a true witness sermon

SERMON TEXT: John 3:22-30

SUBJECT: true testimony
THEME: John’s Joy and His Disciples’ Jealousy
Our text divides into four sections: (1) Jesus baptizes, too (vss. 22-24); (2) John’s disciples are jealous (vss. 25-26); (3) John’s joy (vss. 27-30); and (4) the superiority of the Savior (vss. 31-36).
INSIGHTS:
We have heard this theme before. John 1:8: He is not the light. John 1:20: He is not the Christ. John 1:21: He is not Elijah and not the prophet. John 1:23: He is just a voice crying in the wilderness. John 1:27: He is not worthy to unstrap Jesus’ sandals.
In 4:2 we are told that Jesus was not baptizing, but his disciples. That reference would seem to cover this incident as well, and so the disciples of John are just reporting what they have heard, or think they heard.)
The real point at issue is the authority of Jesus to “overturn” the system of ritual purification within Judaism. John replies to this question of the authority of Jesus in vss. 27-36. In vss. 27-30 he reassures his disciples, reminding them that if more people are coming to Jesus, it does not threaten him at all, because “heaven” has ordained it to be so. After all, some of these very disciples of John had heard him tell the Jewish delegation that he was not the Messiah but was sent before him.
INTRODUCTION:

John’s disciples return to him frustrated and upset, not with the Jew, but with Jesus. They are distressed that Jesus and His disciples are more successful than they are. In fact, they almost seem distressed at John the Baptist, irritated that he has not done anything to remedy this situation. After all, it was John who pointed the crowds to Jesus, and he who had greatly contributed to the success of Jesus. Listen to the anger and frustration in their words to their “master”:


THESIS: What character John the Baptist portrays in witnessing for Christ?

PROPOSITION:
1. HUMILITY-v.30 Jesus must become preeminent, while John must fade from the picture. The “must” of verse 30 is crucial. John is showing deep humility, it is true, but he is also saying that this is the way it “must” be, the way it will be—because this is the plan and the purpose of the sovereign God. Verses 31-36 spell out some of the ways in which Jesus is superior to John.

2. FAITHFULNESS- not a fanatics or loyal to anyone else. He please only the Lord and not men.

3. TRUTH –John knew that Jesus came from heaven as the Son of God, while he was a sinful, mortal man, who could only speak about the more plain subjects of religion. The words of Jesus were the words of God; he had the Spirit, not by measure, as the prophets, but in all fullness. Everlasting life could only be had by faith in Him, and might be thus obtained;

4. SERVANTHOOD- In verse 27, he takes his disciples back to the basics of what his ministry is all about, and reminds them about their ministry as well. ECCL.12:13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.


John’s ministry is the ministry he received from God. His God-given ministry was not to be the Messiah, but to introduce the Messiah. He was the forerunner; Jesus was the fulfillment, the grand finale. John illustrates what he is saying by using the analogy of marriage. Jesus is the “bridegroom”; John is the “friend of the bridegroom.” The “friend of the bridegroom” is not distressed when the “bridegroom” appears at the wedding celebration to take his bride—he is elated. The friend’s task is to bring the bride and the groom together. When the voice of the groom is heard, the friend of the groom knows his task is accomplished, and he can rejoice in fulfilling his mission. He can rejoice that the bride and the groom are joined in marriage.

CONCLUSION:

CHALLENGE:
So, we must ask ourselves again, who are we? And, for whom do we witness?
I hope and pray each one of us is a good witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

a true witness

Born-again and wedding at Cana Sermon

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION

Is there a danger in not making the proper Biblical distinctions between justification and sanctification?
One of the problems of the Lordship Salvation position is that it sometimes fails to keep justification distinct from sanctification. The commands that pertain to justification are different and distinct from the commands that pertain to sanctification. For example, consider the command in Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice." This command pertains to sanctification, not to justification.
The commands which involve discipleship pertain to sanctification and not justification. These would include such things as "Deny self," "Forsake possessions," "Hate father, mother, son, daughter," "Take up thy cross," "Lose your life for Christ’s sake" etc. Confusion results when we make the conditions of discipleship the same as the conditions for justification. WHAT MUST A PERSON DO TO BE SAVED (JUSTIFIED)? WHAT MUST A PERSON DO TO BE A DISCIPLE? Lordship Salvation advocates give the same answer to both of the questions, because they teach that the terms of discipleship are equivalent to the terms of salvation. The Bible gives distinct answers to these questions.

born-again means sermon outline

SYZYGUS IN CHRIST CHURCH
SUNDAY SERMON NOTES
PTR.DENNIS PANGANIBAN
DEC.6, 2009 @9:30AM

1ST READING: Ezekiel 36:22-32

SERMON TEXT: John 3:1-21

SUBJECT: Born-Again

THEME: INDICATIONS of a Truly Born-again

INSIGHTS: RE: SINNER’S PRAYER (The prayer is nowhere found in the Bible, but proponents often point to Romans 10:9-10, Luke 18:13-14, and Matthew 7:7 as their sources.) (One such critic has labeled the prayer an "apostasy" since the presumption is that salvation can instantly be received (prior to baptism) upon confessing one's sins and accepting Christ as Savior and Lord) and ALTAR CALL (Many preachers make use of the altar call, notably Billy Graham, Benny Hinn, Franklin Graham, Reinhardt Bonnke). Many Calvinists object to altar calls, believing they mislead people into confusing outward conduct with spiritual change. In doing so, they argue, altar calls may actually give people false assurance about their salvation (1).

INTRODUCTION:

Possibly Nicodemus came at night because was

1)afraid of public association with Jesus that will risk his favor to his fellow Pharisees among whom Jesus was generally unpopular, or 2)he wanted a lengthy discussion without interruptions . But the timing is significant for John in terms of the light/darkness motif—compare 9:4, 11:10, 13:30 (especially), 19:39, and 21:3. it symbolizes the spiritual darkness of his heart – came from darkness and came in to the presence of true light( Jesus ).

