Category Archives: Southern Baptist Convention

Debate Over Lordship Salvation? John 5:24 Ends It!

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By johninnc

Tonight (September 10, 2024) marks the scheduled debate between the two leading candidates for the US presidency.

According to a recent Marist survey, respondents said the most important qualities in a presidential candidate are:

  • 27% – honesty and trustworthiness
  • 22% – strong leader
  • 18% – reflects their stance on the issues
  • 16% – shared values
  • 12% – can bring about change
  • 4% – experience

So, both candidates enter tonight’s debate with the putative goal of influencing prospective voters as to their possession of these (and other) qualities.

In the world of professing Christendom, there is an ongoing debate regarding eternal life. The debate can take all sorts of forms, twists and turns, but the common themes are:

  • How is eternal life received?
  • Is eternal life eternal?
  • Can a person be assured of eternal life, and if so, on what basis?

Jesus has this to say:

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

This statement from Jesus makes it explicitly clear that eternal life is received by grace through faith in Christ, that a person receives eternal life that can never be lost or forfeited from the first moment of belief, and that assurance of eternal life rests solely on God’s promise to the believer.

In opposition to Jesus are the purveyors of the false gospel of Lordship Salvation.

Lordship Salvation (LS) is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the PERFORMANCE of good works, the PROMISE of good works, or the EVIDENCE of good works MUST accompany faith in Christ in order to establish, or provide evidence, that such faith has resulted in eternal life.

Many professing “Christian leaders” contradict Jesus’ clear teaching with false LS gospel substitutes – or even failing to take a firm position against LS – that lead people away from Jesus. Following are a few examples:

From: Got Questions: What is Lordship Salvation?

Lordship salvation is not a salvation-by-works doctrine. Advocates of lordship salvation are careful to say that salvation is by grace alone, that believers are saved before their faith ever produces any good works, and that Christians can and do sin. However, true salvation will inevitably lead to a changed life. The saved will be dedicated to their Savior…

Faith itself is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:1-5,8), and real faith endures forever (Philippians 1:6)…

Faith must involve a personal commitment to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). It is more than being convinced of the truth of the gospel; it is a forsaking of this world and a following of the Master…

(My comment: Faith itself is NOT a gift of God, faith need not involve a commitment to Christ in order to result in eternal life, and faith is NOT more than being convinced of the truth of the gospel. None of the biblical references that they have provided, nor any other passages from the Bible, support their erroneous claims. Their false claims are trumped by John 5:24).

From: The Controversial Debate: Understanding Lordship Salvation and its Implications by Adam Phillips

Implications for Christian Life and Evangelism are significant. Accepting the Lordship Salvation doctrine can lead to a more intentional and devoted Christian life. Christians who are committed to the Lordship Salvation view prioritize obedience, discipleship, and evangelism. They believe that evangelism requires presenting Christ not just as Savior but also as Lord.

Overall, understanding the concept of Lordship Salvation is crucial in comprehending the theological debates within Christianity. While many may disagree, it’s essential to have a respectful dialogue on this contentious issue as we strive to live out our faith in Christ.

(My comment: LS doctrine contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ, and therefore has no power to save anyone, much less to lead anyone to a more devoted Christian life. Any dialogue with someone teaching LS should be to show them from the Bible why it is false. John 5:24 would be a great starting point).

From: J.D. Greear (assorted excerpts)

Salvation comes by surrendering to Christ’s lordship and believing in his finished work, whether or not you pray a prayer asking Jesus into your heart.

Neither the great Baptists of the past nor the Bible describes eternal security as a one-time ritual that produces a guarantee of salvation no matter how you live your life. They described it as the knowledge that if God had started a true work in you, he would complete it. And the way that you show your salvation is genuine is by persevering for the rest of your life.

Persevering in the faith is proof that you have the salvation you could never lose; failing to persevere shows that you never had it to begin with.

(My comment: Greear hews to the Southern Baptist Convention’s false gospel pretty closely, although he seems to be a situational Calvinist. Eternal security is a fact for someone who has eternal life. It is not based on a ritual, but on having believed in Jesus as Savior. One does not show eternal life by persevering for the rest of his life, nor anything else. Having to wait to see if you persevere would preclude the assurance of eternal life available to the believer set forth in John 5:24).

