“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” —2nd Corinthians 13:5
Many churchgoers these days have been led to pray "The Jesus Prayer" or to
"Ask Jesus to come into their heart." The danger of such prayers is that
they leave off repentance, which is essential for Biblical salvation. All
across America, millions of people have bought into a false Gospel. If you
think you're saved merely because you prayed a prayer, then you had better
ask your self a few questions...
First, have you ever acknowledged before God that you are a vile, guilty, sinner according to the Scriptures? The Bible says we all deserve to be punished in Hell for our sins. Hell has literal fire. People who die in their sins go to Hell to be punished forever. This is what the Word of God teaches. Many false prophets these days are leading people to "Make a commitment to Christ" or to "Surrender your life to Christ." That is not a plan of salvation. It is not the way to Heaven.
You can make Jesus the center of your life, surrender your life to God, pray all the salvation prayers you can think of and still GO TO HELL when you die! You had better get BORN-AGAIN! In John 3:7 Jesus stressed the importance of becoming BORN-AGAIN if anyone desires to go to Heaven. There is no other way.
Salvation requires Biblical repentance, i.e., owning before God that I am as vile a sinner as He has declared me to be in the Scriptures, and then believing on the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive one's sins... "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
There can be no salvation with a sinner realizing his own GUILT for violating God's holy Law... "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19). If you admit your guilt, knowing that you deserve to be punished in the fires of hell, then all you must do to be saved is trust upon the Lord and the blood that He sacrificed for your sins... "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:25). Amen!
