come forward to pray through for salvation.
Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were addedunto themabout three thousand souls.”
3. In giving the Great Commission Jesus did not say, “He that believeth and prayeth shall be saved.”
Mk. 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
4. Prayer is not acceptable as a substitute for the command to be baptized.
I Pet. 3:21, “The like figure whereuntoevenbaptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
John 3:5, “Jesus answered,Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water andofthe Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
III. LET US NOW CONSIDER SOME ARGUMENTS TO JUSTIFY ALIEN SINNERS CALLING UPON THE LORD BY PRAYER TO BE SAVED.
A. Many denominations argue that the penitent thief on the cross was saved in answer to prayer and without being baptised.
Lk. 23:42-43, “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him,Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
1. This was before the last Will and testament of Jesus Christ went into effect.
Heb. 9:15-17, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressionsthat wereunder the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testamentis, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testamentisof force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
Col. 2:14, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
2. It was before the Great Commission was given when repentance and the remission of sins were preached in the name of Christ. It was not until after the Son of God was resurrected from the dead that He gave the Great Commission.
Lk. 24:46-47, “And said unto them,Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
3. The thief may or may not have been a backslider that was baptized during the personal ministry of John the Baptist or that of Jesus Christ.
Matt. 3:5-6, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”
John 4:1-2, “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)”
B. Many denominations also argue that a penitent believer may be saved by simply calling on the lord in prayer.
1. They believe that such passages as Romans 10:13 is proof of their claim. That passage states:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
2. If one is saved by faith alone, as some claim, their theory would have him saved before he called upon the Lord.
Rom. 10:13-17,
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Heb. 11:6, “But without faithit isimpossible to pleasehim: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, andthathe is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
3. To call upon the Lord means to obey Him.
Matt. 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Lk. 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
C. It is argued by some that Saul of Tarsus prayed for three days and was saved before being baptized.
1. His praying and fasting during those three days reveals his repentance for persecuting the way of Christ. Yet, that was not what he was told to do; he did that on his own. Listen to what our Lord told him to do after he inquired of the Lord what would He have him to do.
Acts 9:6, “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord saidunto him,Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
2. If he was saved before being baptized then why did the gospel preacher Ananias urge him to be baptized in order that his sins would be washed away?
Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
3. He later acknowledged that he had been baptized into Christ.
Rom. 6:3-4, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
4. Salvation is in Christ!
II Tim. 2:10, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
D. It is also argued that Cornelius was saved by prayer before and without baptism (Acts 10:1-48).
1. Four days after his prayer was heard Peter preached to him that he might have faith in Christ by which the heart was to be purified.
Acts 15:7-9,
Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
2. After the angel said his prayer was heard, he told Cornelius to send for Peter who would tell him words whereby he shall be saved.
Acts 11:13-14, “And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.”
3. After all, the power to save is the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).
E. It is claimed by some that Simon the Sorcerer was an alien sinner and was told to pray for forgiveness.