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- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- CHAPTER 1. The Foundation of Truth
- CHAPTER 2. Saving Faith – Its Cause and Effect
- CHAPTER 3. Regeneration: The Creation of a New Man
- CHAPTER 4. Sanctification: The Growth of the New Man
- CHAPTER 5. We Walk By Faith Not By Sight
- CHAPTER 6. The Lordship of Christ <
- CHAPTER 7. The Carnal Christian
- CHAPTER 8. The Parables of Christ
- CHAPTER 9. Saint or Sinner?
- CHAPTER 10. Righteousness vs. Self-righteousness
- CHAPTER 11. Can a Christian Backslide?
- CHAPTER 12. What About Romans 7?
- CHAPTER 13. The Power of Grace - A Summarization
- CHAPTER 14. Doubt or False Assurance?
- APPENDIX 1. Quotes and Confessions in Church History
CHAPTER SIX
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Lordship Salvation
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Lordship Salvation
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Although the counterfeit cross takes on many forms, there is a teaching of the cross in this day, which allows for a confession of Christ, without consecration to Christ. It is a cross that gives the professing Christian the liberty to reject the command, "You shall have no other gods but Me," and indeed the liberty to serve "two masters," making Christ a liar (Matt. 6:24). It is a cross that can be taken up without the flesh being crucified, sin being abhorred, without a life that lives contrary to the "course of this world." In other words, it allows one to be a Christian, while the Christian life, as defined by Scripture, is optional. It teaches a gospel, in the name of Christ, which falls short of true salvation. A grace that is least wise, grossly misunderstood. In truth, the message of the Cross is one of forgiveness that we might be delivered from sin and this evil age,
"teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:12).
Here, the Apostle Paul gives us the Gospel in capsulated form; forgiveness, justification, sanctification, and the glorious hope of future blessedness in God’s everlasting kingdom. Christianity is not simply accepting Christ to save us from the penalty of sin, but from sin itself. The Savior saves us from the power and practice of sin, as well as from its penalty. "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? (1 Cor. 6:9). In this day, many are clinging to the cross of the Savior, while they reject the resurrected Lord. They are clinging to an imputed righteousness, while they consider an imparted, living, active, productive righteousness as something optional. They believe they can receive Christ as Savior while rejecting the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification. However, according to Scripture, there is no such Christianity (1 John 3:9). To those who are unaware, these are not the teachings of the few, but of the vast majority of our Churches today. If anyone would doubt that this is the case, we need look no further than the most popular and widely distributed devotional of our day, "My Utmost for His Highest," by Oswald Chambers, wherein he makes the following statements:
"Our Lord never insists on our obedience"; "Our Lord never requires the same conditions for discipleship as he requires for salvation;" "Whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He always prefaced His words with an 'if,' never with the forceful or dogmatic statement — ‘You must.’ Discipleship carries with it an option; "Jesus said, ‘[You] cannot be My disciple.’ This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His;" "Luke 14:26 has absolutely nothing to do with salvation or sanctification;" "The reason so many of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God’s perspective"1 (italics added).
These statements are not alarming to most because they reflect the majority view in our day. However, it should be noted that before the turn of the last century, statements such as these would be considered as an affront to God and His Word.
A faith that rejects the Lordship of Christ, that does not result in a life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, and a regeneration that does not of necessity result in a progression towards a conformity to the character and likeness of Christ (i.e., sanctification), has never been the accepted doctrine of the Church since the reformation, nor was it the accepted doctrine of the Church established from the beginning. If one simply reads the orthodox creeds and confessions scattered throughout Church history he will find this to be so (see Appendix 1). This popular delusion of "optional" holiness is giving multitudes a false peace within their souls as they cling to a counterfeit cross and eternal destruction. The biblical teachings to the contrary are witnessed by godly men throughout the ages who have held to the truth of the Gospel with the utmost fervor. Therefore, many quotes from men of the past, as well as the present, are included in these pages, not that we would blindly accept their words as truth, but that we might confirm that the truths which we earnestly seek to establish herein, have been embraced and believed by the true Church throughout her history. Doctrines zealously taught by those most gifted of men in the exposition of Scripture, such as have been enabled of God to that end. In contrast, the "carnal" Christian, non-Lordship, optional discipleship, optional sanctification, teaching of this century has been popularized by such men as Lewis Sperry Chafer, C.I. Scofield, and many who have followed after them. It continues to this day through the writings of men such as Charles Ryrie, Zane Hodges, Charles Stanley, and many of the Church leaders of our time. Although it is not the intent here to judge the character or sincerity of these men, Scripture demands that we speak out against error, and if we have the slightest love for the souls of men it cannot be otherwise.
Listen to the words of Dr. Charles Stanley,
The Bible clearly teaches that God’s love for His People is of such magnitude that even those who walk away from the faith have not the slightest chance of slipping from his hand. 2
Even if a believer for all practical purposes becomes an unbeliever, his salvation is not in jeopardy. 3
…believers who lose or abandon their faith will retain their salvation4 (italics added).
