Lordship Salvation

[BigChrisfilm]

I'm currently trying to understand this teaching. I've having a problem deciding one way or the other. What is your beliefs on this matter? Is Lordship salvation Biblical, or heretical? I kinda understand both, not to mention a lot of people I respect greatly are in fact Lordship Salvationist. I would like your thoughts if you don't mind.

[TwistTim]

Given the Choices between Lordship Salvation (Jesus Saves you and then you submit to his Lordship, and as you grow in Faith, you grow in the fruits of the spirit and your grow away from your sins, but only the Repentance and Faith was for salvation, the Lordship part is working out over a Christian lifetime) and Free Grace Salvation (Jesus saves you, and then you don't have to do anything at all, you can keep on sinning your sins)....

I pick Lordship Salvation.... as that is more consistent with a clear reading of the Scriptures..... The other option produces Carnal Christians... which are no Christians at all......

If you want to read a Scholar's Views on it... John MacArthur has an answer online here: http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/70-8-2.htm

[BigChrisfilm]

Given the Choices between Lordship Salvation (Jesus Saves you and then you submit to his Lordship, and as you grow in Faith, you grow in the fruits of the spirit and your grow away from your sins, but only the Repentance and Faith was for salvation, the Lordship part is working out over a Christian lifetime) and Free Grace Salvation (Jesus saves you, and then you don't have to do anything at all, you can keep on sinning your sins)....

I pick Lordship Salvation.... as that is more consistent with a clear reading of the Scriptures..... The other option produces Carnal Christians... which are no Christians at all......

If you want to read a Scholar's Views on it... John MacArthur has an answer online here: http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/70-8-2.htm

Correct me if I'm wrong, I thought Lordship Salvation meant I had to make Jesus Lord of my life before I get saved. I agree with everything you said, that it is something that takes place after Salvation, and is a life time occurrence. I'm just not sure I agree with the whole making Jesus Lord of my life part as being a prerequisite of Salvation.

[mlqurgw]

Given the Choices between Lordship Salvation (Jesus Saves you and then you submit to his Lordship, and as you grow in Faith, you grow in the fruits of the spirit and your grow away from your sins, but only the Repentance and Faith was for salvation, the Lordship part is working out over a Christian lifetime) and Free Grace Salvation (Jesus saves you, and then you don't have to do anything at all, you can keep on sinning your sins)....

I pick Lordship Salvation.... as that is more consistent with a clear reading of the Scriptures..... The other option produces Carnal Christians... which are no Christians at all......

If you want to read a Scholar's Views on it... John MacArthur has an answer online here: http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/70-8-2.htm
Your description of Free Grace is a straw man characterization. What you describe is Antinomianism. Free Grace in no way teaches that you can keep on sinning your sins in the manner you seem to intend. Though Free Grace is often accused of Antinomianism it isn't by a long shot.

[PaladinGirl]

Here is what Wikipedia says about Lordship salvation:

Lordship Salvation is a teaching in Christian theology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_theology) that maintains good works are a necessary consequence of being declared righteous (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_%28theology%29) before God (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God).[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lordship_salvation#cite_note-0) In other words, Jesus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus) cannot be considered a person's savior (that is, bringer of salvation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation)) without simultaneously being lord of the person's life, which is demonstrated by the gradual purification from sin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin) and the exercising of good works (for instance, caring for widows and orphans, James (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_James) 1:27 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jas+1:27)). The teaching is advocated in many of the creeds of Protestantism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism), but is not universally accepted. Advocates and opponents of the doctrine within Protestantism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism) all agree that acceptance before God is through faith alone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_fide) by grace alone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_gratia), but they differ on whether true justification (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_%28theology%29) can ever be followed by a life of indifference or even apostasy.
The opposing position is often called Free Grace theology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Grace_theology), and those who are putatively saved but have no works are termed "carnal Christians."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lordship_salvation

Also, here is a link from Way of Life Literature, a Biblically sound Baptist website:

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/repentancelordship.htm

[trentlogain]

This is the first time I've heard of lordship salvation, and it sounds like the opposite of everything I've ever learned in my Christian life.

[mlqurgw]

Lordship Salvation began back in the 70's, IIRC, as a refutation of Easy-believeism which also came to be known as Carnal Christians. Like many good things it became a controversy over misunderstanding and the spirit of Diotrephes among those who desire the preemenance. The whole idea of making Jesus your Lord is ridiculous as God already beat you to it. We don't put Him on the throne God did. The concept of works being necessary if you are saved is also one of making an issue out of a non-issue. Those of us who hold to Free Grace in no way promote or turn a blind eye to sin. We just hold that there is no work done by us that earns anything at all in spiritual matters. That doesn't mean we don't work or do not promote good works. Every chosen sinner who has been born of the Spirit and has Christ in them does do good works. He just doesn't look to them for anything in any way. The works they do in no way influences their acceptance with God nor does it earn them any blessings. They do them because God has ordained that they do them and because it is now natural to them. Though they still sin, and anyone who says they don't is a liar, they hate their sin and seek to turn from it continually. They grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ but there is never a time in this life that they are without sin. Everything we do in this life is mixed with sin because the old nature isn't dead but only no longer reigns. Sin doesn't have dominion over us but are never without it here. Free Grace simply means that Christ is all in all to the believer. We have nothing to offer of our own and need nothing of our own to be fully accepted and forever blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Christ is enough. If you have Him you have everything.

[FreeinChrist]

I look at it like this - if I truly believe in Jesus, I'd believe what He says and follow Him - that means making Him Lord of my life and trying to do His will in my life. What saves me is belief (grace through faith)and a true belief results in making Him Lord. Seems to be what James is saying.

[TwistTim]

Your description of Free Grace is a straw man characterization. What you describe is Antinomianism. Free Grace in no way teaches that you can keep on sinning your sins in the manner you seem to intend. Though Free Grace is often accused of Antinomianism it isn't by a long shot.


My Apology sire, I was shortening up the description of Free Grace as I found it on Theopedia.... I did not know that was not right because I found no other adequate description... thank you for correcting me and setting me back on the right path to knowledge (not sarcastic, I really want to know everything I can know)

as for my beliefs they are what I posted.....

No our Works and turning from sins don't save us, but they should be happening as a sign we have been saved....

[mlqurgw]

My Apology sire, I was shortening up the description of Free Grace as I found it on Theopedia.... I did not know that was not right because I found no other adequate description... thank you for correcting me and setting me back on the right path to knowledge (not sarcastic, I really want to know everything I can know)

as for my beliefs they are what I posted.....

No our Works and turning from sins don't save us, but they should be happening as a sign we have been saved.... No apology needed. I am sure you simply posted what you believed to be true. That is one of the problems with controversies, they always seem to mis-state the other side. Though not always intentionally. I understand your position and that is why I said it is a non-issue. Folks who make issues out of non-issues usually do it to get attention to themselves. It is a real tragedy that they do often influence others to follow them though.

[DominusIesus]

The gospel itself is "Jesus is Lord" so I would argue that Lordship salvation is more biblical than the antinomianism of Zane Hodges et al.