Do those believing in “grace only” fear the Lord?

[BCsenior]

Do those believing in “grace only without accountability” fear the Lord

Yes, they’re afraid they won’t get their fair share of rewards in heaven! lol

The 2 reasons for obeying Jesus’ commandments
● LOVE ● In 4 different verses in John 14, Jesus said,
for example: “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.”
(John 14:21)
● FEAR ● “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you,
fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5)

Yes, wise believers have a reverential fear of the Lord.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)

“And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:50)

“And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit …” (Acts 9:31)

“But in every nation he who venerates and has
a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly,
is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35, AMPC)

“There is none righteous, no, not one … There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

“Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (Romans 11:20-21)

“… beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“… submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:21)

“… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)

“… let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

“… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” … conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Peter 1:15-17)

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.” (1 Peter 2:17)

“… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15)

“… You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great” (Revelation 11:18)

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7)

 

[bcbsr]

The 2 reasons for obeying Jesus’ commandments
● LOVE ● In 4 different verses in John 14, Jesus said,
for example: “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.”
(John 14:21)
● FEAR ● “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Oh, so your faith is that your performance will save you from hell. That is, you obey his commandments to earn salvation. So you don't believe Jesus when he said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24 Instead you advocate justification by works.

1John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Thus a person can't both obey his commands our of love and out of fear of condemnation. For the second is simply motivated out of an enlightened self-interest. Yet love is not about self-interest. While there is reverence for God, if a person accepts God's perfect love inherent in the gospel of grace, there is no fear of condemnation. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Rom 8:1,2

While fear of condemnation may drive some to the gospel of grace, others will be driven to legalism like the Pharisees of Jesus' day.

 

[redleghunter]

Do those believing in “grace only without accountability” fear the Lord

Yes, they’re afraid they won’t get their fair share of rewards in heaven! lol

The 2 reasons for obeying Jesus’ commandments
● LOVE ● In 4 different verses in John 14, Jesus said,
for example: “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.”
(John 14:21)
● FEAR ● “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you,
fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5)

Yes, wise believers have a reverential fear of the Lord.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)

“And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:50)

“And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit …” (Acts 9:31)

“But in every nation he who venerates and has
a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly,
is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35, AMPC)

“There is none righteous, no, not one … There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

“Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (Romans 11:20-21)

“… beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“… submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:21)

“… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)

“… let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

“… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” … conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Peter 1:15-17)

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.” (1 Peter 2:17)

“… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15)

“… You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great” (Revelation 11:18)

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7)

Interesting OP and quite focused. I believe you are taking aim at the "Free Grace Theology."

Some resources for all who are interested:

Excerpt below from this link: How ‘Free Grace’ Theology Diminishes the Gospel

The phrase “Free Grace” Theology (note the quotation marks) refers to a specific set of teachings that originated in the late 20th century among a minority of professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, foremost of whom was the late Zane Hodges. It is currently promoted by organizations like Free Grace Alliance and Grace Evangelical Society (23), and by theologians like Charles Bing, Robert Wilken, Fred Lybrand, and Joseph Dillow.​

The distinguishing mark of Free Grace Theology (FGT) is its understanding of what it means to be justified by faith alone. For Grudem, this is also its distinguishing error:

The mistakes of the Free Grace movement today all stem from a misunderstanding of the way the word alone is used in the expression “justification by faith alone.” (139; cf. 36–37)

Grudem’s central argument is that the FGT understanding of “faith alone” is directly at odds with the New Testament’s, and that the difference turns on two questions: (1) Is repentance from sin (in the sense of remorse for sin and an internal resolve to forsake it) necessary for saving faith and (2) Do good works and continuing to believe necessarily follow from saving faith? (22).

FGT answers no to both questions, whereas Grudem argues (successfully, in my judgment) that both the Bible and classic Protestantism answer yes. Herein lies the substance of the book.

What Are the Five Ways?
Each of the five ways FGT diminishes the gospel gets its own chapter, so the book lays out neatly in five chapters along with an introduction and conclusion.

