What should you tell someone who doubts whether he is saved, that is, who lacks assurance? A relatively common piece of advice today is to have him repeat the sinner's prayer again. Churches that follow this methodology often give assurance initially based on the (alleged) promises that those who sincerely repeat the sinner's prayer will be justified and regenerated at that moment. Then, if a sinner doubts his salvation after that time, he is told to repeat the prayer again. If it didn't work the first time, then it surely will the second time, at least except when people end up repeating the prayer dozens or even hundreds of times, never knowing which of them is the time when it actually worked, or if it worked any of these times.
Where did the idea come from that assurance is obtained by repeating the sinner's prayer? One person that certainly made the idea very popular was the anti-repentance president of the Sword of the Lord, Curtis Hutson:
I trusted Jesus when I was eleven years old; but I
lacked assurance of salvation, not knowing upon what to base my assurance. One
day I would think I was saved, and the next, I would wonder if maybe I was
wrong about it and perhaps was lost; until finally I came out of the darkness
of doubt into the broad daylight of certainty. . . . When I doubted I was
trusting Him, I didn’t argue about it; I just prayed again and told the Lord if
I had never trusted Him, I was then trusting Him.
When the Devil would say, “How do you know you are
trusting Him?” I would pray out loud, “Dear Lord, if I have never trusted You,
I am trusting You now.” Immediately all doubt would leave.[1]
It is doubtful that Mr. Hutson was consistent and submitted to baptism again after each time he repeated the sinner's prayer again to get assurance. Sadly, in light of his heresies in his pamphlets "Repentance" and "Lordship Salvation," where he attacks the gospel, one would need to question on Biblical grounds whether Mr. Hutson was indeed converted or whether he could not get assurance because he was unregenerate. In any case, his suggestion that one repeat the sinner's prayer again to get assurance of salvation is something that would not come through a careful study of the Bible, but only through modern evangelistic methodology of dubious value.
1 John is the book about assurance of salvation in the New Testament (1 John 5:13). The Apostle John, writing under inspiration, never states, hints, or implies in any way that assurance should come initially, or that it should be confirmed later in one's Christian pilgrimage, by repeating the "sinner's prayer." Such ideas are contrary to sound exegesis of Scripture and are totally absent from the overwhelming majority of church history. Furthermore, repentance, without which there is no salvation, involves agreeing with God, including agreeing with God about one's lost condition if one is unconverted (see Bible study #5 here for a careful study on repentance). Saying "Lord, if I am not saved, please save me" is not agreeing with God, and will not do any good. Rather than repeating the sinner's prayer again to get assurance, one should get assurance the way the Bible teaches in 1 John. To quote from my pamphlet against asking Jesus into one's heart, explaining that instead one needs to repent and believe the gospel:
If you are not sure if you are saved, it will not do you any good to . . . ask Jesus into your heart one more time. Instead, consider the following. 1.) You must be willing to accept and act on the truth, whatever it is. The Lord Jesus revealed the truth to those willing to receive it but hid the truth from those who were not willing to receive and act on it (Jn 7:17; 12:38-40). 2.) The answer will be found in the Word of God, for the Word is what the Holy Spirit uses to create and confirm faith (Rom 10:17; Eph 6:17). Pray that God will show you the truth in His Word (Ps 25:4; 86:11). Carefully read and study the Gospel of John, for it was written to show people how to have eternal life (Jn 20:31). Carefully read and study 1 John, for it was written to show Christians how to have assurance (1 Jn 5:13). Carefully study the explanation of the gospel in this booklet. Study carefully what the Bible teaches about sin, about God and His grace, and about the gospel. Read classic, Biblical presentations of the gospel, the kind that true churches and Christians employed before the modern development of the “sinners prayer” methodology. Separate from all religious organizations that corrupt the gospel (2 Cor 6:14-7:1; Gal 1:6-9; 2 Jn 7-11); instead, faithfully attend the services and carefully consider the preaching and teaching at a Bible-believing and practicing church where the gospel is purely and clearly taught (Heb 10:25). Such a church is a great place to get godly, Biblical counsel from the pastors and other spiritually wise members in the congregation (Pr 11:14); God can give them spiritual ability and discernment to help you diagnose the needs of your soul (Heb 13:17). Do not stop seeking (Lu 13:24) until you either get full assurance from the Spirit through the Word that you are indeed a child of God, or the Lord shows you that you are still lost—and if the Lord shows you that you are lost, immediately repent and believe the gospel: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).
In this manner the lost can be brought to true conversion, instead of false assurance, and Christians who lack assurance can be restored to the full joy God wants for them as they get assurance through the solid foundation Scripture sets forth in 1 John.
-TDR
[1] "As
Many As Received Him …” by Curtis Hutson.
Elec. acc. http://fundamentalbaptistsermons.org/Hutson/As%20Many%20As%20Received%20Him%20--%20Dr_%20Curtis%20Hutson.htm/
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