Thoughts on Lordship Salvation
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Have you heard the one about the two Lordship Salvationists who were out in a boat on the lake?
The first Lordship Salvationist said to the other “So I was looking up some good, godly websites the other day, and this inappropriate picture of a woman popped up on the screen.”
The second Lordship Salvationist said “Oh no! What did you do?”
The first Lordship Salvationist said “I simply looked away. I’m so glad that I’m saved. I no longer sin, and so I have absolutely no desire to look at a beautiful woman. Being saved is great.”
The second Lordship Salvationist nodded his head and said “I know what you mean. The other day, I was about to hang a picture, so I was hammering a nail into the wall. I accidentally slipped and hit my thumb with the hammer.”
The first Lordship Salvationist cringed and said “Ouch! What did you do?”
The second Lordship Salvationist said “I called out ‘Praise Jesus!’ I’m so glad that I’m saved. I no longer sin, and so I never say any bad words. Being saved is wonderful.”
The first Lordship Salvationist smiled and said “It’s a good thing we’re saved, so we’re not like all those worthless sinners out there. Being just like Jesus is so amazing. You know, that reminds me of something I always wanted to do…. I always wanted to walk on water, just like Jesus did.”
The second Lordship Salvationist said “You can’t even swim, and you want to walk on water?”
The first Lordship Salvationist simply laughed and said “Who needs to swim when you are perfect like us? I am just like my Lord, Jesus, and I can follow His example and walk on the water. Check this out.”
The first Lordship Salvationist stood up in the boat and stepped out onto the water. He immediately disappeared below the surface of the water and sank to the bottom of the lake, where he drowned. Back up in the boat, the second Lordship Salvationist shook his head from side to side, as he commented to himself.
“I always knew that @!#& wasn’t truly saved like I am."
The first Lordship Salvationist said to the other “So I was looking up some good, godly websites the other day, and this inappropriate picture of a woman popped up on the screen.”
The second Lordship Salvationist said “Oh no! What did you do?”
The first Lordship Salvationist said “I simply looked away. I’m so glad that I’m saved. I no longer sin, and so I have absolutely no desire to look at a beautiful woman. Being saved is great.”
The second Lordship Salvationist nodded his head and said “I know what you mean. The other day, I was about to hang a picture, so I was hammering a nail into the wall. I accidentally slipped and hit my thumb with the hammer.”
The first Lordship Salvationist cringed and said “Ouch! What did you do?”
The second Lordship Salvationist said “I called out ‘Praise Jesus!’ I’m so glad that I’m saved. I no longer sin, and so I never say any bad words. Being saved is wonderful.”
The first Lordship Salvationist smiled and said “It’s a good thing we’re saved, so we’re not like all those worthless sinners out there. Being just like Jesus is so amazing. You know, that reminds me of something I always wanted to do…. I always wanted to walk on water, just like Jesus did.”
The second Lordship Salvationist said “You can’t even swim, and you want to walk on water?”
The first Lordship Salvationist simply laughed and said “Who needs to swim when you are perfect like us? I am just like my Lord, Jesus, and I can follow His example and walk on the water. Check this out.”
The first Lordship Salvationist stood up in the boat and stepped out onto the water. He immediately disappeared below the surface of the water and sank to the bottom of the lake, where he drowned. Back up in the boat, the second Lordship Salvationist shook his head from side to side, as he commented to himself.
“I always knew that @!#& wasn’t truly saved like I am."
Lordship Salvationists: The Sinless Crowd
Do you want to know how irrational Lordship Salvation is? A Lordship Salvationist will tell you that you must turn from your sins to be saved and remain saved. But which sins? All of them? Can you even know them all? Or maybe you just turn from most of them. Or maybe the worst of them. What is the correct answer here? They don’t know! But guess what. It’s even more complicated than that.
James 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
A Lordship Salvationist could tell just one small lie, and then he has committed adultery, murder, and theft. So no matter what sin you commit, you committed them all! But it gets even worse.
James 4:17: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Since Lordship Salvationists are so godly, then they surely must know to do good. So not only must they never sin, they must also make sure they do good each and every time the opportunity arises. If they don’t, they may lose their salvation. It’s not just a list of don’t do’s they must keep. They also must do good at all times.
Imagine a Lordship Salvationist driving down the highway. Some careless driver cuts him off, and the Lordship Salvationist becomes angry. Maybe he says some profanity aloud. Maybe he thinks an evil thought towards that careless driver. Maybe he even makes an obscene gesture. In fact, maybe the Lordship Salvationist becomes so enraged, he speeds up to get a look at that jerk that so boldly cut him off. Caught up in the moment, the Lordship Salvationist pays too much attention to the driver next to him and forgets about the semi truck ahead. After slamming into the back of the semi truck’s trailer, the Lordship Salvationist is killed, before he got the chance to “repent of his sin.” He goes straight to Hell for not “repenting.” As absurd as this is, this is what some teach and believe. Or maybe, just maybe, a Lordship Salvationist would read a scenario like this and say the following:
“That story is preposterous. That driver who was killed was never truly saved. If he had been, he would have made Jesus the Lord of his life, and no one who has made Jesus Lord would ever sin like that. Someone who has been truly saved has no desire to sin! They hate sin!”
Does anybody truly think they are this holy? Unfortunately, yes, there are people out there that think this way. They are called Lordship Salvationists. They are so prideful that they truly believe they have turned from sin. They have forgotten some key Scriptures.
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
The preceding verse was written to believers. It sounds like believers still have sin in their lives. Lordship Salvationists would say those believers were never saved. But if they weren’t, why would the apostle John have written such a bizarre verse?
1st Corinthians 3:1-3: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
In the preceding verses, Paul refers to the believers at the church of Corinth as “carnal,” meaning they were living for the flesh more than the spiritual. Lordship Salvationists say there is no such thing as a carnal Christian. The apostle Paul said differently.
1st Corinthians 5:5: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
In the preceding verse, Paul was referring to a man in the church who was openly living in fornication. Notice that even though this sin will bring about the “destruction of the flesh,” the man’s soul is still saved. Lordship Salvationists would say that this man was not saved because he had not repented of his sins and experienced a magical life change that made him holy like they are.
Romans 7:15-23: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
In the preceding passage of Scripture, Paul discusses the struggle of the Christian life. The knowledge to do good versus the nature to do bad. Paul makes it clear that this sin problem is still within him. Lordship Salvationists would say that Paul was not truly saved, since he didn’t turn from sin and learn to hate it like they do.
We can’t all be holy like Lordship Salvationists are. But thank God, we don’t have to be. In fact, God doesn’t even expect that from us, because it’s not even possible.
Romans 3:10-12: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Read the following story and see what Jesus had to say to someone desiring to know how to receive eternal life.
Matthew 19:16-26: “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
This man started off by calling Jesus "Good Master." This sounds like Lordship Salvationists, who are so quick to call Jesus "Lord" and brag about how they have made Jesus the Lord of their life. This also brings to mind Ray Comfort, the "repent of your sins" heretic, who has his "Way of the Master" ministry. Ray Comfort calls Jesus the "Master," just like the man in the story from the book of Matthew. This man asked Jesus what “good thing” he should do in order to be given eternal life. Unfortunately for him, he asked the wrong question. He failed to understand that there is no good thing a person can do. The disciples were shocked and wondered just who could be saved then. Jesus told them the answer. It is impossible for a man to be saved of himself. It is only possible with God.
You see, Lordship Salvationists are like the man who wanted to know what good thing he had to do. They think their good works or “repenting of sin” will make them worthy of eternal life. That is simply not the case. The only way a Lordship Salvationist can ever be saved is by doing what every other sinner must do. Let’s look at the Bible’s example of a man who asked the correct question, the way the rich man should have asked it.
Acts 16:30-31: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
This man didn’t ask what good thing he must do. He asked how he could be saved. Why does someone need to be saved? They need saving if they are in danger. This man knew he was in danger. He didn’t expect to do something to earn God’s favor. Instead, he asked how to be saved, and he was given the correct answer.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” - Jesus
James 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
A Lordship Salvationist could tell just one small lie, and then he has committed adultery, murder, and theft. So no matter what sin you commit, you committed them all! But it gets even worse.
James 4:17: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Since Lordship Salvationists are so godly, then they surely must know to do good. So not only must they never sin, they must also make sure they do good each and every time the opportunity arises. If they don’t, they may lose their salvation. It’s not just a list of don’t do’s they must keep. They also must do good at all times.
Imagine a Lordship Salvationist driving down the highway. Some careless driver cuts him off, and the Lordship Salvationist becomes angry. Maybe he says some profanity aloud. Maybe he thinks an evil thought towards that careless driver. Maybe he even makes an obscene gesture. In fact, maybe the Lordship Salvationist becomes so enraged, he speeds up to get a look at that jerk that so boldly cut him off. Caught up in the moment, the Lordship Salvationist pays too much attention to the driver next to him and forgets about the semi truck ahead. After slamming into the back of the semi truck’s trailer, the Lordship Salvationist is killed, before he got the chance to “repent of his sin.” He goes straight to Hell for not “repenting.” As absurd as this is, this is what some teach and believe. Or maybe, just maybe, a Lordship Salvationist would read a scenario like this and say the following:
“That story is preposterous. That driver who was killed was never truly saved. If he had been, he would have made Jesus the Lord of his life, and no one who has made Jesus Lord would ever sin like that. Someone who has been truly saved has no desire to sin! They hate sin!”
Does anybody truly think they are this holy? Unfortunately, yes, there are people out there that think this way. They are called Lordship Salvationists. They are so prideful that they truly believe they have turned from sin. They have forgotten some key Scriptures.
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
The preceding verse was written to believers. It sounds like believers still have sin in their lives. Lordship Salvationists would say those believers were never saved. But if they weren’t, why would the apostle John have written such a bizarre verse?
1st Corinthians 3:1-3: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
In the preceding verses, Paul refers to the believers at the church of Corinth as “carnal,” meaning they were living for the flesh more than the spiritual. Lordship Salvationists say there is no such thing as a carnal Christian. The apostle Paul said differently.
1st Corinthians 5:5: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
In the preceding verse, Paul was referring to a man in the church who was openly living in fornication. Notice that even though this sin will bring about the “destruction of the flesh,” the man’s soul is still saved. Lordship Salvationists would say that this man was not saved because he had not repented of his sins and experienced a magical life change that made him holy like they are.
Romans 7:15-23: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
In the preceding passage of Scripture, Paul discusses the struggle of the Christian life. The knowledge to do good versus the nature to do bad. Paul makes it clear that this sin problem is still within him. Lordship Salvationists would say that Paul was not truly saved, since he didn’t turn from sin and learn to hate it like they do.
We can’t all be holy like Lordship Salvationists are. But thank God, we don’t have to be. In fact, God doesn’t even expect that from us, because it’s not even possible.
Romans 3:10-12: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Read the following story and see what Jesus had to say to someone desiring to know how to receive eternal life.
Matthew 19:16-26: “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
This man started off by calling Jesus "Good Master." This sounds like Lordship Salvationists, who are so quick to call Jesus "Lord" and brag about how they have made Jesus the Lord of their life. This also brings to mind Ray Comfort, the "repent of your sins" heretic, who has his "Way of the Master" ministry. Ray Comfort calls Jesus the "Master," just like the man in the story from the book of Matthew. This man asked Jesus what “good thing” he should do in order to be given eternal life. Unfortunately for him, he asked the wrong question. He failed to understand that there is no good thing a person can do. The disciples were shocked and wondered just who could be saved then. Jesus told them the answer. It is impossible for a man to be saved of himself. It is only possible with God.
You see, Lordship Salvationists are like the man who wanted to know what good thing he had to do. They think their good works or “repenting of sin” will make them worthy of eternal life. That is simply not the case. The only way a Lordship Salvationist can ever be saved is by doing what every other sinner must do. Let’s look at the Bible’s example of a man who asked the correct question, the way the rich man should have asked it.