To say that, "an unbeliever" or "those who walk away from the faith" are still saved, is nothing less than astonishing. Never in Church history have such doctrines been taught. Yet, we embrace such men as "great men of God." We see the fruit of such antinomian teachings in that the Church has progressively fallen headlong into licentiousness. The leaven of which has indeed infected the whole lump.
This is a far more serious, and vital issue than most seem to realize. Curtis I. Crenshaw, a lordship advocate, says of the issue,
I’m afraid many will be in hell who thought they had embraced Jesus but were only comfortable with a false faith. Just as Legalism or earning one’s justification is not the Gospel and we rightly classify those who preach such as heretics (Gal. 1:8, 9), so also license or dead faith is not the Gospel (James 2:14ff; 1 John 2:3, 4). We emphasize again that this doctrine of optional holiness in the Christian life is rank heresy, promoting a faith that has no works, and is as much a departure from the Gospel as the doctrine of justification by our works. 5
On the other side of the debate, Charles Ryrie says of the issue:
The importance of this question cannot be overestimated in relation to both salvation and sanctification. The message of faith only, and faith plus commitment of life cannot both be the gospel; therefore, one of them is false and comes under the curse of perverting the gospel or preaching another gospel. 6
It is a solemn day for the Church when those considered its leaders cannot agree on one of the primary purposes for which it exists. Ryrie rightly understands the seriousness of the issue; however, his statement of the issue is false. It has been well established in the debate that both views hold to the belief that it is faith alone that saves the soul. The Lordship view is not one of faith plus commitment of life, but rather the view that saving faith is of such character as cannot be otherwise than committed. It is not possible that a man can believe by submitting to the saving words of Christ, without submitting henceforth to seek to live according to every word that proceeds out of his precious Saviors mouth. This is the beginning of sanctification. It is not the end of our struggles against sin, but the beginning. It is the beginning of an abhorrence of sin and a love for righteousness, and although the Christian may fall grievously while on the path of righteousness, his commitment to obedience remains uninterrupted. When the believer struggles with overcoming a particular sin in his or her life, it does not then follow that Christ is not at that time Lord of his life, or that area of his life, as Ryrie puts it. Rather the reason one struggles with sin is because of the very fact that Christ is Lord of his life. It is the one who has no struggles with sin that has not yet come under the lordship of Christ. In truth, the Lordship of Christ over one's life is not measured by the extent to which perfection has been obtained, but rather to the extent to which progression towards holiness is being sought. In other words, whether or not Christ is Lord of one's life is evidenced in that he is "purifying himself" according to the standard set forth in God’s Word, not the extent whereto he has already obtained to purification. The Christian, being under the Lordship of Christ, is consistently obedient, however, it does not then follow that he is perfectly obedient. The commitment to Christ within the covenant of grace allows for confession of sin within that commitment. Therefore, the Apostle John states that the Christian is one who confesses his sin (1 John 1:9), but states as well that it is impossible that he would walk in the way of sin (1 John 3:9). Christ is not Lord of the sinless, but of those who continually confess their sin, with their "mind set" and "walk" ever being that of obedience. So then, to say that one can be a Christian while rejecting the word of God as the standard by which he conducts his life, refusing obedience to Christ’s teachings, is contrary to the entire work of Christ in salvation and a mockery of the gift of the Holy Spirit which dwells in all who are His.
Those who would present the Lordship of Christ as optional, stand in direct opposition to the fundamental teachings of Christ. Christ says in Luke 19:27, "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want Me to reign over them, and slay them before Me." The false teachers call them Christians; Christ calls them His enemies. Those who reject the Lordship of Christ do not simply lose rewards in the kingdom, but will be brought before Christ and condemned.
Why do men reject the Lordship of Christ? Because they love their evil ways and refuse to come under the authority and light of God’s Word lest the wickedness of their darkened heart is exposed. Thus, it reveals that they have not received the blessing for which God sent forth His Son. For God "...sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities" (Acts 3:26) We find in this passage that the repentance of God’s grace is not simply a change of mind about who Christ is, as Ryrie and others teach, but it is a turning from our iniquities. The sinner repents of his sin because God first blesses him through the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. It is not that we must first cease from sin in order to be saved, but by His grace, the Spirit reveals to our heart sin in its true light, and with a loathing of ourselves in abhorrence of our iniquities (Ezek. 36:31) we turn to Christ with a godly sorrow, crying out that we might be saved. The one who is thus broken by God’s Spirit, will not do otherwise than cry out for mercy and deliverance. It is not a worldly sorrow that grieves over the consequence of sin, namely God’s wrath, but a godly sorrow that grieves over sin as the cause of such wrath. It is then that the believer enters into sanctification: the process whereby this deliverance comes to fruition.