2:23-25. Those people in Jerusalem believed in Jesus because of the signs he performed. Nicodemus has apparently seen them too. But for Nicodemus all the signs have meant is that Jesus is a great teacher sent from God. His approach to Jesus is well-intentioned but theologically inadequate; he has failed to grasp the messianic implications of the sign-miracles.

v.2 “we know” in plural form—represented those (nation Israel—v.10) who believe because of the signs that Jesus did.

v.3- “kingdom of God”—is the rule and reign of God in the lives of His servants. Entrance in the kingdom of God requires a birth of the Spirit.

v.5. born of “water”— purification—cleanse from sin and be purified. and the “Spirit” – breath o wind--regeneration--

v.8 “wind” –cannot be seen but can be heard and felt-likewise , a man might not understand the Spirit, but he can know its activity in his life by the effects it has on him.

v.21- “truth”—is the revelation brought by and revealed in Jesus.

THESIS: WHAT ARE THE INDICATIONS OF A TRULY BORN-AGAIN? sign of something: a sign, signal, or symptom that something exists or is true.

PROPOSITION: THERE ARE 4 INDICATIONS OF A TRULY BORN-AGAIN---

1. he is spiritually alive (regeneration)—vv. 3, 5, 10- he will now illuminated in the Word of God because there is now a communication between the man who is indwelled by the Spirit and the Scripture whose author is the Spirit. 1) he knows the truth ( Jesus ).2) he hungers or crave for the truth (The majority of all born-again? Christians read the Bible once or twice a week, ...3) he live by the truth. See Rom.8:16- Spirit as testimony, Acts 5:32-Spirit was given, Gal.5:17- contrary to each other Spirit and sinful nature.

2. he is enabled by the power of God (unconditional election)—v.8. the Spirit can not be controlled or understood. His salvation are all by God’s grace.

3. he is the one who truly believes (genuine faith/ God-given faith)—vv.15,16,18—it includes trust and commitment to Christ as Lord and Savior which results in receiving a new nature (v7) which produces a change in heart and obedience to the Lord (2:23-25).

4. he is the one who hates darkness and love the light (purification/ righteous)—v.19,20,21 -- because the power that saves him is also the power that keeps him. He can now walk in a narrow way which is also known the process of sanctification. His old sinful nature will be mortified and the new nature will be revealed little by little.

CONCLUSION:

“Born again” refers to the doctrine of regeneration in which a person who was born “dead in sin and trespasses” is “made alive in Christ” by the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Ephesians 2:1, 5). The “kingdom of God” is that reality that Jesus Christ inaugurated during his first advent and which he will consummate at his return. It is essentially the reign and rule of Jesus Christ over all things (cf. Philippians 2:10-11). The kingdom of God is already here, but yet fully realized.

CHALLENGE:

Jesus as their Savior but not as Lord

"Many... are willing for Christ to save them from hell, but are not willing for Him to save them from self. They want to be delivered from the wrath to come, but they wish to retain their self-will and self-pleasing. But He will not be dictated unto: you must be saved on His terms, or not at all. When Christ saves, He saves from sin—from its power and pollution, and therefore from its guilt. And the very essence of sin is the determination to have my own way ( Isaiah 53:6). Where Christ saves, He subdues this spirit of self-will, and implants a genuine, a powerful, a lasting, desire and determination to please Him.

Again, many are never saved because they wish to divide Christ; they want to take Him as Saviour, but are unwilling to subject themselves unto Him as their Lord. Or if they are prepared to own Him as Lord, it is not as an absolute Lord. But this cannot be: Christ will either be Lord of all or He will not be Lord at all. But the vast majority of professing Christians would have Christ’s sovereignty limited at certain points; it must not encroach too far upon the liberty which some worldly lust or carnal interest demands.

His peace they covet, but His “yoke” is unwelcome. Of all such Christ will yet say, “But these Mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before Me” ( Luke 19:27).

Again, there are multitudes who are quite ready for Christ to justify them, but not to sanctify. Some kind, some degree, of sanctification they will tolerate, but to be sanctified wholly, their “whole spirit and soul and body” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23), they have no relish for. For their hearts to be sanctified, for pride and covetousness to be subdued, would be too much like the plucking out of a right eye. For the constant mortification of all their members they have no taste. For Christ to come to them as Refiner, to burn up their lusts, consume their dross, to dissolve utterly their old frame of nature, to melt their souls, so as to make them run in a new mould, they like not. To deny self utterly, and take up their cross daily, is a task from which they shrink with abhorrence.

Again, many are willing for Christ to officiate as their Priest, but not for Him to legislate as their King. Ask them, in a general way, if they are ready to do whatsoever Christ requires of them, and they will answer in the affirmative, emphatically and with confidence. But come to particulars: apply to each one of them those specific commandments and precepts of the Lord which they are ignoring, and they will at once cry out “Legalism”! or “We cannot be perfect in everything.” Name nine duties and perhaps they are performing them, but mention a tenth and it at once makes them angry, for you have come too close home to their case. After much persuasion, Naaman was induced to bathe in the Jordan, but he was unwilling to abandon the house of Rimmon ( 2 Kings 5:18). Herod heard John gladly and did “many things” ( Mark 6:20), but when John referred to Herodias it touched him to the quick. Many are willing to give up their theatre-going, and card-parties, who refuse to go forth unto Christ outside the camp. Others are willing to go outside the camp, yet refuse to deny their fleshly and worldly lusts. Reader, if there is a reserve in your obedience, you are on the way to hell." —A. W. Pink (1886–1952) Again, many are willing for Christ to officiate as their Priest, but not for Him to legislate as their King. Ask them, in a general way, if they are ready to do whatsoever Christ requires of them, and they will answer in the affirmative, emphatically and with confidence. But come to particulars: apply to each one of them those specific commandments and precepts of the Lord which they are ignoring, and they will at once cry out “Legalism”! or “We cannot be perfect in everything.” Name nine duties and perhaps they are performing them, but mention a tenth and it at once makes them angry, for you have come too close home to their case. After much persuasion, Naaman was induced to bathe in the Jordan, but he was unwilling to abandon the house of Rimmon ( 2 Kings 5:18). Herod heard John gladly and did “many things” ( Mark 6:20), but when John referred to Herodias it touched him to the quick. Many are willing to give up their theatre-going, and card-parties, who refuse to go forth unto Christ outside the camp. Others are willing to go outside the camp, yet refuse to deny their fleshly and worldly lusts. Reader, if there is a reserve in your obedience, you are on the way to hell." —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

LORDSHIP SALVATION-- means, security and assurance

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10, ESV)

Lordship salvation is the position that receiving Christ involves a turning in the heart from sin and, as a part of faith, a submissive commitment to obey Jesus Christ as Lord. It also maintains that progressive sanctification and perseverance must necessarily follow conversion. Those who hold to the doctrine of perseverance of the saints see this not only as a requirement, but an assured certainty according to the sustaining grace of Christ.

