Lordship Salvation: Part One

Lordship Salvation

There are those within Christianity today that are taking the pure grace of God and trying to murk its purity.

Faith in Christ is not enough for salvation, they say. We must have works that are meet for repentance. It must be faith plus works.

"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" Matthew 3:8.

They have added discipleship to the gospel,

"The gospel that Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship."

http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/A114/an-introduction-to-lordship-salvation

They are trying to drive the cart in front of the horse. You would think if Jesus preached salvation of discipleship he would have more than twelve disciples.

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities" Matthew 11:1.

A disciple is a follower of the Lord but that does not mean the follower is saved.

Certainly we need to follow the Lord but it is the message of the gospel that saves, not our good intentions or our willingness to follow. We can follow the Lord day and night and yet not learn how to be saved.

 "But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" John 6:64-67

Even with all our goodness in following the Lord we must be drawn of the Father. Discipleship does not make a child a God. Many would like to join in membership, even calling themselves disciples but they have no idea about trusting in Christ alone for salvation. The call is not to become my disciple and then perhaps you'll be saved if you are good enough. The message is to believe the gospel and save your soul. Become a child of God.

The cart of discipleship should remain in back of the horse. Let God do the driving and pull us with Him. The cart without the power of the horse will become erratic and unpredictable. It will crash and burn when it goes off course and tries to drive itself.  

More Error:"The gospel that Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience, not just a plea to make a decision or pray a prayer."

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" John 3:3-8.

Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that he must actively join His group in order to be saved. He also did not say that he must follow in active submissive way in obedience to a set of rules. He spoke of the spiritual birth. Ye must be born again. Our first birth came without membership and so it is with our second birth. It must happen in a miraculous way. Our birth is by the power of God and not by our willingness to follow.  

Our coming to Jesus does not merit eternal life and neither did it save Nicodemus. The message is not to become a follower but to become a child of God. Born from above and quickened by His Spirit.

"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" John 3:15-17

It is God that saves and not our desire to follow. Are you truly born of the Spirit or are you just a follower? Are you a disciple that believed on Christ or are you a follower trusting in your own works of obedience? 

To Be Continue...