Great Men Of God Who Oppose Lordship Salvation

By David J. Stewart | June 2014

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” —Romans 4:5

       What has happened in America is that preachers are fed up with shallow Christianity—the saved barely so as by fire, just outside the gate type of believism—and so they a corrupt the plan of salvation to now include turning from sin as a requirement to be saved. This is sinful, wrong and a doctrine of devils. Then on the other extreme we've got liberal preachers who don't preach sin at all, they just say to “trust Jesus, trust Jesus” to be saved. This also is sinful, wrong and a doctrine of devils. In between these two extreme positions is where we ought to be. No one ever got saved who didn't know that he is a sinner. You've got to answer the sin question. Do you know that you are an ungodly sinner in the eyes of holy God?

Pastor Jack Hyles so eloquently and beautifully explains the four steps to sanctification in every Christian believer's life. Of all the 1700 precious sermons that I am aware of by Dr. Jack Hyles, this is the one MP3 sermon that I would recommend for you to hear. It's that important and I pray that the Holy Spirit will use it to forever change the way you look at the Christian life . . .

The Saved, Crucified, Resurrected And Ascended Life (awesome MP3 sermon by Dr. Jack Hyles)

Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980)

Dr. John R. Rice, founder of The Sword Of The Lord in 1934, preached against the manmade heresy of Lordship Salvation. By itself, the following quote would seem to indicate that Dr. Rice taught Lordship Salvation; but he certainly did not . . .

To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit towards God and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you.

SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice

Considering this quote by itself, one could be misled to believe that Brother Rice was teaching Lordship Salvation; BUT, he certainly is not. Dr. Rice goes on to state...

The change in your heart, sinner, is God's part and you may be sure He will attend to that. Your part is to simply believe in Him. Whatever else is necessary in your eternal salvation, the Lord attends to when you trust in Him, or believe in Him. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice

Did you read what Dr. Rice said?, “The change is in your heart...” Salvation is of the heart; not of works. Salvation is of God, not man. Our part is simply to believe, but it is God who changes our heart. Dr. Rice is Biblically correct, our part is simply to come as guilty sinners and believe on Christ, the rest the Lord attends to.

Dr. Rice further states...

"Repentance is inseparable from faith. The Greek word for repentance in the Bible simply means a change of mind; that is, a wholesome change of attitude toward sin and toward God. One who turns his heart to trust in Christ has, naturally, turned his heart away from the love of sin."

SOURCE: Dr. Rice, Here is My Question...; pg. 248, by Dr. John R. Rice, Sword Of The Lord Publishers; ISBN: 0-87398-158-8

Dr. Rice Refutes Lordship Salvation

Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)

Dr. Jack Hyles 100% correctly and Biblically states concerning repentance...

“Repentance is not some little silly, 'I'm sorry.' Repentance is not simply a fear of God. Repentance is not a monk fasting and afflicting his body in a monastery. Repentance is not remorse because of sin's consequences. Repentance is not penance performed before the pope as you kiss his toe... Repentance is not being sorry for what I've done wrong. It is not confessing one's sins to a priest. It is not just conviction of sin. It is not the signing of a pledge of abstinence. Repentance is that thing when you come before God and see yourself as you are, and see Him as he is, and say with Isaiah 'Woe is me, for I am unclean!'” —Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), a quote from the timeless MP3 sermon, THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADETH TO REPENTANCE!

Longtime faithful pastor, Dr. Bob Gray Sr. of the Longview Baptist Temple Church in Longview, Texas has it 100% Biblically correct on repentance . . .

“Repentance means to change your mind—change your mind—change your mind about how you want to get to Heaven to what God says you've got to do to get to Heaven. If you've got to repent of all your sins, you're still headed for Hell tonight.” —Pastor Bob Gray Sr., a quote from the awesome MP3 sermon, Why You Should Be A Part Of A Growing Church

Hebrews 6:1 teaches “REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS,” not repentance from sins. You cannot show me even one Bible verse that says to “turn from sin,” or “forsake the world,” or “repent from sin” to be saved. No, rather, repentance is changing one's mind about the wrong way we think concerning how to get to Heaven. Repentance is a change of mind concerning our sins and the Savior, but it is NOT a change of lifestyle nor does it require any action (which would require human effort) on our part. Repentance is not a change of direction in one's life; but rather, a change only in one's mind.

