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Introduction
ОглавлениеThe point of this book is to answer common questions about the gospel and to give a biblical case against Lordship Salvation, which is destroying the foundation of our fundamental churches - the gospel. Lordship Salvation is simply the belief that when you trust Christ, you automatically start to change because you are a “new creature.” People who advocate this doctrine say that because the Holy Spirit indwells you, you will desire what God desires in your life, and IF YOU DON’T SEE POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WERE NEVER SAVED AT ALL!
Hence, they use works, in a not-of-works gospel to determine someone’s genuine belief. This puts people into a very difficult position when trying to accept Christ as their Savior.
They “trust Christ” as their Savior and then try to change their lives. When they have fallen several times to that pesky sin in their life (Proverbs 24:16; Romans 7:15-25), they think that they must not be saved because they don’t see a change in their life. Are they trusting in Christ or their changed lives to save them?
Often when listening to people of this belief witness, you will hear them stress the importance of changing things in your life. Thus subtly, they add works. They claim “Christ did it all,” but in reality they practice “you do your part.” They never once consider that someone who truly believes could possibly do nothing for God and still go to Heaven (Romans 4:5).
They also stress making God "Lord of your life," hence the name Lordship Salvation. They use phrases like “If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” This is totally backward thinking. How is an unsaved, spiritually dead person supposed to make God Lord of all? That means an unsaved person must surrender everything to God to become saved. That is works. Salvation is not based on us “making” God Lord. He is Lord of all whether or not you accept Him as Lord.
When you believe Christ died, paid for your sins, and rose again, God saves you! Then, AFTER you have the promise of eternal life, you can surrender all to Christ, which is good, but in no case determines whether or not you’re saved. Salvation and discipliship are clearly two separate things. One is a gift; the other is a battle.
I hope you will read this book with an open mind. God’s Word pricks people’s hearts, so I have included many Scripture verses. Some I have quoted, and some I have just put the reference down for you to read later. Whatever God says in Scripture is much more important than what I have to say about the verses. So please take your time to read the verses I share, and not just glance over them.
I pray you enjoy and learn something great from my book, The Impossible Gospel.