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Salvation is of the LORD. Jonah 2:9
What is commonly referred to as “Lordship Salvation” is the teaching that salvation is obtained by faith in The Lord Jesus Christ and that it also requires making a commitment to follow Him in submissive obedience to His Lordship. This commitment and obedience to Christ is seen, not as adding to the gospel, but as a necessary accompaniment to true saving faith. Therefore these qualities (commitment, obedience, etc.) are frequently preached in the gospel message as requirements to be saved. Many advocates of Lordship teaching tend to have a Calvinistic view of salvation. However, many traditional Arminians, who deny the eternal security of the believer, also preach a version of Lordship Salvation. But it is the Calvinistic view which is most frequently at the center of this controversy amongst evangelical Christians.
Many evangelical Christians oppose Lordship Salvation concepts, especially as expressed in the gospel. The teaching held by those who are most vocal in opposition to Lordship Salvation doctrine is sometimes known as “Free Grace” (non-lordship) theology. While these Christians tend to be Arminian in their view of salvation, they depart from traditional Arminianism in that they hold to the doctrine of eternal security. Proponents teach that one must acknowledge Jesus as Lord, but commitment and obedience to His Lordship are not necessary for salvation. They assert that commitment and obedience are completely separate issues that can only occur after salvation is received and they are considered to be optional choices for a Christian. Advocates of this non-Lordship position therefore accuse Lordship proponents of adding works to the gospel.
However, Lordship advocates vehemently deny teaching works for salvation and adamantly declare that salvation is by grace through faith alone.
In this brief examination of Lordship Salvation we will look at it in two aspects. First we will state the underlying basis for Lordship Salvation theology (Calvinistic variety). Second we will consider Lordship Salvation as expressed in the gospel. This short article is not intended to address the many other implications of the teaching with regard to sanctification, perseverance, assurance, etc.
THE UNDERLYING BASIS FOR LORDSHIP THEOLOGY
Lordship Salvation theology is predicated upon the Sovereign Grace (Calvinistic) view of salvation. Most proponents therefore hold to:
• The total depravity of man (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10-18; Rom. 7:18; Rom. 8:7, 8).
• God’s sovereign choosing (election) of those to be saved (Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13).
• Christ’s substitutionary atoning sacrifice for the sins of the elect (Heb. 9:28; 1 Peter 3:18).
• The certainty that all who have thus been chosen will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, repent, believe and willingly come to Christ (John 6:37; Acts 13:48).
• The perseverance, preservation, and eternal security of believers (John 6:39; 10:28; 1 Peter 1:5).
Some additional related doctrines pertinent to this teaching are:
• New birth precedes salvation (John 1:13; 3:8).
• Saving faith is a gift of God (Rom. 12:3; Eph. 2:8).
• Repentance is more than just a change of mind (Acts 26:20; Luke. 18:13, 14).
These doctrines of Sovereign Grace establish the fact that God performs a transforming work (new birth) in the heart of a sinner prior to that sinner coming to Christ for salvation. Therefore it is to be expected that a person who has thus been born again, having received divine life and a new nature, will manifest, in some measure, behavior which is in keeping with that new nature. Such a one, when coming to Christ for salvation, will display behavior, to some degree, consistent with having received from God the gift of saving faith and the granting of repentance.
We see an example of this in the salvation story of Cornelius the Centurion in Acts chapter 10. He was a man who feared God and performed works which were clearly pleasing to God long before he ever heard the gospel preached by Peter.
We fully agree with this Sovereign Grace view of salvation as held by most advocates of Lordship Salvation theology.
In contrast to this is the teaching of those who advocate the Arminian oriented “Free Grace” theology which denies total depravity and asserts the free-will of fallen man. They deny that saving faith is a gift of God, teaching instead that faith emanates out of the heart of man. They likewise deny that repentance is granted as a gift from God to a sinner and generally define it in a manner which scarcely distinguishes it from faith itself. They do not see new birth as preceding salvation, teaching instead that a man must believe the gospel in order to be born again. These Christians oppose Lordship Salvation in part because they deny the doctrines of Sovereign Grace. It is no wonder then that they have no expectation of anything which characterizes the new nature until after a person believes the gospel. Therefore they must reduce the meaning of repentance to a mere change of mind only.