The doctrine of lordship salvation has implications for evangelism, assurance, and the pursuit of holiness. The grace of God in salvation not only forgives, but transforms, and a lack of obedience or transformation in a person's life is warrant to doubt that they have been born again. The grounds for assurance include not only the objective promises of God (like John 3:16), but also the internal testimony of the Spirit (Romans 8:16) and holiness the Spirit produces in our lives (1 John 2:3-4,19).

The non-lordship salvation position is popularly known by critics as "easy believism", and by adherents as "free grace". However, proponents of Lordship salvation frown upon this usage of the term "free grace", as the free grace spoken of the Bible both justifies the sinner and transforms the heart unto obedience.
NO-LORDSHIP SALVATION
Non-lordship salvation is a neutral term for easy believism, the "popular slogan for the view that one simply has to believe in order to be saved and that there is no corresponding need for a committed life of Christian discipleship."[1] The result is that the idea of personal sanctification is divorced from justification, and discipleship is seen as a path that some Christians follow, but not others. The term carnal Christian is used to describe such a supposed Christian, who once made a "decision" but has not continued in discipleship. Names applied to this doctrine by opponents include no-lordship and cheap grace as it suggests that "accepting Jesus" does not involve any further commitments. Proponents of this view, on the other hand, prefer the term the "free grace" to describe their position. Easy-believism is also said to overemphasize the doctrine of assurance of salvation at the expense of personal authenticity.
Those who hold to the Free-grace position are generally Arminian in theology, although classical Arminianism does not adhere to this. By contrast, Reformed Christians generally hold to what is termed Lordship salvation. However, among adherents of each view one will find there are differences of language and emphasis.
According to Phillip Johnson:
"These days, support for the no-lordship gospel is mostly confined to a small but prolific group of speakers and writers. Dallas is still the geographical hub of their movement. The Grace Evangelical Society has published their journal since 1988. In fact, for the past 15 years or so, GES has almost singlehandedly kept the drumbeat alive for the no-lordship position."[2]
John MacArthur notes that, "Apparently, no-lordship doctrine no longer dominates Dallas Seminary the way it once did, but controversy over the issue is by no means dead."[3]
Distinctions between Reformed theology and easy believism
As a foreword, it is important to understand how language is used. Both sides in the debate accept that it may be that the use of language is causing misunderstandings. The word necessary is contested with particular bitterness. For instance, the (Reformed) claim "repentance is a necessary condition of salvation" is simply stating that "everyone who is being saved repents". The misunderstanding could arise in that "repentance is a necessary condition of salvation" could be thought to mean "repentance causes someone to be saved". The necessariness of repentance arises in that it always follows regeneration, and always accompanies salvation.
Faith and repentance
At the level of the understanding of faith and repentance, there are distinct differences between the "free grace" and "lordship" views.
"Free grace" advocates suggest that faith is a one-time decision, a mental assent to the bare facts about Christ.[4] In so doing, the "free grace" view sounds very much like Sandemanianism, a rationalist approach to faith which was arose in eighteenth-century Scotland. The Reformed insist that faith is a continued, lively trust in the promises of God. Furthermore, adherents to the "free grace" position claim that Scripture's teaching is that faith is not a gift of God [5] but is the responsibility of unregenerate man. By contrast, Reformed Christians believe that faith is the free gift of God, worked in the heart by the agency of the Holy Spirit (Heidelberg Catechism 21). In short, the Reformed position is that faith is not a decision, but an attitude; not a work, but a gift.
Repentance, likewise, is frequently defined in the "free grace" position as a simple change of mind as regards the things of God. In this mode, it sustains its similarities with Sandemanianism. Other advocates say repentance is an "internal resolve to turn from one's sins" ([1]), but that it is not an inevitable consequence of regeneration. By contrast, the lordship view recognises that repentance is an about-turn involving the whole person, flowing out of regeneration and true faith; and that since repentance can never be complete and perfect, it is continual. To Reformed Christians, repentance is not an event, but a way of life (95 Theses 1).
Sanctification and obedience
Advocates of "free grace" suggest that while people can be saved who are not obedient, they cannot please God or grow in the Christian life ([2]). Those who are obedient, though, will please God and grow. They draw a distinction between entering the kingdom and inheriting it, so that someone can enter the kingdom and yet not inherit it, so that they forego privileges and rewards in the eternal state. The presentation of the "free grace" position on this matter is akin to a strict works principle: we work, and God rewards.
Reformed Christians, however, believe something markedly different. They start from the position that good works are God's gift to believers; therefore, a Christian cannot point to those works in order to feel confident in himself, nor can he feel pride at how well he has done. In any good done, the Reformed acknowledge that "we are unworthy servants, who have only done our duty". Furthermore, they also confess that not only our persons, but also our works are presented in Christ, since apart from him, those works are tainted with that sinfulness which seeks always to work for merit. Therefore, the rewards which God promises for good works are simply the addition of grace to grace. On the question of the kingdom, entry and inheritance are seen as the same concept, since one who has entered the kingdom is made a true child of God, and all true children of God inherit the kingdom. Finally, obedience and good works are not optional, but are the inevitable fruit of true faith in Christ.
Perseverance and assurance
The "free grace" position on the perseverance of the saints is a rigorously-applied version of the tag "once saved, always saved". They teach that by once believing that Jesus is able to save, a person is eternally secure, so that someone who claims such a faith, and later places his trust in something other than Jesus, will nonetheless be saved from sin and death and hell, on the basis of this one-time "faith". [3] Assurance is then thought to be total certainty, since those who have an intellectual persuasion of the truth of the gospel but are not personally committed to the Saviour will be saved. The only source of assurance is a positive response to the question "do you believe, or have you ever believed, that Jesus Christ is able to save sinners?" Such faith, of course, is thought in the "free grace" paradigm to have its origin in the individual and not with God.
The Reformed view, however, is different. On the matter of the security of the believer, Reformed theologians teach that the believer is not only secure eternally, but also temporally; that is to say, that although believers may have times of difficulty and doubt, yet they will be kept by God's power and strength so that difficulty will not overwhelm them, nor will doubt destroy their faith. Therefore, it is not possible for someone who truly trusts in Jesus for their salvation then to turn away from him and place their trust in something else, nor to forsake following him and choose to live the way they want to. In such a person, the Reformed Christian would say, true faith had never been worked to start with; that although such an individual demonstrated external signs of conversion, they did not place their whole trust in Jesus.
When it comes to assurance, the distinction is slightly more subtle. Since the "free grace" advocate has already made obedience an optional extra for the Christian, he denies that the doubter is able to look at his pattern of living in any sense and simply bases assurance in the doubter's faith. The Reformed position on assurance, however, stems from the corresponding understanding of obedience and works as being among God's gifts to the believer. Consequently, assurance comes from a number of sources: the promises of God, particularly as evidenced in the sacraments; the actions of God, as seen in Christ on the cross; and the work of God in the life of the believer, including faith, repentance and obedience. The doubter is then directed to look to Christ in word, sacrament and internal witness.
Departures from classical Arminianism
Both classical Arminianism and Calvinism held to the necessity of endurance. Easy believism, on the other hand, rejects that perseverance is necessary.
ASSURANCE OF THE BELIEVERS (KATIBAYAN)
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. MATT.7:13-14
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' MATT.7:21-23
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." MATT.7:24-27
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. MATT.10:37-39
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. MATT. 24:12-13
Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'"'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" LUKE 13:6-9
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." LUKE 9:62
"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. LUKE 13:24
"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. LUKE 8:11-15
A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'""All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." LUKE 18:18-22
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. MARK13:13
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voiceand come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. JOHN5:28-29
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. JOHN 14:15
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. JOHN15:1-2
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." JOHN 3:21
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. JOHN 12:25
in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ROMANS 8:4-5
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ROMANS 8:12-14
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. ROMANS 12:2
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 COR.4:20
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offendersnor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 COR. 6:9-10
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factionsand envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. GAL.5:19-21
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. GAL.5:24
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. GAL.6:8
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. EPH.2:10
Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 2TIM.2:19
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.2 TIM.4:7-8
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, HEB.3:14
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 1 PET. 1:15
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 PET. 2:24
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 2PET. 1:10
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 1 JOHN 2:3
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 JOHN 3:14
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 JOHN 4:16