Acts 16:30-31: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
This man didn’t ask what good thing he must do. He asked how he could be saved. Why does someone need to be saved? They need saving if they are in danger. This man knew he was in danger. He didn’t expect to do something to earn God’s favor. Instead, he asked how to be saved, and he was given the correct answer.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” - Jesus
Lordship Salvationists: A Pack of Thieves
Lordship Salvationists will boldly claim that they have turned from all their sins. Yet many of them are thieves who love to steal. What are they stealing? They get a thrill from stealing the eternal security of one who has believed on Jesus Christ for salvation.
Did you know that one of the purposes of Lordship Salvation is to steal eternal security away from a believer in Christ? According to the Bible, how does a person know for sure that they are saved?
1st John 5:13: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
The apostle John did not say that he was speaking to those who had “repented of their sins.” John did not say he was speaking to those who had experienced a changed life. John did not say he was speaking to those who attended church, were baptized, or were trying to live a good life. John was speaking to those who believed, or put their trust on, the name of Jesus Christ.
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” – Jesus
In the previous verse, Jesus said that those who believe on Him are saved. The apostle John took it a step further in 1st John 5:13, by saying that there is power even in the name of Jesus Christ. Here are two more places in the Bible where John made this point:
John 1:12-13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 20:31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
John is not saying that believing on a name alone is what saves a person. He is making the point that one who has believed on Jesus Christ can rely on even the name of Jesus. It has been 2,000 years since Jesus was here in the flesh. No one can believe on Him by having seen Him or heard Him. Now, all we have is the name, and with the name comes the story of His Gospel. The name of Jesus Christ brings with it the record of who He was, the Son of God who took away the sins of the world. There is power in that name, and one who believes on it has obviously believed on the person behind the name.
Now, getting back to what it says in 1st John 5:13, notice that one who has believed on Jesus Christ is to know that they have eternal life. Eternal security is not meant to be something a believer in Jesus Christ has to worry about or question. God wants it to be perfectly clear that the moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you have eternal life. Remember John 6:47?
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
That everlasting life is something that already exists in a believer’s life. Jesus said the person who believes on Him “hath,” or has, eternal life. Present tense. It is not something that will one day be given to the believer. They already have it!
A Lordship Salvationist will deny eternal security. They will say eternal security is dependant on the life one lives. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at a quote from John MacArthur, the hero of the Lordship Salvationist.
“Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny.”
That quote was taken from John MacArthur’s book, Hard to Believe. You see, Lordship Salvationists want to make salvation as difficult as possible. Jesus tells the sinner to simply believe, and then someone like John MacArthur comes along and says, “No, there’s more to it than that. Don’t listen to Jesus. Listen to me.” Folks, anyone who tells you to listen to them over the Bible is a heretic! There’s nothing hard about getting saved, and there’s nothing hard to believing! Jesus died for your sins. He was buried for three days, and then he rose again. Do you believe that? If so, you are saved! What’s so hard about that?
Lordship Salvationists like John MacArthur say a person’s life determines where they go. Jesus Christ said it is where a person puts their belief that determines where they go. Are you an atheist, putting your belief into the idea that God doesn’t exist? You are going to Hell. Are you trusting in your good works? Are you trusting in all the “repenting of sins” you have done? Are you trusting in your baptism? Are you trusting in a good life? If you answered yes to any of these, you are going to Hell.
Lordship Salvationists have no eternal security. True believers in Jesus Christ have eternal security, because they have believed on the Son of God. Just imagine how terrible it would be to spend your entire life trying to be holy, only to find out when you die that you weren’t good enough. A Lordship Salvationist will never know in this present life if they are saved or not. If they are living right, that is, living what they feel is right at the moment, then they will say that yes, they are saved. If they slip into sin, however, they feel they may have lost salvation. This idea of temporary security is not something the God of the Bible offers. God does not give out a gift like eternal life to someone just to take it away when that person sins.
Romans 3:18: “Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Lordship Salvationists will scream until they are blue in the face that repentance is turning from sin. Their ignorance over that word is astounding. Repentance is to have a new mindset, or to have a changed mind. Notice in the Scriptures above that salvation is called a free gift, and that gifts of God are without repentance. That means God will not change His mind when it comes to a gift He has given. If He gave someone eternal life because that person believed on Jesus Christ, then God will never take that gift back. If God took the gift back, it would mean the gift was never a gift to begin with! If you give someone a gift, and then a day, a week, or a year down the road, they do something you don’t like, you cannot take back the gift. Well, you could, but that would be a jerk thing to do. No, a gift is something given without conditions. Otherwise, a gift is no longer a gift, but a payment for something, or maybe even a bribe for something.
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Salvation is by grace (mercy), or it is by works. It cannot be both. If you try to make it that way, you will give yourself a headache. Or you will become a Lordship Salvationist, and those people are a headache.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Notice how the Bible calls death the “wages” of sin, meaning it is the payment. If salvation was contingent on “repenting of sin” and living a holy life, then eternal life would be wages also! But it’s not! It’s a gift!
Folks, when the Bible repeatedly refers to salvation as a gift, given in grace (mercy), you better believe that is because salvation is a gift! God isn’t like us! God doesn’t change His mind and take away what He gave us in a moment of anger or disappointment. God is faithful, and God keeps His promises! Note the following verses from the Bible:
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
2nd Corinthians 1:22: “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
Once a person has believed on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes inside that person and seals them, which is akin to God’s mark of approval.
2nd Timothy 2:13: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
Once the Holy Spirit is inside a believer, they are secure in Christ. A believer can go as far as to no longer believe, and God still saves that person, because God is faithful! God does not take back His gifts!
Titus 1:2: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
God promises eternal life! He was aware of the fact that He would one day give those who believe on Jesus Christ eternal life before the world even began! And here’s some more good news: God cannot lie! Don’t let some foolish Lordship Salvationist steal your eternal security. They believe in a weak God. They believe in a weak Jesus. They believe that God is not big enough to save a person by Himself. They are so deluded that they think they must play a part in their salvation by “repenting of sin” and living a holy life. They believe there must be good works present, or that one is not truly saved. These heretics also claim that “repenting of sin” is not a work. Why must they stress that?
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The Bible clearly says we are not saved by works, so Lordship Salvationists are quick to say that “repenting of sin” is not works. The Bible says differently.
Jonah 3:10: “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
Turning from their “evil way,” called “wickedness” in Jonah 1:2, was defined here as works. In other words, they turned from wickedness, or sin, and the Bible defined that as works. And did you happen to notice, in that same verse, that God repented? Lordship Salvation teaches that repenting automatically means turning from sin! Do you see how stupid Lordship Salvation is? According to Lordship Salvation, God is a sinner!
So remember: A true believer in Jesus Christ has eternal life. That is the gift of God, and He will not take it away once He has given it to the person who has believed on Jesus Christ. If a Lordship Salvationist tells you otherwise, just keep in mind that they hate God’s simple plan of salvation because their hearts are full of pride. Pride is what makes them think they can turn away from all their sins. Pride is what makes them think God needs their help when it comes to salvation. And pride is what makes them try every chance they get to steal eternal security away from those who are saved. They are just too proud to share eternal life with those who are not as holy as they think they are.
Did you know that one of the purposes of Lordship Salvation is to steal eternal security away from a believer in Christ? According to the Bible, how does a person know for sure that they are saved?
1st John 5:13: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
The apostle John did not say that he was speaking to those who had “repented of their sins.” John did not say he was speaking to those who had experienced a changed life. John did not say he was speaking to those who attended church, were baptized, or were trying to live a good life. John was speaking to those who believed, or put their trust on, the name of Jesus Christ.
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” – Jesus
In the previous verse, Jesus said that those who believe on Him are saved. The apostle John took it a step further in 1st John 5:13, by saying that there is power even in the name of Jesus Christ. Here are two more places in the Bible where John made this point:
John 1:12-13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 20:31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
John is not saying that believing on a name alone is what saves a person. He is making the point that one who has believed on Jesus Christ can rely on even the name of Jesus. It has been 2,000 years since Jesus was here in the flesh. No one can believe on Him by having seen Him or heard Him. Now, all we have is the name, and with the name comes the story of His Gospel. The name of Jesus Christ brings with it the record of who He was, the Son of God who took away the sins of the world. There is power in that name, and one who believes on it has obviously believed on the person behind the name.
Now, getting back to what it says in 1st John 5:13, notice that one who has believed on Jesus Christ is to know that they have eternal life. Eternal security is not meant to be something a believer in Jesus Christ has to worry about or question. God wants it to be perfectly clear that the moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you have eternal life. Remember John 6:47?
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
That everlasting life is something that already exists in a believer’s life. Jesus said the person who believes on Him “hath,” or has, eternal life. Present tense. It is not something that will one day be given to the believer. They already have it!
A Lordship Salvationist will deny eternal security. They will say eternal security is dependant on the life one lives. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at a quote from John MacArthur, the hero of the Lordship Salvationist.
“Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny.”
That quote was taken from John MacArthur’s book, Hard to Believe. You see, Lordship Salvationists want to make salvation as difficult as possible. Jesus tells the sinner to simply believe, and then someone like John MacArthur comes along and says, “No, there’s more to it than that. Don’t listen to Jesus. Listen to me.” Folks, anyone who tells you to listen to them over the Bible is a heretic! There’s nothing hard about getting saved, and there’s nothing hard to believing! Jesus died for your sins. He was buried for three days, and then he rose again. Do you believe that? If so, you are saved! What’s so hard about that?
Lordship Salvationists like John MacArthur say a person’s life determines where they go. Jesus Christ said it is where a person puts their belief that determines where they go. Are you an atheist, putting your belief into the idea that God doesn’t exist? You are going to Hell. Are you trusting in your good works? Are you trusting in all the “repenting of sins” you have done? Are you trusting in your baptism? Are you trusting in a good life? If you answered yes to any of these, you are going to Hell.
Lordship Salvationists have no eternal security. True believers in Jesus Christ have eternal security, because they have believed on the Son of God. Just imagine how terrible it would be to spend your entire life trying to be holy, only to find out when you die that you weren’t good enough. A Lordship Salvationist will never know in this present life if they are saved or not. If they are living right, that is, living what they feel is right at the moment, then they will say that yes, they are saved. If they slip into sin, however, they feel they may have lost salvation. This idea of temporary security is not something the God of the Bible offers. God does not give out a gift like eternal life to someone just to take it away when that person sins.
Romans 3:18: “Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Lordship Salvationists will scream until they are blue in the face that repentance is turning from sin. Their ignorance over that word is astounding. Repentance is to have a new mindset, or to have a changed mind. Notice in the Scriptures above that salvation is called a free gift, and that gifts of God are without repentance. That means God will not change His mind when it comes to a gift He has given. If He gave someone eternal life because that person believed on Jesus Christ, then God will never take that gift back. If God took the gift back, it would mean the gift was never a gift to begin with! If you give someone a gift, and then a day, a week, or a year down the road, they do something you don’t like, you cannot take back the gift. Well, you could, but that would be a jerk thing to do. No, a gift is something given without conditions. Otherwise, a gift is no longer a gift, but a payment for something, or maybe even a bribe for something.
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Salvation is by grace (mercy), or it is by works. It cannot be both. If you try to make it that way, you will give yourself a headache. Or you will become a Lordship Salvationist, and those people are a headache.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Notice how the Bible calls death the “wages” of sin, meaning it is the payment. If salvation was contingent on “repenting of sin” and living a holy life, then eternal life would be wages also! But it’s not! It’s a gift!
Folks, when the Bible repeatedly refers to salvation as a gift, given in grace (mercy), you better believe that is because salvation is a gift! God isn’t like us! God doesn’t change His mind and take away what He gave us in a moment of anger or disappointment. God is faithful, and God keeps His promises! Note the following verses from the Bible:
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
2nd Corinthians 1:22: “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
Once a person has believed on Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes inside that person and seals them, which is akin to God’s mark of approval.
2nd Timothy 2:13: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
Once the Holy Spirit is inside a believer, they are secure in Christ. A believer can go as far as to no longer believe, and God still saves that person, because God is faithful! God does not take back His gifts!