Repentance is the admission that I am wrong as a sinner and my holy God is right; consequently, I believe upon the gospel as payment for my sins. There is no repentance if faith is not present. The two are inseparable. Admission of sin without faith is mere confession. Faith without repentance is mere religious devotion. The sin question must be answered. We are woeful sinners (Romans 3:10,23), under the condemnation of God's wrath (John 3:36; Revelation 20:11-15; 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9; Romans 5:9), deserving of the Lake of Fire forever.

But God in His unconditional love sent Jesus into the world to die for all mankind (Romans 5:8), paying the price with His own precious blood (Revelation 1:5), which is now sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12,24; 12:24). Jesus was born of a virgin by a prophesied miracle of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 7:14). Christ lived a sinless life. The Lord was beaten beyond recognition, unable Isaiah said, to determine if His face was still the face of a man anymore (Isaiah 52:14). THAT'S A GREAT FRIEND AND SAVIOR!!! Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5), paid for in full by Jesus Christ Who sprinkled His precious, literal, physical blood onto the heavenly Mercy Seat in the presence of God the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 9:12,24; 12:24).

When I stop and think about the ungodly, ungrateful, little spoiled brats, total spiritual fools like Hollywood producers: Stephen Spielberg, Roman Polanski and Jim Cameron to name but a few; and ungodly singers and entertainers: Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Kesha, Beyonce, The Rolling Stones, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Gene Simmons, Sarah Silverman, Conan O'Brien, and thousands more idiots who blaspheme the holy name of God, desecrate the things of Jesus Christ, and spew their abominations against God, I am horrified to think what God is going to do to them in eternity. Psalms 50:22, “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.”

LORDSHIP SALVATION: AN ENEMY OF SOULWINNING! (by Dr. Jack Hyles)

The Saved, Crucified, Resurrected And Ascended Life (awesome MP3 sermon by Dr. Jack Hyles)

The Christian Life Verses The Crucified Life (mix the two and you've corrupted the gospel)

Pastor Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Charles Spurgeon Biblically states concerning repentance...

"You must not expect that you will be perfect in "repentance" before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect. "Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself..."

— Charles Spurgeon

SOURCE: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0044.htm (from a sermon preached at the New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, on September 23, 1855)

Clearly, Charles Haddon Spurgeon DIDN'T believe that forsaking one's sins, or grieving, or feeling sorrow, or being willing to turn from them, was necessary to be saved. Rather, Spurgeon believed that they were evidences of genuine repentance. Spurgeon did in fact teach, as have other great men of God, that a sinner ought to turn from his or her sins as evidence of genuine repentance; but this is after-the-fact, and not a requirement for salvation itself. Spurgeon plainly taught "there are no conditions of salvation," which is what the Bible teaches. We are sinners and Jesus is the Savior!

Here is a lengthy quote by Charles Spurgeon concerning Biblical repentance...

You know there are degrees of faith, and yet the least faith saves; so there are degrees of repentance, and the least repentance will save the soul if it is sincere. The Bible says, "He that believeth shall be saved," and when it says that, it includes the very smallest degree of faith. So when it says, "Repent and be saved," it includes the man who has the lowest degree of real repentance. Repentance, moreover, is never perfect in any man in this mortal state. We never get perfect faith so as to be entirely free from doubting; and we never get repentance which is free from some hardness of heart. The most sincere penitent that you know will feel himself to be partially impenitent.

