Fear-Based Religion

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

The more I get into the Lordship Salvation vs Classical Grace issue, the more I see just how nuanced everything is in the Lordship camp. All the nuancing creates something that is not at all accurate, in my opinion, biblically speaking. I know folks have been debating this since the 1970s and it continues today with no real end in sight. It comes down to each and every believer entering into the debate and deciding for themselves what the Bible actually teaches about salvation and sanctification. Are works necessary in order to prove a person is saved? If so, how many works are needed? What about whether or not a believer ends up sinning even grievously? Does that mean that believer was never truly saved? It gets complicated quickly.

What should be extremely easy to comprehend is somehow turned into a debacle created by all the nuancing that goes on by biblical scholars, who seem loathe to simply accept that not only is salvation freely given to anyone who believes, but the same faith that allows a person to receive salvation is the exact same faith that helps us in our sanctification (Galatians 2:20).

A case in point is seen in the image from Grace Answers. In the image, Sproul is quoted as saying there is no such thing as a carnal Christian. Yet Paul the apostle indicated that there were, in fact, believers whom he considered carnal. Who is right, Sproul or Paul? Goodness, Paul specifically called some of the Corinthian believers carnal.

To hear many tell it, our sanctification, which occurs following our receipt of salvation, requires much more than simple faith to get through it. For many, sanctification requires our works in order to outwardly prove that we actually have salvation on the inside. It is often stated something like this, “James teaches that saving faith does not remain alone. Works do not earn salvation, but works validate a person as a genuine believer.”

The reality of the two last statements create a wide gulf between the faith that saves and the faith that helps us live the life God wants us to live in Christ in our sanctification. So for a believer (or someone who professes to be saved), who does not show any real signs of being saved by his/her outward works, the conclusion within those of the Lordship Salvation camp is that the person is very likely not saved at all. Apparently, they have placed themselves on the throne of God believing that what they see on the outside of a person tells them what exists on the inside. Let me ask though, is it my job to decide who is or who is not saved by their external works?

If we look at false teachers/prophets either in Jesus’ day or ours today, we would most likely say that what they do looks good. They preach the Gospel (sort of, usually with a prosperity twist), people appear to be healed at their services, things around them are exciting and they are often seen doing things that would make us believe they are the real deal and walk the talk based on externals. But what did Jesus say about false teachers? In Matthew 7:16, Jesus warned those following Him that they need to be aware of the danger of the false teacher. They look great (they look like sheep on the outside, but are inwardly wolves). They do the things most people would expect a true believer to do. But if they are actually wolves on the inside, how can we determine that? Clearly, Jesus’ warning is evidence that we can determine their motivation.

Jesus tells us plainly. He said we will know them by their fruit. This statement by Jesus is often taken out of context by many. They are clueless as to the actual context where Jesus is referring to false teachers. People assume that the fruit He is referring to are external works we can see. Clearly, that cannot be the case since He says they appear to be actual sheep (though they are wolves), by the way they act and the works they do. So if the fruit Jesus refers to is not their works, what is left? Jesus is referring to their words, the fruit of their lips. What comes out of their mouths is how a false teacher/prophet is known and this is the exact same criteria from the Old Testament as well.

Consequently, it is very important to pay attention to what those within Christian leadership actually say to learn if they are actual sheep or wolves simply pretending to be sheep because their teachings will eventually give them away. The context assumes understanding Jesus to be referring to their external works. He is warning His followers about words (teachings) here. This is just one example. I have many others that I’ll highlight in upcoming articles.

Proponents of Lordship Salvation – John MacArthur, R C Sproul, Steve Lawson, et al – believe that to receive salvation, faith alone in Christ alone, by grace alone is the only thing required and I agree. However, they often use a pejorative when referring to Classical Grace proponents who, they say, are simply giving intellectual assent and that to them is not real biblical faith.

If I’m a young child just learning math, when I learn that 2 + 2 does indeed equal 4, the realization of it might excite me and make me feel as though I’m really getting a handle on this math stuff. We can prove that 2 + 2 is truly 4. Someone else might come along and simply go, “Oh, right 2 + 2 equals 4, got it.” Intellectual assent is my mind agreeing with truth and that reality changing the way I think. With respect to Jesus, intellectual assent confirms my belief that Jesus is who He said He is and did for me what I had no ability to do for myself. With some people, that truth hits hard and deep. For others, it doesn’t hit like that, but in each case, truth is truth and embraced. Obviously, this occurred within the thief on the cross, didn’t it?