Titus 1:2: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
God promises eternal life! He was aware of the fact that He would one day give those who believe on Jesus Christ eternal life before the world even began! And here’s some more good news: God cannot lie! Don’t let some foolish Lordship Salvationist steal your eternal security. They believe in a weak God. They believe in a weak Jesus. They believe that God is not big enough to save a person by Himself. They are so deluded that they think they must play a part in their salvation by “repenting of sin” and living a holy life. They believe there must be good works present, or that one is not truly saved. These heretics also claim that “repenting of sin” is not a work. Why must they stress that?
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The Bible clearly says we are not saved by works, so Lordship Salvationists are quick to say that “repenting of sin” is not works. The Bible says differently.
Jonah 3:10: “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
Turning from their “evil way,” called “wickedness” in Jonah 1:2, was defined here as works. In other words, they turned from wickedness, or sin, and the Bible defined that as works. And did you happen to notice, in that same verse, that God repented? Lordship Salvation teaches that repenting automatically means turning from sin! Do you see how stupid Lordship Salvation is? According to Lordship Salvation, God is a sinner!
So remember: A true believer in Jesus Christ has eternal life. That is the gift of God, and He will not take it away once He has given it to the person who has believed on Jesus Christ. If a Lordship Salvationist tells you otherwise, just keep in mind that they hate God’s simple plan of salvation because their hearts are full of pride. Pride is what makes them think they can turn away from all their sins. Pride is what makes them think God needs their help when it comes to salvation. And pride is what makes them try every chance they get to steal eternal security away from those who are saved. They are just too proud to share eternal life with those who are not as holy as they think they are.
Who Are You Boasting About?
How can you tell if someone has trusted completely on Jesus Christ or not? Check to see who they are boasting about. What does the Bible say about boasting?
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
A believer in Jesus Christ is saved by his faith, not his works, repenting of sin, or lifestyle. If a person’s efforts saved him, or even helped to save him, he would have something to boast about. But because salvation is by grace (mercy), a believer has nothing to boast about of himself.
Romans 3:24-27: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (sacrifice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”
Since a believer is justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has nothing to boast about of himself. If salvation required effort by the believer, it would create a law of works. Instead, a law of faith was established by God, so that God’s mercy would cover anyone who simply trusts in Jesus Christ, who was the sacrifice for the sins of the world (1st John 2:2). Faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ results in the remission (pardon) of sins and being given the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:6).
James 4:16: “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
Rejoicing, or taking delight, in your own boastings is evil. Remember, a believer is saved by grace, and thus has nothing to boast about of himself. How can one boast of himself when he keeps in mind Romans 3:10-12:
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Lordship Salvationists boast of themselves. They boast of how they have “repented of sin,” and they boast of how they have experienced a changed life. They go as far as to say they despise sin. They claim that if someone has not shared these transformations, then that person was never saved. Lordship Salvationists are boasting about their own works. Do you want an example of another crowd who boasts of their own works?
Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” – Jesus
These people boast of their works to God, but they are cast away for failing to do God’s will. And just what is the “will of my Father?”
John 6:40: “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” - Jesus
The Bible says that salvation is not of works, and so the believer cannot boast of himself. Yet many people will stand before God and boast about their works. This crowd will include Lordship Salvationists, Catholics, and anyone else who added works in addition to simple belief in Jesus Christ as a requirement for salvation. When works are required, this has corrupted the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is based on the law of faith.
If you have not already done so, please read my article “When Lordship Salvationists Attack!” I was accused of the following by an arrogant Lordship Salvationist:
“You wish to boast in your own righteous deeds.”
I dare you to find one such instance anywhere in my writings. It was actually this Lordship Salvationist liar who was boasting, stating that he had repented of his sins. This was not possible, for had he truly repented of his sins, he would not have been boasting about it, since pride is a sin. And, of course, 1st John 1:8 refutes the idea that a believer can stop sinning by teaching that believers still have sin present within them.
What did the apostle Paul stress as being the most important subject of his preaching?
1st Corinthians 1:23: “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
1st Corinthians 2:2: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
2nd Corinthians 4:5: “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.”
The apostle Paul was not just preaching about Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. Paul was boasting. But isn’t boasting a sin? Only if it is about yourself! Paul was boasting about Jesus Christ. A true believer in Jesus Christ will boast about the work of Jesus Christ, not the works of himself!
Lordship Salvationists boast about themselves. They say that those who have not “repented of their sins” and changed their lifestyles are not saved. This is bragging, because the Lordship Salvationist is inferring that he has done all this. What will that bragging do for a Lordship Salvationist when he stands before God? It will get him cast out of God’s presence!
Do I boast? Yes, I do. I, like the apostle Paul, boast of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, and He only asks for you to believe, or trust, in Him for salvation. You need to take a good look at your own boasting. If you are boasting about anything of yourself, you have it all wrong. Boast of Jesus Christ, because He did it all. The believer who boasts of Jesus Christ is proving his own faith, because this shows that he is trusting completely on Jesus.
Romans 4:25: “Who (Jesus) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
A believer in Jesus Christ is saved by his faith, not his works, repenting of sin, or lifestyle. If a person’s efforts saved him, or even helped to save him, he would have something to boast about. But because salvation is by grace (mercy), a believer has nothing to boast about of himself.
Romans 3:24-27: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (sacrifice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”
Since a believer is justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has nothing to boast about of himself. If salvation required effort by the believer, it would create a law of works. Instead, a law of faith was established by God, so that God’s mercy would cover anyone who simply trusts in Jesus Christ, who was the sacrifice for the sins of the world (1st John 2:2). Faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ results in the remission (pardon) of sins and being given the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:6).
James 4:16: “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
Rejoicing, or taking delight, in your own boastings is evil. Remember, a believer is saved by grace, and thus has nothing to boast about of himself. How can one boast of himself when he keeps in mind Romans 3:10-12:
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Lordship Salvationists boast of themselves. They boast of how they have “repented of sin,” and they boast of how they have experienced a changed life. They go as far as to say they despise sin. They claim that if someone has not shared these transformations, then that person was never saved. Lordship Salvationists are boasting about their own works. Do you want an example of another crowd who boasts of their own works?
Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” – Jesus
These people boast of their works to God, but they are cast away for failing to do God’s will. And just what is the “will of my Father?”
John 6:40: “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” - Jesus
The Bible says that salvation is not of works, and so the believer cannot boast of himself. Yet many people will stand before God and boast about their works. This crowd will include Lordship Salvationists, Catholics, and anyone else who added works in addition to simple belief in Jesus Christ as a requirement for salvation. When works are required, this has corrupted the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is based on the law of faith.
If you have not already done so, please read my article “When Lordship Salvationists Attack!” I was accused of the following by an arrogant Lordship Salvationist:
“You wish to boast in your own righteous deeds.”
I dare you to find one such instance anywhere in my writings. It was actually this Lordship Salvationist liar who was boasting, stating that he had repented of his sins. This was not possible, for had he truly repented of his sins, he would not have been boasting about it, since pride is a sin. And, of course, 1st John 1:8 refutes the idea that a believer can stop sinning by teaching that believers still have sin present within them.
What did the apostle Paul stress as being the most important subject of his preaching?
1st Corinthians 1:23: “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
1st Corinthians 2:2: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
2nd Corinthians 4:5: “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.”
The apostle Paul was not just preaching about Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. Paul was boasting. But isn’t boasting a sin? Only if it is about yourself! Paul was boasting about Jesus Christ. A true believer in Jesus Christ will boast about the work of Jesus Christ, not the works of himself!
Lordship Salvationists boast about themselves. They say that those who have not “repented of their sins” and changed their lifestyles are not saved. This is bragging, because the Lordship Salvationist is inferring that he has done all this. What will that bragging do for a Lordship Salvationist when he stands before God? It will get him cast out of God’s presence!
Do I boast? Yes, I do. I, like the apostle Paul, boast of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, and He only asks for you to believe, or trust, in Him for salvation. You need to take a good look at your own boasting. If you are boasting about anything of yourself, you have it all wrong. Boast of Jesus Christ, because He did it all. The believer who boasts of Jesus Christ is proving his own faith, because this shows that he is trusting completely on Jesus.
Romans 4:25: “Who (Jesus) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
Carnal Christians and Babes in Christ
One time when I was debating a Lordship Salvationist, I brought up the concept of carnal Christians to her. This was her response:
“There is no such thing as carnal Christians.”
Oh really, O’Reilly? Where do you think that term came from? Was it something I pulled out of my imagination? No. Let me show you where the idea of “carnal” Christianity came from.
1st Corinthians 3:1-3: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
The apostle Paul was addressing the believers at the church of Corinth. Paul used the word “carnal” to describe these Christians. To say these Christians were carnal was to say they were worldly, or fleshly. They were not living the way that believers in Jesus Christ should be living. They were still serving the flesh, or their human nature, instead of tending to spiritual things, or the things of God. Nevertheless, these people were indeed saved, as Paul referred to them as “brethren.” Paul considered these believers to be brothers in Christ, since true believers are all members of God’s family.
John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
Believers in Jesus Christ are brothers and sisters in the family of God, and that is why God is called the “Father” of those who have been saved.
1st John 1:3: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Paul referred to the believers in Corinth as “brethren” because they were saved. Do you want more proof?
1st Corinthians 1:1-2: “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now that we have established the eternal security of the believers at Corinth, we can take another look at 1st Corinthians 3:1-3. Notice the phrase “babes in Christ.” This is a concept which Lordship Salvation firmly rejects. And yet, Jesus Christ Himself compared getting saved to having a second birth.
John 3:3: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
What comes from a birth? A baby. The first time a person is born, they are a baby human being. The moment that person believes on Jesus Christ, that person experiences a second birth. Once again, what comes from a birth? A baby. The new believer on Jesus Christ is now a baby Christian. That person can grow into a mature Christian, or that person can ignore the things of God and remain in an infant state. Perhaps there will be rapid growth. Perhaps there will be slow growth, or no growth at all. But let me ask you a question: If a baby does not grow, does it mean that there was never a birth? No! Once a baby has been birthed into existence, it is there, and it is real! Now if a baby Christian does not grow, they will have the “faith without works” mentioned in James 2. (Please read my article “What About These Verses?” for much more on James 2.)
Verse 17: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
Verse 26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
A body without the spirit is dead, and a faith without works is dead. The body still exists, and so does the faith. Likewise, a baby without growth still exists as well. In fact, what James taught is exactly what Paul taught, only worded differently. If a person has faith, but no works, that person will receive no rewards. If a baby Christian does not grow, they will have stunted growth and receive no rewards. These two writers presented the exact same truth.
Now, here is where Lordship Salvation rears its ugly head and does what it does best: Teach false doctrine. Lordship Salvation has ridiculously high expectations, demanding that a brand new believer in Jesus Christ be fully grown. Lordship Salvation forces the unsaved person to “repent of sin” and “surrender to Christ” before that person can be saved. Have you ever tried to turn from all of your sins? Have you ever tried to surrender your life in a way so that you will only do what God wants you to do? It takes some serious effort to attempt those things, and more importantly, it requires the help of God Himself. So how can a person, who is not even saved yet, be expected to do those things on his own? Remember, Lordship Salvation teaches that God will not receive you until you have made those commitments. So what happened to the “baby” stage of a believer’s life?
Folks, let me ask you a few more questions: Would you expect a baby to change the oil on a car? Would you expect a baby to cook a meal? Would you even expect a newborn baby to do something as simple as walk or talk? I sincerely hope you answered “no” to these questions. If you did not, you must be a Lordship Salvationist, who is simply someone that was born with too much pride instead of common sense.
Did you know that a Christian, no matter what level of maturity they have reached, is still a sinner?
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
And yet, believe it or not, I have witnessed the testimony of Lordship Salvationists who claim to have turned from their sins. Folks, that is pride talking, pure and simple. No one has stopped sinning, or even stopped enough of their sinning in order to earn God’s favor. And no one has made Jesus the “Lord of their life” either. If they had, they would not be bragging about their works, which is a dead giveaway of their sinful pride.