The promise of salvation is everlasting life in the kingdom of God; that place where Christ has perfect rule and reign over all its inhabitants. The man who wants to be saved and go to heaven, yet at the same time says in his heart he does not want the Lord to reign over him directly contradicts himself. That is to say, "I seek to go to that place where sin no longer exists, but while I exist on earth I want to have my fill of it." Such a one is not seeking life, but death. He does not so abhor his sin that he is seeking to be set free from it, longing for the refuge of that place wherein perfect righteousness dwells, but rather he is simply seeking to escape eternal damnation, which is a salvation only in part. It negates the purpose for which Christ came in that He might set us free from the rule and dominion of sin (John 8:36, Rom. 6:22). "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). If we reject the Lordship of Christ, we remain under the dominion of sin and the condemnation of the law (Rom. 6:14). In other words, to say we desire salvation at the rejection of His Lordship is an absurdity.
According to the non-lordship advocates, anyone who would preach a salvation that states that "Christ must be received as Lord to be Savior," which makes a change in one’s heart in regards to his iniquities a necessary part of salvation, comes under the curse of preaching a false gospel, the result of which is eternal damnation (Gal. 1:9). If this is true, then it follows that most every acknowledged Christian leader since the reformation up to the turn of the 19th century, along with those who accept their teachings as truth, preached and believed a false gospel. Calvin, Luther, Knox, Spurgeon, Ryle, Whitefield, Bunyan, Edwards, Henry, etc, as well as the Church creeds and confessions, held to a Gospel of repentance (a turning from sin), which brings one under the dominion of His Word as the rule of one’s heart and life. All these men held to a salvation by faith alone, but not one held to the view that saving faith could be of such character as could reject the lordship of Christ. It was not then referred to as a "lordship theology," since a "non-lordship theology" was never considered as a valid Christian theology. All such Antinomian teachings were rejected as heresy. "Lordship theology" in Luther’s day was "Christianity." How did Luther, the Father of Protestantism, understand saving faith? He describes faith in this way:
Faith is not that human notion and dream that some hold for faith. Because they see no betterment of life and no good works follow it, and yet they can hear and say much about faith, they fall into error and say, ‘Faith is not enough; one must do works in order to be righteous and be saved.’ This is the reason that, when they hear the gospel, they fall-to and make for themselves, by their own powers, an idea in their hearts, which says, ‘I believe.’ This they hold for true faith. But it is a human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it...Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God (John 1); it kills the old Adam and makes altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Ghost. Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask if there are good works to do, but before the question rises; it has already done them, and is always at the doing of them. He who does not these works is a faithless man. He gropes and looks about after faith and good works, and knows neither what faith is nor what good works are, though he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works7 (italics added).
We understand then, that the faith that stands as the very foundation of Protestantism is a faith of such character as necessitates a life of "good works." It "is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly." This is not a quote taken out of context, as is so often the case in these arguments, but rather the context is within the quote itself. To say that any one of these men held to a "non-lordship theology" is at best unconscionably ignorant, or at worst maliciously deceptive. It is disingenuous to say the least for Zane Hodges to quote Luther and Calvin in his book "Absolutely Free" as if they agreed with his argument. Luther and Calvin could not be more at odds with Hodges assertions. Hodges quotes Luther in regards to faith as stating;
Faith holds out the hand and the sack and just lets the good be done to it. For as God is the giver who bestows such things in His love, we are the receivers who receive the gift through faith which does nothing. For it is not our doing and cannot be merited by our works. It has already been granted and given. You only need open your mouth, or rather, your heart, and keep still and let yourself be filled.
In referring to this quote Hodges then says "But lordship theology abandons Reformation thought about the nature of saving faith and thus also abandons biblical thought." The truth is, the lordship view is not at odds with this statement of Luther’s at all. This statement of Luther regarding faith is in full agreement with his previous statement about faith. These statements simply mean that justifying faith is received with an empty hand, without any merit on our part whatsoever; however, what is received in salvation is the powerful work of the Holy Spirit of God in the empty-handed believer’s heart. "Faith holds out the hand and the sack and just lets the good be done to it. For as God is the giver who bestows such things in His love, we are the receivers who receive the gift through faith which does nothing. For it is not our doing and cannot be merited by our works." "…and it brings with it the Holy Ghost. Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly." Luther understood that there would be confusion on this matter of faith and works when he stated:
It is not an easy matter to teach faith without works, and still to require works. Unless the ministers of Christ are wise in handling the mysteries of God and rightly divide the word, faith and good works may easily be confused. Both the doctrine of faith and the doctrine of good works must be diligently taught, and yet in such a way that both the doctrines stay within their God-given sphere. If we only teach works, as our opponents do, we shall lose the faith. If we only teach faith people will come to think that good works are superfluous.8
It is not by the lordship view of faith, but the no-lordship view of faith, that "people will come to think that good works are superfluous."
