I've heard many argue for and against whether God hears the prayers of sinners. I don't think the question can be answered with such a simple yes or no! The example of Cornelius (Acts 10) shows that God is aware of the prayers of those who are devout, yet lost. So to say that a sinner's prayer isn't acknowledged by God isn't really accurate. Yet, James 5:16 teaches that it is the prayer "of a righteous" person which accomplishes much. Today in my Bible reading I came across a verse that helps me understand more about this question:
Ezekiel 20:31 - For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.
Israel is rebuked by God in this passage for their idolatry and desire to be like all the nations around them (Ezek 20:32). God's message to them is that while they live in such wickedness and rebellion against Him, how can they expect Him to consider their requests? The same could be said of each of us at some point in our life. Before yielding our life to God in baptism, we are His enemy (Rom 5:10). Even after becoming a Christian, if we forsake Him, ignore the truth, and go back into sin (Heb 6:4-6) we have again become His enemy. When we rebel against God, live as His enemy, and then ask Him to fulfill our desires.....what expectation can we really have that He will grant those requests?
So the Biblical answer, I believe, is, God is always aware of what people pray, but will only receive the inquiries of the righteous. The passage in Ezekiel helps us to see God's perspective in this great question.
Hey James, this is Troy (I think when I post it will say I am Sarah, but as I don't have my own account, and am too whatever to take the time to make one, then you get my comment with her name. “K sarAH, sarAH” as they say!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, interesting post. I'll throw in my two "scents" on Cornelius specifically (as I have just recently finished teaching Acts 10 and we discussed this very question a bit and I came away with a twist I had not considered before and apparently any random doofus with a keyboard can leave a quote and I certainly qualify for that [got my NDA badge in the mail just last week!!]).
I’m not sure that Cornelius can be considered an alien sinner or “lost” when the angel appeared to him. The reasons are as follows: Cornelius’ conversion marks the point at which the door of the church was opened for the first time to Gentiles. Before Christ’s death, a man like Cornelius would have been faithful to God under Patriarchy. What about after Christ’s death? (Warning: annoyingly obligatory, often useless, but occasionally illustrative hypothetical approaching). So if Cornelius had died 2 minutes after Jesus’ death, would he have been lost? If he had died 2 years after, would he have been lost?
Summarize it thusly: If the door of opportunity for Gentiles to be saved in the church was not opened until possibly 10 years after Jesus’ death, either: A) all previously faithful Gentiles entered a possibly 10 year time period wherein they could not possibly be saved and thus were doomed to be lost if they died regardless of how faithfully they tried to live, B) God miraculously ensured that all such faithful Gentiles would remain alive until that door was opened to them, OR C) there was some kind of transition period in which they were still acceptable to God under Patriarchy until that door was opened. Of these 3 options: #A would contradict God’s willingness for all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and must therefore be rejected. #B is without any reference of any kind in scripture and (Warning: completely subjective opinion based on nothing but “but I think so” approaching) just sounds too odd. Therefore, I am left with #C by default.
So now the application: If #B is the case, your analysis is spot-on. However, if #C was the case, then Cornelius continued to be in a right relationship with God until that door was opened to him and he was able to accept or reject it. Therefore his prayers were not only recognized but accepted by God as a righteous petitioner. Of course, had he rejected the further instructions of God, he would have been rejected.
So what does all this have to do with today? Not a whole lot, frankly. This little diatribe touches neither topside nor bottom the more applicable question of God hearing an alien sinner today (though I think you have addressed it well). And it brings up a much larger quandary about when / where / how all of those under the older systems transitioned to accountability under the new. But for those, I haven’t much of an answer. Like any good internet commentator, I’m only here to nitpick and bloviate. And if in the process I bring up even larger issues that I can’t even explain, well … “K sarAH, sarAH,” as they say!
Hey, turns out I AM really me after all! YAY!!
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