Lordship Salvation expects a newborn believer in Jesus Christ to be a fully grown adult Christian. How can someone be born an adult? They can’t! How can a new believer on Christ know all of their sins? They can’t! They haven’t even read a Bible yet! For a new believer to grow, they will have to read the Bible and pray. Hopefully, they can also find some good teachers to learn from, though that is becoming quite difficult since modern “Christianity” is filling up with grace-hating, Gospel-corrupting, Lordship Salvationist heretics. Growth is a process. It does not happen instantaneously. I have written before about how Lordship Salvation attempts to steal a believer’s eternal security. Now here is another thing Lordship Salvation does: It denies childhood. And folks, there is no way for a baby to reach adulthood without going through childhood!
Lordship Salvation tells the unsaved person that he must commit to living a consecrated and holy life before he can have his second birth into God’s family. That is basically the same thing as telling an unborn baby that he must commit to being a doctor, or else he cannot be born. A baby plays no part in its physical birth. Likewise, a believer plays no part in their spiritual birth. If the believer was expected to do anything at all in order to experience a second birth, then that birth, or salvation, would not be the gift that God said it is (Romans 5:15-18, Ephesians 2:8-9). In that case, salvation would be by works, because grace and works do not mix.
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Take another look at what the apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 3:2:
“I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”
Paul wrote that up until this point, he had only fed the believers at Corinth milk, because they could not handle meat. What was this “milk” referring to?
1st Corinthians 2:2: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is His death, burial, and resurrection (1st Corinthians 15:1-4), was the main focus of Paul when he first taught the Corinthians. This is what the milk represents. A baby can drink milk, but a baby cannot handle eating meat. A newborn Christian can drink the milk, the Gospel of Christ, but the newborn Christian cannot handle the meat, the “turn from your sins” and “surrender your life to Christ.” Lordship Salvation is mentally handicapped in this area, because it does not know how to properly feed a baby.
In summation, what have we learned here? Carnal Christians do indeed exist. Paul used the terms “carnal” and “babes in Christ,” and they were chosen well. Carnal Christians are those believers who live like they are not saved. They are also known as babes in Christ, those believers who have not yet grown. We have learned that Lordship Salvation ignores these teachings in order to continue its wicked quest to corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lordship Salvation expects a baby to do the things an adult can do. Lordship Salvation bullies the lost person who wants to be saved, telling that person that he must skip childhood and go straight to adulthood if he hopes to receive salvation. If that were true, no one could be saved, because it is impossible to be born fully grown. Fortunately, God is not stupid, and He does not believe in Lordship Salvation. God knows that expecting a baby to be a full-grown adult is an absurd idea, and forcing such nonsense on a person desiring to be saved would be nothing more than a cruel joke being played by God. Good news! God is not a jokester! In fact, instead of God making salvation impossible, He made it extremely simple!
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
It’s a good thing God does not think like a Lordship Salvationist. If He did, no one could ever be saved! God saves the person who believes on His Son, Jesus Christ! And if that person never grows out of their infant stage, they are still saved, because they have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, God’s mark of approval!
Ephesians 1:13-14: “In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
“There is no such thing as carnal Christians.”
Oh really, O’Reilly? Where do you think that term came from? Was it something I pulled out of my imagination? No. Let me show you where the idea of “carnal” Christianity came from.
1st Corinthians 3:1-3: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
The apostle Paul was addressing the believers at the church of Corinth. Paul used the word “carnal” to describe these Christians. To say these Christians were carnal was to say they were worldly, or fleshly. They were not living the way that believers in Jesus Christ should be living. They were still serving the flesh, or their human nature, instead of tending to spiritual things, or the things of God. Nevertheless, these people were indeed saved, as Paul referred to them as “brethren.” Paul considered these believers to be brothers in Christ, since true believers are all members of God’s family.
John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
Believers in Jesus Christ are brothers and sisters in the family of God, and that is why God is called the “Father” of those who have been saved.
1st John 1:3: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Paul referred to the believers in Corinth as “brethren” because they were saved. Do you want more proof?
1st Corinthians 1:1-2: “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now that we have established the eternal security of the believers at Corinth, we can take another look at 1st Corinthians 3:1-3. Notice the phrase “babes in Christ.” This is a concept which Lordship Salvation firmly rejects. And yet, Jesus Christ Himself compared getting saved to having a second birth.
John 3:3: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
What comes from a birth? A baby. The first time a person is born, they are a baby human being. The moment that person believes on Jesus Christ, that person experiences a second birth. Once again, what comes from a birth? A baby. The new believer on Jesus Christ is now a baby Christian. That person can grow into a mature Christian, or that person can ignore the things of God and remain in an infant state. Perhaps there will be rapid growth. Perhaps there will be slow growth, or no growth at all. But let me ask you a question: If a baby does not grow, does it mean that there was never a birth? No! Once a baby has been birthed into existence, it is there, and it is real! Now if a baby Christian does not grow, they will have the “faith without works” mentioned in James 2. (Please read my article “What About These Verses?” for much more on James 2.)
Verse 17: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
Verse 26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
A body without the spirit is dead, and a faith without works is dead. The body still exists, and so does the faith. Likewise, a baby without growth still exists as well. In fact, what James taught is exactly what Paul taught, only worded differently. If a person has faith, but no works, that person will receive no rewards. If a baby Christian does not grow, they will have stunted growth and receive no rewards. These two writers presented the exact same truth.
Now, here is where Lordship Salvation rears its ugly head and does what it does best: Teach false doctrine. Lordship Salvation has ridiculously high expectations, demanding that a brand new believer in Jesus Christ be fully grown. Lordship Salvation forces the unsaved person to “repent of sin” and “surrender to Christ” before that person can be saved. Have you ever tried to turn from all of your sins? Have you ever tried to surrender your life in a way so that you will only do what God wants you to do? It takes some serious effort to attempt those things, and more importantly, it requires the help of God Himself. So how can a person, who is not even saved yet, be expected to do those things on his own? Remember, Lordship Salvation teaches that God will not receive you until you have made those commitments. So what happened to the “baby” stage of a believer’s life?
Folks, let me ask you a few more questions: Would you expect a baby to change the oil on a car? Would you expect a baby to cook a meal? Would you even expect a newborn baby to do something as simple as walk or talk? I sincerely hope you answered “no” to these questions. If you did not, you must be a Lordship Salvationist, who is simply someone that was born with too much pride instead of common sense.
Did you know that a Christian, no matter what level of maturity they have reached, is still a sinner?
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
And yet, believe it or not, I have witnessed the testimony of Lordship Salvationists who claim to have turned from their sins. Folks, that is pride talking, pure and simple. No one has stopped sinning, or even stopped enough of their sinning in order to earn God’s favor. And no one has made Jesus the “Lord of their life” either. If they had, they would not be bragging about their works, which is a dead giveaway of their sinful pride.
Lordship Salvation expects a newborn believer in Jesus Christ to be a fully grown adult Christian. How can someone be born an adult? They can’t! How can a new believer on Christ know all of their sins? They can’t! They haven’t even read a Bible yet! For a new believer to grow, they will have to read the Bible and pray. Hopefully, they can also find some good teachers to learn from, though that is becoming quite difficult since modern “Christianity” is filling up with grace-hating, Gospel-corrupting, Lordship Salvationist heretics. Growth is a process. It does not happen instantaneously. I have written before about how Lordship Salvation attempts to steal a believer’s eternal security. Now here is another thing Lordship Salvation does: It denies childhood. And folks, there is no way for a baby to reach adulthood without going through childhood!
Lordship Salvation tells the unsaved person that he must commit to living a consecrated and holy life before he can have his second birth into God’s family. That is basically the same thing as telling an unborn baby that he must commit to being a doctor, or else he cannot be born. A baby plays no part in its physical birth. Likewise, a believer plays no part in their spiritual birth. If the believer was expected to do anything at all in order to experience a second birth, then that birth, or salvation, would not be the gift that God said it is (Romans 5:15-18, Ephesians 2:8-9). In that case, salvation would be by works, because grace and works do not mix.
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Take another look at what the apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 3:2:
“I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”
Paul wrote that up until this point, he had only fed the believers at Corinth milk, because they could not handle meat. What was this “milk” referring to?
1st Corinthians 2:2: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is His death, burial, and resurrection (1st Corinthians 15:1-4), was the main focus of Paul when he first taught the Corinthians. This is what the milk represents. A baby can drink milk, but a baby cannot handle eating meat. A newborn Christian can drink the milk, the Gospel of Christ, but the newborn Christian cannot handle the meat, the “turn from your sins” and “surrender your life to Christ.” Lordship Salvation is mentally handicapped in this area, because it does not know how to properly feed a baby.
In summation, what have we learned here? Carnal Christians do indeed exist. Paul used the terms “carnal” and “babes in Christ,” and they were chosen well. Carnal Christians are those believers who live like they are not saved. They are also known as babes in Christ, those believers who have not yet grown. We have learned that Lordship Salvation ignores these teachings in order to continue its wicked quest to corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lordship Salvation expects a baby to do the things an adult can do. Lordship Salvation bullies the lost person who wants to be saved, telling that person that he must skip childhood and go straight to adulthood if he hopes to receive salvation. If that were true, no one could be saved, because it is impossible to be born fully grown. Fortunately, God is not stupid, and He does not believe in Lordship Salvation. God knows that expecting a baby to be a full-grown adult is an absurd idea, and forcing such nonsense on a person desiring to be saved would be nothing more than a cruel joke being played by God. Good news! God is not a jokester! In fact, instead of God making salvation impossible, He made it extremely simple!
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
It’s a good thing God does not think like a Lordship Salvationist. If He did, no one could ever be saved! God saves the person who believes on His Son, Jesus Christ! And if that person never grows out of their infant stage, they are still saved, because they have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, God’s mark of approval!
Ephesians 1:13-14: “In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
The Two Deaths
I once saw a sticker on the front door of a house which said the following:
“When you are tempted to sin, think about Hell”
I ask you sincerely, what good is a sign like that going to do? Why in the world would someone find the need to share a message like that? From a simple reading of that message, it would appear that all a person needs to do to stay out of Hell is to not sin. Folks, that is not the message that the world needs to hear. The world needs to hear that they are all sinners and that no amount of self-righteousness will ever save their sorry souls. The only way a person will avoid going to Hell is if they have believed on Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Now I understand that the person who placed this sign on their door is probably sincere. Maybe this person thinks that their sign is justified because of a verse like Romans 6:23.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The person who placed that sign on their door saw the preceding verse and decided to warn others that sin brings death. Did it ever occur to you that everyone dies? Even people who have been saved die. Death came about because of sin.
Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Sin entered the world thanks to Adam’s disobedience, and then death entered the world thanks to sin. Sin is so wicked to God, that sin must be punished by death.
James 1:15: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
Now here’s where we must make a distinction. There are two deaths. The first death is physical death. We all face this first death. Again, it started because of sin, and because all have sinned, we all must die. There is no avoiding it. However, there is a second death.
Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Hell is the eternal destination for everyone who does not believe on Jesus Christ. Everyone has sinned and will die a physical death, the first death. The good news is that Hell, the second death, can be easily avoided.
1st John 2:2: “And he (Jesus) is the propitiation (sacrifice) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus Christ died to pay for the sins of the whole world. You see? Even Jesus died the first death. Jesus is not in Hell today, and He will take anyone to Heaven who has simply believed on Him. Anyone who has placed their faith on Jesus Christ alone, not trusting in their own good works, turning from sin, feeling godly sorrow for sin, church attendance, baptism, or magical fairy dust brought by way of unicorn.
Acts 13:38-39: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” – Jesus
In conclusion, there is no point in telling anyone the following:
“When you are tempted to sin, think about Hell”
The unsaved person needs to hear about Jesus Christ and what He has done for the sinner. The person who has already believed on Jesus Christ needs to be reminded to avoid sin, not because he is in danger of Hell, but for other reasons. For the believer, sin results in loss of fellowship with God the Father (1st John 1:6), loss of rewards in Heaven (1st Corinthians 3:10-15), and loss of a testimony which could lead others to belief on Jesus (1st Corinthians 15:34). The message posted on that door is helping neither the unsaved person nor the saved person.
Only a hypocrite would share a message as ludicrous as the one in bold above. That person would have to believe that they themselves had stopped sinning, and that is pure nonsense.