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Grab your popcorn and enjoy tonight’s presidential debate, if you are so inclined.

But, when it comes to the truth of John 5:24, there is no debate!

Lordship Salvation: Limited Hangout

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By johninnc

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

In recent months, we have seen first a trickle and now a parade of the architects of the covid response admitting to some of their errors. It’s kind of a dismissive “mistakes were made” kind of thing, that some make willingly, and others under compulsion. In any event, I have seen none of the perpetrators come straight out and admit that what they did was a complete fiasco that did not improve the outcome, but did eviscerate human rights and diminish trust in their institutions. Instead, what they are engaging in is known as a “limited hangout.”

From “wikipedia”:

A limited hangout or partial hangout is a tactic used in media relation, perception management, politics, and information management. The tactic originated as a technique in the espionage trade.

Concept

According to Victor Marchetti, a former special assistant to the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a limited hangout is “spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting—sometimes even volunteering—some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. The public, however, is usually so intrigued by the new information that it never thinks to pursue the matter further.” While used by the CIA and other intelligence organizations, the tactic has become popularized in the corporate and political spheres.

Note: I have removed links and footnote references.

While many of the people at the epicenter of either the disease or the official response to it are participating in a limited hangout, some of their adherents (“covidians”) are doubling down and insisting that the only failure in the response was not doing it earlier and with more forcefulness.

In the world of professing christendom, the false religion of Lordship “salvation” (LS) is a sort of limited hangout. That is, LS adherents will often rightfully concede that certain practices are not required to receive, retain, or provide evidence that one has received eternal life, while still hanging on to other unbiblical conditions.

So, what do I mean by LS?

LS is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the PERFORMANCE of good works, the PROMISE of good works, or the EVIDENCE of good works MUST accompany faith in Christ in order to establish, or provide evidence, that such faith has resulted in eternal life.

In diametrical opposition to LS, Jesus said that anyone who believes in Him has everlasting life as a present possession that can never be lost or forfeited, and that there is no need to look for performance-based assurance of eternal life.

Most religions claiming the name of Christ errantly imbed works either explicitly (Roman Catholicism, Church of Christ, etc.) or implicitly through LS (Southern Baptist, Billy Graham Evangelical Association, Presbyterian Church USA, etc.) into the gospel, thereby creating myriad false gospels. The ones that are most explicit are purists in their beliefs, while the others, either wittingly or unwittingly, are engaging in limited hangouts. There really is no difference in the various stripes – all roads lead to Rome, as they say.

I was reminded of this on a recent trip to Italy. While we were waiting in the airport for our return flight from Rome, there was a large, affable, gregarious young man chirping away to anyone with whom he could engage about his conversion to Roman Catholicism. I was unable to hear everything he said, but I did hear that he had grown up Southern Baptist (LS), had wanted to become a Southern Baptist pastor, but had converted to Roman Catholicism. He had jumped out of the frying pan into the friar, as it were (sorry for the pun). I also gleaned that he was particularly enamored with catholic artifacts and sacraments. I conjectured that this young man knew that Southern Baptist theology was errant, but like the covidians, he thought that doubling down on error might correct it. I hope that he will continue to search until he finds the right answer.

The Southern Baptist Convention Versus John 5:24

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By johninnc

John 5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

The above verse is a direct quote from Jesus Himself. It stands in opposition to what is taught by many groups purporting to represent Him. One such group that teaches doctrine contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

The SBC fancies itself as “reaching the world for Christ,” but in reality it hews to the false gospel of Lordship “salvation” (LS).

LS is the unsupportable and unbiblical belief that the PERFORMANCE of good works, the PROMISE of good works, or the EVIDENCE of good works MUST accompany faith in Christ in order to establish, or provide evidence, that such faith has resulted in eternal life.

Following are excerpts directly from the group’s website, SBC.net:

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a body of like-minded local churches cooperating together to reach the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. There are currently more than than fifty thousand Southern Baptist cooperating churches and church-type missions...

