[mkjessup]

There are many variations of that prayer, and it sounds like you've got a chip on your shoulder in asking your question. The fact is, Jesus died upon the Cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins, individually and collectively. Because we are sinners, ALL of us without exception, it is impossible for us to be reconciled to Almighty God except for the redemptive death of Jesus Christ, in that His Blood was shed in place of our own.

Because Jesus never sinned, by the Law, He could have chosen to literally live forever in the earthly body that He had, but He chose instead to lay down His life for US, He became that sinless sacrifice in our place, 'The Lamb of God' which took away the sin of the world.

The wages of sin is death, and because all of us have sinned, all of us must die. But when we place our souls into the Hands of Christ, we are assured that we will not die *spiritually*, that instead of an eternity separated from God, we are reconciled to the Almighty and we can be certain of an eternity in His Presence.

When the thief on the Cross next to Jesus asked Him "remember me when thou comest in thy Kingdom." And Jesus responded "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise."

The thief on the Cross committed an act of Faith, he did no good works, he joined no church or synagogue, he had no time to make up for a life of crime, he simply recognized the Divinity of Christ in the dwindling moments of his life, and his faith was not misplaced.

"According to who?" you ask?

ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST.

[paulist]

So when the rich young ruler came up to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus should have just led him in “the sinner’s prayer”?

How dare Jesus challenge the man to “follow me”, when salvation comes from just mouthing some words (according to you).

“Because Jesus never sinned, by the Law, He could have chosen to literally live forever in the earthly body that He had”

Where do you get such nonsense? Can you provide a scriptural basis for this, or is this just your personal thought?