Logically this teaching requires the unregenerate sinner to come to Christ in the flesh, with a heart that is at enmity with God and hating the light even as he embraces it!
While we certainly believe that grace is free, we strongly disagree with these Arminian oriented teachings held by proponents of so-called Free Grace theology.
LORDSHIP SALVATION AS EXPRESSED IN THE GOSPEL
While the underlying basis for Lordship Salvation theology as described above is sound, it is not always properly applied in the presentation of the gospel. For this reason, many Calvinists part company with Lordship proponents at this point. We too have concerns in this area. However our criticism of some of the rhetoric commonly found in the Lordship Salvation gospel message should not be construed to mean that we associate ourselves with the Arminian teachings of those who most vocally oppose Lordship Salvation in the Free Grace movement.
What’s Wrong With the Lordship Salvation Gospel Message?
Lordship Salvation advocates demand commitment and obedience as requirements for a person to be saved. The level of commitment and obedience required is often expressed in terms that are total, without reservation, holding nothing back. Sometimes they state this in an extreme way requiring the immediate abandonment of all sin and the total commitment of every area of one’s life to Christ. This would seem to be a tall order for sinners who are entreated to come “just as I am”!
Scripture teaches that a new nature is imparted in new birth (1 Peter 1:23) prior to a person believing the gospel. Therefore it is to be expected that some measure of these characteristics (commitment and obedience) will already be present in a soul even before, and certainly when, he believes the gospel. Does that mean therefore it is appropriate to demand commitment and obedience as conditions to be saved when preaching the gospel? Lordship Salvation advocates would say, “Yes”. However, we would object to some of the rhetoric used by Lordship proponents as going beyond the simple terms of the gospel.
The gospel is not a demand to commit and obey. The demand of the gospel is to believe on Christ. Nothing we do, either before or after salvation, adds anything to the ground of our justification which is based upon the finished work of Christ alone. We are justified by faith in Christ. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” the answer was quite simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30, 31). That is the gospel. The Lord Jesus said, “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47).
Those qualities which characterize one who is born again (repentance, submission, humility, etc.) will be present, to some degree, in one who comes to Christ in true faith. However, to demand total commitment and obedience in the gospel could give one the impression that it was his commitment and obedience that saved him. Then later on, when he fails or wavers in his commitment, such a soul may wonder if he ever got saved at all.
Some Lordship preachers think they need to add something to the gospel to ensure that the faith of the one confessing Christ is genuine. They may say things like, “You must commit your life totally to God, submit every area of your life to the Lord, be willing to forsake everything, be willing to sell all your possessions, take up your cross”, etc. However when using these kinds of expressions they may give the impression that a sinner must clean up his life and begin working for his salvation. While these preachers may have good intentions, nothing justifies changing the terms of the gospel. It is the responsibility of the evangelist to call upon sinners to believe on Christ and leave the results up to God. The fact that Simon the Sorcerer (Acts chapter 8) made a false profession of faith was not because there was something defective or missing in the gospel Philip preached. The problem was that Simon’s heart was not right. He had not repented. His profession of faith was not genuine. But none of that was the fault of the gospel message Philip preached. We must never give sinners the impression that anything they do saves them or even helps to save them.
Faith: The Single Condition for Salvation.
Faith is the single condition for salvation, but only a truly repentant soul will savingly believe. “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3-5).
Saving faith is a gift from God to those whom He has called to salvation. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Also see Romans 12:3 and Hebrews 12:2. When God, through sovereign grace, imparts this faith to a soul, it becomes the faith of that person. Saving faith receives divine testimony (the Word of God), holds it to be true and trusts in it (John 3:33; Heb. 11:1). This faith is imparted to a soul when he is born again and with this faith a sinner receives Christ as his Savior.
What About Repentance?
Repentance is necessary for salvation (Acts 17:30). There is no such thing as saving faith without repentance. We might describe repentance as “a change of mind Godward that leads to a judgment of self and one’s acts” (1 Kings 8:47; Ezek. 14:6; Matt. 3:2; Matt. 9:13; Luke 15:7; Acts 20:21; 2 Cor. 7:9-10; etc.) (Concise Bible Dictionary). Genuine self-judgment is characterized by a humble spirit (Psa. 34:18; Luke. 18:13, 14). Thus a truly repentant soul comes to God in brokenness and humility, confessing himself a sinner and throwing himself upon God’s mercy.
