THE LIE IN LORDSHIP SALVATION THEORY
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"Salvation isn’t gained by reciting mere words. Saving faith transforms the heart, and that in turn transforms behavior. Faith’s fruit is seen in actions, not intentions. There’s no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile. Remember that what John saw in his vision of judgment was a Book of Life, not a book of Words or Book of Intellectual Musings. The life we live, not the words we speak, reveals whether our faith is authentic." (Hard to Believe, p. 93)
The words posited in the OP were a publisher's error in the 2003, 1st Edition of John MacArthur's book, Hard to Believe. The errors were not discovered until the 1st Edition had already hit the bookshelves, but as soon as they were, the corrections that you see above (in bold) were made to the text, and a 2nd, corrected edition was released soon after.
It is important to note that the 1st Edition words (that seem to support the OP's false/incorrect definition of Lordship salvation) are not the words that the book's author (MacArthur) intended or wrote, rather, they were revisions made by an editor w/o his knowledge or consent. To be clear, Dr. MacArthur believes that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from good works (or anything else that ~we~ do).
Finally, Dr. MacArthur neither teaches nor believes the OP's unique definition of "Lordship Salvation" (that "one's salvation is CONDITIONAL upon the life we live"), because that is NOT the correct definition of Lordship Salvation.
Here's the public statement that MacArthur and his broadcast ministry made concerning the 2003 1st Edition book errors and what they did to correct them.
~Deut
The words posited in the OP were a publisher's error in the 2003, 1st Edition of John MacArthur's book, Hard to Believe. The errors were not discovered until the 1st Edition had already hit the bookshelves, but as soon as they were, the corrections that you see above (in bold) were made to the text, and a 2nd, corrected edition was released soon after.
It is important to note that the 1st Edition words (that seem to support the OP's false/incorrect definition of Lordship salvation) are not the words that the book's author (MacArthur) intended or wrote, rather, they were revisions made by an editor w/o his knowledge or consent. To be clear, Dr. MacArthur believes that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from good works (or anything else that ~we~ do).
Finally, Dr. MacArthur neither teaches nor believes the OP's unique definition of "Lordship Salvation" (that "one's salvation is CONDITIONAL upon the life we live"), because that is NOT the correct definition of Lordship Salvation.
Here's the public statement that MacArthur and his broadcast ministry made concerning the 2003 1st Edition book errors and what they did to correct them.
Does John MacArthur teach salvation by works in his book Hard to Believe?
One paragraph in the first edition of Hard to Believe contained a glaring error that has the potential to mislead readers about the book’s whole intent. The problematic passage is the opening paragraph of chapter 6 (page 93), which seems to suggest that salvation is the fruit of godly living. The truth is exactly the opposite.
The error was inadvertently introduced into the manuscript in the late stages of the editorial process, when (in order to simplify the book) four chapters were deleted from the original manuscript and one of the remaining chapters was severely abridged. John MacArthur approved the abridgments.
Apparently, however, in an effort to make a new transition that would smooth over the deletions, an editor involved in the process made significant revisions to the opening of chapter 6. Unfortunately, that change was not submitted to John for approval. We believe the error was an oversight, and not anyone’s deliberate attempt to tamper with the book’s theology. The result, however, severely muddled the message of the book.
A revision was sent to the publisher for future editions of the book. In all subsequent printings, here is how the opening paragraph of chapter six reads (revisions are in bold):
"Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing. Salvation isn’t gained by reciting mere words. Saving faith transforms the heart, and that in turn transforms behavior. Faith’s fruit is seen in actions, not intentions. There’s no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile. Remember that what John saw in his vision of judgment was a Book of Life, not a book of Words or Book of Intellectual Musings. The life we live, not the words we speak, reveals whether our faith is authentic."
~Deut
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Wonderful, just wonderful. I had read something like this as well. Maybe the same article?
But the author of the OP won’t accept it. He‘ll just go about bashing LS, those who adhere to it he’ll call heretics, and lie about their beliefs(even after telling them they don’t believe what he says they believe), and slander them and their posts.
He‘s on a crusade to defend Matthew 5:48, why violating that verse and being the poster child of 1 John 3:8a. For someone who promotes sinless perfection, he does a lot of practicing sinning.
But the author of the OP won’t accept it. He‘ll just go about bashing LS, those who adhere to it he’ll call heretics, and lie about their beliefs(even after telling them they don’t believe what he says they believe), and slander them and their posts.
He‘s on a crusade to defend Matthew 5:48, why violating that verse and being the poster child of 1 John 3:8a. For someone who promotes sinless perfection, he does a lot of practicing sinning.
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Is attaining unto perfection not a work? You keep using Matthew 5:48 and having read the context, I cannot fathom what you are getting at. Would you be willing to be a little bit more plain?
I define many things as works, but they are just a byproduct of sanctification. Sanctification is a lifelong process.
Looking to them and pointing out what works "I've" done is actually quite difficult. I can say that any one that encourages me in my faith (that I do indeed have it) typically seems prepared aforehand and I just sort of walk in them. There's a scripture about that which I can find if you like.
I suppose a better way to say it is the works the Lord has allowed me to do or given me to do. Anything I do on my own is something like scribbles on a paper, pretty useless. What the Lord gives is like a coloring page, what I think goal is would probably be to color inside the lines and do a good job...occasionally I make mistakes on the drawing and color outside the lines, but with practice, this occurs less and less frequently. The colors are up to me, but what I am coloring is up to him...Does that help at all?
I define many things as works, but they are just a byproduct of sanctification. Sanctification is a lifelong process.
Looking to them and pointing out what works "I've" done is actually quite difficult. I can say that any one that encourages me in my faith (that I do indeed have it) typically seems prepared aforehand and I just sort of walk in them. There's a scripture about that which I can find if you like.
I suppose a better way to say it is the works the Lord has allowed me to do or given me to do. Anything I do on my own is something like scribbles on a paper, pretty useless. What the Lord gives is like a coloring page, what I think goal is would probably be to color inside the lines and do a good job...occasionally I make mistakes on the drawing and color outside the lines, but with practice, this occurs less and less frequently. The colors are up to me, but what I am coloring is up to him...Does that help at all?