Get God's Free Gift Of Eternal Life: Lordship Salvation Front-loads The Gospel

Lordship Salvation Front-loads The Gospel

Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

I marvel how so many professed Christians believe our text verse, while teaching Lordship Salvation at the same time! I appreciate the following helpful comment from the Christian author of “In Defense Of The Gospel” by Lou Martuneac in Chicago:

Lordship Salvation (LS) requires an upfront commitment to discipleship as an indispensable condition for the reception of eternal life. LS demands an upfront promise to perform the "good works" (Ephesians 2:10) expected of a genuinely born again Christian to become a Christian.

It is this, and related LS teaching, that corrupts the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3) and frustrates the grace of God (Galatians 2:21).

In answering MacArthur's original 'The Gospel According To Jesus', Dr. Ernest Pickering, commented on Mark 8:34. He wrote, "Salvation is free; discipleship is costly. Salvation comes by receiving the work of the cross; discipleship is evidenced by bearing the cross (daily submission to the will of God). Christ here is not giving instructions about how to go to heaven, but how those who know they are going to heaven should follow Him." —Lou Martuneac, “John MacArthur's Discipleship Gospel” (I encourage you to read the entire article)

Amen and amen! Lou is a great writer for the Lord, a Bob Jones University graduate who has remained true to the colleges's original Gospel roots, and has seen the horrible changes at BJU, refuting and exposing them with the light of God's Word. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) got the Gospel right. There was no junk theology back when Dr. Jones was in charge of the college. But times have adversely changed over the decades, and today BJU preaches full-blown Lordship Salvation, which is another gospel, that is, a perverted deadly gospel.

Lordship Salvation front-loads the Gospel, by expecting of a new convert things that you'd normally only expect of a Christian after 10 years of being saved. Can a newborn baby walk? Of course not. Can a newborn baby run? Don't be silly. Can a newborn baby run a 26 mile marathon? No way! It would be ridiculous to expect a tiny baby to perform like an athlete. Likewise, it is just as ridiculous for the proponents of Lordship Salvation to require sinners to forsake their sins, surrender all, commit their life to Christ, and follow Jesus no matter what the cost to be saved. None of that is necessary to get to Heaven, nor is it allowed in God's plan of redemption for man. We are saved exclusively BY FAITH. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Pastor John MacArthur has authored over 200 books, and is arguably the most influential pastor in America today among New-evangelicals. Unfortunately, Dr. MacArthur front-loads the Gospel, requiring discipleship from people to be saved. The new president of Bob Jones University since 2014, Dr. Steve Pettit, sinfully bids Godspeed to Dr. MacArthur, thanking God for his ministry! 2nd John 1:11, “For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” There is nothing as evil as perverting the Gospel!

Many proponents of the heresy of Lordship Salvation, misapply Jesus' teachings in the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Jesus often spoke to His disciples, not to the lost. So when the Lord speaks of discipleship, it is wrong to apply those Bible passages to salvation. John MacArthur deceitfully preaches about grace, while at the same time requiring people to surrender all to be saved. Huh? Read his quotes for yourself:

“The narrow gate is hard to find and hard to go through, because it demands: denial of self, denial of self-righteousness, recognition of sin, full repentance, submission to Christ, commitment to obey Him, and follow Him no matter what the cost!” —Pastor John MacArthur, a quote from his sermon titled, “Saved Or Self-Deceived, Part One” (time: 4:25 in YouTube sermon video)

“The Greek word translated 'belief' is not referring merely to intellectual attainment or mental acquiescence but a wholehearted acceptance of everything that is implied in the claims of Christ. You need to believe that Jesus is God and that He died for your sins, committing your whole life to Him in sacrifice and serving Him as Lord.” —Pastor John MacArthur, Assurance of Victory; 1 John 5, Moody Press, p. 12).

“The gospel Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience. . . . Forsaking oneself for Christ’s sake is not an optional step of discipleship subsequent to conversion; it is the sine qua non of saving faith.” (The Gospel According to Jesus [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 27, 142.)

“Thus in a sense we pay the ultimate price for salvation when our sinful self is nailed to a cross. . . . It is an exchange of all that we are for all that Christ is. And it denotes implicit obedience, full surrender to the lordship of Christ. Nothing less can qualify as saving faith.” (The Gospel According to Jesus, p. 140.)

“Let me say again unequivocally that Jesus’ summons to deny self and follow him was an invitation to salvation, not . . . a second step of faith following salvation….” (The Gospel According to Jesus [Revised & Expanded Edition], p. 221).

“Submission to the will of God, to Christ’s lordship, and to the guiding of the Spirit is an essential, not an optional, part of saving faith” —Pastor John MacArthur, Ephesians, p. 249).