First, FGT doesn’t accurately reflect the Reformation teaching of justification by faith alone, which was often summarized in the formula “We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone” (26). Translation: even though faith is the only human act God responds to in justification (it’s alone in that sense), faith never exists alone in the believer since it always brings with it certain other graces. Grudem’s survey of Protestant confessions spanning five centuries amply demonstrates that this formula represents the pan-Protestant understanding of faith alone (26–30). That this formula stands squarely at odds with FGT teaching is confirmed by the fact some openly reject the formula as an illogical cliché (34–35).

Second, FGT teaching weakens the gospel by “avoiding any call to unbelievers to repent of their sins” (39). Grudem helpfully shows how repentance appears in key New Testament summaries of the gospel message, even in places where faith isn’t explicitly mentioned (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38). Additionally, passages like Acts 20:21 tie repentance and faith closely together (42), justifying the classical Protestant understanding that faith and repentance are like two sides of the same coin, or better—two perspectives on the same conversion event, with repentance being a turning from sin and faith being a turning to Christ. In short, we can’t preach the full gospel without preaching repentance. Even apart from its polemical purpose, this chapter provides a helpful overview of the biblical teaching on repentance.​

This piece, from John MacArthur is also informative on how "Easy Believism" differs from New Testament teachings and historic Christianity:

The gospel that Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience, not just a plea to make a decision or pray a prayer. Jesus' message liberated people from the bondage of their sin while it confronted and condemned hypocrisy. It was an offer of eternal life and forgiveness for repentant sinners, but at the same time it was a rebuke to outwardly religious people whose lives were devoid of true righteousness. It put sinners on notice that they must turn from sin and embrace God's righteousness. Our Lord's words about eternal life were invariably accompanied by warnings to those who might be tempted to take salvation lightly. He taught that the cost of following Him is high, that the way is narrow and few find it. He said many who call him Lord will be forbidden from entering the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-23).

Present-day evangelicalism, by and large, ignores these warnings. The prevailing view of what constitutes saving faith continues to grow broader and more shallow, while the portrayal of Christ in preaching and witnessing becomes fuzzy. Anyone who claims to be a Christian can find evangelicals willing to accept a profession of faith, whether or not the person's behavior shows any evidence of commitment to Christ. In this way, faith has become merely an intellectual exercise. Instead of calling men and women to surrender to Christ, modern evangelism asks them only to accept some basic facts about Him.

This shallow understanding of salvation and the gospel, known as "easy-believism," stands in stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. To put it simply, the gospel call to faith presupposes that sinners must repent of their sin and yield to Christ's authority. This, in a nutshell, is what is commonly referred to as lordship salvation.

The Distinctives of Lordship Salvation

There are many articles of faith that are fundamental to all evangelical teaching. For example, there is agreement among all believers on the following truths: (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.

What, then, are the distinctives of lordship salvation? What does Scripture teach that is embraced by those who affirm lordship salvation but rejected by proponents of "easy-believism"? The following are nine distinctives of a biblical understanding of salvation and the gospel.

First, Scripture teaches that the gospel calls sinners to faith joined in oneness with repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is a turning from sin (Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47) that consists not of a human work but of a divinely bestowed grace (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). It is a change of heart, but genuine repentance will effect a change of behavior as well (Luke 3:8; Acts 26:18-20). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that repentance is simply a synonym for faith and that no turning from sin is required for salvation.

Second, Scripture teaches that salvation is all God's work. Those who believe are saved utterly apart from any effort on their own (Titus 3:5). Even faith is a gift of God, not a work of man (Ephesians 2:1-5, 8). Real faith therefore cannot be defective or short-lived but endures forever (Philippians 1:6; cf. Hebrews 11). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that faith might not last and that a true Christian can completely cease believing.

Third, Scripture teaches that the object of faith is Christ Himself, not a creed or a promise (John 3:16). Faith therefore involves personal commitment to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). In other words, all true believers follow Jesus (John 10:27-28). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that saving faith is simply being convinced or giving credence to the truth of the gospel and does not include a personal commitment to the person of Christ.

Fourth, Scripture teaches that real faith inevitably produces a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation includes a transformation of the inner person (Galatians 2:20). The nature of the Christian is new and different (Romans 6:6). The unbroken pattern of sin and enmity with God will not continue when a person is born again (1 John 3:9-10). Those with genuine faith follow Christ (John 10:27), love their brothers (1 John 3:14), obey God's commandments (1 John 2:3; John 15:14), do the will of God (Matthew 12:50), abide in God's Word (John 8:31), keep God's Word (John 17:6), do good works (Ephesians 2:10), and continue in the faith (Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:14). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that although some spiritual fruit is inevitable, that fruit might not be visible to others and Christians can even lapse into a state of permanent spiritual barrenness.