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Before I end this article, I would like to wrap up a loose end that could potentially be jumped on by Lordship Salvationists. Take another look at the following verse:
Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Lordship Salvationists will be quick to say “See?! Sinners cannot be saved!” It’s the same old song and dance. Take a look at the following passage of Scripture:
1st Corinthians 6:9-11: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Notice that the apostle Paul did not say the following:
“Some of you did these things, but you turned from your sins.”
No. Paul said that these believers were washed, sanctified, and justified because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus is what saves a person’s soul.
Revelation 1:5: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
1st Corinthians 1:30: “But of him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”
Romans 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
The preceding verses focus on what God has done for those who have believed on Jesus Christ. These changes were made “in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” None of us will ever turn from enough sin in order to merit a ticket to Heaven. God washes, sanctifies, and justifies each and every person who believes on Jesus Christ, and that is how salvation is made possible to be the free gift that it is.
Romans 5:18: “Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
“When you are tempted to sin, think about Hell”
I ask you sincerely, what good is a sign like that going to do? Why in the world would someone find the need to share a message like that? From a simple reading of that message, it would appear that all a person needs to do to stay out of Hell is to not sin. Folks, that is not the message that the world needs to hear. The world needs to hear that they are all sinners and that no amount of self-righteousness will ever save their sorry souls. The only way a person will avoid going to Hell is if they have believed on Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Now I understand that the person who placed this sign on their door is probably sincere. Maybe this person thinks that their sign is justified because of a verse like Romans 6:23.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The person who placed that sign on their door saw the preceding verse and decided to warn others that sin brings death. Did it ever occur to you that everyone dies? Even people who have been saved die. Death came about because of sin.
Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Sin entered the world thanks to Adam’s disobedience, and then death entered the world thanks to sin. Sin is so wicked to God, that sin must be punished by death.
James 1:15: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
Now here’s where we must make a distinction. There are two deaths. The first death is physical death. We all face this first death. Again, it started because of sin, and because all have sinned, we all must die. There is no avoiding it. However, there is a second death.
Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Hell is the eternal destination for everyone who does not believe on Jesus Christ. Everyone has sinned and will die a physical death, the first death. The good news is that Hell, the second death, can be easily avoided.
1st John 2:2: “And he (Jesus) is the propitiation (sacrifice) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Jesus Christ died to pay for the sins of the whole world. You see? Even Jesus died the first death. Jesus is not in Hell today, and He will take anyone to Heaven who has simply believed on Him. Anyone who has placed their faith on Jesus Christ alone, not trusting in their own good works, turning from sin, feeling godly sorrow for sin, church attendance, baptism, or magical fairy dust brought by way of unicorn.
Acts 13:38-39: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” – Jesus
In conclusion, there is no point in telling anyone the following:
“When you are tempted to sin, think about Hell”
The unsaved person needs to hear about Jesus Christ and what He has done for the sinner. The person who has already believed on Jesus Christ needs to be reminded to avoid sin, not because he is in danger of Hell, but for other reasons. For the believer, sin results in loss of fellowship with God the Father (1st John 1:6), loss of rewards in Heaven (1st Corinthians 3:10-15), and loss of a testimony which could lead others to belief on Jesus (1st Corinthians 15:34). The message posted on that door is helping neither the unsaved person nor the saved person.
Only a hypocrite would share a message as ludicrous as the one in bold above. That person would have to believe that they themselves had stopped sinning, and that is pure nonsense.
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Before I end this article, I would like to wrap up a loose end that could potentially be jumped on by Lordship Salvationists. Take another look at the following verse:
Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Lordship Salvationists will be quick to say “See?! Sinners cannot be saved!” It’s the same old song and dance. Take a look at the following passage of Scripture:
1st Corinthians 6:9-11: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Notice that the apostle Paul did not say the following:
“Some of you did these things, but you turned from your sins.”
No. Paul said that these believers were washed, sanctified, and justified because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus is what saves a person’s soul.
Revelation 1:5: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
1st Corinthians 1:30: “But of him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”
Romans 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
The preceding verses focus on what God has done for those who have believed on Jesus Christ. These changes were made “in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” None of us will ever turn from enough sin in order to merit a ticket to Heaven. God washes, sanctifies, and justifies each and every person who believes on Jesus Christ, and that is how salvation is made possible to be the free gift that it is.
Romans 5:18: “Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
God’s Power Vs. Man’s Wisdom
1st Corinthians 2:1-5: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
Eternal salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Eternal salvation is given freely to anyone who simply believes on Jesus Christ (John 6:47). To believe in someone is the same thing as to have faith in that person. The Bible has a lot to say about faith. Rightfully so, since faith is what saves the soul from spending an eternity in Hell. But while it’s true that faith is what saves, it is where you place your faith that makes or breaks the deal. According to the passage of Scripture above, you should make sure that your faith has been placed in “the power of God”, and not in “the wisdom of men”. The Bible uses the phrase “the power of God” to refer to what it is that must be believed in. Faith must “stand” in this power, meaning it must abide there. But what exactly is this power? Let’s allow the Bible itself to answer that question.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
1st Corinthians 1:18: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
According to the Bible, “the power of God” is “the gospel”, also known as “the preaching of the cross”. The Gospel is defined in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
The Gospel is the message that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. The Gospel is the power of God. The Gospel is the preaching of the cross. The Gospel is what a person must believe in order to be saved. Any changes made to the Gospel render it useless.
2nd Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Faith in the Gospel, which is ultimately the same thing as faith in Jesus Christ, is what saves. You got a problem with that? Take it up with God. I’m just the messenger. The Gospel is the power of God.
1st Corinthians 4:15: “For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
Galatians 1:11-12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Don’t mess with the Gospel. It was not created by man, and man has no business tampering with it. The Gospel is good news meant to be believed. The Gospel is the power of God. The Gospel is what you need to put your faith into.
Galatians 3:22: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Do you see how important faith is? Did you know that the Bible warns of the day when faith will be abandoned by some people?
1st Timothy 4:1-2: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
For some people, faith in Jesus Christ just isn’t good enough. They have instead subscribed to “doctrines of devils”. They speak “lies in hypocrisy”. According to thefreedictionary.com, hypocrisy can be defined as “the condition of a person pretending to be something he is not, especially in the area of morals or religion; a false presentation of belief or feeling.”
Who has departed from the faith? Who has given in to doctrines of devils? Who speaks lies in hypocrisy? Let’s talk about Lordship Salvationists. The “Christian” community and the Internet are loaded with Lordship Salvation nonsense. Here is a quote from transfired.org:
“People do not understand that to tell a sinner merely to believe in Jesus without repenting of their sins is sure to result in a false conversion.”
Do you remember the Gospel? The Gospel was the message that Jesus died for sinners, was buried, and rose again. Belief on Jesus, by way of the Gospel, is what saves the soul. Unfortunately, there are many false teachers out there who are corrupting the Gospel by preaching their own, man-made doctrines, which are in reality doctrines of devils. Lordship Salvationists say that you must “turn from all your sins” to be saved. Anyone who teaches such an idea is “speaking lies in hypocrisy”. Why is it a lie? Because the Bible defines the Gospel one way, while Lordship Salvationists define it another way by adding to it. Where does the Bible ever mention “turning from sin” as a part of the Gospel? It never does. Lordship Salvationists are liars who pervert the Gospel, and they do so in hypocrisy. Why is it hypocrisy? I will show you. Here is a quote from a Lordship Salvationist taken from youtube:
“I no longer continue to sin. And if I sin again some day, I will hopefully confess and seek forgiveness and be restored to a right relationship with Christ. If I were continually sinning, it would indicate I was not born again.”
This prideful way of thinking comes from false teachers like Ray Comfort.
“Do you see God’s great love for you? Do you see your need for His forgiveness? Do what He commands and “Repent…that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) You must turn away from sin and turn to God. Desire to have NOTHING to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save you. Jesus died to set you free, and then he rose from death to be your Lord. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If you will confess and forsake your sins (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will forgive you and you’ll pass from death to life.” – livingwaters.com, website of Ray Comfort
People that teach Lordship Salvation are doing so in a state of hypocrisy because they are pretending to be something that they are not. They are pretending to be sinless, and they are claiming that they have no desire to sin. They have forgotten verses like the following:
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Romans 7:20: “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
Romans 7:25: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Lordship Salvationists are hypocrites. They are not above sin, as they would have you to believe. Lordship Salvationists have departed the faith, given in to a doctrine of devils, and speak lies in hypocrisy.
According to the Bible, the Gospel is believed on in order to receive the free gift of salvation. Meanwhile, Lordship Salvation teaches that you must “turn from all your sins” and believe. Where does a false teaching like this come from? It came from the wisdom of man. Take another look at 1st Corinthians 2:5:
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
What does God think of man’s wisdom?
1st Corinthians 1:20: “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
1st Corinthians 3:19: “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”
Man’s wisdom is foolishness. Do you want to know how foolish? Tell me this: Who would be foolish enough to teach a different plan for eternal salvation than the one that Jesus Christ Himself authored?
Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Remember these next verses?
Galatians 1:11-12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Where are you going to place your confidence? Where are you going to place your trust? Where are you going to place your faith? Will you put your faith in the wisdom of men? The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. Will you put your faith in the Gospel? The Gospel is the power of God.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Eternal salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Eternal salvation is given freely to anyone who simply believes on Jesus Christ (John 6:47). To believe in someone is the same thing as to have faith in that person. The Bible has a lot to say about faith. Rightfully so, since faith is what saves the soul from spending an eternity in Hell. But while it’s true that faith is what saves, it is where you place your faith that makes or breaks the deal. According to the passage of Scripture above, you should make sure that your faith has been placed in “the power of God”, and not in “the wisdom of men”. The Bible uses the phrase “the power of God” to refer to what it is that must be believed in. Faith must “stand” in this power, meaning it must abide there. But what exactly is this power? Let’s allow the Bible itself to answer that question.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
1st Corinthians 1:18: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
According to the Bible, “the power of God” is “the gospel”, also known as “the preaching of the cross”. The Gospel is defined in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
The Gospel is the message that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. The Gospel is the power of God. The Gospel is the preaching of the cross. The Gospel is what a person must believe in order to be saved. Any changes made to the Gospel render it useless.
2nd Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Faith in the Gospel, which is ultimately the same thing as faith in Jesus Christ, is what saves. You got a problem with that? Take it up with God. I’m just the messenger. The Gospel is the power of God.
1st Corinthians 4:15: “For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
Galatians 1:11-12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Don’t mess with the Gospel. It was not created by man, and man has no business tampering with it. The Gospel is good news meant to be believed. The Gospel is the power of God. The Gospel is what you need to put your faith into.
Galatians 3:22: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Do you see how important faith is? Did you know that the Bible warns of the day when faith will be abandoned by some people?
1st Timothy 4:1-2: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
For some people, faith in Jesus Christ just isn’t good enough. They have instead subscribed to “doctrines of devils”. They speak “lies in hypocrisy”. According to thefreedictionary.com, hypocrisy can be defined as “the condition of a person pretending to be something he is not, especially in the area of morals or religion; a false presentation of belief or feeling.”
Who has departed from the faith? Who has given in to doctrines of devils? Who speaks lies in hypocrisy? Let’s talk about Lordship Salvationists. The “Christian” community and the Internet are loaded with Lordship Salvation nonsense. Here is a quote from transfired.org:
“People do not understand that to tell a sinner merely to believe in Jesus without repenting of their sins is sure to result in a false conversion.”
Do you remember the Gospel? The Gospel was the message that Jesus died for sinners, was buried, and rose again. Belief on Jesus, by way of the Gospel, is what saves the soul. Unfortunately, there are many false teachers out there who are corrupting the Gospel by preaching their own, man-made doctrines, which are in reality doctrines of devils. Lordship Salvationists say that you must “turn from all your sins” to be saved. Anyone who teaches such an idea is “speaking lies in hypocrisy”. Why is it a lie? Because the Bible defines the Gospel one way, while Lordship Salvationists define it another way by adding to it. Where does the Bible ever mention “turning from sin” as a part of the Gospel? It never does. Lordship Salvationists are liars who pervert the Gospel, and they do so in hypocrisy. Why is it hypocrisy? I will show you. Here is a quote from a Lordship Salvationist taken from youtube:
“I no longer continue to sin. And if I sin again some day, I will hopefully confess and seek forgiveness and be restored to a right relationship with Christ. If I were continually sinning, it would indicate I was not born again.”
