A Brief Discourse on an Unscriptural Concept
If you believe that within every edifice that has a steeple pointed toward heaven is a minister who knows how to tell a sinner how to be saved, then you are badly mistaken. It is a shameful truth that if a lost sinner were to diligently search for the Biblical plan of salvation, he would stand a better chance of finding it in the janitor’s closet on the second floor of a county courthouse in Montana than in most churches. Dr. Monroe Parker told about a man with whom he dealt. The man told Dr. Parker that he had been going to different churches trying to understand God.
“How’s it coming?” asked Dr. Parker.
“I can’t understand preachers, let alone God,” the man responded.
And that’s the way it is. If you don’t know how to be saved, there is a good chance that going to church will only complicate matters. Let me insert here that there are churches that preach the unadulterated truth regarding salvation. There are preachers who understand clearly from the scriptures how to be saved. These churches and these ministers are becoming scarcer in this age of spiritual apostasy, but thank God they are out there.
Among the many theories concerning salvation is the concept of “tarrying” for salvation. Let us discuss this unscriptural concept.
To understand this concept, let me use an illustration. Suppose a lost individual enters a church, and at the appropriate time goes to the front for salvation. Upon asking what he needs to do to be saved, the pastor instructs him to simply kneel down and pray until he feels that God has answered his prayer, granting him salvation.
Often, lost people who are given this advice spend much time “tarrying,” or “trying” to be saved, often by praying for an extended period of time. I have heard people testify that they spent several hours praying to be saved. Others have testified to “tarrying” for days in their attempt to be saved. Some still yet have testified of “tarrying” for weeks or months trying to be saved. Although this is the experience of some, this is not what the Bible teaches regarding salvation. Now, if we are discussing children of God praying until the answer comes, then please understand that I believe in that kind of “tarrying.” In Luke 11, Jesus instructed His disciples to, like the man who needed bread, ask until the answer comes! If we are discussing Christians “tarrying” for power to win souls, then I believe in that kind of “tarrying.” Jesus instructed His disciples to “tarry” in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high!” But no sinner in the Bible was ever commanded to “tarry” for salvation.
We must always understand that it is the word of God, not the experience of individuals, that determines whether or not a teaching is scripturally correct. Using the word of God alone for our source of authority on this matter, I shall give four points regarding the unscriptural concept of “tarrying” for salvation. First, I will demonstrate that there is no command in the Bible for anyone to “tarry” in order to be saved. Second, I will confirm that there is no example in the Bible of any sinner who “tarried” for salvation. Third, I will explain that proponents of this concept often have a wrong understanding of salvation. Last, I will show that the concept is as illogical as it is unscriptural.
The Bible Does Not Command Anyone to “Tarry” to Be Saved
He who requires the penitent to “tarry” to be saved did not get such a requisite from scripture. Absolutely nowhere in the Bible is anyone told to tarry that they might be saved.
Make no mistake about it – the Bible is clear regarding how to be saved. The Bible gives very specific instructions on this matter. These clear instructions become so muddied because so many religious leaders simply cannot fathom that salvation is as simple as the Bible portrays it. The Bible repeatedly states that salvation is attained by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the testimony of Jesus Christ (John 1:12; John 3:15; John 3:16; John 3:18; John 5:24; John 6:28-29; John 6:35; John 6:40; John 6:47; John 8:24; John 11:25-26; John 12:44-46); of John the Baptist (John 3:36); of John the apostle (John 20:31; I John 5:1); of Peter (Acts 10:43); of Paul (Acts 13:39; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 1:16; Romans 3:22; Romans 3:26; Romans 10:9-13; I Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 3:22; I Timothy 4:10) and of the Hebrew writer (Hebrews 4:3; Hebrews 10:39; Hebrews 11:6). Anyone who teaches that an individual needs to anything other than “believe on Jesus Christ” to be saved is contradicting every scripture listed above.
Many believe that salvation is attained by believing on Christ, but what does it mean to believe? Some insist that truly believing is obeying the commandments of the Bible. But, is that the case? It cannot be, for the Bible states that no commandment of the law of God is capable of giving life (Galatians 3:21). Keeping laws and commandments is what the Bible calls “works of the law,” and by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16). So, what does it mean to believe on Jesus Christ? Romans 3:22, Romans 4:5, Galatians 2:16, and Galatians 3:22 associate “believing” with faith. Ephesians 1:12-13 associates salvation with trusting. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is therefore “placing your faith in” or “trusting” Jesus Christ to save you. A person is saved by the grace of God when they realize that they cannot save themselves, and they consequently place their faith in Jesus Christ, trusting Him alone to save them. They are not trusting baptism; they are not trusting sacraments; they are not trusting church attendance or church membership; they are not trusting their belief that they have “quit sinning”; they are trusting Christ and Him alone for salvation. The split second that a person believes on Jesus Christ, they are saved. The only Bible mandate for salvation is believing on Christ. There is no Biblical command to “tarry” for salvation.