What Southern Baptists Believe

Southern Baptists believe that the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind, with His ultimate revelation being the Gospel message of redemption through Jesus Christ. For that reason, Southern Baptists have summarized their biblical convictions in a statement of faith called The Baptist Faith and Message. Southern Baptists are not a creedal people, requiring churches or individuals to embrace a standardized set of beliefs; but we are a confessional people. The BF&M represents the confessional consensus of “certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified.”

So, what does this “confessional consensus” include? Following are some excerpts from the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M):

Under “Salvation”:

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

Under “God’s Purpose of Grace”:

All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end.

My comment: This all seems pretty confusing and errant. There is nothing in the Bible that conditions receipt of eternal life on either “turning from sin to God,” nor “commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.” Further, the Bible does not say that “all true believers endure to the end,” nor “persevere to the end.”

Maybe the SBC clarifies it elsewhere? Perhaps to provide clarification, or to add further detail to the BF&M, SBC.net has the following under “How to Become a Christian”:

Are you ready to accept the gift of eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now? Let’s review what this commitment involves:

I acknowledge I am a sinner in need of a Savior – this is to repent or turn away from sin

I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead – this is to trust that Jesus paid the full penalty for my sins

I confess Jesus as my Lord and my God – this is to surrender control of my life to Jesus

I receive Jesus as my Savior forever – this is to accept that God has done for me and in me what He promised

My comment: Acknowledging that one is a sinner in need of a Savior does not require one to “repent or turn away from sin”. There is no biblical requirement to “confess Jesus as my Lord and my God” in order to receive the free gift of eternal life. Nor is there any requirement to “surrender control of my life to Jesus” in order to receive eternal life. And, what does “to accept that God has done fore me and in me what He promised” even mean?

Maybe one of the top leaders of the SBC could help explain some of this. J.D. Greear is the former SBC president (2018-2021), and pastor of Summit Church in North Carolina. Following is an excerpt from a February 21, 2013 interview with Jonathon Merritt:

Neither the great Baptists of the past nor the Bible describes eternal security as a one-time ritual that produces a guarantee of salvation no matter how you live your life. They described it as the knowledge that if God had started a true work in you, he would complete it. And the way that you show your salvation is genuine is by persevering for the rest of your life.
Persevering in the faith is proof that you have the salvation you could never lose; failing to persevere shows that you never had it to begin with.

My comment: “How you live your life” has absolutely no bearing as to whether or not you have eternal life. Anyone who does not understand this has no business attempting to teach the gospel to others. We find that the “perseverance” error from the BF&M is shared by Greear. And, note the alacrity with which Greear equates church tradition with the word of God (“Neither the great Baptists of the past nor the Bible…”).

Next are some excerpts from one of Greear’s articles entitled “Don’t Be A Fundamentalist (Calvinist Or Otherwise)”:

Some people give such enormous weight to minor issues that the gospel itself is obscured.

Calvinism is one such issue. We only have so much “bandwidth” as a church, so I choose rather to be known for the gospel than for a tough stance on particulars of Calvinism that are less important than the heart of the message...

So at The Summit Church, I often say, “Calvinism is not an issue to me until it becomes one to you. But when it becomes one to you, it becomes one to me… and I’ll probably take whatever side you are not.”

My comment: Greear’s errant view of perseverance is one of the false tenants of Calvinism, which intersects with the false gospel of LS.

Finally, here is an excerpt from Greear’s Facebook page under “How do I know I am saved?” It draws on a quote from his book, “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart”

Do you believe that Jesus has paid it all? Do you know that He is Lord, and are you in a posture of submission to that Lordship? Then rest in Him.

My comment: It’s hard to know what this even means, but it sounds an awful lot like “allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life” or some similar false gospel add-on that is prominent within LS. In any event, Greear’s advice on how to have assurance of eternal life is not consistent with God’s word, as expressed in John 5:24.

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So, the SBC has false gospel doctrine embedded in its “confessional consensus” and this false gospel doctrine is embraced and expounded upon by one of its most recent top leaders.

For someone who understands the gospel and who has believed in Jesus as Savior, the SBC offers a better mission field than it does a church.

And, if you have grown up in, or attended an SBC church, and still aren’t sure how to have eternal life, click here: THE GOSPEL