SECURITY OF THE BELIEVERS (KATIYAKAN)
I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. JER. 32:40
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. EZEKIEL 36:25-26, 29, 31
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. JOHN 10:27-29
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. JOHN 17:2-6
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one. JOHN 17:11
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. JOHN 17:15
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. ACTS 13:48
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ROM.8:1
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ROM.8:30,34
for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. ROM.11:29
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 COR. 1:8-9
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. EPH.1:13-14
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. PHIL. 1:6
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 THESS.5:23-24
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 TIM.1:12
Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. HEB.10:13-14
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 2 TIM 1:12
who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 PET.1:5
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—JUDE 24

LORSHIP SALVATION – JOHN MACARTHUR THERE IS NO SALVATION IF THERE IS NO LORDSHIP!

"It is an offense to our rational, truth revealing God; it is an offense to the true work of His Son; it is an offense to the true work of the Holy Spirit to use the names of God, or of Christ, or of the Holy Spirit in any mindless emotional orgy marked by irrational, sensual, and fleshly behavior produced by altered states of consciousness, peer pressure, heightened expectation or suggestibility. That is socio-psycho manipulation and mesmerizm and it is a prostitution of the glorious revelation of God taught clearly and powerfully to an eager, attentive, and controlled mind. What feeds sensual desires, pragmatically or ecstatically, cannot honor God. You have to preach the truth to the mind."
-John MacArthur
From the 1998 Grace to You message from 2 Timothy 3:1-4:4 "God's Word in Today's Church: Five Reasons I Teach the Bible"

What is pragmatism? Basically it is a philosophy that says that results determine meaning, truth, and value — what will work becomes a more important question than what is true. As Christians, we are called to trust what the Lord says, preach that message to others, and leave the results to Him. But many have set that aside. Seeking relevancy and success, they have welcomed the pragmatic approach and have received the proverbial Trojan horse.
Let me take a few minutes to explain a little of the history leading up to the current entrenchment of the pragmatic approach in the evangelical church and to show you why it isn’t as innocent as it looks.

"Our theology must be biblical before it can be systematic. We must start with a proper interpretation of Scripture and build our theology from there, not read into God's Word unwarranted presuppositions. Scripture is the only appropriate gauge by which we may ultimately measure the correctness of our doctrine."
-John MacArthur, Faith Works The Gospel According to the Apostles

"As we talk about current trends in evangelicalism, this is one of the most tragic trends. This new kind of preaching that is all built around human fulfillment. This new kind of evangelizing where the whole appeal to the unconverted person is personal fulfillment, that the Lord will personally fulfill your life. Because when that's the reason for you to come to Christ, then that becomes the reason you came to Christ, and then that becomes what you expect Christ to do for you, and you set people up for an utterly reverse process of sanctification.
"Well here I am Jesus, fulfill me. Here I am Jesus, satisfy me. Here I am Jesus, plug up all the holes in my life. Give me perfect relationships, bring me happiness, success..."
When in fact a proper attitude is-
"Lord save me for Jesus sake, I am not worthy of anything and somehow make my life useful to you for the advance of your kingdom, even if it costs me everything."