One point of controversy in connection with repentance is the use of the expression “turn from your sin”. While commonly employed by Lordship preachers, it is shunned by Free Grace proponents. The latter say it amounts to adding works to the gospel. What exactly does the expression mean?
Certainly salvation cannot be achieved by turning over a new leaf and reforming one’s life (Luke 11:24-26). However we do believe that true repentance encompasses a heart-turning from sin and toward God (Job 42:5-7). Such is consistent with self-judgment. This is not the response of the flesh but of the new nature which accompanies new birth.
While many advocates of Free Grace theology strip repentance of its self-judgment character, some Lordship Salvation proponents enlarge its meaning to give the sinner the impression that he must forsake every sin, totally abandon self-will, and commit every area of his life to Christ, without reservation, in order to be saved. We believe these notions go beyond the simple terms of the gospel.
In scripture, repentance is so closely associated with saving faith that it is often assumed to be present without mention. For example, Peter does not mention repentance in his gospel message to Cornelius. Neither do Paul and Silas mention it to the Philippian jailor who asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” Why is this? Sometimes it is evident that the inquirer has already repented. This was apparently the case in both of these examples. Both Cornelius the Centurion and the Philippian jailor were obviously seeking salvation and thus showed evidence that a sovereign work of God had already begun in their hearts. But often the disposition of the heart is not known, especially when addressing a large group. On such occasions the evangelist may, as led of the Spirit, call upon sinners to repent.
Clarity in the Gospel
Should “commitment”, “submission”, and “obedience” ever be called for in the gospel? The answer to that question depends on how these terms are used. We all need to “obey” the gospel which we are commanded to believe (Rom. 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). When a sinner ceases from seeking to establish his own righteousness and believes the gospel he is “submitting” to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3). If “commitment” means a sinner must commit the safe-keeping of his soul to the care of Christ, then that certainly brings salvation (2 Tim. 1:12). There is nothing wrong with these words when properly used.
What about calling upon sinners to “surrender” to Christ? This is another common expression used in the gospel by Lordship advocates. Scripture portrays fallen man as being at enmity against God (Rom. 8:7). Some critics of Lordship Salvation actually propose the possibility of a sinner retaining his enmity and rebellion against God even as he believes in Christ, and continuing in such a state. However we believe a truly born again soul, coming to Christ, will have some sense of surrender to the Lordship of Christ (Mark. 7:25; Luke. 8:41). Therefore, calling upon sinners to “surrender” is similar to calling upon them to “come”. And in scripture, calling upon sinners to “come” is tantamount to calling upon them to “believe” in Christ (John 6:35).
There is one more specific portion of scripture we should consider in connection with this question. Advocates of a Lordship Salvation gospel message sometimes refer to our Lord’s exhortation to His disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). This they commonly preach to sinners as a requirement to be saved.
This surely is the calling of every Christian. But before one takes up his cross to follow Jesus, he must know something of the value of the cross for himself. I want to know my sins are forgiven and that I have peace with God. This I obtain when, by faith, I receive Christ as my Savior. Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” The child who comes to the Savior in simple faith knows little of what it means to take up his cross in following Jesus. Yet we know the Lord receives all such who come to Him in simple dependence.
Conclusion
If “commitment”, “submission”, and “obedience” mean making promises to serve God and obey His commandments in exchange for salvation, then we would reject such concepts in the gospel. Unfortunately, it is often in this improper manner that these terms are used by proponents of the Lordship gospel.
Salvation is received by grace through faith alone; not by making commitments to serve God, nor by promising to obey His commands. Eternal life cannot be earned; it is the gift of God (Rom. 6:23). Yet some measure of commitment and obedience will characterize a true believer immediately. There will be some desire to bow at the feet of Jesus and to follow Him. The Lord Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27, 28).
A faith which is not accompanied to some extent by that which characterizes the new nature is not saving faith at all. It has been famously said, “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone.”
M. Sell