The Great Omission

 

 

     In his riveting book Muscle and Shovel, Michael Shank describes his months-long search for the Sinners Prayer in the Bible.  After asking many religious leaders for the Scripture reference, he (correctly) concludes at last that it is not in the God’s Word.

     If it is the Sinners Prayer that completes an alien sinner’s salvation process (i.e. it is the step of “calling on the name of the Lord” as described in Romans 10:13-14), then this is God’s Great Omission.  Reflect on that statement for a moment.

     The God Who eternally purposed and made precise preparations for the introduction and implementation of the gospel (Romans 1:1-4, 16:25-27) forgot to include the final step of salvation—i.e. the Sinners Prayer—in which one learns what he must say to call upon the Lord to be saved.  Romans 10:13-14 is quite clear that this is the final step—not faith—that must be taken to reach the destination of salvation.  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  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?”

     This is the same God who gave specific, precise, and all-sufficient instructions to Adam and Eve in the Garden so that they could enjoy the blessing of fellowship with Him (Genesis 2:16-17).

     This is the same God who gave specific and all-sufficient instructions to Noah on how to safely escape the flood via the construction of an ark (Genesis 6:14-16).

     This is the same God who gave detailed, thorough, and all-sufficient instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings (Exodus 25-30).

     This is the same God who gave Joshua specific, detailed, and all-sufficient instructions on how to secure the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6:3-5).

     This is the same God who gave complete and all-sufficient instructions to the leper Naaman via Elisha and his servant on how to be cleansed of his horrific disease (2 Kings 5:10).

     This is the same God who planned the exact hour, day, month, and year of our Lord’s crucifixion as the Lamb of God (John 2:4, 7:6, 13:1).

     Yet, according to all the advocates of the Sinners Prayer, this same God somehow forgot to reveal the most essential ingredient that a penitent believer must do to call upon the Lord and be saved (Acts 2:21).  Such is abject BLASPHEMY!

     God has revealed how to call upon the Lord for salvation.  The believing penitent Saul of Tarsus was told, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).  Just as Jesus stated in His Great Commission, salvation comes when believing (Mark 16:16) penitents (Luke 24:47) are immersed for the remission of their sins (Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:47).

     Put your faith in Christ’s Great Commission, not the Great Omission.

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Author: jchowning

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