Comments on: I love the sinner’s prayer… http://charleswear.com/2008/08/02/i-love-the-sinners-prayer/ the publisher of Next-Wave Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:32:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Charlie Wear http://charleswear.com/2008/08/02/i-love-the-sinners-prayer/#comment-194 Charlie Wear Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:51:31 +0000 http://charleswear.com/2008/08/02/i-love-the-sinners-prayer/#comment-194 It's interesting. Jesus' message seemed to call for a decision, "You are either for me or against me." Yet, the story of the prodigal seems to indicate that once you are in the family, God's love is pretty unlimited. With that story following the stories of the lost sheep and the lost coin, it becomes clear that God is seeking the lost. The transaction required to become "found" doesn't seem to take much commitment on the part of the "lost" thing. It seems there may be an increasing call to commitment the further along we come on our journey with God... It’s interesting. Jesus’ message seemed to call for a decision, “You are either for me or against me.” Yet, the story of the prodigal seems to indicate that once you are in the family, God’s love is pretty unlimited. With that story following the stories of the lost sheep and the lost coin, it becomes clear that God is seeking the lost. The transaction required to become “found” doesn’t seem to take much commitment on the part of the “lost” thing. It seems there may be an increasing call to commitment the further along we come on our journey with God…

]]> By: Scott http://charleswear.com/2008/08/02/i-love-the-sinners-prayer/#comment-193 Scott Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:16:27 +0000 http://charleswear.com/2008/08/02/i-love-the-sinners-prayer/#comment-193 Good one, Charlie. I read something once that said Billy Graham's ministry found of all the people who came forward at their altar calls over the years, something like two-thirds had been baptized as infants. Why would that be? For those people, it meant absolutely no amount of commitment on their part - it was a religious gesture by their parents... It seems that God takes what we give Him. Of course he wants it all and all is required, but on the way to getting that "all," I think he calls in whatever chips he has in the game to that point (to continue your poker metaphor). As if to say, "Oh you were baptized as a baby, I'm calling upon that now and you're mine... You said the sinner's prayer once and didn't even really know what you were doing? I'll take that and make you my disciple." It's clearly not a rule, but how many people do we know that this is the way the story unfolded? Good one, Charlie. I read something once that said Billy Graham’s ministry found of all the people who came forward at their altar calls over the years, something like two-thirds had been baptized as infants. Why would that be? For those people, it meant absolutely no amount of commitment on their part - it was a religious gesture by their parents…

It seems that God takes what we give Him. Of course he wants it all and all is required, but on the way to getting that “all,” I think he calls in whatever chips he has in the game to that point (to continue your poker metaphor). As if to say, “Oh you were baptized as a baby, I’m calling upon that now and you’re mine… You said the sinner’s prayer once and didn’t even really know what you were doing? I’ll take that and make you my disciple.”

It’s clearly not a rule, but how many people do we know that this is the way the story unfolded?

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