So then, the logical conclusion of non-lordship theology is that the reformation was not a revival of the truth, but rather it resulted in propagating another false gospel. The gospel of the reformation was then, in fact, no gospel at all, which makes Protestantism a sham. In fact, with this view, the Gospel was lost for almost 2000 years until it was restored at the end of the 19th century. A.W. Tozer, over a half century ago, wrote:
We are under constant temptation these days to substitute another Christ for the Christ of the New Testament. The whole drift of modern religion is toward such a substitution. To avoid this we must hold steadfastly to the concept of Christ as set forth so clearly and plainly in the Scriptures of truth. Though an angel from heaven should preach anything less than the Christ of the apostles let him be forthrightly and fearlessly rejected...Salvation comes not by ‘accepting the finished work’ or ‘deciding for Christ’. It comes by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole, living, victorious Lord who, as God and man, fought our fight and won it, accepted our debt as His own and paid it, took our sins and died under them and rose again to set us free. This is the true Christ, and nothing less will do. But something less is among us, nevertheless, and we do well to identify it so that we may repudiate it. That something is a poetic fiction, a product of the romantic imagination and religious fancy. It is a Jesus, gentle, dreamy, shy, sweet, almost effeminate, and marvelously adaptable to whatever society He may find Himself in. He is cooed over by women disappointed in love, patronized by pro tem celebrities and recommended by psychiatrists as a model of a well-integrated personality. He is used to a means to almost any carnal end, but He is never acknowledged as Lord. These quasi Christians follow a quasi Christ. They want His help but not His interference. They will flatter Him but never obey Him. 9
We read in Ps. 119:51, "Rivers of water run down from my eyes because men do not keep Your commandments" These are not the words of a legalist, but a man after God’s own heart. If the Psalmist would weep as such over the unbelieving wicked, how much more so should the tears of the Christian flow at the thought of a modern day gospel which allows for a salvation without repentance, without discipleship, without lordship, without progressive sanctification, quenching the very essence of the cause and purpose of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Richard P. Belcher in his book "A Layman’s Guide to the Lordship Controversy" wrote:
If one were to suggest that the time would come when a group of evangelical Christians would be arguing for a salvation without repentance, without a change of behavior or lifestyle, without a real avowal of the lordship and authority of Christ, without perseverance, without discipleship, and a salvation that does not necessarily result in obedience and works, and with a regeneration that does not necessarily change one’s life, most believer’s of several decades ago would have felt such would be an absolute impossibility. But believe it or not the hour has come10 (italics added).
It seems the majority of men, being seized by the plague of complacency, are ignorant of much of what was taught prior to this century. More importantly however, is the widespread ignorance of what the Scriptures have taught from the beginning. They refuse to search out the treasures of the Word for themselves that they might know the truth and discern the fear of the Lord. As someone has said, "One of the main hindrances which prevents many of God’s children apprehending Divine Truth is that they read the Bible through the eyes of others; they read it with opinions already firmly formed, they read it with prejudicial interest." Therefore, I would appeal, not to the hardhearted, but to the "fair-minded," to search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so (Acts 17:11). Not with prejudicial interest, but with a simple love for truth.
Many who oppose these false teachings embrace those who teach them in the name of love, unity, and compassion, however, this is not the love of God in the soul, but rather that self-preserving love that so permeates the world. That love which protects its own name and reputation. If only men will speak well of us we are content, however, Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). Those preachers, who allow the people to remain complacent in their sin, are those who generally have the largest following. "They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them" (1 John 4:4). However, we find in Scripture, the true followers of Christ were referred to as a "little flock." The multitudes followed after Christ, yet when He spoke words that were offensive to the flesh, many turned and walked with Him no more (John 6:66). Jesus said, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). The true prophets speak the truth of the Spirit, and the truth is often offensive to the flesh. Rather than hear the truth to the betterment of their souls, they heap up for themselves teachers that tickle their carnal ears that the flesh might be comforted. The true believer says in his heart, "Lord if You speak it, I receive it, for I have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Christ made it plain that those who stood for His truth would be hated and despised of men (John 15:19) yet how few there be that are willing to be rejected for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom. These men who seek comfort in the words of the false teachers will despise them and curse them in the last Day, spilling out of their mouths great blasphemies, as they cry out with anguished souls. Those who speak with smooth words and half-truths to the destruction of their souls, in order that they might receive the praises of men rather than the praises of God, when ultimately they will receive praise from neither. They seek to protect a name and reputation, which is but grass that withers, and its flower falls away.
