The Hypocrisy Of Lordship Salvation

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." —Romans 4:5

By David J. Stewart

       They're is a raging battle in theological circles today over the issue of LORDSHIP SALVATION, i.e., the false teaching that a sinner MUST forsake their actual sins to be saved.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  No such false doctrine is taught in the Word of God.  Proponents of this heresy pervert the Biblical meaning of the Word "repent."  Jesus exclaimed in Mark 1:15, "...repent ye, and believe the gospel."  The Greek word for "repent" here is METANOEO, which means, "to change one's mind."  This is irrefutable evidence against the heresy of Lordship Salvation, which perverts the meaning of "repentance" to mean forsaking one's sins.

Biblical repentance is a change of one's mind about sin and the Savior, which causes that person to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  It is utter self-righteous hypocrisy for the proponents of Lordship Salvation to demand that a person cease from doing any bad works (i.e., sins) to be saved.  Lordship Salvationists, in a futile attempt to support their hellish doctrine, paint an ugly picture of their opponents--by alleging that we believe someone who puts their faith in the Lord can happily indulge in open sin with no remorse whatsoever.  That is simply not the case at all.  Please remember that Biblical repentance IS A CHANGE OF MIND ABOUT SIN AND THE SAVIOR.  A person who is genuinely saved has a different attitude now about sin.  If a man is a true Christian, he won't have the haughty attitude that he can continue in open sin with no consequences.  Each believer has the Spirit of Christ living within (Romans 8:9).  This is the Holy Spirit.  Hebrews 12:8 makes clear that God will CHASTEN His children.  The Holy Spirit always convicts the believer of unrepentant sin.  In sharp contrast, the heathen unsaved world knows not God, and sins with no remorse or concern for the things of God. 

Lordship Salvationists are wrong!  They attack Bible-believing Christians with shallow accusations which simply CANNOT be substantiated with the Scriptures.  A person who has been genuinely saved, has repented concerning their sins, i.e., they realized their GUILT and just condemnation to hellfire, and then turned to Christ in faith for forgiveness.  The garbage that Lordship Salvationists teach is not found anywhere in the Scriptures.  They mandate repentance FROM sins to be saved, but this is not Scriptural.  Biblically, we are to repent OF our sins, i.e., agree with what God says about them.  God says we are all sinners (Romans 3:10,19-23).  If we realize our guilt, and deserved condemnation to hell, then we only need to turn to Christ in faith to be saved.  Repentance from sin is an entirely different matter.  Just because a person believes upon Christ as Savior doesn't automatically mean that their life is cleaned up.  It takes time for a new believer to grow in the Lord.  A person doesn't just get saved and INSTANTLY stop drinking, smoking, cursing, etc.  Now some believers DO, but most don't. 

Lordship Salvationists are hypocrites because they expect a sinner to change instantly at the time of salvation, and even worse, in order to get saved.  Lordship Salvation prohibits anyone from coming to Christ for salvation who isn't willing to forsake their sins.  So then how can anyone be saved?  No one can forsake ALL their sins, otherwise they'd be perfect, and only Jesus Christ is without sin (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15).  Lordship Salvation is hypocritical because no one can truly forsake all their sins.  As Christians, we are expected to try to live as perfect as possible in the power of the Holy Spirit; BUT, we are still bound by the fleshly and carnal sin-nature.  Christ is our example of Perfection to follow.  So the big difference is that the unsaved don't even try to live right; but Christians at least make an attempt.  This is exactly what Proverb 24:16 means when it states, "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."  I've seen many people come to know Christ as Savior, but bounce in and out of church for several years before finally recommitting their life to Christ.  This proves that Lordship Salvation is a dirty rotten lie. 

What about 1st John 3:8, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."  Lordship Salvationists are ready to condemn to Hell anyone who professes Christ while committing sin.  It is obvious that this Scripture is not referring to every person who commits sin, because we all commit sin, and would all be of the Devil.  Rather, 1st John 3:8 is speaking about those who have no guilt concerning their sins, people such as Beyonce Knowles, who claims that God has given her permission to be a stripper, and to dress sexy while entertaining lustful men.  You see, there has been no repentance.  Her attitude towards sin has changed.  This is in sharp contrast to the sinful man Lot, who's soul was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked (2nd Peter 2:7).  Lordship Salvationists REFUSE to acknowledge these differences.  Lot deliberately moved into the wicked city of Sodom.  He offered up his daughters to an angry mob of rapists (Genesis 19:8).  What a horrible person!  Yet, God says Lot was convicted of sin, and was a righteous (i.e., saved) man (2nd Peter 2:8).  Thus, Lot was a just man who did live in sin, but he was miserable through it all.  No Christians can live in sin without guilt, because the Holy Spirit will convict that person (Hebrews 12:8). 

The problem is that Lordship Salvation confuses the ROOT of a believer's faith, i.e., faith in Christ (Romans 4:5), with the FRUIT of that faith, i.e., good works (James 2:18).  The ROOT should bring forth the FRUIT; but the FRUIT cannot come before the ROOT.  DO you understand the difference?  Lordship Salvationists are demanding the FRUIT as a prerequisite to salvation.  They are putting the cart before the horse.  2nd Corinthians 5:17 states... "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  Carefully notice that the Bible says, "...if any man BE IN CHRIST..."  He is already saved, and then the change comes AFTERWARDS.  Lordship Salvation puts the cart before the horse.  You cannot mutate the ROOT and the FRUIT of a believer's faith into one, for in so doing you have created a works-based salvation, which is NO salvation at all.  Lordship Salvation is a two-headed monstrosity, and is straight from the pits of Hell. 

Lordship Salvationists are hypocrites because they draw a sharp line, demanding for lost sinners to stop sinning in order to be saved.  Yet, no one can stop sinning.  The truth is that all Christians DO SIN, but they experience guilt and remorse because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  The unsaved world couldn't care less about living right.  As an opponent of Lordship Salvation, I realize these differences.  Yet, Lordship Salvationists refuse to acknowledge them.  Instead, they just accuse people like me of teaching that a believer has a license to sin.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The truth is that a believer may choose to go into sin, but if they are genuinely saved God's Spirit will tear their heart out with conviction.  In effect, the Lordship Salvation army kills their wounded.  There can be no babes in Christ or backsliders in the eyes of the Lordship Salvation hypocrites, everyone is expected to either surrender to Christ in total obedience or go to Hell.  Thus, Lordship Salvation violates everything which the Word of God teaches. 

"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." —John 3:16