This prideful way of thinking comes from false teachers like Ray Comfort.
“Do you see God’s great love for you? Do you see your need for His forgiveness? Do what He commands and “Repent…that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) You must turn away from sin and turn to God. Desire to have NOTHING to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save you. Jesus died to set you free, and then he rose from death to be your Lord. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If you will confess and forsake your sins (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will forgive you and you’ll pass from death to life.” – livingwaters.com, website of Ray Comfort
People that teach Lordship Salvation are doing so in a state of hypocrisy because they are pretending to be something that they are not. They are pretending to be sinless, and they are claiming that they have no desire to sin. They have forgotten verses like the following:
1st John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Romans 7:20: “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
Romans 7:25: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Lordship Salvationists are hypocrites. They are not above sin, as they would have you to believe. Lordship Salvationists have departed the faith, given in to a doctrine of devils, and speak lies in hypocrisy.
According to the Bible, the Gospel is believed on in order to receive the free gift of salvation. Meanwhile, Lordship Salvation teaches that you must “turn from all your sins” and believe. Where does a false teaching like this come from? It came from the wisdom of man. Take another look at 1st Corinthians 2:5:
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
What does God think of man’s wisdom?
1st Corinthians 1:20: “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
1st Corinthians 3:19: “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”
Man’s wisdom is foolishness. Do you want to know how foolish? Tell me this: Who would be foolish enough to teach a different plan for eternal salvation than the one that Jesus Christ Himself authored?
Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Remember these next verses?
Galatians 1:11-12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Where are you going to place your confidence? Where are you going to place your trust? Where are you going to place your faith? Will you put your faith in the wisdom of men? The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. Will you put your faith in the Gospel? The Gospel is the power of God.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Wages Vs. Gifts
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This well-known verse from the Bible says that the wages, or the payment, of sin is death, while the gift of God is eternal life that is available through Jesus Christ. Wages are a thing known to anyone who has ever had a job. You go to work, you perform your job, and a week or two later, you receive wages for the work you have done. Wages are not wages unless they have been worked for. You do not receive wages for doing nothing. If someone pays you or gives you something, and you have done nothing to earn what you have received, then you are the owner of a gift. Would you go to work everyday and perform a job if you were receiving no wages? I hope your answer was no. Would an employer pay you if you were not coming to work and performing a job? Definitely not. Wages, or payment, is only given in return for something done.
Did you know that everyone is a sinner?
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
The wages, or payment, for sin is death. Everyone has sinned, and everyone will die.
Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
If you have a job, you receive wages for your work. If you are a sinner, you receive wages for your sin. Everyone is a sinner, and the wages of sin is death, so that means that everyone will die.
Now, are you ready for some good news for a change? God has a gift for you. The Bible is very specific with its wording in Romans 6:23. We are told that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Do you understand what this means? It means that eternal life is a gift that we cannot earn. There is nothing that we do to earn salvation. If we were required to do anything at all, the gift would no longer be a gift. Salvation is by the grace, or mercy, of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
God’s grace ceases to be grace the moment that works are necessary for salvation. A gift is given in return for nothing. Wages are given in return for something that was performed.
There are people out there who say that you must “turn from your sins” and/or “feel godly sorrow for your sins” before you can be saved. Have you ever tried to do these things? Folks, like it or not, these things take work. They do not come easily. Try to quit all of your sins. Go ahead. You try it and tell me it’s not work. Now I know what some will say. “Turning from sins is not a work!” Ok, let’s see what the Bible has to say about that.
Jonah 1:2: “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
Jonah was told to go to this city and tell its people that their city would be “overthrown” in forty days because of “their wickedness”. The people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s message and believed God, and the people quickly changed their ways. Because of this, God changed His mind and spared the city of the coming punishment.
Jonah 3:9-10: “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
Lordship Salvationists are wrong when they say that “turning from sin” is not works. The problem with the people of Nineveh was their “wickedness”, or their sinfulness. When the people of Nineveh turned from their wickedness, the Bible says that “God saw their works”.
Turning from sin is work. Work results in wages. Salvation is not of works. Therefore, salvation is a gift. Can this get any clearer? If you must “turn from your sins” in order to receive eternal salvation, then you are doing work, and salvation is not a gift. If you must “feel godly sorrow for your sins” in order to receive eternal salvation, then you are doing work, and salvation is not a gift. Anything that is required other than simple belief on Jesus Christ demands effort, or work, from the person seeking eternal salvation.
Let’s say you buy a gift for your nephew. You take the gift to him and you say “I have a gift for you. If you want this gift, then you will have to walk backwards ten paces.” What a ridiculous thing to ask. Nevertheless, the point is this: If the child complies and walks backwards ten paces, and you give him the gift, then the gift was not free. There was something that the child had to do before he could receive the gift. That means that the gift was no longer a gift. A gift is something given to someone who has done nothing to earn it.
Now, imagine that you have a gift for your nephew, who has been acting badly and does not deserve any gifts. You go to him, with the gift in your possession, and you have a small talk with him. You start by asking him a question.
“You know that you have been bad, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You know that you don’t deserve a gift, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Ok then. Do you believe that I still have a gift for you anyways?”
The previous illustration was a picture of what God does. He has a gift for you, but you don’t deserve it. In order to receive this gift, God does not ask you to do anything other than believe on His Son, Jesus Christ. Eternal salvation is the gift. Jesus Christ paid the price for your sins by His death on the cross. If you believe on Him, then God will give you the gift of eternal salvation. Just like the bad nephew in the illustration, you have been bad by breaking God’s laws. You are a sinner, and you must understand that. It is crucial for you to understand that you are guilty, and that there is nothing you can do to earn God’s forgiveness.
Galatians 3:22-24: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law (the Ten Commandments), shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The promise of eternal salvation does not come by “turning from your sins” or “feeling sorrow for your sins.” If that was how salvation was received, then salvation would be wages. Since salvation is not of works, you cannot earn it. If you cannot earn salvation, the only way for it to be received is by way of a gift. That is why salvation is by “faith of Jesus Christ”.
Believing on Jesus Christ results in eternal salvation. Some will say “But wait. Doesn’t believing take effort? If you must have faith, then that is a work.” That is not true. Genuine faith in Jesus Christ goes something like this: I am a sinner, and I deserve to go to Hell. I know that I cannot save myself. I know that nothing I do could ever earn God’s favor. I believe in Jesus Christ, because He alone can save me. I will do nothing at all to try to earn my salvation. I will place my faith completely on Jesus Christ.
Genuine faith in Jesus Christ actually results in a lack of effort. True faith will cause a person to do absolutely nothing at all to save himself, because he realizes that salvation cannot be earned. Genuine faith would be like the bad nephew from the earlier illustration reaching out to accept the gift. The gift is available. All you have to do is believe it is there, reach out, and claim it as your own. You don’t have to work for a gift, but you do have to accept it. Believing on Jesus Christ is the equivalent of reaching out to God to accept the gift of eternal salvation.
Let’s take another look at the verse which inspired this teaching.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Bible makes a clear distinction between wages and gifts in the preceding verse. A gift, by definition, is something given without receiving anything in return. Therefore, a gift must be free, or it is no longer a gift. Simple enough, right? Just to be on the safe side, God decided to make the point even clearer.
Romans 5:15-18: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
In the space of just four verses of Scripture, the Bible refers to eternal salvation as a gift six times. If that’s not enough, three of those times the Bible steps it up and calls eternal salvation “the free gift”. A gift is free already, but God felt that it just wasn’t good enough to call eternal salvation a mere “gift.” At the risk of redundancy, God called salvation “the free gift”. Folks, it doesn’t get any more free than that.
Lordship Salvation goes against God’s plan and makes you work for eternal life. Unfortunately, you will never be able to do enough work to earn it.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
God offers you eternal life as a free gift. You can reject God’s free gift and insist on earning eternal life as wages instead, but why would you want to do that? It cannot be done, remember? Rejection of God’s free gift is nothing more than a slap in God’s face. The only reason people would turn down the free gift of God in order to work for the prize instead is because they are too prideful. They don’t want something given to them for free, because if it was free, then they could never brag about how they earned it. God hates pride, and this was one of the reasons why He made eternal salvation a free gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 3:24-27: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (sacrifice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”
Don’t be prideful and try to work for your salvation. Salvation is not given out as wages. Salvation is only given out as a gift. To accept this gift, simply believe on Jesus Christ.
This well-known verse from the Bible says that the wages, or the payment, of sin is death, while the gift of God is eternal life that is available through Jesus Christ. Wages are a thing known to anyone who has ever had a job. You go to work, you perform your job, and a week or two later, you receive wages for the work you have done. Wages are not wages unless they have been worked for. You do not receive wages for doing nothing. If someone pays you or gives you something, and you have done nothing to earn what you have received, then you are the owner of a gift. Would you go to work everyday and perform a job if you were receiving no wages? I hope your answer was no. Would an employer pay you if you were not coming to work and performing a job? Definitely not. Wages, or payment, is only given in return for something done.
Did you know that everyone is a sinner?
Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
The wages, or payment, for sin is death. Everyone has sinned, and everyone will die.
Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
If you have a job, you receive wages for your work. If you are a sinner, you receive wages for your sin. Everyone is a sinner, and the wages of sin is death, so that means that everyone will die.
Now, are you ready for some good news for a change? God has a gift for you. The Bible is very specific with its wording in Romans 6:23. We are told that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Do you understand what this means? It means that eternal life is a gift that we cannot earn. There is nothing that we do to earn salvation. If we were required to do anything at all, the gift would no longer be a gift. Salvation is by the grace, or mercy, of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
God’s grace ceases to be grace the moment that works are necessary for salvation. A gift is given in return for nothing. Wages are given in return for something that was performed.
There are people out there who say that you must “turn from your sins” and/or “feel godly sorrow for your sins” before you can be saved. Have you ever tried to do these things? Folks, like it or not, these things take work. They do not come easily. Try to quit all of your sins. Go ahead. You try it and tell me it’s not work. Now I know what some will say. “Turning from sins is not a work!” Ok, let’s see what the Bible has to say about that.
Jonah 1:2: “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
Jonah was told to go to this city and tell its people that their city would be “overthrown” in forty days because of “their wickedness”. The people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s message and believed God, and the people quickly changed their ways. Because of this, God changed His mind and spared the city of the coming punishment.
Jonah 3:9-10: “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
Lordship Salvationists are wrong when they say that “turning from sin” is not works. The problem with the people of Nineveh was their “wickedness”, or their sinfulness. When the people of Nineveh turned from their wickedness, the Bible says that “God saw their works”.
Turning from sin is work. Work results in wages. Salvation is not of works. Therefore, salvation is a gift. Can this get any clearer? If you must “turn from your sins” in order to receive eternal salvation, then you are doing work, and salvation is not a gift. If you must “feel godly sorrow for your sins” in order to receive eternal salvation, then you are doing work, and salvation is not a gift. Anything that is required other than simple belief on Jesus Christ demands effort, or work, from the person seeking eternal salvation.
Let’s say you buy a gift for your nephew. You take the gift to him and you say “I have a gift for you. If you want this gift, then you will have to walk backwards ten paces.” What a ridiculous thing to ask. Nevertheless, the point is this: If the child complies and walks backwards ten paces, and you give him the gift, then the gift was not free. There was something that the child had to do before he could receive the gift. That means that the gift was no longer a gift. A gift is something given to someone who has done nothing to earn it.
Now, imagine that you have a gift for your nephew, who has been acting badly and does not deserve any gifts. You go to him, with the gift in your possession, and you have a small talk with him. You start by asking him a question.
“You know that you have been bad, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You know that you don’t deserve a gift, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Ok then. Do you believe that I still have a gift for you anyways?”