Charles Spurgeon understood the painstaking battle for truth when he wrote:
Sooner than deny truth, we must forego every...honor, every particle of deserved esteem, every rag of repute...In the battle for the truth, let your personal comfort and reputation go to the winds...My Lord, for Thee I will rejoice to be ‘the off scouring of all things,’ that I may be found faithful to Thee and to Thy truth, even to the end.11
Although the Church in times past, even as today, has fallen into gross error by corrupting the gospel, we thank God for such men as have persevered in the faith, in that truth which was established in its purity from the beginning and has continued to the present time. Such is found in this statement by the highly esteemed Princeton theologian of the 1800’s, Professor Charles Hodge:
There is no logical connection between the neglect of moral duties, and the system which teaches that Christ is a Savior as well from the power as from the penalty of sin; that faith is the act by which the soul receives and rests on Him for sanctification as well as for justification; and that such is the nature of the union with Christ by faith and indwelling of the Spirit, that no one is, or can be partaker of the benefit of His death, who is not also partaker of the power of His life; which holds to the divine authority of Scripture which declares that without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14) and which the great advocate of salvation by grace, warns all who call themselves Christians: "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9, 10)12 (italics added).
He further states:
It is, therefore, to subvert the whole gospel, and to make the death of Christ of none effect, to suppose that redemption and continuance in sin are compatible. The whole design and purpose of the mission and sufferings of the Savior would be frustrated if his people were not made partakers of his holiness; for the glory of God is promoted in them and by them only so far as they are made holy, and the recompense of the Redeemer is his bringing his people into conformity to his own image, that he may be the first-born among many brethren. Every child of God feels that the charm and glory of redemption is deliverance from sin, and conformity to God. This is the crown of righteousness, the prize of the high calling of God, the exaltation and blessedness for which he longs, and suffers, and prays. To tell him that he may be saved without being made holy, is to confound all his ideas of salvation, and to crush all his hopes. The nature of salvation, the character of God, the declarations of his word, the design of redemption, all concur to prove that holiness is absolutely and indispensably necessary, so that whatever we may be, or whatever we may have, if we are not holy, we are not the children of God, nor the heirs of his kingdom. 13
God gives us clear warning of those who would preach in His name that which is contrary to His word; Thus says the Lord of hosts;
"Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, You shall have peace‘; And everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ...I have not sent these prophets yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings" (Jer. 23:16-22) (italics added).
This passage in Jeremiah is as relevant today as in the day that it was first spoken. There are many today that speak in the "name of the Lord," while in fact the source of their speech is the counsel of their own hearts. The result of such counsel, as Scripture states, makes for a "worthless people." Here God admonishes that if anyone would say to you, you who walk according to the dictates of your own heart, "No evil shall come upon you," do not listen to their words for they are the flattering words of men and not the life giving Word of the Spirit. These men speak peace to those who despise God in that they disregard His words and commandments. They speak comforting words to those who continue to walk according to the ways of the world. They fail to warn the people that unless they turn from the evil of their ways, they shall perish in their ways.
We find a vital truth in this passage in Jeremiah. Whenever God’s word is proclaimed by way of His counsel, men are "turned from their evil way and the evil of their doings." This verse exposes the distortion of a gospel without repentance of sin. When preaching the truth the effectual work of the Spirit in the heart of man always results in this turning from. To turn from the evil way is to turn from idolatry to serve the living God. It is to walk in accordance with the Word of God rather than the lusts of our own flesh.
The standard by which a man might examine his own heart as to whether or not he is a Christian has diminished in this modern day to such an extent as to be almost non-existent. In the majority of churchgoer’s minds, the only criterion necessary to assure one is a Christian, is that he professes to love Jesus, mouths a prayer, and goes to Church. To serve God is nothing more than to be busy at Church. However, Scripture does not define a Christian by what one professes with his mouth, or outward observances, but rather by that which possesses his heart, evidenced by a holy character and godly living. A Christian then, who walks not in the way of Christ, is a contradiction in terms. Scripture describes Christianity as the "way of life." In Acts 9:2 we find that Christians are called those who are "Of the Way." The Christian is not one who simply enters the narrow gate (Matt. 7:13), but he walks the narrow way. It is that way of holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). Scripture tells us that many will be deceived in that they listen to the false prophets who stand not in the counsel of God. They teach a grace that allows for a continuance in the ways of the world. These believe they are in the way of life when in fact they abide in death.
Scripture states that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Tim. 4:3) And what is it that itches the ear but that which gives comfort to the flesh? If we are to discern spiritual truth we must ask ourselves these essential questions; is the teaching edifying to the flesh or to the spirit? Does it soothe us in our carnal lusts, or does it convict the spirit to despair over them? Is it pleasant to the carnal ear, or is it consoling to the soul? Is it pleasing to sinful man, or is it pleasing to a Holy God? When we hear the teaching of an optional lordship-discipleship, an optional holiness message, I believe the answer to these questions is clear. To have "itching ears," is to be "desirous of hearing something pleasant."14 This is the general trend of modern day Christianity. The people are desirous to hear only that which is pleasant to their carnal ears, and there is no shortage of pastors who are willing to accommodate them in their desires.
