Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: September 28, 2008
“GOD’S SIMPLE PLAN OF SALVATION”
According to Meramec Valley Baptist Church
Ben Justice
The Meramec Valley Baptist Church of Sullivan, MO distributed a tract sometime back entitled “God’s
Simple Plan of Salvation.” The tract begins by asking, “Are you saved?” This question is described as
“the most important question of life.” Indeed it is. The tract further states, “It is not a question of how
good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved?” This statement makes it out as if
salvation and being a church member are two entirely different things and one doesn’t have to do with the
other. However, this is clearly not what the New Testament teaches, for salvation (being saved) is one
and the same as being a member of the Lord’s church. The words of the inspired historian Luke are plain:
“. . . And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Question: Where are
the saved according to this verse? They are in the church. How did they get there? The Lord added
them. Thus, the saved are in the church — in other words, they were members of the Lord’s church. How
many of the saved are in the Lord’s church? Obviously, all of them. The implication is clear: THERE ARE
NO SAVED OUTSIDE OF THE LORD’S CHURCH. I wonder if some during Noah’s day argued, “It is not a
question if you are in the ark, but are you saved?” The fact is, no one was saved unless they were in the
ark. The same holds true with regard to the church.
The tract goes on to tell us about being born again. It states the following:
God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again
In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.
In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple!
You can be saved today. How?
The tract then proceeds to tell the reader exactly how to be born again, that is be saved. There are many
things stated that are accurate — according to Bible teaching. However, the tract puts repentance before
faith. How can one possibly repent of sins unless he has faith? This is the Biblical pattern in every
single case of conversion. Listen to Acts 2:37 — “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The
expression “pricked” means “convicted.” They were convicted in their heart. In other words, they believed
and had faith in what they heard as the truth. They asked, “What shall we do?” Peter said in v. 38,
“Repent and be baptized.” Note carefully that repentance comes after faith and not before.
The reader is encouraged to “call upon the name of the Lord.” It quotes Romans 10:13 — “For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” What does calling upon the name of the Lord mean,
according to Meramec Valley Baptist Church? It means saying the sinner’s prayer. The tract states,
Just pray:
“Oh, God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death,
burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation
and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”
Saying this prayer (or one like it) results in salvation — the forgiveness of sins — according to this tract.
In response, I have one simple request: “FIND JUST ONE COMMAND, IMPLICATION, AND/OR EXAMPLE
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, AFTER ACTS 2, OF A PERSON SAYING A PRAYER IN ORDER TO BE SAVED
AND RECEIVING THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.” The book of Acts is the record of conversions. In other
words, it clearly tells us what men and women did to be saved and receiving the forgiveness of their sins,
but the sinner’s prayer is completely missing. It’s simply not there! Strange indeed, if this is the way to
be saved!
This tract does list Luke 18:13 as supposed proof for this doctrine. This passage constitutes the larger
context of the Publican and the Pharisee going up into the temple to pray. The Publican said in verse 13,
“God be merciful to me a sinner.” Does this teach the sinner’s prayer for alien sinners today? It does
not; it is a gross abuse of the context and the meaning of the statement. Both the Pharisee and the
Publican were Jews — hence children of God. The term “merciful” (v. 13) is crucial to understand.
Usually, we take the word “merciful” to mean “to feel sympathetic or to have pity upon someone with a
desire to help them.” Whenever this meaning was intended in the NT, the Greek word used was eleeo
(verb) or eleos (noun) or eleemon (adjective). However, the Publican didn’t use the word eleeo (or a form
thereof). He used an entirely different word with an entirely different meaning. The word he used was
hilaskomai. This is the word translated “merciful” in verse 13. This word basically means “to be
propitious.” The word “propitiate” means “to conciliate (to win over); appease.” The word used by the
Publican is used one other time in the NT. It is found in Heb. 2:17, where it is translated “make
reconciliation for.” The verse reads, “Wherefore in all things it behooved him (Jesus) to be made like
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful (eleemon — adjective) and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for (hilaskomai) the sins of the people.” With reference to Luke
18:13 and the word “merciful,” there is a footnote in the ASV which says, “be thou propitiated.” Marvin R.
Vincent, on Luke 18:13, stated that the phrase “be merciful” means literally, “be propitiated” (“Vincent’s
Word Studies of the New Testament,” Vol. 1, Pg. 406).
As was stated earlier, the Publican was a child of God under the Law of Moses (the law system still in
force at this time). Therefore, he was praying as a child of God — not as an alien sinner. He was asking
God, in his prayer, to be propitious, that is be appeased. The way that God arranged under the Law of
Moses for propitiations to take place was to offer animal sacrifices. Lenski stated, “The Publican prays
that God may let the sacrifices which he ordained for sin in the old covenant blot out his sin so God can
again extend his grace and favor to this poor sinner” (R.C.H. Lenski, “Luke,” Pg. 904).
Those who contend that the prayer of the Publican is an example of the sinner's prayer and calling on the
name of the Lord and that this is the way to be saved today are in serious error. The NT teaches that
prayer is a spiritual blessing in Christ (cf. Eph. 1:3) reserved only for children of God.
It is interesting that this tract nowhere mentions Acts 22:16, which also says something about
“calling on the name of the Lord.” This passage actually defines what it means. Ananias, the disciple of
the Lord, said to Saul of Tarsus, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
calling on the name of the Lord.” Please note that in the act of baptism, Saul called on the name of the
Lord. The Bible is its own best commentary. It is sad indeed that many leave this passage completely
out when talking about calling on the name of the Lord. Many are led to believe that it means saying a
pray in order to be saved. However, this is contrary to plain Bible teaching.
It should also be noted that Saul of Tarsus was praying when Ananias found him (Acts 9:11). However,
his praying didn’t save him, for Acts 22:16 clearly reveals that he was still in his sins before he was
baptized and needed to be baptized in order to have his sins washed away.
This tract says very little about baptism. What it does say is contrary to Bible teaching. It states,
You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, . . .
According to this tract, baptism is not necessary to salvation, but it simply shows that you are already
saved. The reader is encouraged to read the following passages which clearly show that baptism is
essential to being saved: Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27; I Pet. 3:21.
The tract admonishes the reader:
If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down until you understand it. Your soul is worth
more than all the world.
It is precisely for the reason that a person’s soul is worth more than all the world that the tract needs to
be laid down never to be read again, for complying with it will result in damnation — not salvation.