Lordship Salvation Part 2

Many disciples of Lordship Salvation are promoting a life of obedience. Don't get me wrong, we should be obedient but obedience in good works does not save. Many will insist that you must repent or at least have the desire to do so. "Jesus said so," they will tell you. "Belief is not enough, you must actively believe by living a life of obedience."

Few Lordship disciples will tell you what works we must do in living a life of obedience. They leave it vague and for good reason. If they mention keeping the law, the Scripture will easily refute them,

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" Galatians 2:16.

If you are not married, perhaps it is fornication that condemns you to Hell. You have fallen into sexual sins and need to be saved. It is easy for a married person to cast the finger at a wayward soul that is laden with sexual sins.

Is there a broader way to determine if we truly believe? If you don't go to church then you must be of the damned. You have committed the sin of the non-church goer,

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is…" Hebrews 10:25

By not going to my church you have committed the sin of "forsaking the assembling." Without the teaching from my church, you definitely are a wayward lost soul. I don't believe it but I'm sure there are those that teach faithful church attendance is a requirement for salvation.

Maybe that's what we need today is more churchianty instead of Christianity. Perhaps there is a better way to know if  we are saved and have repented: We could invent a brain monitoring chip. If you think a bad thought, the alarms will sound at your church bringing in the thought police to help guide you back to saving faith. I know I'm getting silly but so is the teaching of Lordship Salvation. Most of the problem is with the definition of the word repentance. Is repentance just a change in mind? Or is it a change in life resulting from change in mind?

Did you know God repented? Many hush up these Scripture as to not alarm the working Lordship disciples,

"And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" Genesis 6:6.

Did God sin? Must he do works meet for repentance? Will God now destroy men because of His sin or wrong doing in creating them? God forbid! But do you see my point. We add many things to that one word "repentance".

God does not sin and neither does he repent in the ways we should when we repent. God's changes his mind but it does not reflect evil for God is righteous. When a man repents, it is from the evil thoughts in his mind and heart.

I've always preached that men should try to live the best lives that they know how but trying is not salvation. We will never arrive at sinless perfection or a perfect desire to be good. The flesh is an evil thing,

"Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" Romans 7:13-20.

Repentance is a work that continues in the Christian life. We must constantly keep ourselves in check in order that we might not sin against the Lord. But our desire to be good is never perfect. We have our ups and downs. I believe the real motive in the Lordship Salvation movement is that many have a need to self-aggrandize especially among their kind. They feel good knowing that they are not like other people who they consider to be sinners,

"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-3.

The Lordship disciples should read more of the repentance Scriptures that teach the need to change their mind or repent of their evil thoughts. We should not have the attitude that others are worse then ourselves. We are sinners saved by grace and we are all in the same boat together.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" Romans 12:3.