Arthur W. Pink wrote:
The "falling away" which characterizes our day was referred to by the apostle when he said, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:3, 4). That time has arrived! Church-goers today will not endure "sound doctrine." Those who preach the total depravity of man, who insist upon the imperative necessity of the new birth, who set forth the inflexible righteousness and holiness of God... find it almost impossible to obtain a hearing. Such preachers are regarded as puritanical pessimists, and are not wanted. In these degenerate times, the masses demand that which will soothe them in their sins and amuse them while they journey down the Broad Road. The multitude is affected with "itching ears" which crave novelty and that which is sensational. They have ears which wish to be "tickled," ears which eagerly drink in the songs of professional and unsaved soloists and choristers, ears which are well pleased with the vulgar slang of our modern evangelists.15
When the leaven of carnality finds its way within the walls of the visible church, the whole lump becomes more and more like the world with very little distinction. What they must hear then will be teaching that itches the carnal ear rather than the spiritual ear. Church growth then can only be accomplished by teaching what the natural man finds satisfying along with worldly enticements and entertainment. "We must have more entertainment, fun, music, and games or they won’t come." To the spiritually deaf, sound teaching is dull and lifeless. What the natural man wants to hear is that he can have Christ, salvation, heaven, sin, and the world, and this is what the optional lordship-discipleship message teaches. To say that lordship, discipleship, and sanctification are optional, is to say that Christ came to give us salvation which is only in part. It is partly His work and partly our work. We are then given the option of being the "salt of the earth", or salt to His wounds. As Spurgeon wrote,
An unholy Church! It is of no use to the world and of no esteem among men ...it is an abomination, hell’s laughter, heaven’s abhorrence... the worst evils which have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy Church. 16
We must take heed that the grace we look to for salvation is God’s grace and not the grace of men’s imaginations. For the grace men conjure up in their minds cannot save us, but will bring our soul to a worse state than at the first. However, the grace that God gives is a faith rooted and grounded in love. It gives to the Christian an overriding desire to love the Lord with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. To love is to obey. Scripture defines love to Christ, not as something professed, but by a faithful walk of loving obedience to His commandments (John 14:21). "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city" (Rev. 21:14) In the minds of many, the necessity of obedience is somehow contrary to grace. However, if this is so, then grace is contrary to love, for love, according to Scripture, always consists of obedience (John 14:21, John 14:23, 1 John 5:2, 3, Deut. 30:6-8).
The Apostle Paul says, "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed" (1Cor. 16:22). Scripture allows only one alternative to love and that is hate. Scripture assures us that if anyone hates the Lord Jesus Christ he will be condemned. However, the false teachers say otherwise, "They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, "You shall have peace" If to love Christ is to obey Him, who is it that despises Him if not those who continue in disobedience to His will. In other words, he who does not obey Me, hates Me, and "He who hates Me hates My Father also" (John 15:23). And he who hates Me shall be condemned. The Apostle James tells us that the crown of life is promised only to those who love Christ (James 1:12). In Scripture, those who love Him are contrasted with the wicked who despise Him. Ps. 145:20 states, "The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy" According to this passage there are only two types of people on the earth; those who love God and those who are wicked. There is no middle ground here. The preservation of the soul is promised only to those who love Him.
To the Christian it is the greatest joy in all of life to obey the God we love, likewise the greatest sorrow to sin. This is the grace of God. The beauty of God’s grace is not in that man can be forgiven and continue to walk in disobedience, but rather being forgiven, receiving the gift of the Spirit, he walks in loving obedience, and yet there is no boasting in himself, but rather God receives all the glory. It is a grace that is high and lifted up to its proper domain, even to the right hand of the Father. It is an honorable, noble, and godly grace. There can be no lesser grace, for there is none other grace that is worthy of the name of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Would we expect from a perfectly Holy God a grace that is less than that which makes for a Holy people? Would we expect the grace of a most righteous Father to produce anything less than "sons of obedience"? Would we expect of His offspring to walk in any other way but in the way of righteousness? Sin causes nothing but misery, destruction, and sorrow. Do we not call even an earthly father, who stands by and allows his child to rebel and do such things as would be harmful to him and others, unfit and unloving? Is it not God the Father Who says, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly" (Prov. 13:24). If God truly loves His children he cannot possibly allow them to continue in sin for that would be contrary to love. It perverts the very nature of God. When we say God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16), we must say in the same breath, He sent Him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities (Acts 3:26). If we shun the blessing of God’s grace in turning us from our iniquities, we make null and void as well the statement, "God so loved."
When we cling to the cross to which Christ hangs, and we hear with spiritual ears the heart piercing words of our Lord, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" two truths take possession of the believer’s heart; the incomprehensible love of God and His incomprehensible hatred of sin. These are truths that work in the heart of faith resulting in an unfeigned love for God and an intense hatred of sin. God has made it impossible to cling to the cross of His Son and eternal life with one hand, while clinging to our sin and the world with the other. No matter how respected and honored the man that teaches such a grace, a grace that says a man can continue in his sin, walking according to the flesh, loving the things of this present world, and yet be a child of God, though he may teach it with the utmost sincerity, he is teaching a false gospel. Come out from among them, says God, and be saved. We can be sincerely wrong about many things, but not about the saving of the soul, for it is an irrevocable and eternal error which the Day of Judgment will reveal in all its horrors.