-John MacArthur, transcribed from 1996 GTY tape, "5 Keys to Greater Self Discipline"

"Many forces hinder our understanding of this basic truth: the goal of every Christian's life is to become more like Christ. Humanistic psychology is one such force. It teaches that man exists for his own satisfaction---he must have all his perceived needs and desires met to be happy. As a result, in many churches spiritual growth is often equated with ironing out life's problems and finding personal fulfillment.

That kind of mentality ultimately leads to a man-centered theology, which is diametrically opposed to what the Bible teaches. The goal of salvation and sanctification is that we be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). It's been well said that faith looks out instead of in, and the whole of life falls into line. The more you know Christ and focus on Him, the more the Spirit will make you like Him. But the more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path."
-John MacArthur

He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:38

"A disciple is someone who confesses Christ as Lord and Savior, believes that God has raised Him from the dead, and declares that belief publicly through baptism. He is not some sort of 'upper-level' Christian.

You don't have to wait to become a disciple at some future time in your Christian life when you have reached a certain level of maturity. According to Matthew 28:19-20, a disciple is made at the moment of salvation.

Some claim that there are many Christians who are not disciples. They recall today's verse and say that in order to be a disciple, one has to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ. If one is not up to that level of commitment, they think, then he is not worthy to be Christ's disciple. But you cannot separate discipleship from conversion.

When someone is saved, he receives a submissive spirit that manifests itself by a willingness to make a public confession and obey whatever else Christ commands. Are you, then, a disciple?"

"As churches have tailored their Sunday services to suit the tastes of 'seekers,' for example, there is less and less emphasis on edifying the saints and more and more stress on entertaining unbelievers. Drama, music, comedy, and even forms of vaudeville have often replaced preaching in the order of service. That strips Christ of His headship over the church by removing His Word from its rightful place and thereby silencing His rule in the life of His people. In effect, it surrenders the headship of the church to unchurched seekers.

Furthermore, any time a preacher squelches or softens a hard truth of Scripture to make the message more palatable, that preacher has suppressed Christ's true message and thereby usurped His rightful authority as Lord over the church."
-John MacArthur, The Truth War

"We must return to the message God has called us to preach. We need to confront sin and call sinners to repentance---to a radical break from the love of sin and a seeking of the Lord's mercy. We must hold up Christ as Savior and Lord, the one who frees His people from the penalty and power of sin. That is, after all, the gospel He has called us to proclaim."
-John MacArthur

"Biblical ignorance within the church may well be deeper and more widespread than at any other time since the Protestant Reformation. If you doubt that, compare the typical sermon of today with a randomly chosen published sermon from any leading evangelical preacher prior to 1850. Also compare today's Christian literature with almost anything published by evangelical publishing houses a hundred years or more ago.

Bible teaching, even in the best of venues today, has been deliberately dumbed-down, made as broad and as shallow as possible, oversimplified, adapted to the lowest common denominator---and then tailored to appeal to people with short attention spans. Sermons are almost always brief, simplistic, overlaid with as many references to pop culture as possible, and laden with anecdotes and illustration. (Jokes and funny stories drawn from personal experience are favored over cross-references and analogies borrowed from Scripture itself.) Typical sermon topics are heavily weighted in favor of man-centered issues (such as personal relationships, successful living, self-esteem, how-to lists, and so on)---to the exclusion of the many Christ-exalting doctrinal themes of Scripture."
-John MacArthur, The Truth War

"Proof that ungodliness is rampant in evangelical circles is evident in megachurches that purposely cater to the preferences of the ungodly---furnishing entertainment and amusements in place of authentic worship and Bible teaching. More proof is found in a popular doctrinal system that deliberately removes the lordship of Christ from the Gospel proclamation to give a theological justification for 'carnal Christians'--- people who profess to believe in Christ but live ungodly lives."
-John MacArthur, The Truth War

“When a sinner wanders into the church and sits through skits, mimes, interpretive dances, and the like, and yet never hears a clear, convicting message about his dangerous and tenuous spiritual situation– that he is a depraved sinner headed for an eternal fire because he is a daily offense to a holy God– how can that be called successful? You could achieve the same level of success by sending a cancer patient to receive treatment from a group of children playing doctor. A sinner must understand the imminent danger he is in if he is ever to look to the Savior. What’s worse is when seeker-focused churches baptize the masses with their watered-down gospel, assuring them that positive decisions, feelings, or affirmations about Christ equal genuine conversion. There are now multitudes who are not authentic Christians identifying with the church. As you set your strategy for church ministry, you dare not overlook the primary means of church growth: the straightforward, Christ-centered proclamation of the unadulterated Word of God.”
-John MacArthur

"Repentance has always been the foundation of the biblical call to salvation. When Peter gave the gospel invitation at Pentecost, in the first public evangelism of the church era, repentance was at the heart of it. 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins' (Acts 2:38). No evangelism that omits the message of repentance can properly be called the gospel, for sinners cannot come to Jesus Christ apart from a radical change of heart, mind, and will. That demands a spiritual crisis leading to a complete turnaround and ultimately a wholesale transformation. It is the only kind of conversion Scripture recognizes."
-John MacArthur
"The goal of the church is not to provide an environment where unbelievers can just feel comfortable. It is to be a place where they can hear the truth and be convicted of their sins so they can be saved (Romans 10:13-17). Gently (2 Timothy 2:24-26), lovingly, graciously, yet firmly, unbelievers need to be confronted with the reality of their sin and God's gracious provision through Jesus Christ. Sin will never be suppressed by compromising with it."
-John MacArthur, Because the Time is Near pg. 69

DILUTED GOSPEL
"Listen to the typical gospel presentation nowadays. You will hear sinners entreated with words like, 'accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior'; 'ask Jesus into your heart'; 'invite Christ into your life'; or 'make a decision for Christ.' You may be so accustomed to hearing those phrases that it will surprise you to learn that none of them is based on Biblical terminology. They are the products of a diluted gospel."
—John MacArthur