Fifth, Scripture teaches that God's gift of eternal life includes all that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3; Romans 8:32), not just a ticket to heaven. In contrast, according to easy-believism, only the judicial aspects of salvation (e.g., justification, adoption, and positional sanctification) are guaranteed for believers in this life; practical sanctification and growth in grace require a post-conversion act of dedication.

Sixth, Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all, and the faith He demands involves unconditional surrender (Romans 6:17-18; 10:9-10). In other words, Christ does not bestow eternal life on those whose hearts remain set against Him (James 4:6). Surrender to Jesus' lordship is not an addendum to the biblical terms of salvation; the summons to submission is at the heart of the gospel invitation throughout Scripture. In contrast, easy-believism teaches that submission to Christ's supreme authority is not germane to the saving transaction.

Seventh, Scripture teaches that those who truly believe will love Christ (1 Peter 1:8-9; Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 16:22). They will therefore long to obey Him (John 14:15, 23). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that Christians may fall into a state of lifelong carnality.

Eighth, Scripture teaches that behavior is an important test of faith. Obedience is evidence that one's faith is real (1 John 2:3). On the other hand, the person who remains utterly unwilling to obey Christ does not evidence true faith (1 John 2:4). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that disobedience and prolonged sin are no reason to doubt the reality of one's faith.

Ninth, Scripture teaches that genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith (1 Corinthians 1:8). Those who later turn completely away from the Lord show that they were never truly born again (1 John 2:19). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that a true believer may utterly forsake Christ and come to the point of not believing.

Most Christians recognize that these nine distinctives are not new or radical ideas. The preponderance of Bible-believing Christians over the centuries have held these to be basic tenets of orthodoxy. In fact, no major orthodox movement in the history of Christianity has ever taught that sinners can spurn the lordship of Christ yet lay claim to Him as Savior.

This issue is not a trivial one. In fact, how could any issue be more important? The gospel that is presented to unbelievers has eternal ramifications. If it is the true gospel, it can direct men and women into the everlasting kingdom. If it is a corrupted message, it can give unsaved people false hope while consigning them to eternal damnation. This is not merely a matter for theologians to discuss and debate and speculate about. This is an issue that every single pastor and lay person must understand in order that the gospel may be rightly proclaimed to all the nations.​

An Introduction to Lordship Salvation

 

[GodsGrace101]

Do those believing in “grace only without accountability” fear the Lord

Yes, they’re afraid they won’t get their fair share of rewards in heaven! lol

The 2 reasons for obeying Jesus’ commandments
● LOVE ● In 4 different verses in John 14, Jesus said,
for example: “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.”
(John 14:21)
● FEAR ● “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you,
fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5)

Yes, wise believers have a reverential fear of the Lord.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)

“And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:50)

“And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit …” (Acts 9:31)

“But in every nation he who venerates and has
a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly,
is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35, AMPC)

“There is none righteous, no, not one … There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

“Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (Romans 11:20-21)

“… beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“… submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:21)

“… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)

“… let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

“… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” … conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Peter 1:15-17)

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.” (1 Peter 2:17)

“… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15)

“… You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great” (Revelation 11:18)

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7)

Here we go....

Tell BAC they have to obey God and you'll hear that you're a legalist and some have even told me I'm lost because I'm preaching a "different gospel".

I find this amusing...

 

[grasping the after wind]

Why would believing in grace as the only means of salvation stop one from fearing the Lord? Are you conflating fear of eternal punishment with fear of the Lord? If one is motivated to obey God by fear of eternal punishment one is not fearing the Lord one is fearing eternal punishment. If one thinks that the Lord can be appeased into saving one from eternal punishment by what one does that is not fearing the Lord that is attempting to exert control over the Lord. the Lord is my shepherd I am not his. I do not have the ability to direct Him as to what He will do. Who is to be more feared? One who has complete control of your fate and will do as He pleases no matter what you do or say or one that can be convinced to do what you desire based upon your actions?