Perversions of the gospel have been fought against since the Churches beginnings and will most likely continue to be fought until Christ returns. If we look back to the time of the reformation we find that it is not inconceivable that deception can be so prevalent that the established church as a whole can be deceived by "another gospel." We can only imagine the struggles of Luther as he came against the Church of Rome. In this day the gospel of licentiousness is the prevailing teaching in our churches. We would not perceive those men in the past, those who perverted the gospel, as evil and wicked men. No, they were upstanding men in the eyes of the multitude. Was it not the Pope himself, who at the time was the most respected leader in the Church, who was the chief enemy of the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone? Was it not the most recognized religious leaders of Jesus time that were keeping men from the salvation of their souls? (Matt. 23:13). Would we not be wise then in this day to look not to men, but with the utmost diligence to the Word of God to find out whether or not these things are so? Again, "Let God be true and every man a liar." Let us not be content with the teachings of so-called "great men of God," but rather let us seek with diligence the great God of men. Let us all take heed to the warning, "beware of the false teachers who come to you in sheep’s clothing." Author W. Pink writes:
Some of the propagators of the salvation -without- works error during the last century have assumed the garb of the orthodox and thereby obtained a hearing from many who had never listened to them had their real characters been suspected. They have gone to the opposite extreme (of legalism) and preached a ‘gospel’ as far removed from the Truth as the Romish lie of salvation by works. They teach that while good works from Christians are certainly desirable yet they are not imperative, the absence of them involving merely the loss of certain ‘millennial’ honors and not the missing of heaven itself. They have interpreted those words of Christ’s ‘It is finished’ in such a way to lull multitudes of souls into a false peace, as though He wrought something at the Cross which renders it needless for sinners to repent, forsake their idols, renounce the world before they can be saved; ‘that nothing is required of them but their simple acceptance of Christ by faith;’ that once they have ‘rested on His finished work’- no matter what their subsequent lives- they are ‘eternally secure.’ So widely has this fatal doctrine been received, so thoroughly have these ‘ravenous wolves’ deceived the religious world by their ‘sheep’s clothing, ’ that with rare exceptions anyone who now denounces this deadly evil is to call down upon himself the charge of being a ‘Legalist’ or ‘Judaizer.’ 17
In his book "The Authentic Gospel" Jefferey E. Wilson writes:
Today’s Christianity is in a state of disarray and decay, and the condition is deteriorating year by year. The truth of God’s word has been watered down and compromised to reach a common denominator that will accommodate the largest number of participants. The result is a hybrid Christianity which is essentially man-centered, materialistic, and worldly, and shamefully dishonoring to the Lord Jesus Christ. This shameful degeneracy is due in large part to the erroneous gospel that is presented by many around the world. 18
We will never gain popularity when speaking contrary to what is the popular teaching of the day. We understand the words of John Wesley as he states,
Who is sufficient to bear the weight of prejudice which must necessarily follow the very mention of such a charge against men of so established a character? Nay, and who have, indeed, in many other respects, done great service to the Church of God? Yet must every faithful Minister say, ‘God forbid that I should accept any man’s person!’ I dare not give any man flattering titles, nor spare any that corrupt the Gospel. In so doing my Maker would soon take me away.19
Jude 4 in Wuest’s Greek expanded translation reads,
"Divinely loved ones, when giving every diligence to be writing to you concerning the salvation possessed in common by all of us, I had constraint laid upon me to write to you, beseeching you to contend with intensity and determination for the Faith once for all entrusted into the safe-keeping of the saints. For certain men entered surreptitiously who were of old predicted with reference to this judgment, men destitute of reverential awe towards God, perverting the grace of our God into moral anarchy and lack of self-restraint, and denying the only absolute Master, even our Lord Jesus Christ" (italics added).
We understand in this passage, that the sound teaching of the truth of the doctrine of salvation was of urgent concern in the early church even as it should be today. And what was the teaching that was to be opposed with such fervency? A grace that makes allowance for "moral anarchy" The Spirit speaks with great urgency and fervor, knowing that a little leaven spoils the whole lump.
