Faith Essential Pt 5

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Part Five

Lordship Salvation, Easy Believism, & Cheap Grace

UPCI writer David Bernard cites the Lordship Salvation¹ controversy among evangelicals as what is at stake in the UPCI view of Acts 2:38 – particularly the part repentance plays. Let me explain. In the Lordship Salvation controversy some evangelicals assert that one cannot require that justification must be followed by obedience to Christ since that would be a form of works righteousness. They say it is making works the assurance of salvation. The other group led by a number of highly respected writers led by John MacArthur, responded that when one is truly justified one will claim Christ as Lord through obedient living:

At the heart of the issue is this question: Does saving faith necessarily produce the works of obedience? MacArthur insists that true saving faith must necessarily and inevitably yield works of obedience. Ryrie and Hodges insist that though faith should immediately produce works of obedience, it does not always do so. The “carnal Christian” is one who receives Jesus as Savior but may die without ever embracing him as Lord.²

John MacArthur rejects the no Lordship position:

The gospel in vogue today holds forth a false hope to sinners. It promises them they can have eternal life yet continue to live in rebellion against God. Indeed, it encourages people to claim Jesus as Savior yet defer until later the commitment to obey him as Lord. It promises salvation from hell but not necessarily freedom from iniquity. It offers false security to people who revel in the sins of the flesh and spurn the way of holiness. By separating faith from faithfulness, it teaches that intellectual assent is as valid as wholehearted obedience to the truth.³

I totally agree with MacArthur, and James Boice, Michael Horton, R. C. Sproul, et. al., that saving faith does necessarily produce works of obedience in the life of the Christian. These men do not teach that this obedience is the condition of justification. They teach that obedience is the proper result of justification. This has been the traditional orthodox position of the Church. Those who are saved, are saved unto good works, as God has ordained (Ephesians 2:10). There can be no real justification without a transformed heart that desires to follow the will of God and glorify Him in all things.

The rest of this chapter can be purchased in the book Faith is the Essential Response to Acts 2:38