The previous illustration was a picture of what God does. He has a gift for you, but you don’t deserve it. In order to receive this gift, God does not ask you to do anything other than believe on His Son, Jesus Christ. Eternal salvation is the gift. Jesus Christ paid the price for your sins by His death on the cross. If you believe on Him, then God will give you the gift of eternal salvation. Just like the bad nephew in the illustration, you have been bad by breaking God’s laws. You are a sinner, and you must understand that. It is crucial for you to understand that you are guilty, and that there is nothing you can do to earn God’s forgiveness.
Galatians 3:22-24: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law (the Ten Commandments), shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The promise of eternal salvation does not come by “turning from your sins” or “feeling sorrow for your sins.” If that was how salvation was received, then salvation would be wages. Since salvation is not of works, you cannot earn it. If you cannot earn salvation, the only way for it to be received is by way of a gift. That is why salvation is by “faith of Jesus Christ”.
Believing on Jesus Christ results in eternal salvation. Some will say “But wait. Doesn’t believing take effort? If you must have faith, then that is a work.” That is not true. Genuine faith in Jesus Christ goes something like this: I am a sinner, and I deserve to go to Hell. I know that I cannot save myself. I know that nothing I do could ever earn God’s favor. I believe in Jesus Christ, because He alone can save me. I will do nothing at all to try to earn my salvation. I will place my faith completely on Jesus Christ.
Genuine faith in Jesus Christ actually results in a lack of effort. True faith will cause a person to do absolutely nothing at all to save himself, because he realizes that salvation cannot be earned. Genuine faith would be like the bad nephew from the earlier illustration reaching out to accept the gift. The gift is available. All you have to do is believe it is there, reach out, and claim it as your own. You don’t have to work for a gift, but you do have to accept it. Believing on Jesus Christ is the equivalent of reaching out to God to accept the gift of eternal salvation.
Let’s take another look at the verse which inspired this teaching.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Bible makes a clear distinction between wages and gifts in the preceding verse. A gift, by definition, is something given without receiving anything in return. Therefore, a gift must be free, or it is no longer a gift. Simple enough, right? Just to be on the safe side, God decided to make the point even clearer.
Romans 5:15-18: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
In the space of just four verses of Scripture, the Bible refers to eternal salvation as a gift six times. If that’s not enough, three of those times the Bible steps it up and calls eternal salvation “the free gift”. A gift is free already, but God felt that it just wasn’t good enough to call eternal salvation a mere “gift.” At the risk of redundancy, God called salvation “the free gift”. Folks, it doesn’t get any more free than that.
Lordship Salvation goes against God’s plan and makes you work for eternal life. Unfortunately, you will never be able to do enough work to earn it.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
God offers you eternal life as a free gift. You can reject God’s free gift and insist on earning eternal life as wages instead, but why would you want to do that? It cannot be done, remember? Rejection of God’s free gift is nothing more than a slap in God’s face. The only reason people would turn down the free gift of God in order to work for the prize instead is because they are too prideful. They don’t want something given to them for free, because if it was free, then they could never brag about how they earned it. God hates pride, and this was one of the reasons why He made eternal salvation a free gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 3:24-27: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (sacrifice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”
Don’t be prideful and try to work for your salvation. Salvation is not given out as wages. Salvation is only given out as a gift. To accept this gift, simply believe on Jesus Christ.
You Need His Righteousness
“Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny.” – John MacArthur in his book, Hard to Believe
“Although no one can be saved by works…true repentance and true faith always accompany a change of life producing good works that bear witness to the authenticity of that repentance and faith.” - gccsatx.com, website of Tim Conway
The preceding quotes were from two enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. Lordship Salvationists do not believe that faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient enough to save a person’s soul. They claim that a life of obedience to God is also necessary, a life that is void of sin. Typically, to support this erroneous teaching, Lordship Salvationists will wrongly define the word “repentance” and say that you must “turn from your sins” to be saved. So before you can be saved, you must stop sinning and make a commitment to serve Jesus for the rest of your life.
Meanwhile, other Lordship Salvationists attempt to be sneaky and place these unnecessary requirements a bit later in the process. They will say something like this: “You don’t have to stop sinning to be saved, but if you haven’t turned from your sins after getting saved, then you were never really saved. If you are not living a life of obedience to God, then you were never really saved.” That type of statement is nothing more than a deceitful way of making you put your confidence in your own works or lifestyle in order to be sure that you are saved. Instead of believing in Jesus Christ alone for assurance of your salvation, you will look to your own life for that assurance. If you feel that you have risen above sin, you will believe that you are saved. If you feel that sin is present in your life, you will believe that you are not saved. Is it wise to place confidence in your own life and deeds?
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Christians should rejoice in Jesus alone. It is ridiculous to place any faith in our own abilities.
Romans 7:18: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
Now I know that some people will say “God gives repentance. The Holy Spirit helps you to turn from your sins once you are saved.” First of all, these people do not correctly define “repentance.” Secondly, while it is true that the Holy Spirit lives inside a believer, that same believer has the choice to live in the Spirit or the flesh (human nature).
Once you have believed on Jesus Christ, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
That does not mean that you will have no sin or no desire to sin. If that were the case, there would be no need for exhortations such as the following:
Romans 6:12: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Colossians 3:5-6: “Mortify (bring into subjection) therefore your members (body parts) which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience (unsaved people):”
Obviously, “turning from sin” does not naturally follow getting saved. It is something that must be attended to regularly. The Bible makes it clear that you can be saved and still living in sin (1st Corinthians 3:1-3, 1st Corinthians 5:1-5). This is not a “license to sin.” It is simply the truth, like it or not. Living in sin results in loss of fellowship with God the Father (1st John 1:6), loss of rewards in Heaven (1st Corinthians 3:10-15), and a testimony which could lead others to belief on Jesus (1st Corinthians 15:34). Here is what Lordship Salvationists do not understand: Eternal salvation and discipleship (a life characterized by obedience to God) are two separate things.
The Lordship Salvation crowd is divided into several groups that deviate slightly on their teachings, but they all basically believe the same thing. Some of them will say you must “turn from sin” to be saved. Some of them will say you don’t have to “turn from sin” to be saved, but if you are really saved, then you will “turn from sin.” Either way, their teachings come down to this: If you claim to be saved, but you still sin, then you are not saved. Lordship Salvationists are not interested in teaching anything useful. They are in the business of condemning. They tell you that you must “turn from your sins” and live a life of obedience to God in order to be saved, meaning that you must be righteous, or holy. This is in sharp contrast to what the Bible teaches. God’s Word says that we cannot make it to Heaven based on any righteousness of our own, because no one is righteous.
Romans 3:10: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
There is not one single person alive who is righteous. Lordship Salvation creates delusional converts who think they are righteous. They do not want to admit that no amount of “good works,” “holy living,” or “turning from sins” will ever result in enough righteousness. Newsflash: We are not saved by our own righteousness.
Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
The only way for us to earn our own righteousness is through the law (the Ten Commandments).
Philippians 3:9: “ And be found in him (Jesus), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
However, obeying the law is not good enough.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The only way to attain true righteousness is through belief on Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:21-26: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Galatians 5:5: “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
To all prideful Lordship Salvationists: Did you read the preceding verses? Your own righteousness means nothing. It is not enough, and it never will be. You’re only fooling yourselves. Your own righteousness will get you nowhere when you stand before Jesus.
Matthews 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
One day there will be many people who truly believed that they were saved who will be horrified to find out that Jesus “never knew” them. They will brag about their deeds to Jesus Himself, but because they placed faith in their own works, or their own righteousness, they failed to place their faith solely in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that these people failed to do “the will of my Father which is in heaven”, which according to John 6:40, is to believe on Jesus Christ. Lordship Salvationists will be like the Jews mentioned in the following passages:
Romans 9:30-32: “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”
Romans 10:3-4: “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Lordship Salvationists place their hope into a hopeless system. They believe that faith in Jesus Christ plus their own works will save them. Their works will never result in the righteousness they need for eternal salvation. Do you want to know why? The righteousness needed for eternal salvation does not come by the works of the law. That righteousness only comes by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:5-6: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,”
Romans 10:9-10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Your own righteousness is not good enough. You need His righteousness!
Romans 3:25-26: “Whom (Jesus) God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
“Although no one can be saved by works…true repentance and true faith always accompany a change of life producing good works that bear witness to the authenticity of that repentance and faith.” - gccsatx.com, website of Tim Conway
The preceding quotes were from two enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. Lordship Salvationists do not believe that faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient enough to save a person’s soul. They claim that a life of obedience to God is also necessary, a life that is void of sin. Typically, to support this erroneous teaching, Lordship Salvationists will wrongly define the word “repentance” and say that you must “turn from your sins” to be saved. So before you can be saved, you must stop sinning and make a commitment to serve Jesus for the rest of your life.
Meanwhile, other Lordship Salvationists attempt to be sneaky and place these unnecessary requirements a bit later in the process. They will say something like this: “You don’t have to stop sinning to be saved, but if you haven’t turned from your sins after getting saved, then you were never really saved. If you are not living a life of obedience to God, then you were never really saved.” That type of statement is nothing more than a deceitful way of making you put your confidence in your own works or lifestyle in order to be sure that you are saved. Instead of believing in Jesus Christ alone for assurance of your salvation, you will look to your own life for that assurance. If you feel that you have risen above sin, you will believe that you are saved. If you feel that sin is present in your life, you will believe that you are not saved. Is it wise to place confidence in your own life and deeds?
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Christians should rejoice in Jesus alone. It is ridiculous to place any faith in our own abilities.
Romans 7:18: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
Now I know that some people will say “God gives repentance. The Holy Spirit helps you to turn from your sins once you are saved.” First of all, these people do not correctly define “repentance.” Secondly, while it is true that the Holy Spirit lives inside a believer, that same believer has the choice to live in the Spirit or the flesh (human nature).
Once you have believed on Jesus Christ, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom (Jesus) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
That does not mean that you will have no sin or no desire to sin. If that were the case, there would be no need for exhortations such as the following:
Romans 6:12: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Colossians 3:5-6: “Mortify (bring into subjection) therefore your members (body parts) which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience (unsaved people):”
Obviously, “turning from sin” does not naturally follow getting saved. It is something that must be attended to regularly. The Bible makes it clear that you can be saved and still living in sin (1st Corinthians 3:1-3, 1st Corinthians 5:1-5). This is not a “license to sin.” It is simply the truth, like it or not. Living in sin results in loss of fellowship with God the Father (1st John 1:6), loss of rewards in Heaven (1st Corinthians 3:10-15), and a testimony which could lead others to belief on Jesus (1st Corinthians 15:34). Here is what Lordship Salvationists do not understand: Eternal salvation and discipleship (a life characterized by obedience to God) are two separate things.
The Lordship Salvation crowd is divided into several groups that deviate slightly on their teachings, but they all basically believe the same thing. Some of them will say you must “turn from sin” to be saved. Some of them will say you don’t have to “turn from sin” to be saved, but if you are really saved, then you will “turn from sin.” Either way, their teachings come down to this: If you claim to be saved, but you still sin, then you are not saved. Lordship Salvationists are not interested in teaching anything useful. They are in the business of condemning. They tell you that you must “turn from your sins” and live a life of obedience to God in order to be saved, meaning that you must be righteous, or holy. This is in sharp contrast to what the Bible teaches. God’s Word says that we cannot make it to Heaven based on any righteousness of our own, because no one is righteous.
Romans 3:10: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
There is not one single person alive who is righteous. Lordship Salvation creates delusional converts who think they are righteous. They do not want to admit that no amount of “good works,” “holy living,” or “turning from sins” will ever result in enough righteousness. Newsflash: We are not saved by our own righteousness.
Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
The only way for us to earn our own righteousness is through the law (the Ten Commandments).
Philippians 3:9: “ And be found in him (Jesus), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
However, obeying the law is not good enough.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The only way to attain true righteousness is through belief on Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:21-26: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Galatians 5:5: “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
To all prideful Lordship Salvationists: Did you read the preceding verses? Your own righteousness means nothing. It is not enough, and it never will be. You’re only fooling yourselves. Your own righteousness will get you nowhere when you stand before Jesus.
