Are You Questioning Everyone's Profession of Faith?

The Lordship Salvation debate has led many Christians into bondage over their ongoing battle with indwelling sin, questioning their standing with God based upon their performance. It has also bred a fruit-examining mentality within the church, where everyone is viewed with suspicion. Might we encourage you to read 1 Thessalonians, Romans 7, and also chapter 5 and chapter 13 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession.

JOIN THE THEOCAST COMMUNITY:

FREE EBOOK:

PARTNER with Theocast:

OUR WEBSITE:

INSTAGRAM:

X (TWITTER):

FACEBOOK:

RELATED RESOURCES:

[kylewilson]

Yessir, faith is looking outside of ourselves. The objective truth of Christs work is where we find our assurance.

[LilacDaisy]

Yes, I was ALWAYS questioning the "trueness" of other Christians, my own included. The past month of hearing the real "faith alone" gospel, I feel SO SET FREE! I didn't like people questioning Lordship Salvation, and I'd try and explain it to them, that we weren't saved by our works - we're saved by Jesus UNTO good works. But how many good works proved the former, I constantly got twisted up about.

I am able to love people so much better now, because I'm not seriously wondering if I should not eat with a person given to sin. The fact others should maybe not be eating with me was also a knot in the stomach. *What a burden it was!*

[MrWeebable]

This is perhaps the most important theological discussion in Christianity. Thanks for repeatedly addressing this.

[maranathamaranatha]

Thank you dear brother for the simplicity of this explanation which is so important and precious for us, whom the Lord has saved by His pure grace! What anguish, what fears and anxiety otherwise, if we constantly observe ourselves to check whether we are indeed saved or not!! This teaching of fear leads to doubt. It's destructive. Basically, this false teaching reminds me (relatively speaking) of Pentecostal teaching. The Lord paid so dearly for our sins on the Cross, out of pure love and grace, that it would be a terrible affront not to believe that “ALL IS FINISHED.” Many thanks for the reassurance that your teaching provides. A French granny who follows you from the southwest of France!

[GraceAloneKJV]

"Lordship" salvation's fruits = Focus on works, doubting salvation, fear and anxiety, performance-based "Christianity".

[linjicakonikon]

Christ is the AUTHOR and FINiSHER of our FAITH. Only He knows how much progress He is making on a fellow Christian.

[yoyocswpg]

When you doubt your assurance, look unto the ascended Christ in the scriptures. Right there you have just exercised faith.

[sorenpx]

Amen, brother. I can't go with you on the Calvinism bit, but the rest certainly resonates with me. Lordship Salvation does nothing but lead to sanctimony, suspicion of other's professions, obsessive self-examination, fear and, quite possibly, a psychological breakdown. Eventually you reach the point where you just have to acknowledge that you're simply not good enough to maintain your salvation (or prove by works you were saved in the first place) and that there's no choice but to rest in the finished work of Christ and accept his righteousness in place of your own.

[Dirkkkkk]

it helped me to continually just read Paul and the gospels over and over and over and over again —- then listen to it —/ and box up your theology books, its 75% unnecessary confusion

[elunico]

I question it now because they don't know what the gospel is, not based on lifestyle. Everyone I know in my Christian circle tends to live, to what appears to be, a good life with good works, but they don't know the gospel

[NicholasproclaimerofMessiah]

Amen.

This also cuts both ways. If someone's profession of faith is not according to the Gospel, then we need to respect that, and not try to assume they are believers. Gotta push that true Gospel against every Galatian heresy.

[robertzeurunkl]

As I understand it, Lordship Salvation simply means that a true believer's life exhibits the mark of the maker, and that all true believers will to some extend bring forth fruit: Some 30, some 60 and some an hundred fold. And that seems true to me. We shall certainly not be perfect, but we shall certainly also not bear any fruit at all. Is my take on "Lordship Salvation" misguided?

[sllim]

I think the key is we believe in regeneration, that God replaces our heart of stone with a heart of flesh that is filled with new desires, new appetites and new affections for Jesus (and away from sin). We do not return to things repeatedly and consistently that we find repugnant. That is why we by nature love to eat things that are sweet or savory, but do not naturally like to eat things like dirt. It’s in our nature to love one and not the other. And if we do sin then we are broken. We are not at peace or bedfellows with sin. It is no longer the default disposition of our heart.

[j.a.c.]

Tell that to the thief that hung on the cross with Jesus. He believed! Never read a verse in the Bible, never was baptized, never had any fruit, etc. you are saved when you believe in Jesus as your savior!!! Justified before a Holy God. Sanctification, well that’s an entire life long process.

[richardpierce]

Yes, I could talk on this subject for hours.

Guarding truth and marking error often seems unwelcome and is met with some level of resistance in the church instead of being met with appreciation and recognized as being your brothers keeper. No matter how gentle you might be.

[idriveastationwagon]

I often wrestle with self examination mainly because I'm aware someone can sincerely look like a christian and still not be saved. I also decieved myself for 10 years with self-righteousness. I understand why LS came into being, for sin shouldn't be the mark of a true Christian.

[bloodboughtbigphilr]

Doing enough seems to be a recurrent theme in Lordship Salvation to prove if one's faith is real. They justify this with recourse to 2 Corinthians 13:5 saying we have to examine ourselves but that is the wider passage stripped of all meaningful context. Paul was addressing the question of those who were disputing his apostleship and he was holding up the Corinthian believers and the fact they believed through his ministry as evidence that he was the real deal and an authentic apostle. The devil can and does take advantage of this misplaced emphasis to keep saved Christians in a state of doubt and spititually paralyze them to neutralise any threat they may pose to him and his devices. A lot of God's children are entrapped in what I would call backdoor Lordship salvation where they would say we're justified by faith alone but faith is proven by our works and this is where assurance comes from. You get it especially in the Reformed version of LS. Frontdoor Lordship Salvation which adds something else to faith in Christ and His redemptive work and usually turning from sin or at least a willingness to or giving your life to Jesus Christ is a flat out false Galatianized gospel. Unfortunately, it's everywhere.

[ericmchenryil]

Failing in the word is one thing, we will do that. Denying the word is completely different which is Denying Christ ( mark 8:38)
We as believers are to test the spirits (1st John 4:1-6)

[FelixLaManna]

Spend enough time immersed in "Lordship Salvation" and you will meet the kind of people that make an eternity in hell look almost like a good deal

[DeathCommies]

how much difference between Lordship "salvation" and Roman Catholicism "salvation" ... not much ... I'm free in Christ ... not to sin but to serve Christ !