When it comes to salvation, some people, like the Samaritan woman at the well, get super excited about the truth Jesus shared with her and the truth she embraced. It drastically changed her mind, heart and outlook. Not everyone reacts like that, but truth is truth. Have you ever learned something new and go, “Oh wow, now I get it!” and it excites you? Someone else might simply react with, “Yeah, that makes perfect sense” and be rather subdued about the same information.

Do you believe Jesus paid the penalty for your sin? Did you embrace that truthful reality? Because of that truth, do you believe Jesus came into your heart and that He, through the Holy Spirit indwells you? If you believe that and are convinced of it like you know that 2 + 2 = 4, you are saved eternally. Nothing else is needed for salvation or the assurance of it. There’s no special “sinner’s” prayer needed (I cannot find one in the Bible because the sinner’s prayer started with Charles Finney in the 1800s). There’s an embracing of truth that forever changes one’s outlook in life.

Regarding a believer’s sanctification, faith is also needed, however in this case, that faith is never alone, according to Lordship Salvation folks, meaning outer works prove the person’s inner faith. This implies that if a person claims to be a believer, but lives carnally, that individual is likely not a true believer. They managed to convince themselves they were but the character (or lack of it), of their lives tells the actual story. Again, this is all according to Lordship Salvation.

Those within the Lordship Salvation camp are not really that far removed from Roman Catholicism. In fact, within evangelical circles, Reformed theology itself maintains a direct connection with Roman Catholic doctrine and within that system, there is virtually no assurance of one’s salvation, ever. A Roman Catholic could at one point, exercise faith alone in Christ alone because of grace alone, bringing them to the realization that they are indeed born again. However, the entirety of Roman Catholic doctrine is designed for two reasons: first, to keep parishioners coming back to the “teat” (if you will), or Roman Catholicism for assurance of salvation that they can never quite reach, and second, if the person does not continue in all the sacraments until their very death, it is questionable as to whether or not they were actually saved at all. At best, they’ll spend time in purgatory working off sins (which apparently, Jesus’ death did not cover for some reason). At worst, they’ll go to hell.

Arminianism is similar, with the same emphasis on works following being born again. This goes back to Puritanism. Yet, there are over 100 verses in the New Testament that point out that whoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ (meaning who He was/is and what He accomplished for us with His life, death and resurrection), that person shall be saved. Zane Hodges repeatedly points out that this new life (or being born again), is guaranteed and eternal in his book, Absolutely Free. That, my friends, is assurance of salvation. By the way, have you ever heard of someone being “unborn again”? It can’t happen. Death is not the antithesis of being born again because the person’s spirit never dies physically. Suicide does not make someone unborn either. It simply makes their bodies dead.

But Lordship Salvation folks come along and argue, “Well of course, salvation is a free gift! However, once it is received, the believer must start living a life that brings glory to God. If they do not, then it is reasonable to question their salvation.” A thousand times NO, it is not reasonable to question someone’s salvation! Who is any human being to believe they have a right to decide who is and who is not saved based on externals? Would these same people say a false teacher or prophet was actually saved based on theirexternals? Unfortunately, Lordship Salvation, at least for me, falls into the category of fear-based religion. You’re always looking back, always over your shoulder. You’re always waiting for God to bring the wrath if you screw up. That’s not the God of the Bible at all. The folks pushing and propagating Lordship Salvation will be thoroughly corrected at the BEMA Seat of Judgment when they stand before our Lord. But in the meantime, are they guilty of changing the salvation provided by God from a completely free gift to a “gift” with strings attached?

When Jesus healed people and few came back to even thank Him at times, did He remove the healing from those who did not take the time to express thanks? Nope! Certainly we should be extremely grateful for what He has done for us, but we are sinners continuing along with our sin natures until He removes it after we die. Then, we will see face to face and understand perfectly. Now, we see through a glass darkly and in my opinion, those within Lordship Salvation are simply making things darker and harder for people to comprehend.

Throughout the letters of the New Testament, whether written by Paul, James, John, Peter or someone else, it seems clear enough that the human authors of those letters referred to their readers as believers. They often used words like “brethren” or something similar to denote that they (the authors), firmly believed the people to whom they were writing were in fact actual Christians. Certainly, they needed to understand aspects of what it meant to be a Christian and how, from that vantage point, a believer’s life should look. But they never seemed to question their readers’ salvation. James is interesting here because of his usage of “brother or sister” in his letter. People often take him out of context as well. Maybe we’ll get to that in a future article article.

