Asking, Praying Or Calling Is Not Necessary To Be Saved

 Psalms 116:13, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.”

Respectfully, I heard my ministry friend Pastor Steven Anderson cite Psalm 116:13 as a proof text that you need to pray to be saved. I totally disagree and will go to seed in this matter with the New IFB! Prayer is NOT required by God to get to Heaven. The inspired Holy Bible is abundantly clear in this matter. We know that praying or calling (which is essentially asking God to save you) is not a requirement to be saved for several reasons:

1. The Bible contains several instances of lost sinners simply BELIEVING the Gospel to be saved.
   
   A. Abraham (Genesis 15:6)
   B. The Samaritan people (John 4:39-42)
   C. The 3,000 souls saved on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41)
   D. The Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38)
   E. Cornelius and his companions (Acts 10:43-44)
   F. The Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38)
   G. The Roman jailer (Acts 16:30-31)
   
   There is no mention in the Bible of any of these people ever asking God to save them, they simply believed the Gospel that they heard preached unto them.
2. The Bible plainly speaks of “the hearing of faith.” What saith the inspired Holy Scripture? Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” The Apostle Paul wanted to know if they simply believed the Gospel which they heard preached unto them.
3. Hebrews 4:2, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Many of the Jews in the Wilderness had no faith in the Gospel truth which Moses preached unto them. If they has simply BELIEVED Moses' message God would have saved them.
4. Romans 10:14, “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?” The Bible is very plain that we are saved at the moment of FAITH, and then if we choose to pray a Sinner's Prayer it is only because we first had faith. So, for any preacher to mandate saying a prayer to be saved is blatant FALSE TEACHING.
5. The Samaritan's did not pray (ask) to be saved. Although Jesus did invite the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well in John 4:10 to ask Him for the “Living Water,” none of her people in the Samaritan community asked Jesus to be saved, they simply believed on Him (John 4:39-42).
6. In the Gospel of John we find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times, but not once is asking, calling or praying mentioned in association. It is blatant false doctrine to mandate a Sinner's Prayer for salvation, when the inspired Word of God repeatedly teaches to simply BELIEVE ON JESUS to be saved. 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

There Are Numerous Cases In Scripture Of People Being Saved Without Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord

Respectfully, Brother Anderson fails to mention the numerous cases in the Bible where people didn't call upon the name of the LORD to be saved, they simply BELIEVED. Please understand that I didn't pick this fight, it came to me. When New IFB preachers take a firm stand on what they believe, they open themselves up to rebuke, shame and criticism if what they are preaching is unbiblical. I have heard some New IFB pastors downplay the whole issue, saying: “What's the big deal?” Well, if it's such a small matter, then why do New IFB pastors continue to preach this issue to death? The louder they bark, the louder I need to bark!

The Apostle Peter preached the Gospel to several thousand Jews on the Day of Pentecost and 3,000 lost sinners “gladly received his word” and were saved (Acts 2:41). There is no mention of anyone praying, asking or calling upon the LORD in prayer to be saved. Again, I am not against someone calling upon the name of the LORD to accompany their faith, but I am 100% against anyone mandating prayer to be saved. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

Another example is found in Acts chapter 10. God arranged a meet between the Apostle Peter and Cornelius and his companions. As Peter preached the simple Gospel they simply BELIEVED the GOOD NEWS they heard and were immediately born again. Acts 10:43-44, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” They were indwelt with the Holy Spirit because they believed the Gospel. There is no mention of anyone calling upon the name of LORD in prayer to be saved.

We find another example in Acts 16:27-34, “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” The Bible says the man and his family BELIEVED and were saved. There is no mention of anyone praying, calling or asking God to be saved.

And still yet we find another example in John chapter 4. Pastor Anderson emphasis the fact that Jesus invited the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well to ask to be saved, and He did. John 4:10, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” But if you'll read the rest of the chapter, the Bible says the Samaritan women left her water pot and ran to share what had happened with her people. Jesus shocked her that He knew about her five husbands. Jesus had announced to her that He is the Messiah! The Scripture tells us that the Samaritan people simply BELIEVED on Jesus, without any mention of anybody calling, praying or asking to be saved. ...

John 4:39-42, “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Oh dear reader, I have given you four examples from the Bible of lost sinners being saved by just BELIEVING on Jesus, without any mention of anybody calling, praying or asking to be saved. Brother Anderson is right that there are numerous cases in the Bible where sinners called upon the name of the LORD to be saved, but as I have just shown you, there are also numerous places where sinners simply believed the GOOD NEWS of Christ crucified, buried and risen the third day to be saved.

