Lordship Salvation
Assurance is of the Essence of Saving Faith – 1997 Grace Evangelical Society Conference – MP3 / YouTube
What is the difference between saving faith and assurance? Why is the nature of the gospel message, such that when a person believes the biblical gospel, he necessarily has the assurance of eternal salvation? If a person is not assured of his eternal salvation, then that person is not believing the gospel message of eternal life. Believing something false never saved anybody, although believing a falsehood may give false assurance. What is saving faith? Is it a persuasion or a decision? Most false professions are made when the decision/process precedes the persuasion. What does it mean to believe that Jesus is the Christ? It means that Jesus is the guarantor of resurrection and eternal life to everyone who believes in Him. At the moment of saving faith, the believer is sure that he is eternally saved. Passages mentioned include: John 3:16, 20:31; 1 John 5:1; John 11:25-27; John 9:35-38; Matthew 11:2-3; and 2 Timothy 2:18.
What Is Saving Faith? (April 21, 1990) – MP3 / YouTube
In this message given at Jansen Bible Church shortly after the publication Absolutely Free! (1989), Zane Hodges answers the following questions: What is Lordship Salvation? Is there any substantive difference between Lordship Salvation and the Free Grace position? Is the difference between Lordship Salvation and Free Grace, just a difference in semantics? What is saving faith? Why does Lordship Salvation need to redefine saving faith? Why is assurance part and parcel with saving faith? After his message, Zane answers various questions on salvation, including: What is the content of saving faith? Passages mentioned include: Revelation 22:17; 1 John 5:9-13; John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:47; Acts 16:31; John 11:25-27; John 20:30-31; James 2:19; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 11:29; John 15; 1 John 1:5-6; 1 John 3:11-15; 2 Peter 1:3, 5-Revelation 22:17; 1 John 5:9-13; John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:47; Acts 16:31; John 11:25-27; John 20:30-31; James 2:19; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 11:29; John 15; 1 John 1:5-6; 1 John 3:11-15; 2 Peter 1:3, 5-7.
What Is Discipleship? (April 22, 1990) – MP3 / YouTube
In this message given at Jansen Bible Church shortly after the publication Absolutely Free! (1989), Zane Hodges answers the following questions: What is faith? What is saving faith? What is the message that must be believed in order to be saved? What is a disciple? How is being a Christian different from being a disciple? What is repentance? What are the basic views of repentance and its connection with salvation? What is the only book in the New Testament that professes to bring men to salvation? How many times does the Gospel of John mention repentance? What is lost when a Christian sins? Is repentance a requirement for salvation? What happens in the life of a Christian who refuses to repent? Is a awareness of sin necessary for a person to be saved? How is a call to repentance broader than the call to salvation? Where was the Apostle Paul converted? What is the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility? Passages mentioned include: Luke 14; John 4; John 20:30-31; John 1:15-36; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 3:19-20; Revelation 2:5; 1 John 1:9; Luke 17:3-4; Luke 15:11-32; Acts 10; John 9; Matthew 3:10-11; Acts 19:4; Luke 13:1-5; John 5:24; Acts 3:19-20; Luke 15:11-32; Acts 2-3; Acts 20.
2 Kings 5:14-27 – That Gun Is Loaded (February 17, 2002) – MP3 / YouTube
In this sequel to Naaman’s story of leprosy, Naaman learns that the mercy and grace of God are absolutely free. One of the tragedies of the American church is that there are so many churches who teach and believe, that you cannot get into heaven unless you are willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ or surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ. People who think that way about the God of the Bible, do not understand the God of the Bible. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, is afflicted with the disease of greed, which is similar to playing with a loaded gun. The Lord doesn’t need our pennies, but if we are smart, we will invest everything we can into His capable hands, and He will return it with magnificent interest in the kingdom of God. Other passages: Romans 6:2-3; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 22:17; John 5:24; 1 Timothy 6:10; Psalm 24:1.
Luke 13:10-21; Titus 3:4-7 – The Evil Birds Are Here (1992) – MP3 / YouTube
The ruler of the synagogue who condemns Jesus for healing on the Sabbath reflects a view that the mercy of God is forbidden by the law of God. Our salvation has nothing to do with the law of God or the righteousness of works or surrender or submission. Our salvation is an act of totally undeserved mercy and grace from God. There is no doctrine in Christendom today that is more likely to produce hypocrisy than Lordship Salvation. Lordship Salvation is a problem that strikes at our most fundamental beliefs. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone and assurance of one’s salvation is by resting on the promises of God’s Word. Other passages mentioned: Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:1-11; Romans 4:5; Romans 3:21-22; Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 3:19; James 2:10; Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15; Matthew 16:6-12; Acts 16:31. Message given at the Greenwood Hills Bible Conference.
Luke 16:14-18; Romans 3:28-31 – Don’t Join the Self-Justifiers (February 14, 1993) – MP3 / YouTube
What is the tallest tale that a man can tell? I am a good person. It doesn’t matter how good we look to men, what counts is what God sees on the inside. Jesus Christ was the only truly good person that ever walked the face of this earth. If you have convinced someone that you are a good person, you have convinced a dummy. This message was given two weeks after the Dallas Cowboys football team won the Super Bowl. During the victory parade for the Dallas Cowboys, violence and vandalism broke out. Note, this message is a partial recording that ends around 29 minutes. Other passages mentioned: Romans 3:28-31; Luke 18:9-14, 8-19; Luke 10:30-37; Romans 3:20; James 2:10; Romans 3-4; Romans 4:5-6; Romans 3:19-20.
Luke 18:18-30; Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31 – Rich Young Ruler (1988) – MP3 / YouTube
Lordship salvation theology views Jesus’ interview with the rich young ruler as the very best example of personal evangelism by Jesus recorded in the New Testament. Lordship salvation fails to understand the story of the rich young ruler on two levels: (1) What is really happening in this story (the historical level)? (2) What is the role of this story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke which were written to Christians (the literary level)? The story of the rich young ruler is pre-evangelism and not evangelism. (1) Historically, what is going on in this story is a case of pre-evangelism, where Jesus uses the call of discipleship to break through the rich young ruler’s façade of self-righteousness. (2) Literarily, the story of the rich young ruler is a warning to Christians to not allow our material possessions, to prevent our discipleship to Jesus Christ or to deprive us of heavenly treasure. Other passages: John 3:1-21, John 4:1-42; John 10:10; Galatians 6:8; Romans 3:9-20; Luke 10:25-29; Galatians 3:21; John 2:19-21; John 11:11-14; Matthew 16:5-12; Luke 8:13-17; Romans 4:5-6; Romans 3:5; Matthew 18:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6.
Luke 23:1-7; John 18:33-38 – The Art of Avoiding Jesus Christ (August 20, 1995) – MP3 / YouTube
Have we been avoiding a necessary examination? There are times in our lives when we are unprepared for an examination. That is what happened to the Roman governor, Pontus Pilate. Pilate faced one of the most basic issues of human life, that is the authority of Jesus Christ. Do you accept the authority of Jesus Christ? After you are saved, the major issue in your life is the authority of Jesus Christ. Sometimes Christians acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ, but that is not the same as obeying Him. Do we obey the authority of Jesus Christ? The only way to have a home where Jesus lives is to have a home where the authority of Jesus Christ is acted on in obedience to His will. Other passages mentioned: Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:9-11; John 6:47; John 14:23.