In one instance, Paul went even further by simply stating that those Christians who had been living carnally fell “asleep.” He meant that God took them home early out of this life, but God’s preference had been that they straighten out and fly right. There is no indication from Paul that he thought those particular believers were actually not believers in the first place (1 Corinthians 11:30). They had been obstinate in their carnality and chose to not do what God wanted them to do (live rightly). They didn’t lose salvation. Paul never even questioned whether or not they had it. He simply acknowledged that God chose to take them out of here early for their own sakes, rather than allow them to live on with their carnal mindset. In Scripture, the use of “sleep” in describing people who have passed on from this life always connects with actual believers. Lordship Salvation folks would argue today (if that happened), there would be a huge question as to whether or not a believer was actually saved in the first place. Paul did no such thing. I’m sticking with Paul.

Why is it any other Christians believes they have a right to judge someone else for how they live their Christian life? Certainly, we should come alongside other believers to encourage them, coach them and the church should be even willing to mete out biblical discipline on them if needed in the hopes of helping them live the way they are supposed to live. But it is not my job to look into someone’s heart (or think I can!), to try to determine their actual status. Of course, Lordship Salvation folks would argue that they are not looking into anyone’s heart. They are simply judging exterior circumstances and if they see someone living an “ungodly” life, they feel confident in assessing that person as a non-believer. But what about false teachers? Nearly everything they do looks great! It’s what they teach from their mouth (their fruit), that helps us understand their inward ravenous wolf demeanor.

All Christians are carnal at times, aren’t we? I sin. You sin. Sometimes, I can be stupidly arrogant about it, yet God never casts me out of His Presence. Look at King David. He committed adultery with another man’s wife and then had that man killed. So he committed adultery, then committed murder. Did he lose his salvation? No, but he paid a huge temporal price regarding his own sons and his kingdom. God never cast David out though.

Today, people have given themselves permission to be judges of other people. If we take Steve Lawson as just one example, his own Lordship Salvation beliefs when applied to his own life would argue that he was not/is not actually saved. How could a man who rose to the status Lawson rose to, yet committed a form of adultery against his own wife with another woman some 20 years his junior over a long period of time actually be a believer according to Lordship Salvation? Yet, those of us within Classical Grace understand how deceitful and seductive our sin natures can be. If I’m going to judge someone else, I’d better start with myself.

Lawson has canceled himself out of any form of ministry with the possible exception of personal evangelism, if God is able to humble him, because of his sin over months and possibly a few years. During that time of his continuing sin, he was getting up in pulpits and expounding God’s Word to other believers, providing instruction to them. Yet, his hypocrisy, though hidden at the time, was still known to himself (Lawson), and of course, to God. Part of Lawson’s temporal judgment is that it came out and I believe God did this to straighten Lawson out and to bring glory to Himself. That is God’s graciousness. He could have simply taken Lawson home early and would have been perfectly righteous in doing so.

Do Lawson’s actions during that time mean he was never truly saved? No. It means that he allowed his old man/flesh to guide him into an area that he knew was totally off limits yet went there anyway. You know what? Any one of us could do the same thing if we are not careful. Not one of us can assuredly say, “Oh I’d never do that!” We are all capable of failing if we do not take our walk with Christ (sanctification) seriously. However, falling into sin there or in other areas does not mean we lose our salvation or we were never actually saved, anymore than Peter lost his when he denied the Lord he loved three times on the night of Jesus’ betrayal. Did Jesus cast Peter away? Did He remonstrate Peter? Did Jesus question Peter’s salvation? No, none of those things.

On a related note, I generally appreciate Got Questions and their forum. However, I recently watched a short video of theirs that was essentially in full support of Lordship Salvation. If that’s what they believe, that’s up to them. What troubled me though is how they misrepresented Classical Grace throughout the video. I may discuss it more in depth next time or soon upcoming, but you can check it out at the link below.[1]

It seems that those within the Lordship Salvation camp often end up being very judgmental. After all, they believe that they have the ability and right to judge those who claim to be believers. However, it’s not my job to judge anyone else. It’s my job to spread the Gospel and help, coach and encourage believers in their walk with the Lord.