“Saving faith is a placing of oneself totally in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ” —Pastor John MacArthur, Romans, 1-8, p. 205).

The following appeared in 'Pulpit Magazine' on September 29th, 2006. This paragraph is from Pastor MacArthur’s post titled: “True Faith And True Grace,” which sums up the Lordship Salvation controversy:

“Those who teach that repentance is extraneous to saving faith are forced to make a firm but unbiblical distinction between salvation and discipleship. This dichotomy, like that of the carnal/spiritual Christian, sets up two classes of Christians: believers only and true disciples. Most who hold this position discard the evangelistic intent of virtually every recorded invitation of Jesus, saying those apply to discipleship, not to salvation.”

God gave us a specific book in the Bible to teach us all about how to have eternal life, the Gospel of John. 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.” Everything that a person needs to know to be saved is recorded in the Gospel of John. In this precious Gospel we find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times, but not once do we find the word “repent” or “turn from sin” or anything else that adds works to grace. You get saved simply by admitting that you are a needy sinner, and trusting what Christ has already done to pay for your sins on the cross.

Evangelist Miles J. Stanford (1914-1999) correctly teaches...

“Lordship salvation is not the childlike faith of John 3:16. It rightly insists upon repentance, but wrongly includes a change of behavior IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. No one questions that there must be a sincere change of mind, a turning from oneself to the Saviour, but Lordship advocates attempt to make behavior and fruit essential ingredients of, rather than evidence of, saving faith.”

SOURCE: Miles Stanford, in his review of Dr. John MacArthur's book: 'The Gospel According to Jesus'

Beware of any preacher who front-loads the Gospel. All that God requires to be saved is childlike faith in Jesus Christ, because of the work HE DID on the cross to pay for our sins, that He died, was buried and bodily raised up from the dead three days later for our justification (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Believe oh sinner and you are saved!!!

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We're Saved By God's Righteousness, Not Ours

Before salvation we are known by our sins, but after salvation we are identified with the righteousness of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ took all our sin at the cross and now we have the privilege to have His righteous record placed on our account by childlike faith!

Enjoying The Journey Daily Broadcast

Repentance unto salvation is turning to Jesus, not turning from sins.

Sneaking "Works" Through The Back Door Versus Free Grace Forever (This Will Step On Toes)

Repent of sins is NOT part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Inspiring Preacher Quotes

“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.” —Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935)

“I never thought, I'd see a day when Baptist preachers would not preach the true Gospel. Tonight, all across this nation, Baptist preachers have succumbed to the heresy of John MacArthur. I said the heresy of John MacArthur! I said the heresy of John MacArthur! And somebody that's got several thousand people to hear 'em, who can go across this country, has got to alert Baptists that we have false teachers in our midst who are no longer teaching and preaching salvation by grace through faith plus nothing. Folks, we're fighting for our lives tonight!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, "A Vote For Preaching"

“The ‘whosoever wills’ are the elect and the ‘whosoever won’ts,’ the non-elect.” —Pastor Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)

“Salvation is one thing and service is another, and never the two goes together. No man is saved because he serves, and no man has to serve because he is saved. Gotta keep them separate. And if you don't do it, the Scriptures will be confusing to you. You'll not rightly divide what God has to say.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, "Why Lordship Salvation Is Wrong"

“It is 'Good News' if no one must have good works before salvation, or after salvation. For salvation to truly be by grace, it must not have any stipulations of any kind at any time. Works before, during or after; works cannot be evidence of my salvation.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, "Does Calvinism Change The Gospel?"

"The LAW and the GOSPEL are two keys—the law is the key that shuteth up all men under condemnation, and the Gospel is the key which opens the door and lets them out. Remember this, if you're depending upon your own good works to get you to Heaven, you're lost! Your salvation had to be purchased with something that was incorruptible, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ!” —Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold, Bibleline Radio Show, "The Precious Blood Of Christ"

“Works cannot be the evidence of salvation. If works are required as evidence, then they will prove that you are not saved. Your good works cannot prove you're saved; they can only prove that you're not, if you go by works. Why? Because you have to be perfect. So your works can only prove you're not saved. You have to live a perfect life. 'Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' You have to fulfill everything that is commanded, that you have to do them. You know that good works did not save you!” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, "Once Saved Always Saved: The Final Word"

“If all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, then why would you use those rags to prove that you're saved?” —Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold, sermon quote: "How Do I Know God Really Loves Me? - Part 2"

“The mistake the church has made, is we have taught people how to quote Scriptures, we haven't taught people how to love people!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. (a beautiful quote from the sermon titled: "Developing A Process of Evangelism To Reach The Lost With The Gospel"

“May I ask you, reader, 'Are you a soulwinner?' Remember that a soulwinner is a salvager—one who leads a sinner to choose Christ and one who leads a saint to choose the will of God, the work of God and the plan of God.” ―Pastor Jack Hyles, "What Is Salvation?"

