REASONS WHY LORDSHIP SALVATION IS FOOLISH:
- Because the Word of God clearly teaches that a person is saved by FAITH ALONE in Christ. This is evidenced by Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5 and hundreds of other Scriptures. Romans 4:5 states... "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The Bible couldn't possibly be any clearer on this matter. Salvation is through faith in Christ's righteousness alone (Romans 4:5-6). This has nothing to do with Christian living. James 2:18 speaks of the FRUIT of a man's faith, which should be evident in every believer's life; BUT, that is completely separate from the ROOT of a man's faith, which is by faith alone in Christ. Lordship Salvationists confuse the two, tragically to their own damnation.
- Because Lordship Salvation doesn't allow for backsliding. Lordship Salvationists DON'T allow for a Christian to backslide. As far as they're concerning, a backslidden believer is no believer at all. This is adamantly refuted in the Word of God by numerous references, to heroes of the faith who backslide into horrible sin (such as king David who committed adultery and murder). The foolish doctrine of Lordship Salvation leaves absolutely no allowance for a believer to backslide. Like it or not, there is an ongoing raging battle in EVERY believer between the sinful flesh and the Spirit of God (Romans 7:22,23; James 4:1). Even the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." Now why would the Apostle Paul DO EVIL if Jesus were his Lord and Master? Hmmm? This Scripture alone proves the willing ignorance and hypocrisy of the proponents of the Lordship Salvation heresy. Even the best of Christians, such as the Apostle Paul, commit sin.
- Because Jesus Christ is already the Lord and Master of every saved person. When you place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, He immediately becomes your Lord and Master. Now whether you acknowledge Him as such in your daily life is up to you. But you don't make Jesus Lord; He is Lord! Proponents of Lordship Salvation pervert the meaning of “Lord” in the New Testament to mean “surrender in obedience.” However, the Greek word for “Lord” when referring to Christ is always KURIOS, meaning, “Supreme in Authority.” We read in John 13:14, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.” The word “Master” here is the Greek didaskalos and simply means, “Teacher.” Jesus never asked us to recognize Him as our teacher to be saved. The heresy of Lordship Salvation is rooted in a corrupted understanding of Biblical terms, specifically the meaning of the Words: repent, Lord, and Master. Look up the Biblical Greek meaning of these words and the foolishness of Lordship Salvation crumbles away. Every believer recognizes Jesus Christ as the One who is Supreme in Authority, i.e., God Almighty. This is a quite different meaning than the nonsense which Lordship Salvationists teach.
Just because a believer backslides doesn't mean that they've not acknowledged Christ as their Lord and Master, i.e., God and Teacher. What it DOES mean is that they don't love Jesus like they should (John 14:15). We read in Revelation 2:1-4 the message concerning the church of Ephesus. We read in Verse 4, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” The believers at Ephesus had backslid, and wandered away from the Lord; but they were still saved. This is why every church needs to have revivals from time to time. Whether a believer lives for Christ in obedience, or backslides into sin, is irrelevant to the FACT the Christ is still the Lord and Master of every saved person. Christians who choose to live in unrepentant sin will be judged by God (Romans 12:19). 1st Thessalonians 4:6 is also clear evidence of this... “That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” Lordship Salvationists need to let God do His job.
- Because Lordship Salvation eliminates growth in grace. 1st Peter 2:2 states, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” A new convert is a babe in Christ. They need the MILK of God's Word if they are to grow strong in the Lord. The Apostle Paul states in 1st Corinthians 3:1, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” Carefully read through 1st Corinthians and you'll be surprised just HOW BAD these believers were. They were suing each other (6:6). They were coming to the Lord's Supper drunk (11:21). They were divided amongst each other in quarrels (1:12). Fornication was openly allowed in the church (5:1). They even ate meats offered to idols (8:4). According to the Lordship Salvation crowd, there's no way these rascals could be saved; but the Apostle Paul called them BABES IN CHRIST.
"But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." —Romans 4:5
The Foolish Doctrine of Lordship Salvation
Did you even read what I posted? What you are rambling about has nothing to do with with what I posted. It seems like you are inserting things and twisting words around. Lordship salvation, in Jesus' own words is this.
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mk. 8:34–37. Cf. Lk. 9:23–27).
Deny self: This means a turning from self–will, renouncing living for self. John Stott says: ‘Self denied...is not to deny things to myself, but to deny myself to myself. It is to say no to self and yes to Christ; to repudiate self and acknowledge Christ’ (John Stott,
Basic Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), p. 111).
Take up the cross : A cross is an instrument of death and is used in a metaphorical sense by Jesus. When the term is used in conjunction with the phrase ‘deny self’, it carries the idea of dying to my right to myself and of living to promote my own interests. John Stott comments: ‘To take up a cross is to put oneself into the position of a condemned man on his way to execution. In other words, the attitude to self is that of crucifixion. Everyday the Christian is to die. Everyday he renounces the sovereignty to his own will. Everyday he renews his unconditional surrender to Jesus Christ.’ (John Stott,
Basic Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), pp. 111-112).
Follow me: The tense of this verb indicates that it means to continually follow. Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament states that the Greek word follow means ‘to join one as a disciple, to become or be his disciple.’ To follow Jesus therefore means a death to self to become his disciple. I cease to live for my sake in order that I might live for his sake.
Why the imperative call to deny self, take up a cross and follow Jesus? ‘For’, he says, ‘whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s the same shall save it’ (Mk. 8:35). The key to understanding the meaning of this verse is the word lose. The Greek ‘lose’ is precisely the same Greek word that is translated perish in other parts of the New Testament. It means to die eternally:
The Lord is not...wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16).
To insure that we fully understand the issues involved Christ further explains and emphasizes his point in verses 36-37:
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus is saying that if a man does not deny self, take up a cross and commit to be his follower or disciple then that man will
perish—he will forfeit his soul. Jesus makes this same point in John 10:27-28 where he once again uses the word ‘follow’ as a characteristic of his sheep:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
Who are the true sheep of the Lord Jesus? Who are the ones who hear his voice, to whom he gives eternal life and who will therefore never perish? It is those who follow him; those who commit themselves to him to become his disciples. The issue is one of eternity and salvation. Both William Hendriksen and R.C.H. Lenski make this point in their comments on Mark 8:34:
This is not self denial in the current sense of the word but true conversion, the very first essential of the Christian life (R.C.H. Lenski,
Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1961), p. 348).
Together the three (deny self, take up a cross, and follow me) indicate true conversion followed by a life long sanctification (William Hendriksen,
New Testament Commentary, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975), p. 330).
That's it. in a nut shell. Christ said that if we do not do these things we cannot be His disciples.