Repentance is also a continual life-long act. It will grow continually. I believe a Christian on his death-bed will more bitterly repent than ever he did before. It is a thing to be done all your life long. Sinning and repenting—sinning and repenting, make up a Christian's life. Repenting and believing in Jesus—repenting and believing in Jesus, make up the consummation of his happiness. You must not expect that you will be perfect in "repentance" before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect. "Repentance" is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0044.htm (from a sermon preached at the New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, on September 23, 1855)

Spurgeon plainly taught that he believed repentance "includes the man who has the lowest degree of real repentance." You'll never hear this quote from Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, John MacArthur, Jack Chick, or others today who are sinfully teaching Lordship Salvation. Biblically, repentance is a "change of mind." The changes that follow are the result of true repentance at work; and not repentance itself.

Also, notice that Spurgeon stated: "Repentance is also a continual life-long act." Spurgeon was not teaching that salvation is a process, because it's not. Spurgeon simply meant that once a person initially repents, thus acknowledging their guilty sinful condition and trusting the Lord by faith to be forgiven, those same elements of repentance and faith will work in the believer's mind and heart for the rest of their life. Salvation is more than being saved. When God saves us, the lifelong process of growing in the Lord begins.

Clearly, Spurgeon taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel; and not a false gospel that requires lost sinners to forsake personal life to be saved. Who can do that? Even the best of Christians still sin every day! Even our ignorance is part of our sin. Like it or not, Charles Spurgeon plainly taught the truth that "there are no conditions of salvation." Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15; 6:23), freely received (Revelation 22:17), and without works (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:3,4; 2nd Corinthians 5:21). Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith. Please read: What Did Pastor Charles Spurgeon Believe About Repentance? (God saves sinners AS IS!!!).
 

Pastor Oliver B. Greene (1915-1976)

One thing that I have learned about preachers is that we all learn as we go. Unfortunately, once you've written a book or published any type of permanent media, it cannot be changed later on. I sincerely believe that cartoon evangelist Jack Chick knows his Chick Tracts are corrupt. Take a look at his website's statement of faith. This doctrine is 100% accurate (as of September 12, 2016). He never mentions the word “repent,” not even once. Then take a look at his FAQ page that addresses the question, “Why Chick Tracts Preach Repentance.” Please notice that Mr. Chick never defines “repentance” here as turning from your sins to be saved. Yet, in every one of the 800,000,000 Chick Tracts that he has sold over the past 50 years, he errantly teaches people that they must “Be willing to turn from sin (repent)” to be saved. THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL!!!

Having said that, I have mixed feelings on Dr. Oliver B. Greene. It is my humble opinion that he began his ministry teaching heresy, but at some point changed his views. To show you evidence of what I am saying, please consider the following damnable quote from 1969 from Dr. Greene. Taken by itself, the following teaching is utter heresy...

“True repentance is sorrow for sin committed against a holy God and not only sorrow for sin, but TURNING FROM SIN, FORSAKING SIN AND TURNING TO GOD. Sin nailed the Savior to the cross and certainly that fact alone is sufficient reason why ALL WHO HAVE GENUINELY REPENTED HATE SIN AND FORSAKE SINFUL WAYS” (Oliver B. Greene, Commentary of Acts of the Apostles, Acts 2:37-38, 1969).

I'd like to attempt to give Dr. Greene the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot. What he just taught is heresy! Repentance is NOT “TURNING FROM SIN” nor “FORSAKING SINFUL WAYS.” Biblically, repentance unto life is the Greek noun metanoia, which simply means, “A CHANGE OF MIND.”

Now just one year later in 1970, Dr. Greene changed his preaching 100%! I have a very good book in front of me by Dr. Greene titled, BELIEVE and BE SAVED,which teaches “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3). It is a beautiful and 100% doctrinally correct book. In his awesome book, BELIEVE and BE SAVED, Dr. Greene correctly teaches:

“When we believe and are regenerated by the power of God through the miracle of the new birth, do we really receive the nature and life of God? The Word of God answers that question:

Jesus said, 'EXCEPT a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' So all who enter the kingdom of God must be born again, and the Scripture clearly teaches that we are born of God (John 1:13), the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the believer's heart, and we become 'partakers of the divine nature' (II Peter 1:4).”

