Siners Prayer Resolutions Compared

AN AFFIRMATION OF A "SINNER'S PRAYER" AS A
AN AFFIRMATION OF A "SINNER'S PRAYER" AS A
BIBLICAL EXPRESSION OF REPENTANCE AND
BIBLICAL EXPRESSION OF REPENTANCE AND
FAITH
FAITH
(proposed by Eric Hankins)
(adopted by the SBC)


WHEREAS, God desires for every person to be saved and
WHEREAS, The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers full forgive-
has made salvation available for any person who hears the
ness of sins and reconciliation with God to anyone who re-
Gospel (John 3:16; Romans 10:14-17; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2
pents of sin and trusts in Christ; and
Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2); and


WHEREAS, This same Gospel commands all persons every-
WHEREAS, A free response to the Holy Spirit's drawing
where to believe this Gospel and receive Christ as Savior and
through the Gospel is both possible and necessary in order
Lord (Mark 1:15; John 1:12; 6:25-52; Acts 17:30); and
for anyone to be born again (John 3:1-16; Acts 16:30-31;

Romans 10:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13); and
WHEREAS, The Scriptures give examples of persons from

diverse backgrounds who cried out for mercy and were heard
WHEREAS, Prayer is God's gracious means through which
by God (Luke 18:13; Acts 16:29-30); and
any person can communicate with Him and is everywhere in

Scripture commanded and commended for every matter and
WHEREAS, The Scriptures also give numerous examples of
every person (2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 7:7-11; Mark
persons who verbally affirmed Gospel truths but who did not
11:17; Philippians 4:6); and
personally know Jesus in a saving relationship (Luke 22:47-

48; John 2:23-25; 1 Corinthians 10:1-5); and
WHEREAS, Praying to God to express repentance for sins,

to acknowledge Christ as Lord, and to ask for forgiveness
WHEREAS, Empty religion and formalism, of whatever
and salvation is modeled in the Bible (Acts 2:37-38; Romans
kind, apart from personal relationship with Christ, cannot
10:9-10); and
wash away sin or transform a heart (Matthew 7:21; 15:8;

John 3:3); and
WHEREAS, While there is no one uniform wording found in

Scripture or in the churches for a "Sinner's Prayer," the
WHEREAS, The Bible speaks of salvation as including both
prayer of repentance and faith, acknowledging salvation
a confession with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and a belief in
through Christ alone and expressing complete surrender to
the heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Matthew
His Lordship, is the biblical means by which any person can
16:16; Romans 10:9-10); now, therefore, be it
turn from sin and self, place his faith in Christ, and find for-

giveness and eternal life (Luke 18:9-14, 23:39-43); and
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist

Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19-20,
WHEREAS, It is biblically appropriate to help a sinner in
2012, reaffirm our Gospel conviction that repentance from
calling on the Lord for salvation and to speak of Christ's
sin and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are necessary
response to such a prayer as "entering a sinner's heart and
for salvation (Acts 20:20-21); and be it further
life" (John 14:23; Acts 2:37-40; 16:29-30; Romans 10:11-17;

Ephesians 3:17); and
RESOLVED, That we affirm that repentance and faith in-

volve a crying out for mercy and a calling on the Lord
WHEREAS, A "Sinner's Prayer" is not an incantation
(Romans 10:13), often identified as a "sinner's prayer," as a
that results in salvation merely by its recitation and
biblical expression of repentance and faith; and be it further
should never be manipulatively employed or utilized

apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel (Matthew
RESOLVED, That a "sinner's prayer" is not an incanta-
6:7, 15:7-9; 28:18-20); now, therefore, be it
tion that results in salvation merely by its recitation and

should never be manipulatively employed or utilized
RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting
apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel (Matthew
in New Orleans, LA, June 19-20, 2012, commend the use of
6:7; 15:7-9); and be it further
a "Sinner's Prayer" as a biblically sound and spiritually sig-

nificant component of the evangelistic task of the church;
RESOLVED, That we promote any and all biblical means of
and be it further
urging sinners to call on the name of the Lord in a prayer of

repentance and faith; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we encourage all Christians to enthusias-

tically and intentionally proclaim the Gospel to sinners eve-
RESOLVED, That we call on Southern Baptists everywhere
rywhere, being prepared to give them the reason for the hope
to continue to carry out the Great Commission in North
we have in Christ (I Peter 3:15), and being prepared to lead
America and around the world, so that sinners everywhere,
them to confess faith in Christ (Romans 10:9), including
of every tribe, tongue, and language, may cry out, "God be
praying to receive Him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12).
merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

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