The Bible Provides No Example of Anyone “Tarrying” to Be Saved
Not only is there no Biblical command for anyone to “tarry” to be saved, but there is also no example of anyone in the Bible who “tarried” for salvation. If salvation were attained by the seeker kneeling and spending hours praying to be saved, it would make sense that we would have at least one example of this in the Bible. However, although the Bible provides examples of lost people being saved, not one of those examples includes an individual who “tarried”; not one of those examples includes an individual who spent hours, days, weeks, or months praying for salvation. The concept of “tarrying” for salvation is completely foreign to the scriptures. There is neither command for it nor example of it in the Bible.
Since there are some examples of lost people finding salvation in the Bible, let us look closely at a few of them.
THE PUBLICAN
In Luke 18:10-14, Jesus tells about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee; a religious man. The other was a publican; a tax collector. The Pharisee prayed a prayer about how thankful he was to be holy. He offered thanks to God for “not being as other men are.” As he prayed, he reminded God of how he fasted twice a week, gave tithes regularly, and even thanked God that he was not like the publican who knelt nearby.
Then the publican prayed. Jesus said that this tax collector would not even as much as look up to heaven. He simply smote his breast and said seven simple words – “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” After praying these seven simple words, Jesus remarked that this man – this sinful publican who prayed only seven words – went home justified rather than the other. The publican was justified before God after praying seven words.
ZACCHÆUS
In Luke 19, we are told about Zacchæus. Zacchæus was another tax collector – a tax collector who wanted to see Jesus but was too short to look over the crowd. He therefore climbed into a sycamore tree that he might catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by. Jesus saw Zacchæus and said, “Today I must abide at thy house.” Jesus then went with Zacchæus to his home.
After arriving at the home of Zacchæus, Zacchæus uttered one sentence to the Lord. This sentence was slightly longer than seven words, but it was still just one sentence that took less than ten seconds to say. Zacchæus said, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).
Upon hearing these twenty-nine words, Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house” (Luke 19:9). There was no tarrying whatsoever. In a short moment of time, Zacchæus was a recipient of salvation.
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
When Jesus was crucified, He was crucified between two thieves who were also crucified. The two thieves mocked our Lord. However, at a certain point, one of the thieves had a change of heart. He turned to the Lord and spoke nine words to the Lord. He said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” After speaking nine words to the Lord, the Lord answered, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
PAUL THE APOSTLE
Perhaps the most remarkable conversion to Christianity in history was that of the apostle Paul. Paul, whose name was Saul at the time of his conversion, was on his way to Damascus. Suddenly, he saw a light brighter than the noonday sun. He then heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Saul, trembling, said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” Jesus answered, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Then, Saul prayed eight words. He said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” That’s it. There was no tarrying. There was no long season of prayer. At that moment, before he was baptized; before he was filled with the Holy Ghost; Saul of Tarsus was saved by the grace of God.
Quite some time ago, I was preaching at a church when, after church, a woman came to me. I had preached regarding the simplicity of salvation. She simply could not believe that salvation could be attained in a short amount of time.
“You make it sound like a person can be saved in just five minutes!” she said.
Upon hearing these words, I apologized to her. “I did not mean to make it sound like a person could be saved in just five minutes,” I told her. She looked puzzled. “You misunderstood me,” I said. “A person can be saved in a split second!”
If you believe in “tarrying” to be saved, or praying a long time to be saved, then the burden of proof is on you. I have shown clearly that the Bible nowhere commands “tarrying” for salvation. I have shown just as clearly that there are no examples of anyone praying for a long length of time for salvation. On the contrary, I have given four clear, Biblical examples of people who prayed very short prayers and were justified by God’s grace as a result.
A Wrong Understanding of Salvation Produces this Concept
Having clearly shown that “tarrying” for salvation is neither commanded nor exemplified in the scriptures, I will now prove that, many times, this teaching stems from an incorrect understanding of salvation.
I have shown that man attains salvation by faith (Ephesians 2:8), but how does God save? How can God be just, and at the same time, justify sinners? Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), how can God save me, one who has sinned, from the penalty of sin? The truth concerning these questions is that God did not merely forgive me when I was saved. Let me say it another way. When I was saved, God did not just “write my sins off.” God did not look down on me when I prayed to be saved and say, “You sinned, but since I am nice, I will forget about your sins and simply forgive you.” God, because He is just, saw to it that the penalty of my sins was paid. The wages of sin is death, and death for my sins had to be executed.