SOURCE: Dr. Oliver B. Greene, “BELIEVE And BE SAVED,” p. 45; ©1970, THE GOSPEL HOUR, INC.)

I am convinced from reading Dr. Oliver B. Greene's writings that he changed his views. There is no way that you can reconcile Dr. Greene's heretic teaching on repentance as being a “TURNING FROM SIN” and “FORSAKING SINFUL WAYS,” with the following beautiful quote from his 1970 book, BELIEVE and BE SAVED. Lest you should have any doubt as to what Dr. Greene believed and taught, the following quote settles in my mind that he was indeed a born again Christian, and did NOT believe nor teach Lordship Salvation in his latter ministry:

I know there are people who cry long and loud that believing on Jesus is not sufficient for salvation. It is true that intellectual belief is not saving faith. There are many who believe that a Man named Jesus lived—but that is not enough. Many believe that He was a great Teacher, a great Preacher, a great Healer—but that is not enough. Believing that He died a martyr's death is not believing unto salvation. James 2:19 tells us that even the demons believe—and tremble; but demons are not saved. The demons believe in that they know there is a God—omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. They know that one day they will be cast into the lake that burns forever with fire and brimstone.

But I declare on the authority of God's Word that believing as it is taught in the Word is sufficient to 'born' a sinner into God's family! Believing on Jesus for salvation means trusting Him wholly, entirely, placing your life and your eternity in His hands. Believing on Jesus for salvation is resting your case on Him, believing that He is able and willing to do all that He promised. Nothing less will bring about the new birth—and if you hope to enter heaven you MUST be born again. You must be born of the Word and of the Spirit.

If you have not believed on Jesus unto salvation, I urge you to believe NOW. Receive Him by faith NOW. Take Him into your heart by faith, and you will pass from death unto life eternal—for the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

SOURCE: Dr. Oliver B. Greene, “BELIEVE And BE SAVED,” pp. 53-54; ©1970, THE GOSPEL HOUR, INC.)

There you have it. We are saved by BELIEVING! Repentance is a change of mind that enables believing. If a man didn't repent, he'd never come to Christ at all (John 3:20). Repentance is admitting one is a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God (Romans 3:19). A changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit in every believer, and not a part of the ROOT of saving faith. That is critically important to understand concerning salvation. The Apostle Paul speaks about the ROOT of a believer's faith in Romans 4:5-6, but the Apostle James speaks concerning the FRUIT of a believer's faith in James 2:18-21. Abraham was saved in Genesis 15:6 by faith alone in the Lord, but Abraham's faith was validated in the eyes of men in Genesis 22:10 when he offered up Isaac his son in obedience to God. Notice in the next Bible verse that James says “shew me” and I will “shew thee” my faith. James 2:18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” Clearly, James is speaking about justification by works in the eyes of men. But with God, a man is solely justified by faith.

Biblically, a changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith. A man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness. Why? It's because God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to us by faith (Romans 4:6). Amen! What Did Pastor Charles Spurgeon Believe About Repentance? (God saves sinners AS IS!!!). Spurgeon is 100% correct—God only saves THE UNGODLY, as they are in their wickedness, without even the slightest improvement at the time of faith. We are saved by BELIEVING! John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Thank you Lord Jesus!

Lordship Salvation is a false Gospel that requires a change of behavior as a part of salvation, and that's where the trouble starts, because that is works for salvation. As I have shown you, Dr. Greene's two writings between 1969 and 1970 drastically contradict each other, which clearly leads me to believe that Dr. Greene received much criticism from faithful preachers when his commentary was published. I could be wrong, but it strongly appears to me from the evidence I have shown you, that Dr. Greene wrote his book BELIEVE and BE SAVED to let his critics know exactly where he stands. I am not defending Dr. Greene's 1969 heresy, I am showing you that he 100% correctly taught in 1970 that salvation comes simply by BELIEVING, nothing else. Dr. Greene plainly teaches that solely BELIEVING on the Lord Jesus Christ IS SUFFICIENT enough to save a sinner. Amen and amen!
 

Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951)

Pastor Harry A. Ironside excellently stated...

Harry A. Ironside“Repentance is the very opposite of meritorious experience. It is the confession that one is utterly without merit, and if he is ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, 'who gave himself a ransom for all.' Here is firm footing for the soul who realizes that all self-effort is but sinking sand. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation.” SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside; Except Ye Repent, pg. 36

“Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.” SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?

Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. H.A. Ironside correctly recognized repentance as the confession that "one is utterly without merit" and that if one is "ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ." Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith.

“Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word.” SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3

“When anyone comes promising salvation to those ‘who make full surrender' of all that they have to God, and who 'pay the price of full salvation' he is preaching another gospel, for the price was paid on Calvary's cross and the work that saves is finished. It was Christ Jesus who made the full surrender when He yielded His life on Calvary that saves us, not our surrender in any way to Him. SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the Gospel tract, Another Gospel.

Repentance and faith are inseparable. The Gospel of John mentions the word “believe” 85-times; but the word “repent” is never mentioned even once. In genuine salvation, one who believes on Jesus Christ has repented; and one who repents has believed. If you turn to Jesus Christ by faith to receive the gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins, you HAVE turned your back against sin, only in the sense that you realize you're a guilty sinner in the sight of a holy God. You need to know what you're being saved from.

Here is one of the best quotes that I've found on repentance, by Dr. Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951):

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” (Except Ye Repent, p. 16)

Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995)

Pastor Curtis Hutson, former editor of the Sword Of The Lord, has it 100% correct...

Several years ago, after I finished preaching a Sunday morning service, several people trusted Christ as Saviour, including a lady and her five children. I noticed a man sitting on the same pew who did not respond. After the service, I spoke to him, while many of the members of the church were shaking hands with the lady, her children, and others who had trusted Christ that morning.

"Sir," I said, "is this your wife and children?"

"Yes," he replied.

I said, "Isn't it wonderful that they have trusted Christ as Saviour!"

"Yes," he replied.

Then I asked, "Have you trusted Christ as your Saviour?"

He dropped his head and said, "I'm afraid I haven't."

"May I ask why you haven't trusted Christ as Saviour?"

"Well," he said, "to be honest with you, I'm afraid I can't live it."

I suspected that this man had an idea that in order to be saved, he must promise God that he would never sin again, or he thought that repenting was turning from sin. So I pressed the issue. "What do you mean, you can't live it?"

"Well," he said, "I know that I will probably sin again."

I said, "Sir if getting saved is promising Jesus you will never sin again, then I would never get saved, because I know I cannot live a sinless life." I explained that to be saved one simply had to trust Jesus as Saviour. I opened the Bible to John 3:36 and read, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." Then pointing to the verse, I asked, "Does the verse say 'He that believeth on the Son and lives it has everlasting life'?"

"Oh, no," he replied.

"Then what does the verse say?"

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."

"Then must one believe on the Son and live it in order to be saved? Or must one simply believe on the Son, as the Bible says, to have everlasting life?"

"Well," he said, "I suppose that one must do what the Bible says - believe on the Son."

"Then will you trust Jesus Christ right now as your Saviour?"

With a smile on his face, he answered, "I certainly will." In a moment he joined his wife and children as the church members came by and shook hands, rejoicing with them in their decision to trust Christ as Saviour.

SOURCE: Repentance: What Does the Bible Teach?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
—John 3:16


Lordship Salvation

The Curse of Lordship Salvation

The Foolish Doctrine of Lordship Salvation

Scriptural Proof that Lordship Salvation is a Lie

Lordship Salvation Ignores Babes in Christ and the Backslidden


What the Bible Says is So (by Pastor Roy Thompson)

All Scripture Is Given By Inspiration Of God

As In The Days Of Noah

Someone has said that a camel is a horse put together by a Baptist committee!


Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness! | Believe The Gospel

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