There were particluar passages that gave me a tough time. I had always believed the simple truth of John 3:16 and therefore had assurance of my salvation. But being exposed to lordship teaching had caused me to doubt a “faith alone iin Christ alone” message, i.e. I had come to believe I had to have “fruit,” good works, couldn’t “practice” sin and be a “true” believer, and so forth…and for the first time had begun to have doubts about my salvation. These positions–free grace and lordship salvation were mutually exclusive.

The book mentioned above dealt with the tough passages in a very exegetical, contextual way. Further, Zane answered my many questions…and what was noteworthy was his sensitivity to every word and jot and tittle of the text. It had great power (the lordship teachers, I felt, glossed over words, generalized, made special pleading arguments, and most especially–I felt–consistently imposed their theology onto the text, rather than just taking the text on its face).

Logically, Hodges well pointed-out that if any lordship element were made to be a part of the Gospel for getting eternal life, then objective assurance was impossible, i.e. if our faith is directed inwardly or toward something that is not perfect and complete (fruit, works, repentance, etc.)objective assurance was impossible.

We could go on and on here. But one of the things Zane did was to help us not confuse discipleship passages or reward passages (that so often mention warnings, cost, or the forfeitable nature of these things) with the clear and simple Gospel passages that talked about a gift, free, eternal, irrevocable and conditioned on simple faith alone. To mix the passages has created great confusion, and actual contradiction.

Zane passed away this week and in the thirty years I have gotten to be a close friend with him, I found him to be the most gentle, noble, wisest, most loving fellow I know…and these are the feelings common among all who knew him. –But that he was such a gentleman does not mean his views were correct. There are good and decent gentlemen on both sides of the debate. The issue has to be, What do the Scriptures affirm? Not what our theology says about them, or our traditions, or our own presuppositions…but what do the Scriptures teach. I believe we have to have an approach that allows for the least amount of gymnastics with the text and best lets the words and text say what it does.

One of Zane’s favorite verses was John 6:47, “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” It is the saddest thing I can think of that people feel this is not a complete Gospel statement or that explanations, addendums, caviats have to be added. Zane would have us note: Assurance is part and parcel of the Gospel, “Most assuredly…” That the Gospel requires believing Him that all we have to do is “believe” Him. That we are believing Him for something that’s “eternal.” And that WHEN we believe, we have eternal life.

The free grace position is that we are simply believing Christ at His Word. That’s the issue for eternal life. It’s objective (outside of myself), assuring (if I “believe Him,” then I “know” it, or else I’m not believing), eternal, by faith, and depends on CHRIST, not me!

Hodges solution: The king’s son offers to pay the debt himself. Both the people and the king accept this offer, SO THE KING PLACES THE PENALTY ON HIS SON AND INFLICTS WOUNDS THAT LEAVE ETERNAL SCARS. The people then begin the process of changing slowly over time, but they stumble often, some to the point of rebellion like before. The king’s son stands continually at the king’s side SHOWING HIS WOUNDS and reminding his father that the debt has been paid in full. No further punishment is necessary and glory is brought to the king’s son.

“The problem: The king’s subjects are in rebellion against him, and the king declares the penalty of death for all who refuse to lay down their arms, renounce their rebellion, and throw themselves at the king’s mercy.

Lordship solution: The people lay down their arms, renounce their rebellion, and throw themselves at the king’s mercy.

Easy-believism solution: The king withdraws the penalty. Nothing else changes.”

No, Tim, I believe this is more biblically accurate:

The problem: The king’s subjects are in rebellion against him, and the king declares the penalty of death for all who refuse to lay down their arms, renounce their rebellion, and throw themselves at the king’s mercy.

MacArthur solution: The king’s son offers to pay the debt himself, but the king refuses. So the people attempt to lay down their arms, renounce their rebellion, and throw themselves at the king’s mercy…sometimes. But they stumble often, some to the point of rebellion like before. And the priests of the day stand by and either question their prior belief or demand more works, fostering guilt and placing the focus squarely on the poeple either way. Nothing else happens to bring glory to the king’s son.

Hodges solution: The king’s son offers to pay the debt himself. Both the people and the king accept this offer and the king withdraws the penalty. The people then begin the process of changing slowly over time, but they stumble often, some to the point of rebellion like before. The king’s son stands continually at the king’s side reminding his father that the debt has been paid in full. No further punishment is necessary and glory is brought to the king’s son.

Hodges has the more correct view biblically.

With righteousness (Jesus) as our Master, we seek to obey and acknowledge His authority in our life. This is the nature of a Master/Servant relationship. If we disobey, we are disciplined.