We find in Scripture that God has never done one work on the earth that has not been to the glory of His most holy Name. I do not think it possible that any man can truly believe in his heart that a grace which allows a man to reject the rule of God gives due honor and glory to the One Who sits on the throne in heaven to Whom the angels cry out day and night, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" For it is He who says to all who would bow before Him seeking His mercy, "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:16). He who does not have this longing after holiness, does not long for God, and will be cast out from the presence of His majesty. For it is only to those who mourn with a godly sorrow, who weep over their sin, that God will, with His comforting hand," ...wipe away every tear from their eyes; (Rev. 21:4, 5)
If God is divided in any one of His attributes He is no longer the God of Scripture. God is a personal being, and it is His person we must worship. For instance, if we seek to worship a God of wrath at the exclusion of His love, we commit idolatry. And so it is with those who would seek to receive Christ as Savior, while rejecting Him as Master and Lord. It is as a man seeking after a wife and when he finds her, he asks of her hand in marriage, however, she accepts only on the condition that she can commit adultery. "I will marry you as long as I will not have to be faithful." The one is no less absurd than the other is. Scripture states that the believer is married to Christ (Rom. 7:4). The Church is the "bride of Christ," and to be such demands commitment and submission to the head of the Church which is Christ (Eph. 5:23, 24). To the wife that loves her husband, it cannot be otherwise. She does not see such a commitment as a price she must pay, but rather a gift of joy she receives. The grace that allows for such a union with Christ that it is compared to the intimacy of a marriage, includes in that union the joy and privilege of submission to Him as our Lord and our God. If we understand it as a burden, we have missed the meaning of the love of God and His grace. Those who divide Christ and present the lordship of Christ as something optional, as something to be desired but not necessary, entice one from the commitment which is required in the marriage vow to Christ and that which is essential to the saving of the soul.
The sin of idolatry is not limited to the worship of carved images, but it is to serve anything other than the God revealed in Scripture. There are those of whom the Apostle Paul speaks whose god is their belly (Phil. 3:18). Col. 3:5 states that serving the flesh by way of fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, is idolatry. According to Scripture then, to teach that Christ can be received as Savior while refusing discipleship and the rejection of His lordship, "allowing self to continue to occupy the throne of one’s heart," is a teaching that is offering "idolatry" as a valid option in the Christian life. It is to tempt the soul to go after other gods. It is an error which carries with it exceedingly terrible consequences.
God says in the Old Testament,
"If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods, ’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people" (Deut. 13:6-9).
God says to those of His people, with your own hands you must kill your own brother, your own son or daughter, your own wife, your best friend, if any one of them would entice you away from your allegiance to Me. In other words, God takes extremely serious the allegiance that He demands for the good of His people. This allegiance is not absolved in the New Testament. Christ demands this same loyalty.
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37, 38).
Although we are not called in this day to kill such a one as would lead us astray, surely God takes extremely serious any teaching which allows for idolatry among his people, whether it be in the worship of a god on the throne of a false religious system, or the god of self on the throne of our own heart. It is a teaching that has a form of godliness but denies its power. Scripture does not tell us to agree to disagree with those who would teach such, but rather to turn away from such people (2 Tim. 3:5).
The Christian lives for the cause of Christ. And what is His cause? The Kingdom of God (Matt. 4:23). Jesus tells us in John 18:37,
"...You say rightly that I am a king, for this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (John 18:36)
We, as Christ’s servants, are not fighting for a kingdom of this world, but rather we fight the good fight of faith that we might lay hold of the kingdom of our God.
"...The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20, 21).
Wherever Christ rules, there is the kingdom. He is reigning now, in the hearts of His followers, but there is coming a day when He will perfectly reign over all the earth. Those who receive Him as Lord in this life, will have Him as Lord in the life to come, but those who reject His lordship in this life, He will reject in the life to come. Again, Christ said it so clearly that it cannot be missed,
"...bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before Me" (Luke 19:27).
If there was ever a time to heed the word of God to "be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15), it is the day in which we live. For evil men and impostors have indeed grown worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:13). While some are deceived in ignorance, others are knowingly corrupting the truth. And sadly, the church remains indifferent too much of what is being taught as if the consequences were merely temporal. It is as if the Church has forgotten that the eternal kingdom is its only hope and these false teachings will have such a devastating effect on the soul that it is beyond human comprehension. The shepherd that seeks the love of the sheep at the expense of their safety is most certainly no friend of the flock. If such a one would examine his own heart he would probably find that he loves his position as shepherd far more than he loves his sheep. To simply agree to disagree when it comes to vital error in the Church, although it seems to the flesh very loving and pious, is in truth a most profound form of hatred and the Day of the Lord will declare it as such.
Comments
I enjoyed reading the article.
Just a comment on,Lordship Salvation.
How does a person enter into this Lordship,I did not see in the article other than one having faith/belief in Christ.
I am not to crazy about the word salvation as used by Christians. Many are using the word salvation or saved as meaning going to heaven. I believe this word salvation is not used in scripture as a means of entering heaven.
Just my thoughts.
Charles
I enjoyed reading the article.
Just a comment on,Lordship Salvation.
How does a person enter into this Lordship,I did not see in the article other than one having faith/belief in Christ.
I am not to crazy about the word salvation as used by Christians. Many are using the word salvation or saved as meaning going to heaven. I believe this word salvation is not used in scripture as a means of entering heaven.
Just my thoughts.
Charles