That’s where the blood of Jesus comes in. The sins of the whole world were laid upon Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:6). Christ died for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2). While the blood of Christ is available for the salvation of all men, all men will not be saved.
In Galatians 5:3, the Old Testament law is referred to as a “debt,” and those who are under it are called “debtors.” God’s law is a debt that God demands to be paid. No man has ever paid that debt (John 7:19). But Jesus Christ, when in the flesh, fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17). The word “fulfill” is a term relating to debt, as in “fulfilling one’s obligations.” Christ fulfilled the law in its entirety. He never broke one commandment of His Father. He never sinned in word, thought, or deed. But, prior to going to the cross, the sins of the world were laid upon Christ. He, who never sinned, had the sin of the whole world laid upon Him. He then paid the wages of sin – death – upon an old, rugged cross, fulfilling even the death penalty of the law. Although Christ paid the penalty of sin for the whole world, the whole world will not be saved. God set up salvation so that Christ’s righteousness is only imputed to those who believe (Romans 4:23-24). Basically, if you do not trust Christ’s payment for your sin, then you will be responsible for it yourself. But payment for sin must be made. God does not save people by overlooking their sins. He saves people because they trust Christ’s payment on the cross as the means by which they are saved (Romans 4:25).
Once I understand that I am saved solely because of Christ’s work upon the cross, the length of my prayer becomes irrelevant. Those who believe in “tarrying” for salvation often see salvation as simply forgiveness. They see salvation as God just forgetting about their sins and forgiving them. The problem, they think, is that they just need to convince God to forgive them. And if they beg long enough, maybe God will have mercy. If they shed enough tears, maybe God will be convinced that they mean business. But this is a thoroughly incorrect understanding of salvation. God saves no one because they convinced Him to do so with their tears. No one has ever been saved by begging God to do so. No one has ever been saved by convincing God that they meant business about changing his or her lifestyle. God does not save because of man’s sincerity; God saves because of Christ’s blood that He shed upon the cross. Once this is understood, “tarrying” is not necessary.
The Concept Is As Illogical As It Is Unscriptural
I would like to speak personally to the advocates of “tarrying” for salvation in this final point. I want to show you how illogical your belief is. I want to begin by asking you some questions. If a person comes to God in prayer, and asks God to save them because of Christ’s work on the cross, why wouldn’t God save them? Is God playing games? What do you think happens in heaven when someone asks God to save them? Do you think God just stands there waiting for them to pray for at least a certain length of time? Do you think that God sends Gabriel down to check the puddle of tears to see how many tears have been shed before He saves the individual? Do you not see how silly this concept really is? If the phrase, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” does not mean “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” then what does it mean?
We have already discussed the story of Zacchæus. After Zacchæus prayed a short prayer, Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house.” In the very next verse, Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Did you get that? Christ is not playing games. Will He really save Zacchæus after Zacchæus prays a short prayer? Of course He will – THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HE CAME TO DO! Why wouldn’t He? Will Christ really save Saul of Tarsus after Saul prays only eight words? Absolutely! THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST! To believe that Christ will not save an individual immediately upon believing is unscriptural, but it is even more illogical. It makes no sense to believe that Christ came to save them that believe, but for some reason won’t save someone immediately upon their believing on Christ.
Conclusion
This doctrine of “tarrying” for salvation, like all false doctrines, is a dangerous teaching. For one thing, this concept encourages people to seek for a feeling. That’s why they “tarry” to be saved. If you ask a person who is “tarrying” to be saved what he is waiting for, he will tell you that he is waiting until he knows for sure that he is saved. How will he know for sure that God has saved him? He will tell you that he will know for sure when he “feels” confident that God saved him. This is very dangerous. To start with, feelings are deceptive.
I can give you a list of people who I know personally who “tarried” for salvation – every year at youth camp. Every year they would go to youth camp, go to the altar, and pray for a great length of time to be saved. Often, salvation that is obtained by “tarrying” does not prove to be salvation at all.
In the ministry, I have had the privilege of winning souls to Christ. I have won some souls to Christ in church as a result of preaching. Others I have won as a result of one-on-one confrontation, outside the church. It has been my experience that, in nearly every instance, those who simply trusted Christ to save them (Ephesians 1:13), believing simply the written record (I John 5:10-11), were the ones who enjoyed a great assurance of salvation, served God with gladness, became soul winners, and lived the Christian life with stability and consistency. On the other hand, those who “tarried” until they reached a certain emotional experience enjoyed great joy – as long as the emotions were running high. But, as a rule, those who are saved by “tarrying” do not consistently work for God, do not have constant joy, win no souls for Christ, and prove to be very unstable. The concept of “tarrying” for salvation provides no results that I want in my life.
There is much more that could be said, but the point is adequately proven.