There cannot exist a “lounge chair” servant mentality in a relationship with Jesus. That is to say, Jesus has become our Master but we haven’t yet become his servant. We can’t just lounge about and sip on His tall, cool glass of “grace” until we are ready to obey our new Master.

Matthew Henry (1706) put it like this: He said that salvation is not a religious discipline to be learned and understood but it is a NEW NATURE. As Paul said, “all things are become new.”

This New Nature is spiritually engineered to obey (works) its Master, Creator and LORD…Jesus. It is impossible to be new and old at the same time. If we aren’t ultimately seeking to be obedient, we aren’t new and so aren’t saved.

Luke 6:44-46 44 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. 46 “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

John 14:15 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

Now, here’s an interesting take on Lordship. Those who follow and love Jesus seek to do His will—according to Jesus. A Christian, that is someone saved (born again–you get the picture) is someone who seeks to follow Christ, who is the Light of the World. After all those who love Christ, those who no longer walk in darkness but believe in Him (visit John 8:12-30) seek to please Him. Why? Because they believe that He is God (John 8:24) having committed to following Him as the Light of Life, the Light of the World (John 8:12ff). And so they will not die in their sins. Out of love for Christ, they obey Him. They try (however imperfectly) to do what He says. They try and submit (however inconsistently and imperfectly) to His Lordship.

Now, you can try and make the case that the words “Lordship Salvation” do not appear in Scripture–you’ll be following the same line of reasoning the Jehovah Witness cult uses in denying the Trinity. Think about that.

But more importantly than trying to create a straw man position that you can defeat by redefining Lordship (or misquoting people John MacArthur) remember this: when you and I came to Christ there was a lot we did not understand as new believers. As we studied His word, we grew in our understandine we might not have understood Lordship but in our hearts (through the Holy Spirit?) we desired to please God. Therefore, when His word (through His Spirit) as we cooperated in our sanctification by studying the Bible, revealed to us areas in need of change–we tried to change. And with each passing year, as we grow in grace and see new areas in need of change we haven’t seen before and seek to change.

Sometimes we struggle against the need to follow Christ, to love Him by obeying Him. But in the end, a tree is known by the fruit it bears and as His followers no longer walking in darkness we seek His pleasure.

Lordship has become an academic argument for some, a battle cry (one way or the other) for others, and a hobby still yet for others. But, as John MacArthur once succinctly summarized his view on Lordship, “if you are a Christian it will show.”

Talk about free grace (it cost Jesus alot) all you want. Grace is we get better than we deserve through God’s unmerited favor. However, He still has expectations of us in this life, even though we are free from the penalty of sin in the next life. As Romans 6 puts is we do not sin more so that grace will abound more… instead we stop presenting our bodies as instruments of sin because if we love Jesus we will obey Him.

You don’t have the grace to do what you will and call yourself His follower. Grace isn’t something I give you or you give yourself (we call that cutting ourselves some slack–it’s usually a sign of sin or some other lack of motivation). Grace is God given. It is His gift–deliverance from the wages of sin in the life to come through Christ. Our loving obedience is what we give Him after we are saved, after all, as Jesus puts it:

John 14:15 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Do you love Him? Then do what He says—if He is your God (that means your Lord) and Savior. Now go and fulfill the Great Commission, if you love God and your neighbor and stop debating how many angels can dance on the point of a needle lay aside your pride and submit to His Lordship. You can’t be a Christian if He is not your Lord. He permits no other Gods (cf Exodus 20:3ff).

See 1 Cor 3 for Paul’s discussion of someone who will be saved but have now good works to show for it:

14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

There’s another option Free Grace thinking holds that the Apostles and NT writers were well aware that a born again person could fully apostatize from the faith, and warned people to not drift because of the horrendous threats to true Christians.

Paul writes:

(1) …That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 1 Cor. 11:30

(2) …holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. 1 Tim. 1: 19-20 (that was 1 Timothy, now to go on to 2 Timothy…)

(3)Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 2 Tim. 2: 17-18
I see this as Paul speaking forthrightly of apostasy. But this offends man’s pride, so centuries of theology assume this is impossible.

God bless

Jodie

1. He WAS a Christian before and is no longer a Christian.

2. He WAS NOT a Christian before and now his sufferings have only brought his unbelief to the surface. (Like the seed sown among the rocks or thorns in Mark 4:1-20)

What about this option? We can’t tell right now if his friend is or is not a Christian. If he is, then before he dies, he will repent of his unbelieving years and profess Christ again. If he never returns to the faith, then he never was a Christian. Zane can pray for his friend that the holy spirit will work in his heart and he will return to faith.