Matthews 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
One day there will be many people who truly believed that they were saved who will be horrified to find out that Jesus “never knew” them. They will brag about their deeds to Jesus Himself, but because they placed faith in their own works, or their own righteousness, they failed to place their faith solely in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that these people failed to do “the will of my Father which is in heaven”, which according to John 6:40, is to believe on Jesus Christ. Lordship Salvationists will be like the Jews mentioned in the following passages:
Romans 9:30-32: “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”
Romans 10:3-4: “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Lordship Salvationists place their hope into a hopeless system. They believe that faith in Jesus Christ plus their own works will save them. Their works will never result in the righteousness they need for eternal salvation. Do you want to know why? The righteousness needed for eternal salvation does not come by the works of the law. That righteousness only comes by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:5-6: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,”
Romans 10:9-10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Your own righteousness is not good enough. You need His righteousness!
Romans 3:25-26: “Whom (Jesus) God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
What God Will Not Repent About
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is one that I have used many times on this website.
Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Why do I like this verse? First of all, this verse challenges the Lordship Salvation crowd by its use of “repentance.” It is absolutely impossible to come to the assumed conclusion that repentance is a “turning away from sin” by reading Romans 11:29. This is why the NKJV and the NIV both changed the word “repentance” to “irrevocable” in this verse. The use of “repentance” in Romans 11:29 kills the pretend definitions of repentance held by the Lordship Salvation crowd, and so the verse had to be doctored in order to preserve those nonsensical definitions. I love this verse of Scripture for so clearly illustrating the proper use of repentance, while in the process making the Lordship Salvation crowd look even more dim-witted than they already do.
There is another reason that Romans 11:29 is a remarkable verse. A great promise is given to us in this verse. Do you know what that promise is? Let me show you. We will be taking a closer look at two of the words contained in this short verse of Scripture in order to reveal an incredible promise made by God.
“Gifts”
The Bible says that eternal salvation is a gift that is given by God.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 5:15-18: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
“Calling”
The Bible says that God reaches out to sinners by calling them to Jesus Christ.
1st Corinthians 1:9: “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Galatians 1:6: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”
Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;”
1st Peter 5:10: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
Jude 1: “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:”
Salvation is a gift, and this gift is attained once a person has answered the calling of God by believing on Jesus Christ. This brings us back to the featured verse of this article.
Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Repentance is a rethinking, or a change of mind (See my page “Repentance 101”). Put all of this together, and here’s what we have: God will never change His mind about giving a believer on Jesus Christ salvation. The gift of salvation and the very calling of God into His grace are things that God will never go back on. God will never take back His gift, and God will never take back His calling. You can refuse these things by rejecting Jesus Christ. You can choose to not believe on Jesus. You can choose to work your way to Heaven. You can choose to do anything other than believe on Jesus Christ and remain lost. However, if you have believed on Jesus Christ alone for eternal salvation, then you are in good hands. God will not change His mind about His gift of eternal life, and God will not change His mind about how He called you into His family.
Romans 11:29 is a very short verse, and it is a very overlooked verse. However, this verse contains a promise that you can count on forever: Once you have been saved, you are forever saved. The Lordship Salvation crowd hates this truth, because they hate the grace of God. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing looking to steal eternal security away from the Christian, and they seek to make you work for your salvation. God does not believe in Lordship Salvation, and God’s Word makes that quite clear. Claim the truth of Romans 11:29 for yourself, and know that you can depend on the promises of God.
Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Why do I like this verse? First of all, this verse challenges the Lordship Salvation crowd by its use of “repentance.” It is absolutely impossible to come to the assumed conclusion that repentance is a “turning away from sin” by reading Romans 11:29. This is why the NKJV and the NIV both changed the word “repentance” to “irrevocable” in this verse. The use of “repentance” in Romans 11:29 kills the pretend definitions of repentance held by the Lordship Salvation crowd, and so the verse had to be doctored in order to preserve those nonsensical definitions. I love this verse of Scripture for so clearly illustrating the proper use of repentance, while in the process making the Lordship Salvation crowd look even more dim-witted than they already do.
There is another reason that Romans 11:29 is a remarkable verse. A great promise is given to us in this verse. Do you know what that promise is? Let me show you. We will be taking a closer look at two of the words contained in this short verse of Scripture in order to reveal an incredible promise made by God.
“Gifts”
The Bible says that eternal salvation is a gift that is given by God.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 5:15-18: “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
“Calling”
The Bible says that God reaches out to sinners by calling them to Jesus Christ.
1st Corinthians 1:9: “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Galatians 1:6: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”
Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;”
1st Peter 5:10: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
Jude 1: “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:”
Salvation is a gift, and this gift is attained once a person has answered the calling of God by believing on Jesus Christ. This brings us back to the featured verse of this article.
Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Repentance is a rethinking, or a change of mind (See my page “Repentance 101”). Put all of this together, and here’s what we have: God will never change His mind about giving a believer on Jesus Christ salvation. The gift of salvation and the very calling of God into His grace are things that God will never go back on. God will never take back His gift, and God will never take back His calling. You can refuse these things by rejecting Jesus Christ. You can choose to not believe on Jesus. You can choose to work your way to Heaven. You can choose to do anything other than believe on Jesus Christ and remain lost. However, if you have believed on Jesus Christ alone for eternal salvation, then you are in good hands. God will not change His mind about His gift of eternal life, and God will not change His mind about how He called you into His family.
Romans 11:29 is a very short verse, and it is a very overlooked verse. However, this verse contains a promise that you can count on forever: Once you have been saved, you are forever saved. The Lordship Salvation crowd hates this truth, because they hate the grace of God. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing looking to steal eternal security away from the Christian, and they seek to make you work for your salvation. God does not believe in Lordship Salvation, and God’s Word makes that quite clear. Claim the truth of Romans 11:29 for yourself, and know that you can depend on the promises of God.
A Well-Deserved Nickname
2nd Corinthians 11:3-4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his
subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For
if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye
have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
Skip down a few verses to continue.
2nd Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
The apostle Paul warned that there would be some phony teachers who would come along and convince saved people to believe on “another Jesus” and “another gospel”. One of the nicknames that Paul gave to these devils in disguise was “the ministers of righteousness”. This is a particularly interesting choice of words. Let me show you why.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The “knowledge of sin” comes from the law, or the Ten Commandments. What else does the law bring?
Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
Any righteousness we can earn on our own comes from keeping the law. But this righteousness will never be enough.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 3:11: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
Galatians 3:21-25: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
The law, or the keeping of the law, does not earn a person enough righteousness to save them. The law had one purpose.
Romans 3:19: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
The purpose of the law is to make each and every person guilty before God. The purpose of the law was not for it to be kept in order to play a part in salvation. The part that the law plays in salvation is to make you see that you are a guilty and condemned sinner, so that you will realize that you need Jesus Christ. This was stated in one of the verses you just read:
Galatians 3:24: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Let’s recap what we’ve learned so far: The knowledge of sin comes from the law. Our own righteousness comes from keeping the law. The righteousness we earn from keeping the law is never enough to save us. The purpose of the law was not to save, but rather to lead us to Jesus Christ, because He does the saving.
Now we are ready for the point of this lesson. Since the knowledge of sin comes from the law, telling someone they must not sin is basically telling them they must keep the law. If someone tells you that you must “repent of your sins” to be saved, first of all, they do not know what repentance is and are abusing the word. (Please see my page “Repentance 101” for everything repentance.) What these people are trying to tell you is that you must turn away from your sins, which is the same thing as saying you must keep the law. What they are telling you is that you need your own righteousness in order to be and remain saved. This is why the apostle Paul correctly defined these people as “the ministers of righteousness”. Not the ministers of God. Not the ministers of Jesus Christ. No, they are “the ministers of righteousness”. They want you to achieve something that no one can: Earn enough of your own righteousness to somehow merit God’s favor and play a part in your salvation. Instead of teaching about Jesus Christ, they are more content to be teachers of the law.
1st Timothy 1:7: “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”
Do you want to know what the end will be for these teachers of the law? Take another look at the verse that this lesson is centered around:
2nd Corinthians 11:15: “Therefore it is no great thing if his (Satan’s) ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
Everyone who rejects Jesus Christ faces the same end.
Revelation 20:12-15: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
When you try to make it to Heaven based on your own righteousness, you will never make it. You will be judged according to your works, and those works will never be good enough. If you want to have righteousness added to your account, you are going to have to get it the only way that you can, and that is by belief on Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:3-4: “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Galatians 5:4: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Don’t be deceived by all those teachers of the law out there. The “ministers of righteousness” want you to believe that you must obey the law in order to be saved. What they don’t want you to know is that Jesus saves everyone who believes on Him. Don’t be a “minister of righteousness”. Be a minister of Jesus Christ. Don’t tell others that they must obey the law (or turn from their sins) in order to be saved. Tell them that Jesus saves each and every person who puts their faith in Him. Just look at the apostle Paul. What was the focus of his ministry? Was it teaching people to obey the law? Was it telling people to turn from their sins to be saved?
1st Corinthians 2:2: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
Skip down a few verses to continue.
2nd Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
The apostle Paul warned that there would be some phony teachers who would come along and convince saved people to believe on “another Jesus” and “another gospel”. One of the nicknames that Paul gave to these devils in disguise was “the ministers of righteousness”. This is a particularly interesting choice of words. Let me show you why.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The “knowledge of sin” comes from the law, or the Ten Commandments. What else does the law bring?
Philippians 3:9: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
Any righteousness we can earn on our own comes from keeping the law. But this righteousness will never be enough.
Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 3:11: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
Galatians 3:21-25: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
The law, or the keeping of the law, does not earn a person enough righteousness to save them. The law had one purpose.
Romans 3:19: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
The purpose of the law is to make each and every person guilty before God. The purpose of the law was not for it to be kept in order to play a part in salvation. The part that the law plays in salvation is to make you see that you are a guilty and condemned sinner, so that you will realize that you need Jesus Christ. This was stated in one of the verses you just read:
Galatians 3:24: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Let’s recap what we’ve learned so far: The knowledge of sin comes from the law. Our own righteousness comes from keeping the law. The righteousness we earn from keeping the law is never enough to save us. The purpose of the law was not to save, but rather to lead us to Jesus Christ, because He does the saving.
Now we are ready for the point of this lesson. Since the knowledge of sin comes from the law, telling someone they must not sin is basically telling them they must keep the law. If someone tells you that you must “repent of your sins” to be saved, first of all, they do not know what repentance is and are abusing the word. (Please see my page “Repentance 101” for everything repentance.) What these people are trying to tell you is that you must turn away from your sins, which is the same thing as saying you must keep the law. What they are telling you is that you need your own righteousness in order to be and remain saved. This is why the apostle Paul correctly defined these people as “the ministers of righteousness”. Not the ministers of God. Not the ministers of Jesus Christ. No, they are “the ministers of righteousness”. They want you to achieve something that no one can: Earn enough of your own righteousness to somehow merit God’s favor and play a part in your salvation. Instead of teaching about Jesus Christ, they are more content to be teachers of the law.
1st Timothy 1:7: “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”
Do you want to know what the end will be for these teachers of the law? Take another look at the verse that this lesson is centered around:
2nd Corinthians 11:15: “Therefore it is no great thing if his (Satan’s) ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
Everyone who rejects Jesus Christ faces the same end.
Revelation 20:12-15: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
When you try to make it to Heaven based on your own righteousness, you will never make it. You will be judged according to your works, and those works will never be good enough. If you want to have righteousness added to your account, you are going to have to get it the only way that you can, and that is by belief on Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:3-4: “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Galatians 5:4: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Don’t be deceived by all those teachers of the law out there. The “ministers of righteousness” want you to believe that you must obey the law in order to be saved. What they don’t want you to know is that Jesus saves everyone who believes on Him. Don’t be a “minister of righteousness”. Be a minister of Jesus Christ. Don’t tell others that they must obey the law (or turn from their sins) in order to be saved. Tell them that Jesus saves each and every person who puts their faith in Him. Just look at the apostle Paul. What was the focus of his ministry? Was it teaching people to obey the law? Was it telling people to turn from their sins to be saved?
1st Corinthians 2:2: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”