JOHN PIPER QUOTES

"Gospel doctrine matters because the good news is so full and rich and wonderful that it must be opened like a treasure chest, and all its treasures brought out for the enjoyment of the world. Doctrine is the description of these treasures. Doctrine describes their true value and why they are so valuable. Doctrine guards the diamonds of the gospel from the pirates who don't like the diamonds but who make their living trading them for other stones. Doctrine polishes the old gems buried at the bottom of the chest. It puts the jewels of gospel truth in order on the scarlet tapestry of history so each is seen in its most beautiful place."
-John Piper, God is the Gospel

"Many people are willing to be God-centered as long as they feel that God is man-centered"
- John Piper

"One of the reasons we are not as Christ-centered and cross-saturated as we should be is that we have not realized that everything---everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good of his redeemed children---was purchased by the death of Christ for us. We simply take life and breath and health and friends and everything for granted. We think it is ours by right. But the fact is that it is not ours by right. We are doubly undeserving of it."
-John Piper
"At these moments, when the trifling fog of life clears and I see what I am really on earth to do, I groan over the petty pursuits that waste so many lives--- and so much of mine. Just think of the magnitude of sports--- a whole section of the daily newspaper. But there is no section on God. Think of the endless resources for making your home and garden more comfortable and impressive. Think of how many tens of thousands of dollars you can spend to buy more car than you need. Think of the time and energy and conversation that go into entertainment and leisure and what we call 'fun stuff.' And add to that now the computer that artificially recreates the very games that are already so distant from reality; it is like a multi-layered dreamworld of insignificance expanding into nothingness."
-John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

JAMES WHITE QUOTES

"If your heart is grieved when you see the Church turned into a place that's entertaining, a place where you have to try to trick people to come through the door with a dog and pony show, you are seeing the result of that theology. If you can't trust the Spirit of God to apply the gospel of Christ to the hearts of His elect people and bring them to salvation, you're gonna have to start reaching around for something else, and that's what we see today. Theology matters."
-James R. White

"The doctrine of irresistible grace is easily understood. Once we understand the condition of man in sin, that he is dead, enslaved to a corrupt nature, incapable of doing what is pleasing to God, we can fully understand the simple assertion that God must raise the dead sinner to life. That is all, really, the phrase means: it has nothing to do with sinners rebelling against God and 'resisting' Him in that way. It has nothing to do with the fact that Christians often resist God's grace in their lives when they sin against Him. No, irresistible grace means one thing: God raises dead sinners to life."
-James R. White from The Potter's Freedom

"If someone pays my bill, I no longer owe the money. The Arminian view leaves us with a contractual situation where Christ offers to pay the bill based upon the performance of the free act of faith. "
-James R. White from The Potter's Freedom

"It has become traditional in evangelical Protestantism to preach the cross as follows:
THE ATONEMENT: ACTUAL OR CONTRACTUAL
God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die upon the cross for every single individual in all the world. By exercising faith in Christ, you can receive the benefits of Christ's death on the cross. If you do not believe, Christ's death, even though offered in your place, will do you no good. You will still suffer for your sins. Christ truly wants to save you, if you will but believe.

UNDERSTANDING ATONEMENT
Is this the message preached by the Apostles? Is this the preaching of the cross of Christ? Calvinists say 'no,' and they do so because of the biblical doctrine of atonement. In its simplest terms the Reformed belief is this: Christ's death saves sinners. It does not make the salvation of sinners a mere possibility. It does not provide a theoretical atonement. It requires no additions, whether they be the meritorious works of men or the autonomous act of faith flowing from a 'free will.' Christ's death saves every single person that it was intended to save."
-James White, The Potter's Freedom pgs 229-230

JOHN STOTT QUOTES

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORSHIP AND PREACHING

"All worship is an intelligent and loving response to the revelation of God, because it is the adoration of his Name. Therefore acceptable worship is impossible without preaching. For preaching is making known the Name of the Lord, and worship is praising the Name of the Lord made known. Far from being an alien intrusion into worship, the reading and preaching of the Word are actually indispensable to it. The two cannot be divorced. Indeed, it is their unnatural divorce which account for the low level of so much contemporary worship.

Our worship is poor because our knowledge of God is poor, and our knowledge of God is poor because our preaching is poor. But when the Word of God is expounded in its fullness, and the congregation begin to glimpse the glory of the living God, they bow down in solemn awe and joyful wonder before his throne. It is preaching which accomplishes this, the proclamation of the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God."
-John Stott, Between Two Worlds


WE WERE DEAD
"We must never think of salvation as a kind of transaction between God and us in which He contributes grace and we contribute faith. For we were dead and had to be quickened before we could believe."
-John R.W. Stott

"Our evangelical emphasis on the atonement is dangerous if we come to it too quickly. We learn to appreciate the access to God which Christ has won for us only after we have first seen God's inaccessibility to the sinner. We can cry 'hallelujah' with authenticity only after we have first cried 'woe is me, for I am lost'"
-John Stott

"Either we preach that human beings are rebels against God, under his judgement and lost, and that Christ crucified who bore their sin and curse is the only available savior, or we emphasize human potential and human ability with Christ brought in only to boost them, and with no necessity for the cross except to exhibit God's love and to inspire us to greater endeavor."
-John Stott

"Our worship is poor because our knowledge of God is poor, and our knowledge of God is poor because our preaching is poor."
-John Stott

OTHERS:

"The request for decision without doctrine is an offense to human beings, for it is little less than a mindless manipulation."
-John Stott
"Worship... rises or falls with our concept of God; that is why I do not believe in these half-converted cowboys who call God the Man Upstairs. I do not think they worship at all because their concept of God is unworthy of God and unworthy of them. And if there is one terrible disease in the Church of Christ, it is that we do not see God as great as He is. We're too familiar with God."
-A.W. Tozer

"Every day of our Christian experience should be a day of relating to God on the basis of His grace alone. Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."
-Jerry Bridges

UNFAILING GRACE
"You can't fall, because grace won't fail. To fall again, you've got to have some failing grace."
-Elder D.J. Ward from this message given at the 2007 Sovereign Grace Bible Conference

"Were it not that God had chosen some,
heaven would have none."