 

[Southernscotty]

Lol, These are a merry go round of revolving scripture wars.

Good works will come with saving faith and this faith comes only from a repentant heart and this is purely by God's grace...
" So simple a caveman can do it"

 

[BCsenior]

Interesting OP and quite focused.
I believe you are taking aim at the "Free Grace Theology."
Some resources for all who are interested:
Excerpt below from this link: How ‘Free Grace’ Theology Diminishes the Gospel
An Introduction to Lordship Salvation

Thanks so much for sharing all of this with us!

 

[GodsGrace101]

Lol, These are a merry go round of revolving scripture wars.

Good works will come with saving faith and this faith comes only from a repentant heart and this is purely by God's grace...
" So simple a caveman can do it"

Too bad we're not cavemen!

 

[BCsenior]

One who has complete control of
your fate and will do as He pleases
no matter what you do or say
or
one that can be convinced to do what you desire based upon your actions?

Don't you believe that God gave you
the free will to do as you choose?

 

[GodsGrace101]

Interesting OP and quite focused. I believe you are taking aim at the "Free Grace Theology."

Some resources for all who are interested:

Excerpt below from this link: How ‘Free Grace’ Theology Diminishes the Gospel

The phrase “Free Grace” Theology (note the quotation marks) refers to a specific set of teachings that originated in the late 20th century among a minority of professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, foremost of whom was the late Zane Hodges. It is currently promoted by organizations like Free Grace Alliance and Grace Evangelical Society (23), and by theologians like Charles Bing, Robert Wilken, Fred Lybrand, and Joseph Dillow.​

The distinguishing mark of Free Grace Theology (FGT) is its understanding of what it means to be justified by faith alone. For Grudem, this is also its distinguishing error:

The mistakes of the Free Grace movement today all stem from a misunderstanding of the way the word alone is used in the expression “justification by faith alone.” (139; cf. 36–37)

Grudem’s central argument is that the FGT understanding of “faith alone” is directly at odds with the New Testament’s, and that the difference turns on two questions: (1) Is repentance from sin (in the sense of remorse for sin and an internal resolve to forsake it) necessary for saving faith and (2) Do good works and continuing to believe necessarily follow from saving faith? (22).

FGT answers no to both questions, whereas Grudem argues (successfully, in my judgment) that both the Bible and classic Protestantism answer yes. Herein lies the substance of the book.

What Are the Five Ways?
Each of the five ways FGT diminishes the gospel gets its own chapter, so the book lays out neatly in five chapters along with an introduction and conclusion.

First, FGT doesn’t accurately reflect the Reformation teaching of justification by faith alone, which was often summarized in the formula “We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone” (26). Translation: even though faith is the only human act God responds to in justification (it’s alone in that sense), faith never exists alone in the believer since it always brings with it certain other graces. Grudem’s survey of Protestant confessions spanning five centuries amply demonstrates that this formula represents the pan-Protestant understanding of faith alone (26–30). That this formula stands squarely at odds with FGT teaching is confirmed by the fact some openly reject the formula as an illogical cliché (34–35).

Second, FGT teaching weakens the gospel by “avoiding any call to unbelievers to repent of their sins” (39). Grudem helpfully shows how repentance appears in key New Testament summaries of the gospel message, even in places where faith isn’t explicitly mentioned (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38). Additionally, passages like Acts 20:21 tie repentance and faith closely together (42), justifying the classical Protestant understanding that faith and repentance are like two sides of the same coin, or better—two perspectives on the same conversion event, with repentance being a turning from sin and faith being a turning to Christ. In short, we can’t preach the full gospel without preaching repentance. Even apart from its polemical purpose, this chapter provides a helpful overview of the biblical teaching on repentance.​

This piece, from John MacArthur is also informative on how "Easy Believism" differs from New Testament teachings and historic Christianity:

The gospel that Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience, not just a plea to make a decision or pray a prayer. Jesus' message liberated people from the bondage of their sin while it confronted and condemned hypocrisy. It was an offer of eternal life and forgiveness for repentant sinners, but at the same time it was a rebuke to outwardly religious people whose lives were devoid of true righteousness. It put sinners on notice that they must turn from sin and embrace God's righteousness. Our Lord's words about eternal life were invariably accompanied by warnings to those who might be tempted to take salvation lightly. He taught that the cost of following Him is high, that the way is narrow and few find it. He said many who call him Lord will be forbidden from entering the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matthew 7:13-23).