In numerous cases in the Word of God, lost sinners were saved simply by believing the Gospel when they heard it preached unto them. No one asked to be saved.

Never Base A Doctrine On An Obscure Scripture Passage, While Ignoring A Clear One

In this same sermon excerpt, Pastor Anderson emphasis that Romans 10:9-13 outlines God's “normalized” method to lead someone to faith in Christ. Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1996) wisely said, “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” Respectfully, Pastor Anderson is unwisely basing his doctrine upon one obscure passage of Scripture, while completely ignoring the entire Gospel of John.

In the Book of John we find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times, but other than the one mention of Jesus inviting the Samaritan woman to “ask” Him for the Living Water, there is no mention of asking Christ to be saved. Brother Hutson is absolutely right, it would be very unwise and unscholarly to bases a doctrine upon John 4:10 and Romans 10:9-13, when 23 have 85 passages that plainly promise eternal life to whosoever just BELIEVES ON JESUS.

John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

I humbly believe that when an invitation to receive Jesus Christ is given at the end of the sermon, a person is saved before they ever step out of their pew to go forward to the alter. It was their faith in the Lord that caused them to step out and go forward. They walked forward just to find out what they just did. They were saved in their pew the moment they believed upon Christ. Walking down an isle is not required to be saved, and neither is praying a prayer.

Requiring Prayer For Salvation Obscures The Gospel

A lot of people have problems with the assurance of their salvation, like I once did, because they are focusing on a prayer. I was saved simply by believing on Jesus Christ; but in hindsight over the years to follow I was worried that I forgot something when I prayed. Since I couldn't remember what my exact heart's words were, I was concerned and fearful. I prayed in my heart for Jesus to save me, but it was my faith that saved me (not the prayer). I eventually learned that all the things I was worried about had absolutely nothing to do with my salvation. I was saved simply by believing upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is so simple. Jesus paid our sin debt. All we have to do is believe on Christ and what He did for us. Simply believe He did it all for you!

I don't think preachers should require people to leave their pew and come forward to find out how to be saved. A pastor should tell sinners in the pew that they can be saved without coming forward. A preacher should tell everyone in the congregation how to be saved right there in their pew. It's okay to invite people to come forward, but the gospel should not be withheld from those who don't come forward. Maybe a person doesn't feel well, or is shy, or embarrassed, or simply doesn't feel comfortable walking an aisle. God will save any repentant sinner just as they are, whoever they are, and wherever they are.

I am confident that a lot of people are going through the same fears, worries and doubts that I did for a decade after I got saved in 1979. The reason is because our churches have become caught up in leading people to pray a Sinner's Prayer, which is not part of the Gospel. We need to teach lost sinners that praying a prayer is NOT the way of salvation; but rather, we are saved from a believing heart in the Gospel.

Here are some tremendous quotes from Evangelist Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968)...

“Men are not saved by analyzing the truth of the Gospel. They are saved by accepting the truth of the Gospel. It is true, whether men believe it or not. It is as true as the multiplication table. Men use the multiplication table to do what the multiplication table is supposed to do. The Gospel will do what it is supposed to do. 'It is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” chapter: Preaching, Evangelism, page 123; Bob Jones University Press, Inc., © 1942

“'Pray to be saved. Ask the Lord to save you.' This is what I heard a minister say to a convicted sinner who came forward for prayer at the close of an evangelistic service. Nowhere in the Bible are men told to pray to be saved. There are examples where men did pray and were saved. Men are told to repent, to believe, to obey the Gospel, but the Bible never says to pray for salvation. It does say that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, but nowhere does the Bible command men to pray to be saved. I think I know why, God, who made the human heart, knew that it was not necessary to tell convicted sinners to pray. If a sinner can see Jesus Christ on the cross, it is as natural for him to pray as it is for birds to sing or flowers to bloom. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” chapter: Prayer And Praise, page 163; Bob Jones University Press, Inc., © 1942

We all make our own choices. Dear reader, I have given you compelling proof from the inspired Word of God, that praying (asking to be saved) is not required to get to Heaven. God is already offering you eternal life just for the taking, as a free gift (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Why would you ask someone to give you a gift that they are already freely offering you?