-Elder D.J. Ward from this message given at the 2007 Sovereign Grace Bible Conference

"One of the most fearful things about sin is its power to harden the one who practices it. The deeper a man goes in sin, the less sin bothers him. . . . Every sinner finds himself now committing sins that he once despised, and the sins that he now despises, he will someday find himself committing.

It should shock us to remember that Adolph Hitler was once a little boy playing with toys just like other little boys. Man knows the beginning of sin, but no man has ever known the end of sin."
-Charles Leiter

A 15-Year Retrospective on the Lordship Controversy John MacArthur

It has now been 15 years since The Gospel According to Jesus was first published and the lordship of Christ became a matter of intense debate among evangelicals. That book stood for the simple proposition that the gospel is a call to surrender to the lordship of Christ in humble, repentant faith.
My publisher originally assigned The Gospel According to Jesus to their academic division. They had high expectations for the book from the start and initially thought it might sell as many as 30,000 copies--an unusually high number for an academic book of that sort. But it surpassed 100,000 in sales in a few months, and within a couple of years it had reached the quarter-million mark. There are now about half a million copies in circulation, and the book is still in print. That is almost unprecedented for a polemic book dealing with a theological issue.
When I wrote the book, I expected it to be somewhat controversial, of course, because I was defending a view that a handful of respected Christian leaders, (including Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord, and Zane Hodges) had already denounced as "lordship salvation." But I confess that I did not anticipate the firestorm of intense debate that arose. The controversy seemed to dominate the evangelical world for several years after the book was published.
Most of my theological opponents in the lordship debate were fellow conservative evangelicals who had been my friends and allies in earlier controversies regarding the charismatic movement and the inerrancy of the Scriptures. They were men whom I deeply respected (and still esteem highly for much of the work they have done).
But they were promoting a view of the gospel that, from a biblical perspective, seemed seriously flawed. They insisted there is no place in the gospel for the proclamation of Jesus' lordship. They said those who call unbelievers to surrender to Christ's authority are preaching a gospel of works. They taught that repentance is a false addition to the gospel message. They objected to any kind of evangelism that employed the language of denying oneself, taking up a cross, and following Christ (cf. Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). They declared that devotion to Christ, love for Him, and obedience to His commands are all matters that pertain to discipleship rather than saving faith. Faith, they said, is merely the acceptance of salvation as a free and unconditional gift--and they portrayed discipleship as a second-level commitment. Therefore, according to their view, the gospel presents Jesus as Savior only, not as Lord.
Nearly all the leading advocates of the no-lordship gospel were associated with Dallas Theological Seminary. In fact, Dr. James M. Boice, who wrote powerfully in defense of "lordship salvation" long before I entered the fray, referred to their view as "the Dallas Doctrine."
The pedigree of no-lordship doctrine at Dallas Seminary is traceable back to founder Lewis Sperry Chafer. The doctrine apparently stemmed from Chafer's misguided attempts to develop a uniquely dispensationalist soteriology. Chafer (together with other early dispensationalists, including C. I. Scofield) was so zealous to eliminate every vestige of law from the dispensation of grace that he embraced a kind of antinomianism. That was the seed from which the no-lordship gospel sprouted.
Apparently, no-lordship doctrine no longer dominates Dallas Seminary the way it once did, but controversy over the issue is by no means dead. The past year or so has seen publication of a few new books touting the no-lordship view, attempting to revive the debate yet again. At least one organization, the Grace Evangelical Society, was founded in the heat of the controversy a decade and a half ago and regularly publishes a journal and a newsletter devoted to defending no-lordship theology. The question evidently remains unsettled for many.
My own views on "lordship salvation" have not changed, and if anything I now see the issue as larger and more far-reaching than I did when I first wrote The Gospel According to Jesus. Much more is at stake than just the question of how we proclaim the gospel. The lordship issue has serious ramifications for a number of crucial points of theology.
Grace
The doctrine of grace, for example, is profoundly affected by no-lordship teaching. Defenders of the no-lordship gospel often refer to their unique teachings as "Grace Theology" and their movement as "the Grace Movement." They are convinced that only their system preserves the gospel's message of grace. That is precisely why they insist every opposing opinion is a kind of works-salvation.
But they are working with an unbiblical notion of "grace." Grace is not a liberal clemency or a passive indulgence that simply tolerates and coexists with sin. Divine grace doesn't guarantee heaven in the afterlife while merely overlooking the evils of this life. Authentic grace is the undeserved favor of God toward sinners, delivering them from the power as well as the penalty of sin (Romans 6:14). Grace is dynamic, "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:12).
Furthermore, grace is not merely God's response to the sinner's initiative. Quite the opposite. Because He is gracious, God takes the initiative, drawing the sinner (John 6:44, 65), granting repentance (Acts 3:26; 5:31; 11:18), and awakening the heart to faith (Acts 13:48; 16:14). Every aspect of the believer's response--conviction, repentance, and faith--is the result of God's gracious work in the heart. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
God's grace is rooted in Christ's atonement for sin, which was infinitely costly. In fact, Christ's death on behalf of sinners is the supreme expression of divine grace. It is unthinkable that God would sacrifice His Son to purchase heaven for sinners but leave them to fend for themselves against the power of sin in this life (cf. Romans 8:32).
Sanctification
That's why sanctification is another major doctrine whose biblical foundations are undermined by no-lordship doctrine. The whole gist of the no-lordship message is that while justification is a free gift of God's grace, sanctification is primarily the believer's own work--and therefore more or less optional.
But Scripture teaches that sanctification begins at conversion. The process of practical sanctification is launched by God's regenerating work, when He graciously gives the sinner a new heart and a new spirit of obedience (Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:26-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Just as regeneration marks the beginning of sanctification, glorification marks its end. Sanctification culminates in that moment when we see Christ and are instantly conformed perfectly to His image (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 13:12). Meanwhile, all genuine believers are being sanctified--conformed gradually to the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29). Those who remain unchanged and in unbroken bondage to sin have no true knowledge of Christ (1 John 3:6).
Sanctification is as much a work of divine grace as justification. By portraying sanctification as an optional human work, advocates of no-lordship doctrine actually fall into the very error of works-salvation they profess to deplore. They have made at least this aspect of salvation into a human work.
Justification by Faith
The pivotal doctrine in the lordship debate is justification by grace through faith alone (sola fide). No-lordship doctrine is a corruption of sola fide. The leading proponents of the no-lordship view err because they tend to make justification practically the only work God does in salvation, and they omit or downplay the doctrines of regeneration and sanctification.
Justification is a forensic decree--God's legal verdict that the sinner has been fully forgiven and credited with the full merit of a perfect righteousness. Justification must be distinguished from regeneration and sanctification, but it can never be divorced from them. There is no such thing as a justified sinner who is still unregenerate or utterly unsanctified.
That is not to suggest that we are justified because of our sanctification. We are not even justified "because" of our faith. Faith is the instrument of our justification, not the ground of it.
The righteousness of Christ--not any work done by the believer or wrought by God in the sinner--is the true ground of our justification. In other words, God gives us a righteous standing only because of the perfect righteousness He imputes to us. We're not justified because of any righteousness we attain in our sanctification. We're not justified because of the quality of our faith or the depth of our repentance. God accepts us only for Christ's sake. Because of our union with Christ, he receives us as righteous in Christ. Thus we are justified because of what Christ has done on our behalf; not because of anything we do, period.
And it is by faith alone that we lay hold of the promise of justification. That's what Scripture means when it speaks of being "justified by faith" (Romans 3:8; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24).
But, as the Reformers said, while faith alone justifies, the faith that justifies is never alone. Genuine faith inevitably produces good works. The works are the fruit, not the root, of faith. And justification is therefore complete at the very inception of faith, before faith ever produces a single work. It is not a process like sanctification.
Most who have defended the lordship of Christ for the past decade and a half have labored diligently to make these things clear and to defend the principle of sola fide. This will become more and more important if the debate is rekindled, because there are a number of theological trends on the horizon that tend to undermine the principle of sola fide. These include the so-called "New Perspective on Paul," several recent attacks on the doctrine of imputation, ECT-style ecumenism, and a revival of Anabaptist opposition to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Some who have helped popularize these trends claim that they too are simply battling the shallow "faith" and cheap "grace" of modern evangelicalism, but they actually overthrow the heart of the gospel when they abandon the doctrine of justification by faith.
The errors of no-lordship theology do not find their origin in the principle of sola fide; they stem from an incomplete, man-centered soteriology that refuses to see anything beyond justification. In defending the gospel from no-lordship doctrine, we must take care not to commit the opposite error by downplaying or abandoning the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
The Sovereignty of God
Another doctrine under attack in the lordship debate is the doctrine of God's sovereignty. No-lordship theology cannot coexist with biblical views of election, predestination, and divine foreknowledge. Simply put, you won't find a Calvinist who believes in no-lordship doctrine.
If salvation is really all God's work, how could it be utterly lacking the grace of sanctification? Is surrender to Christ really a human work, or is regeneration with all its effects a sovereign work of God? How can a believer whose heart has been renewed by divine grace fail to bow to Christ's lordship? As I wrote in chapter 1 of The Gospel According to Jesus:
We must remember above all that salvation is a sovereign work of God. Biblically it is defined by what it produces, not by what one does to get it. Works are not necessary to earn salvation. But true salvation wrought by God will not fail to produce the good works that are its fruit (cf. Matthew 7:17). No aspect of salvation is merited by human works, but it is all the work of God (Titus 3:5-7). Thus salvation cannot be defective in any dimension. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). As a part of His saving work, God will produce repentance, faith, sanctification, yieldedness, obedience, and ultimately glorification. Since He is not dependent on human effort in producing those elements, an experience that lacks any of them cannot be the saving work of God.
I once listened to a message by S. Lewis Johnson critiquing a book by Zane Hodges in which Dr. Johnson concluded that the central error underlying no-lordship doctrine is nothing but the ancient heresy of semi-pelagianism--the belief that saving grace cannot be efficacious without the prior cooperation of human free will.
Dr. Johnson's analysis was accurate. Scripture teaches that God's saving grace is inherently efficacious. All whom the Father has chosen shall come to Christ (John 6:37). Each one of them will be effectually called, justified, glorified, and perfectly conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29-30). No aspect of salvation can fail, because none of it hinges on the fickle human will. All of it is the efficacious work of a sovereign God. Accept those truths and you cannot embrace no-lordship doctrine.