Present-day evangelicalism, by and large, ignores these warnings. The prevailing view of what constitutes saving faith continues to grow broader and more shallow, while the portrayal of Christ in preaching and witnessing becomes fuzzy. Anyone who claims to be a Christian can find evangelicals willing to accept a profession of faith, whether or not the person's behavior shows any evidence of commitment to Christ. In this way, faith has become merely an intellectual exercise. Instead of calling men and women to surrender to Christ, modern evangelism asks them only to accept some basic facts about Him.

This shallow understanding of salvation and the gospel, known as "easy-believism," stands in stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. To put it simply, the gospel call to faith presupposes that sinners must repent of their sin and yield to Christ's authority. This, in a nutshell, is what is commonly referred to as lordship salvation.

The Distinctives of Lordship Salvation

There are many articles of faith that are fundamental to all evangelical teaching. For example, there is agreement among all believers on the following truths: (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.

What, then, are the distinctives of lordship salvation? What does Scripture teach that is embraced by those who affirm lordship salvation but rejected by proponents of "easy-believism"? The following are nine distinctives of a biblical understanding of salvation and the gospel.

First, Scripture teaches that the gospel calls sinners to faith joined in oneness with repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is a turning from sin (Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47) that consists not of a human work but of a divinely bestowed grace (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). It is a change of heart, but genuine repentance will effect a change of behavior as well (Luke 3:8; Acts 26:18-20). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that repentance is simply a synonym for faith and that no turning from sin is required for salvation.

Second, Scripture teaches that salvation is all God's work. Those who believe are saved utterly apart from any effort on their own (Titus 3:5). Even faith is a gift of God, not a work of man (Ephesians 2:1-5, 8). Real faith therefore cannot be defective or short-lived but endures forever (Philippians 1:6; cf. Hebrews 11). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that faith might not last and that a true Christian can completely cease believing.

Third, Scripture teaches that the object of faith is Christ Himself, not a creed or a promise (John 3:16). Faith therefore involves personal commitment to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). In other words, all true believers follow Jesus (John 10:27-28). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that saving faith is simply being convinced or giving credence to the truth of the gospel and does not include a personal commitment to the person of Christ.

Fourth, Scripture teaches that real faith inevitably produces a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation includes a transformation of the inner person (Galatians 2:20). The nature of the Christian is new and different (Romans 6:6). The unbroken pattern of sin and enmity with God will not continue when a person is born again (1 John 3:9-10). Those with genuine faith follow Christ (John 10:27), love their brothers (1 John 3:14), obey God's commandments (1 John 2:3; John 15:14), do the will of God (Matthew 12:50), abide in God's Word (John 8:31), keep God's Word (John 17:6), do good works (Ephesians 2:10), and continue in the faith (Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:14). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that although some spiritual fruit is inevitable, that fruit might not be visible to others and Christians can even lapse into a state of permanent spiritual barrenness.

Fifth, Scripture teaches that God's gift of eternal life includes all that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3; Romans 8:32), not just a ticket to heaven. In contrast, according to easy-believism, only the judicial aspects of salvation (e.g., justification, adoption, and positional sanctification) are guaranteed for believers in this life; practical sanctification and growth in grace require a post-conversion act of dedication.

Sixth, Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all, and the faith He demands involves unconditional surrender (Romans 6:17-18; 10:9-10). In other words, Christ does not bestow eternal life on those whose hearts remain set against Him (James 4:6). Surrender to Jesus' lordship is not an addendum to the biblical terms of salvation; the summons to submission is at the heart of the gospel invitation throughout Scripture. In contrast, easy-believism teaches that submission to Christ's supreme authority is not germane to the saving transaction.

Seventh, Scripture teaches that those who truly believe will love Christ (1 Peter 1:8-9; Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 16:22). They will therefore long to obey Him (John 14:15, 23). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that Christians may fall into a state of lifelong carnality.

Eighth, Scripture teaches that behavior is an important test of faith. Obedience is evidence that one's faith is real (1 John 2:3). On the other hand, the person who remains utterly unwilling to obey Christ does not evidence true faith (1 John 2:4). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that disobedience and prolonged sin are no reason to doubt the reality of one's faith.