I’ve got a brother-in-law, whom we will be seeing during the first part of November (Lord willing). I’ve determined that I need to talk with him in the most clear, calm way about his need for Jesus. I firmly believe God will help me be clear to him in a way that he will be able to understand. But here’s the rub. His life is a mess and has been a mess for decades. If he comes to a realization of his need for Jesus, do I actually think that the “demons” that surround him will be vanquished? Not necessarily, anymore than mine are completely gone. He’s been an alcoholic since his late teens and he’s getting ready to turn 60. His health is terrible and he still drinks. He’s been in and out of jail because of drunk driving problems and accidents related to that.

Do I think for a moment that if he sees and understands his need for Jesus that he will change instantly or that all his problems will vanish and he’ll never drink again? This is absurd and by the way, it’s not because I don’t believe God could make those changes in my brother-in-law because I firmly believe God could do that if He chose to do that. But the truth of the matter is that my brother-in-law has tons of baggage that he’s been carrying for decades. Receiving salvation through faith does not immediately eliminate that baggage.

But let’s say he sees the Light and receives salvation that Jesus provides (pray for that please!). He will be a changed man, yes! But, he will (like all of us), still have his sin nature. That sin nature will try to lure him and even drag him down the same roads he’s been living on over the years. Will that mean if he succumbs to liquor or drugs, or driving while intoxicated, that he then proves he is not truly saved? That’s garbage.

Lordship Salvation seems built not only on a full misunderstanding of God’s grace, but ultimately, it is a thoroughly nuanced yet twisted view of Scripture. In the Garden of Eden, Satan came along and pushed Eve (and Adam) into a thinking process that created a huge problem for them: did God really say? which is another way of saying, “What did God actually mean?” Today’s Lordship Salvation folks are doing the same thing. The Bible makes it incontrovertibly clear that salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone and sanctification is also lived by that same faith. Lordship folks agree with the first part, but then they add an emphasis on works to the entire picture for sanctification, whereas God does not. To hear people like John Piper tell it, believing in Jesus by faith alone means a 1001 things, not simply actual believing! It’s a bit mind numbing, but for the uninitiated, it sounds very cerebral and enlightening. It’s actually abysmal because it changes the very clear meaning of Scripture related to our salvation/sanctification.

Yes, Christians are to strive to live for God by depending on the indwelling Holy Spirit via faith to help us live the way God wants us to live. No one does it perfectly, but the focus should not be on me. It should be on Christ.

Once we begin to take that position, our eyes focus on ourselves, and not on God. We are constantly looking at ourselves, our hearts and our motivation instead of looking solely to Jesus, the Author and Finisher (Perfector), of our faith!

Before I got into this entire area, I never really knew how nuanced it all was and now that I’m in it, it seems clear to me that Satan, the great Nuancer, has his fingers in it throughout. His goal is to go beyond what God’s Word has clearly stated so that we somehow (with our works) become part of the picture of salvation instead of it all just being about Jesus, His tremendous love for us evidenced by what He was willing to put Himself through on our behalf.

I’ve got more to say about Lordship Salvation. I find it fascinating just how the debate rages. I know I’m not going to be the final voice on it and I also know that I will never change anyone’s mind. I’m fine with both of those but for folks who have an interest in learning more about the vast biblical difference between Lordship Salvation and Classical Grace, there is more to come in future articles.

Let me apologize for the length of this article. I’ll try to keep future ones shorter.

Classical Grace leaves me with a greater understanding of just how much God loves me (and the world). Lordship Salvation teaches the idea that no matter how I see myself living, if I’m not careful, I could fall so that I prove that I never really had salvation in the first place. Classical Grace leads to loving God more and more, as we stand in absolute awe of Him, His unconditional love for us and how welcoming He is where we are concerned (think the father of the prodigal son!), while Lordship Salvation leads to continually judging ourselves and others and seeing God as a Taskmaster rather than the father in the story of the Prodigal Son.

One final note, here is a YouTube channel I highly recommend from a pastor friend of mine: GraceGuy. Please check him out at the link below.[2]

Praise Him for how He loves us! Praise Him for His unconditional love. Praise Him that nothing will ever separate us from His love. Just take time to praise Him for who He is and for His love directed to us. Amen and amen!

[1] https://youtu.be/BiomUqv_SxU

[2] https://www.youtube.com/@graceguy9064

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Source: https://studygrowknowblog.com/2026/10/06/fear-based-religion/