Pray The Prayer!

“For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”

Romans

2:13-15

NLT

http://bible.com/116/rom.2.13-15.nlt

This passage in Romans clearly needs to be taken in the context of the whole bible. However, it seems to imply that some Gentiles that did not have the law would be in eternity with Jesus based on the merits of their lives. We can debate this but for now let's assume this interpretation. 

For anyone involved in evangelical Christianity like myself, you are very familiar with praying The Prayer. At church events we now our heads or come forward or raise our hands and pray for salvation. I think this is great and support it fully. However I do wonder if having this act as the sum total of our understanding of salvation may be insufficient. 

Bringing this concept from Romans forward 2000 years, it seems that some people in church who prayed the prayer may not be saved because the commitment wasn't real and there may be some people outside of evangelical Christianity or even outside that church may be saved even though they never Prayed The Prayer. I am reminded of this verse: 

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.””
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1sa.16.7.nlt

I don't think that we need to make radical changes. Praying the Prayer is a useful construct to help us understand a big God. But maybe we do need to let God adjust us in a few ways. 

• Don't assume a person from another part of Christianity is not saved because their theology of salvation is different from yours. For example I know a lot of wonderful Jesus loving Catholics. 
• Don't assume that because someone caused certain words to cross their lips at one point in time they are saved from eternal death. The Prayer is not a magical incantation. 
• Realize that we create certain patterns of behavior that we can understand (The Prayer) to help us understand more complex issues like Jesus. 
• Realize that we have no record of Jesus or  Paul asking for every eye to be closed and every head bowed and pray after me. 

Again praying the prayer of salvation is a good thing. It just seems like salvation is more complicated than we make it out to be and we should recognize it as such. 

Dear Lord help me to not be limited by our human constructs. Help me to remember that you are "a good Lion but not a tame one. " and as such are difficult to define with simple models. Help me to have an open mind toward You and the work You may do through people that truly love You but are theologically different.  Bring unity to Your church.