Zane Hodges Library exists to promote the teachings of Zane C. Hodges and other like-minded Bible teachers who hold to Focused Free Grace theology. This naturally, leads to the question: What is Focused Free Grace theology? To answer that question, let’s deal first with the question: What is Free Grace Theology?
The term Free Grace, has come to be commonly understood as standing for the following truths:
- Free Grace rejects the evangelistic messages of both Lordship Salvation (e.g., a commitment to obey Jesus as Master is necessary for salvation) and Works Salvation (e.g., a person must do good works [such as be baptized] in order to be saved) messages.
- Free Grace affirms eternal security (once saved always saved).
- Free Grace affirms the statement, “Faith Alone in Christ Alone.”
While there is a degree of unity among Free Grace adherents due to their common opposition to Lordship Salvation and Works Salvation, there are differences over (1) the meaning of faith and belief and (2) the essential content of the Gospel Message or the Saving Message of Jesus.
- Focused Free Grace theology understands that to believe in or have faith/belief in an idea is to be persuaded and convinced that the idea is true. The words believe, faith and belief do not include an act of the will (e.g. making a decision). Focused Free Grace recognizes that one cannot decide to believe that an idea is true.
- An essential element of the Saving Message or the Gospel Message that results in eternal life, is Jesus’ promise of everlasting life to all who believe in Him. In other words, the Saving Message must include believing in Jesus for everlasting life, a life that is secure forever and can never be lost.
Any Free Grace theology that omits any one of these distinctives is Flexible Free Grace theology. For example, if one’s definition of believe includes making a decision, that is not Focused Free Grace, but Flexible Free Grace. Likewise, if eternal security is a doctrine for discipleship instead of for salvation, of if one can be saved by believing in Jesus for something less than an eternally secure salvation (e.g. a probationary or conditional salvation), that theology is not Focused Free Grace, but Flexible Free Grace.
Flexible Free Grace theology says that the essential content of the Saving Message need not focus on Jesus’ promise of everlasting life. Therefore, a person may or may not have assurance of everlasting life when they believe in Jesus. Their belief in some other truth about Jesus results in their having everlasting life without necessarily knowing for sure that they have it. Without the element of assurance based on belief in Jesus’ promise of everlasting life to those who believe in Him, Lordship and Works Salvation messages, may be Saving Messages, as Lordship and Works Salvation messages, teach many truths about Jesus (e.g., that Jesus died for sins and rose again), but omit the one most significant truth: that one receives everlasting life only by specifically believing in Jesus’ promise of everlasting life.
These two distinctives of Focused Free Grace can be seen in Jesus’ interaction with Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus.
“I am the Resurrection and the Life,” Jesus said to her. “He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never ever die, even to eternity. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26 (FMT)
Notice that, Jesus states a number of facts about Himself, then concludes those statements with a question: “Do you believe this?” Another way of stating this question is: “Do you agree these statements are true?” or, “Are you convinced these statements are true?” Jesus’ question, “Do you believe this?” doesn’t make sense when rephrased as a decision: “Do you decide this?” or even, “Do you decide that this is true?” The one who hears these statements believes these statements to be either true or not true. If he does not understand, then he does not believe these statements to be true; one cannot believe what one does not understand. Either one believes or does not believe that Donald J. Trump is the president of the United States. If one doesn’t believe Trump is the U.S. president, one cannot decide to believe it. At best, one can decide to be open to examining the evidence of whether Donald Trump is the U.S. president.
In addition, Jesus’ statements contain the essential truth of the Saving Message: that the one who believes in Jesus for everlasting life has a life that is guaranteed and secure forever. Jesus states that the one who believes in Him, “…even if he dies, will live” and “…will never ever die”. The believer in Jesus is guaranteed to be resurrected. There are no conditions placed on this guarantee, other than to believe in Him. The believer in Him will “never ever” die. These statements show that the believer in Jesus is “eternally secure”, and are part of the Saving Truth to be believed. Everlasting life is not just a side effect result of belief. The everlasting life that is promised to believers in Jesus, is part of the essential focus of what one believes in Jesus for.
Focused Free Grace builds on the truths of Free Grace by clarifying that to believe is to be convinced of the truth, and that the bullseye of the Saving Message of Jesus is to believe in Him for everlasting life. These are not secondary or minor clarifications, but truths that go to the heart of the question: “What must I do to be saved?”