In 2009, John MacArthur wrote the book, “The Gospel According to Jesus,” which was not the first time the phrase “Lordship Salvation” was bantered about, but it was the most explosive. In the book, MacArthur tried to make the case that,

“The gospel call to faith presupposes that sinners must repent of their sins and yield to Christ’s authority.”

As straightforward and logical as that quote may sound, those who opposed the concept read into MacArthur’s underlying theology and considered it heresy. For years, MacArthur was removed from the very popular (at that time) syndicated radio community, The Bible Broadcasting Network. Heavyweights like Charles Stanley, Norman Geisler, and Bill Bright “denied the doctrine.” They viewed it in opposition to “Free Grace” which correctly states that salvation is a free gift from God, and therefore, man’s deeds have no bearing on our eternal state (details here).

The controversy arose over those, including MacArthur, who saw our Biblical Christian worldview deteriorating into what was called “Easy Believeism” or “Carnal Christianity.” In its extreme, this view suggests that one has the freedom to repent of their sins and ask the Lord into their heart, but, going forward, not show any visible change in their behavior. The Bible cautions against this view:

Romans 6:1-2 – What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Free Grace

There is no question that our salvation and eternal place in Heaven is based on God’s grace and our faith in the sacrifice of His Son on the cross for our sins. This view goes back to the five solas of the Protestant Reformation (details here). It is supported by a number of verses, the most referenced are:

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Titus 3:5 – He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

The emphasis is “not of your own doing” and “not because of works,” which marked the center of the controversary. Stanley, Geisler, Bright and others saw MacArthur as suggesting a works-based salvation whereby the believer not only had to repent of his/her sins, but also demonstrate a change in behavior PRIOR to being filled with the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. It was felt that MacArthur was suggesting salvation was a process of earning a place in Heaven, rather than a singular event in the life of the Christian at the point of repentance and acknowledgement of the role of Jesus as the sole source of salvation (John 14:6).

Lordship Salvation

The theological foundation of MacArthur’s “Lordship Salvation” was founded on verses such as 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:22-23, and James 2:14-26. Further examples include:

Luke 14:27 – Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 9:62 – Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Point being, there needs to be a heart change in the life of the Christian that can be seen over time. Salvation remains an event that begins the process of sanctification through the rest of the believer’s life. What so many theologians missed in MacArthur’s view (which was eventually clarified and corrected) was the timing of salvation (grace-based event) and sanctification (evidence-based process).

Reconciliation of Free Grace and Lordship Salvation

To view the thief at the cross being told that “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43) by Jesus, with no opportunity to demonstrate any tangible change in behavior is a perfect example of the unification of Lordship Salvation and Free Grace Salvation.

From the cross the thief expressed repentance and an acknowledgment that Jesus was who He said He was. Within the limits of the thief’s outward behavior change, there was a tangible acknowledgement of Christ’s Lordship. Had he not been on the cross, one would have expected an inward and outward behavior shift as the process of sanctification took over in the thief’s life. However, as his options were limited, in the throes of death, the theology of God’s grace being freely given was also theologically clear.

Conclusion

Today, in most Biblical Christian theological circles, the dispute over Lordship vs. Free Grace salvation is being seen as nothing more than a reconciliation over two powerful verses that complement, rather than compete with each other.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

James 2:14-17 – What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?… So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Understanding that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, we are forced within the boundaries of human understanding to reconcile verses such as those above. And, in this case, initial controversy over “Free Grace” and “Lordship Salvation” becomes simply a function of the timing of these two verses.

We are saved under Ephesians 2:8-9 (and Romans 10:9). This is not a works-based salvation where one is earning their way to Heaven. However, as James points out, once we are saved, we are compelled to move along the continuum of sanctification … becoming more Christ-like (1 John 2:6) in our behavior. The result of that initial saving heart change is what James 2:14-17, along with many other Biblical verses, point out as the believer being a new creation in Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

This is why the Core Biblical Christian Statement of Faith of our ministry states that mankind cannot save ourselves AND we need to show a change in behavior that is evidence of Christ being BOTH our Savior AND our Lord….

Salvation — Everyone sins and no one can save themselves. It is only through accepting Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior that one can receive eternal life in Heaven. Salvation is available to anyone who acknowledges in their heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, rose bodily from the grave, and asks Him to forgive them of their sins and save their soul. The difference between a saved and an unsaved person is a God-produced difference.

Therefore, works-based salvation is heresy and most false teachings are based on this errant view of eternal security. Further, “Free Grace” based salvation is theologically sound as long as it is married with a sanctification process that demonstrates one’s “Lordship Salvation,” as well.

The truth is that one cannot pray a prayer during a Sunday morning service, revival meeting, or youth camp and, with no outward sign of a changed life going forward, expect to have received the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and eternal life in Heaven. How could one believe God saved their soul for eternity and not present inward and outward signs of that recognition?

Luke 10:27 – And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Of course, one will rightly say that we do not know the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:11) and, perhaps, have no right to state who is saved and who is not. However, as we pray for our family, our friends, our coworkers and our nation, we do need to be “fruit checkers” in order to direct our prayers, petitions and opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to those we have concern over.  

Matthew 7:20 – Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.