Other Important Points of Doctrine
Where you land on the lordship question will also have far-reaching implications for your views on assurance, faith, repentance, eternal rewards, human depravity, the role of the moral law, and a host of other crucial doctrines. Almost no aspect of soteriology is left untainted by the errors of no-lordship doctrine.
So this is still a vital issue and one pastors can ill afford to ignore. If you are the least bit undecided about where you stand in the lordship debate, you need to study the issue carefully and come to solid biblical conclusions about it. Here are some books we recommend, beyond The Gospel According to Jesus (Zondervan, 1988) and The Gospel According to the Apostles (Word, 1993):
• Belcher, Richard P. A Layman's Guide to the Lordship Controversy. Southbridge, MA: Crowne, 1990.
• Boice, James M. Christ's Call to Discipleship. Chicago: Moody, 1986.
• Chantry, Walter. Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic? Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1970.
• Chrisope, T. Alan. Jesus Is Lord. Welwyn, Hertfordshire: Evangelical Press, 1982.
• Crenshaw, Curtis I. Lordship Salvation: The Only Kind There Is! Memphis: Footstool, 1994.
• Gentry, Kenneth L. Lord of the Saved: Getting to the Heart of the Lordship Debate. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1992.
• Hoekema, Anthony A. Saved by Grace. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
• Kuiper, R. B. God Centered Evangelism. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1961.
• Lescelius, Robert. Lordship Salvation: Some Crucial Questions and Answers. Asheville, NC: Revival Literature, 1992.
• Reisinger, Ernest C. Lord & Christ. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1994.
• ___________________. Today's Evangelism: It's Message and Methods. Phillipsburg, NJ: Craig, 1982.
• Tozer, A. W. I Call It Heresy! Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1974.
Please note that our recommendation of these books does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of everything by all of these authors.