“Redemption is a work of God the Son. Regeneration is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Justification is the work of God the Father as He declares the sinner righteous in the Son. Conversion then becomes the work of the church as we change the use and purpose of a life.” ―Pastor Jack Hyles, "Conversion And Salvation" (chapter 3) from his book: "Salvation Is More Than Being Saved"

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —Evangelist John Bunyan (1628-1688)

“I'm as happy as a June Bug on the 31st of May!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, "The Rapture Comes Before Armageddon"

“Many people are finding the broad way, because they listen to the wrong message. There is few that find the truth. And what's the difference between true Christianity, and all the religions of the world? If it's by Christ alone, it's GRACE. If you have anything to do with it, it's WORKS. And God says, 'For by Grace (Christ) are ye saved, and that not of yourselves (that would be works), it is the gift of God (not of works), lest any man should boast. So any person who depends upon themselves, can always lose their salvation. Check it out! Anybody who teaches you can lose it, it's because their salvation depends upon their works. That's them! That's works! If I depend upon Him, that's grace! I'm saved by grace, Christ. You don't earn it! You don't work for it. 'For by grace are ye saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.' Salvation is the gift of God!” —Pastor Ralph "Yankee" Arnold, a quote from the sermon titled: "The Damnable Doctrine Of The Devil"

“The pastors have destroyed the churches, and they've been trained by people that have never built churches, and they have no compassion.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, "Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard"

“America needs preaching!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, "Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard"

“Let God have your life; He can do more with it than you can.” —Dwight L. Moody

"Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.” —Pastor Max Younce

God will not save anyone who is trying to be saved, He will only save those who are trusting to be saved.

“The darker the night the brighter the stars.” —Pastor Bob Gray Sr.,“She Sojourned Seven Years”

Without Christ you have a hopeless end; with Christ you have an endless hope (Titus 1:2).

The false teaching of "Lordship Salvation" is not the SAME as "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-31).

Religion is man trying to reach God through human effort, but Christianity is God trying to reach man by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross.

“Now you listen to me folks! We're living in a world of compromising Christianity. I call it, 'The yuppie generation building yuppie churches!' Brother, we need the old-time Gospel, the old-time religion, the faith of our fathers, and the standards that America used to have!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, a quote from the sermon, “She Sojourned Seven Years”

“Every word in this Bible is inspired by God almighty!” —Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the sermon, “A Friend At Midnight”

“A man doesn't get better to get saved; he gets saved to get better.” —Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), “Salvation Crystal Clear”

“The greatest enemy you have is a church that doesn't teach the Bible!” —Pastor Max D. Younce, “#1 Salvation THROUGH The Blood”

“Lordship Salvation is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the performance of good works, the promise of good works, or the evidence of good works, must accompany faith in Christ to establish or provide evidence that such faith has resulted in eternal life.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, “Jesus Versus John MacArthur”

“If you're not being persecuted, you're not living right!” —Pastor Danny Castle, “How To Behave In Perilous Times”

“You know what you need to do with your life? You need to get on the ball and take as many people out of here to Heaven with you as you can possibly round up. That's what you need to do.” —Pastor Danny Castle, “How To Behave In Perilous Times”

“God had no children too weak, but a great many too strong to make use of.” —Pastor Dwight L. Moody (1836-1899)

“More people will die and burn in Hell, because they're trusting too much!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, a precious quote from the MP3 sermon, “Yea, Yea, And Nay, Nay!”

“Everything that's hard and complicated about salvation is God's side of it!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, a precious quote from the MP3 sermon, “Yea, Yea, And Nay, Nay!”

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty!

“See, when you trusted Christ, He delivered you from the PENALTY [of sin]. You never have to pay for it again. Now that you are saved, He wants to save you from the very POWER of sin in your life. And then one day, He's going to deliver us from the very PRESENCE of sin.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, “Sanctification Explained”

“We ought to realize our standing with God as sons and daughters. He will not "un-child" His children. God has not only adopted us, but we are His by birth; we have been born into His kingdom. The children of God are not perfect, but we are perfectly His children.” —Pastor Dwight L. Moody

Bible repentance is a change of mind from denying THE TRUTH “to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2nd Timothy 2:25-26).

“Faith without works is DEAD FAITH; and works without faith is DEAD WORKS.” —Pastor Steven Anderson, “Repentance And Faith”

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” (Except Ye Repent, p. 16)

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Lordship Salvation Front-loads The Gospel

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