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Easy Repeatism

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **9/10/15 3:13 pm**

I've got a name for the error I've posted on many times.

What I'm talking about is the practice of many preachers to have the audience repeat a sinner's prayer or have an altar call and have those up front repeat the prayer, without explaining the Gospel, without telling the people Who Jesus is, that He died on the cross, or that He rose from the dead, or just mentioning the cross without mentioning the resurrection.

Just believing that Jesus died on the cross doesn't save you. Caiaphas believed that. Plenty of atheists believe that. We need to preach the fact that Christ rose from the dead. I Corinthians 15:1-3, Romans 10:9-10. If we are dealing with totally unchurched people we need to start with Who God is like Paul did in Lystra and Athens.

Easy repeatism is often a kind of laziness. It seems to be based on the error that if one repeats a prayer that mentions the name of Jesus, that one is saved, or that if one does not go through the ritual of repeating a prayer, one is not saved.

It's the practice of having people repeat a prayer before the gospel has been presented, or else having them repeat a prayer-- which is supposed to save them-- before they have believed the Gospel. I don't know if you've ever seen any street witnessers who don't even try to see where their witnesees are at in their beliefs before 'closing the deal' by having them repeat a prayer.

One of the bad things about this is when preachers will not preach the Gospel, not preach the cross or the resurrection, have folks 'repeat a prayer to ask Jesus into your heart' and then declare the people who did this saved and born again.

Then those folks, inoculated to the gospel, thinking they have a 'get out of hell free card', are now considered 'born again' on all those surveys that tell us how born again people live and believe.
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Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **9/10/15 3:15 pm**

Btw, I don't know that I've ever seen 'easy repeatism' in the COG in the US. I don't remember the 'sinner's prayer' ritual in any COGs in the US that I've attended. But I've sure seen it in Gereja Bethel Indonesia (COG in Indonesia.) I've also seen it in Foursquare churches and other evangelicals. I've seen it on TV with Pentecostals and Charismatics. I've seen Rick Warren do it, and he's Southern Baptist. I really like Mario Murrillo, but I've seen it in a video of his from the 1980's.

Have any of you seen this in the COG in the US?
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diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **9/10/15 3:23 pm**

Link, at one time I did this myself. After studying the word, I realized there is not Biblical backing of such a practice and have since stopped.

I also saw the lack of commitment on the part of those who were saved by repeating a prayer. Embarassed

Easy repeaters= easy back sliders

Resident Skeptic

Acts-dicted Posts: 8065 **9/10/15 4:43 pm**

Enter Brad in 5,4,3,2.................
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"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves UPCI