The Magic Words Jesus Didn’t Use

One by one they went forward, illuminated by firelight and innumerable flashlights. It seemed the right thing to do. It seemed the smart thing to do. And, besides, everyone else was doing it.

There was no need to count the cost. No matter how you did the math, this was a no-brainer. Accept a free gift or risk burning in hell: an easy choice. The campfire was a vivid picture of what hell would be like, and as they walked past it to take a stand for Jesus, there was a moment of slightly uncomfortable heat, a vivid preview of a judgment they could avoid by finding a camp counselor and saying The Prayer.

Most of the children knew The Prayer. Many of them had said it last summer at the same camp. Many others had said it in Sunday School or just before bed one night with their mom or dad. They would have to repeat the words after the counselor, but they knew there were usually three parts to the prayer.

First, they would have to tell God they were sorry their sins. For some reason, God took it personally when you didn’t eat your vegetables or when you talked back to your mom. That needed to be cleared up. Second, they would have to promise not to sin any more, or at least to try not to. This part had to be sincere. God is a lot like The Great Pumpkin; He respects sincerity. Lastly, they would have to say the magic words: they would have to ask Jesus to come into their heart. A quick “amen” and the deal would be done.

That was it. Eternal security at age ten. At least until next year at camp or until there was pressure to make sure you were saved. Sometimes doubts would creep in. Maybe Jesus got bored just hanging around in your heart and took off. There was also the suspicion that sometimes the magic words just didn’t take. No matter. The Prayer could fix it.

Despite the tenacity with which well-meaning camp counselors and TV preachers talk about The Prayer, I find it strange Jesus never talked about it. While I believe Jesus accepts all who come to Him honestly and humbly, we read about several people in the Gospels who came to Him, wanting to know how to be saved, and Jesus didn’t tell them about any magic words.

A man name Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness. He didn’t want anyone to know he thought Jesus was cool. But Jesus didn’t tell him about The Prayer or the magic words. Instead, Jesus told him he needed to be born again. Nicodemus didn’t get it. He was too busy trying to figure out how he could get back in his mother’s womb without things getting awkward.

Another time, Jesus was out for a walk when a young ruler approached him and asked what he had to do to receive eternal life. At first, Jesus didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, He started asking the young man about the Ten Commandments. Brilliant, really. Now, all Jesus had to do was wait until this guy admitted he’d broken at least one of the commandments and he’d have him. After all, that’s the first step of the prayer. Only the young ruler didn’t admit to breaking one of the commandments and Jesus didn’t press the issue. In the end, Jesus didn’t prescribe The Prayer. Instead, He told the young man to sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor.

On another occasion, Jesus made friends with a dwarf who lived in a tree. Actually, he was a regular person who was just a bit shorter than average height, and he was up in the tree because he wanted to get a glimpse of Jesus through the crowd. His name was Zacchaeus and he was a tax collector. Tax collectors were even less popular in Jesus’ day than they are today. Still, Jesus made friends with Zacchaeus by inviting Himself over to his house. It was there that Zacchaeus announced his intention to give half of his wealth away and to repay anyone he had ripped off in his tax-collecting duties four times over. He didn’t even ask Jesus about salvation, but Jesus gave it to him anyway, totally sidestepping The Prayer and the magic words.

Jesus clearly never learned that the best way to get someone saved is to neatly present the Gospel in three to four easy-to-follow steps, preferably in tract or colored-bead format.

Or maybe there’s something deeper going on in these stories. Maybe salvation does not come by reciting special words or by following steps. Maybe it never has. Maybe someone enters God’s family and receives eternal life because of a change in their heart. Nicodemus and the rich, young ruler each had something they loved more than Jesus. This something prevented them from following Him and accepting His free gift of salvation (and yes, it is a free gift).

For Nicodemus, it was about position and prestige. He came to Jesus in the middle of the night because he didn’t want anyone to know that he thought Jesus might be the One the Jewish people had been waiting for. Jesus told him he must be born again and then explained this meant he must be born of water and of the Spirit, an allusion to the water baptism of repentance offered by John the Baptist and to the baptism of the Holy Spirit that John said Jesus would bring (see John 1:33). In order to receive eternal life, Nicodemus would have to step out of the shadows and publicly acknowledge Him.