FOUL!! AD HOMINEMS
Shall I cry hypocrisy?
Pilgrim, you are reminding me of a cult follower whose leader can say or do no wrong.
But that's okay, the truth hurts, right? So we shall see who is a cult follower, and who is properly representing the Word of God.
Therefore, seeing not one person seems to have the courage to back up their charges and actually quote MacArthur's position, but are content to cast aspersion on someone with no basis, then I will begin to quote MacArthur in my responses to those decrying Lordship Salvation, and we will see that we have a contrast between the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in Scripture...and greasy grace.
Here is the first installment:
Comparing the No-Lordship Views
The 9 specific tenets of lordship salvation have already been outlined in a previous post .
So what does the no-lordship camp espouse? They agree with lordship proponents that: (1) Christ's death purchased eternal salvation; (2) the saved are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone; (3) sinners cannot earn divine favor; (4) God requires no preparatory works or pre-salvation reformation; (5) eternal life is a gift of God; (6) believers are saved before their faith ever produces any righteous works; and (7) Christians can and do sin, sometimes horribly.
But they disagree on other crucial soteriological points. For example, the no-lordship advocates teach that:
1. Repentance is simply a change of mind about Christ (Charles Ryrie, So Great Salvation, 96, 99).?? In the context of the gospel invitation, repentance is just a synonym for faith (SGS 97-99). No turning from sin is required for salvation (SGS 99).
Link
These are the points Lordship Salvation and No-Lordship Salvation adherents agree on, with the first point where there is disagreement. Lordship Salvation was not, by the way, a term coined by MacArthur, though he is probably the most famous defender of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in regards to a staunch address of the No-Lordship proponents, and in point one we see that Charles Ryrie is quoted from his book
So Great Salvation.
What we will find with the greasy grace crowd is a denying of the very Sovereignty of God, because they view something that is promised in salvation...does not take place And that is of course Progressive or Practical Sanctification.
Their confusion lies, as has been pointed out already in this thread, in trying to make Lordship Salvation the means of salvation, when MacArthur makes it clear in every teaching he has ever done...that salvation is wholly the Work of Holy God. That is seen in the first paragraph.
We also see it here:
The lordship controversy is not a dispute about whether salvation is by faith only or by faith plus works.
No true Christian would ever suggest that works need to be added to faith in order to secure salvation. No one who properly interprets Scripture would ever propose that human effort or fleshly works can be meritorious —worthy of honor or reward from God.? (We emphasize this again just to make the point.)
Instead, the lordship controversy
is a disagreement over the nature of true faith. Those who have true faith will love Christ (
Romans 8:28;
1 Corinthians 16:22;
1 John 4:19). They will therefore want to do His bidding. Jesus as Lord is far more than just an authority figure; He's also our highest treasure and most precious companion. We obey Him out of sheer delight. So the gospel demands surrender, not only for authority's sake, but also because surrender is the believer's highest joy. Such surrender is not an extraneous adjunct to faith; it is the very essence of believing.
Link
What we are going to find in this discussion are some very interesting truths about the No-Lordship crowd.
They attack Christianity on some very fundamental levels, one member here at least making the statement "The Gospel is not about sin," and...we find people who should have discernment of such error patting that member on the back.
Likely the error is not intentional, but, we see the problem when people build Theology on...emotion. For them, Scripture does not matter, only what they feel matters. And if someone feels that sin is displaced from the Gospel, well, for them...that is their truth.
But that is not the Truth of God's Word.
Christ came to save sinners, and call them to repentance. We can see that the Comforter does not exclude sin from His Ministry:
John 16:7-9
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Of sin, because they believe not on me;
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with sin?
And this is so basic to the Gospel, so we have to beware of false teachers who remove the Bad News from the Good News. Man will not be saved but that the Comforter enlighten their natural minds to their sin. This is the supernatural Work of the Spirit of God, and it is understanding our condition that compels us to repent and trust Christ.
Acts 17:29-31
King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]29 [/SUP]Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
[SUP]30 [/SUP]And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
[SUP]31 [/SUP]Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Several times the false charge that MacArthur's teaching places works prior to salvation, and that is a false charge. In view is not how one is saved, but what happens after one is saved. A denial that there will be repentance before salvation conflicts with so many teachings of Christ and the Apostles that we wonder how anyone could miss that.
But it has been exposed why some would levy false charges against a man that has been one of the most staunch defenders of Sola Fide...anger at his other teachings.
So in conclusion on this point...
FOUL!! AD HOMINEMS
...I will just say that it is not ad hominem if it is true. We do nobody any favors by patting them on the back for conduct and behavior unbefitting of Christians, and for spreading false information because one has a vendetta based on doctrine which MacArthur has addressed.
Pilgrim, you are reminding me of a cult follower whose leader can say or do no wrong.
That's okay, Christianity was called a cult at it's beginning, and it's members persecuted for standing on the truth.
And I can confidently say that when this issue is threshed out to it's fullest, rather than the gossip oriented manner it has been approached with so far, we are going to see who defends the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God, and who is teaching another gospel, which is not good news at all.
Any time anyone is falsely accused, you are going to get my attention.
And aren't you glad you have it?
God bless.