Ministerial Meanderings

God centered theology in a man centered world.

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Location: Springfield, Missouri, United States

I was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Laurel, Maryland. I served in the United States Air Force for 20 years then retired. Then God led me to become a pastor. I was converted to Christ in the summer of 1966. I enjoy the company of my wife, children and grandchildren. I live with my three cats Taz.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Lordship Salvation - My Two Cents

In late 1988, the Air Force sent me to be stationed at a small Air Station in northern Germany. When I arrived, I found an American Missionary Church. It was a Baptist church being pastored by a missionary from the US. I remember on the first Sunday I attended, on entering the main room, I was asked (first thing) "What's your stand on "MacArthurism"?" I was at a loss as to how to answer. I knew I had listened to John MacArthur when I was in the US on his Grace To You radio show. I knew his books had blessed me. But I did not know that MacArthur denied that the blood of Jesus saved us and that he taught a works based salvation that negated grace.

Now, as Paul the Apostle would say, I speak like a fool. MacArthur does neither of those things. But such was my introduction into the Lordship Salvation controversy. In short, the controversy is this ... is the act of taking Jesus as one's Lord and God a separate act from receiving Jesus as your savior? If you say "yes" you are on the "anti-lordship" side. If you say "no" you are a lordship salvation advocate. MacArthur said "no." After many years of study and having attended churches led by proponents of both sides, I am convinced that MacArthur was right.

The Apostle Paul told the Philippian jailer "If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you can be saved." In this passage Paul connects believing in Jesus with believing he is Lord.

A friend once asked me what I thought was the mark that identified a Christian. I thought about it and decided that a desire to be obedient to God was the mark that was first and foremost in every Christian's heart. Not only the mature Christian but also the brand new Christian wants to be obedient to God. The taking of Christ as savior and Lord is instinctively true with us.

Yet, the anti-lordship side says that if you tell a sinner they need to take Christ as savior and Lord you are mixing works with grace and therefore, negating the gospel. They argue that one first takes Jesus as savior and then later chooses to take him as Lord. The name they have for a Christian who has Jesus as his savior but not as his Lord is carnal Christian. They will say the best circumstance is if one would take Jesus as savior and Lord at the same time, but that this is not a requirement to be saved.

Believing on Jesus means to believe in who he is and what he has said he has done. Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son. Part of being saved is believing that Jesus is God. Taking Jesus as your savior is an acknowledgement of Jesus as your God. This is a basic nod towards trinitarian theology. You cannot separate Jesus' work as savior from his divinity. They go hand in hand.

The puritan preacher Joseph Alleine said "No one takes Jesus in parts. One takes all of Christ or one has not taken any of Christ." Read that again. That man has spoken truth.

Beloved, beware of this carnal Christian teaching. It is found nowhere in the Bible and it works against God's plans for your salvation. Take Christ and take him completely. Take him all and hold nothing back in doing so. If you are going to be a Christian, then BE a Christian. It is what we are.

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

This whole argument is really ludicrous...

In the Book of Daniel we are told that the Mashiach which is transliterated as Christ will come... both of these mean "Anointed One". If on even read a superficial reading of the OT they will find the one's that are anointed were kings... Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... He is God incarnate, the Creator and Living Word of God...

To demand one must accept Him as "Lord" of their life lowers Who He actually is! Also, it misses the very point we are DEAD in our sins... and a dead person is not regenerated until they receive LIFE... and that is the Life of Christ or the Holy Spirit... John is teaching that one must receive the Holy Spirit before they can receive the Holy Spirit...

The washing of regeneration happens when one receives Jesus... not before... Titus 3:5

A simple reading of Titus shows this out...

Titus 3: 4=7

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 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; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. having the hope of eternal life.


Notice "He saved us" it is repeated twice... It is by His mercy we are saved... BY the washing of regeneration... regeneration is not before... but at the time of salvation... why? we are renewed by the Holy Spirit...

John and many Calvinists teach that regeneration comes before the Holy Spirit is received and that is impossible as one must have the Holy Spirit to be regenerated! One must receive Life and be raised from out own death into the Life of Christ to be saved! Then we are regenerated by the very life of Christ... or by the Spirit Who is Life...

This summed up clearly by verse 7:That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.


We are first justified by His Grace then made heirs as we have the hope now of eternal life. As we turn in Faith which is a gift of God, we express this by our hope that we are justified and now have eternal Life...

To turn this around make no sense... and demands that a person must be saved to get saved... and that is nonsensical... and that negates the Blood of Jesus.

Blessings,
iggy

3:33 AM  
Blogger RandyS said...

It's sad that people are denying that Jesus is Lord and Master. I have posted on this topic at length on my blog: http://www.thlibo.com/2008/12/18/anti-lordship-salvation-and-repentance/

12:04 PM  

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