The Sinner's Prayer

Luke 18:13 “The tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”

This issue of ultimate important for salvation was explained in an old article that I came across today. It explained that the Sinner's Prayer (also called the Consecration Prayer  and Salvation Prayer) is an evangelical non-Christian term referring to any prayer of repentance, prayed by individuals who feel convicted of the presence of sin in their lives and have the desire to receive redeeming forgiveness, salvation and form or renew a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Evangelists and pastors have often urged lost men and women to pray this "sinner's prayer" if they desired to be saved. The account does say that this publican, after praying thus, "went down to his house justified".

But there is more here than appears on the surface. It is not merely God's mercy that is needed for He has already been merciful to let sinners continue to live at all. The word “hilaskomai” translated "merciful" is used only one other time in the New Testament and is there translated "to conciliate, to atone for, make reconciliation for." Speaking of the saving work of Christ, it says that He came "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people". It is also closely related to the words for "propitiation" and "mercy seat."

This parable of the Pharisee and the publican is set in the context of the Jewish temple worship, where sinners would bring their sacrificial offerings to cover their sins, knowing from Leviticus 17:11 that "it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul". Such sacrifices were completely worthless, however, if offered in a spirit of religious pride and/or self-righteousness, like those of the Pharisee. There must be repentance (real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life) and faith in God's promise of forgiveness through the death of an innocent substitute, pre-figuring the true Lamb of God whose coming death would truly make eternal reconciliation for the sins of the people. The publican prayed in this vein, and he was saved.

In our day, on the other side of the cross, a sinner's saving prayer must say, in effect: "God, be propitiated to me on the basis of the death of Christ for my sins." Such a prayer, offered in sincere repentance and faith in God's promise, brings justification before God.