Ninth, Scripture teaches that genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith (1 Corinthians 1:8). Those who later turn completely away from the Lord show that they were never truly born again (1 John 2:19). In contrast, easy-believism teaches that a true believer may utterly forsake Christ and come to the point of not believing.

Most Christians recognize that these nine distinctives are not new or radical ideas. The preponderance of Bible-believing Christians over the centuries have held these to be basic tenets of orthodoxy. In fact, no major orthodox movement in the history of Christianity has ever taught that sinners can spurn the lordship of Christ yet lay claim to Him as Savior.

This issue is not a trivial one. In fact, how could any issue be more important? The gospel that is presented to unbelievers has eternal ramifications. If it is the true gospel, it can direct men and women into the everlasting kingdom. If it is a corrupted message, it can give unsaved people false hope while consigning them to eternal damnation. This is not merely a matter for theologians to discuss and debate and speculate about. This is an issue that every single pastor and lay person must understand in order that the gospel may be rightly proclaimed to all the nations.​

An Introduction to Lordship Salvation

Hi RLH
The above is a great post.
Just a couple of comments....
I don't believe in "positional" anything...we either are or we aren't. This is a major lie which some churches are teaching.

Works has become a dirty word and it's all Jesus spoke of, and Paul too and all the other writers.

Last comment: Many don't understand the difference between Justification and Sanctification.

And, I've told you this before, although I don't agree with some theology (as you know), I do respect this aspect of that theology and have also found some commentaries of JC very good.

Why? Because there's a simple understanding that if we're to belong to Christ, we have to do our best to be His disciples.

Thanks for posting the above.

 

[John Bowen]

From my understanding Jesus came to set the captives free the Jews who had a fear based approach to God with one of a love based approach to God .You can't love someone and fear them at the same time ? The " Him " that Jesus was talking that can take us to hell was our ego which can overtake people's souls as we seen countless times in history with dictators who were ego manics who did go to hell .Thats why Jesus told us to remove the beam in our eye the " human I " the ego.

 

[fhansen]

Do those believing in “grace only without accountability” fear the Lord

Yes, they’re afraid they won’t get their fair share of rewards in heaven! lol

The 2 reasons for obeying Jesus’ commandments
● LOVE ● In 4 different verses in John 14, Jesus said,
for example: “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.”
(John 14:21)
● FEAR ● “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you,
fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5)

Yes, wise believers have a reverential fear of the Lord.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)

“And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:50)

“And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit …” (Acts 9:31)

“But in every nation he who venerates and has
a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly,
is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35, AMPC)

“There is none righteous, no, not one … There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

“Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (Romans 11:20-21)

“… beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“… submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:21)

“… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12)

“… let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

“… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” … conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Peter 1:15-17)

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God.” (1 Peter 2:17)

“… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15)

“… You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great” (Revelation 11:18)

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7)

The Catholic Church teaches that obedience of anything: faith, hope, love, works, contrition, holiness, cannot come without grace, without God's help IOW. Grace precedes everything. We can reject grace and everything it seeks to accomplish in us, but we cannot obtain it on our own. "Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

 

[GodsGrace101]

The Catholic Church teaches that obedience of anything: faith, hope, love, works, contrition, holiness, cannot come without grace, without God's help IOW. Grace precedes everything. We can reject grace and everything it seeks to accomplish in us, but we cannot obtain it on our own. "Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

It teaches that the more we do the more grace we receive. The way you say it makes it sound like calvinism. Without grace we can do nothing....but we have to WANT that grace, by doing good works so as to merit even more.

ccc 2009/2010

2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life." The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness. "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God's gifts."


2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

 

[fhansen]

It teaches that the more we do the more grace we receive. The way you say it makes it sound like calvinism. Without grace we can do nothing....but we have to WANT that grace, by doing good works so as to merit even more.

ccc 2009/2010

2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God's gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us "co-heirs" with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life." The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness. "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God's gifts."


2010 Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God's wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

NOT Calvinism. Initial justification, formally at Baptism is pure gratis; one dying in that state is heavenbound. "...none of those things that precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification" (Council of Trent, sess 6, chap 8). Our only role, for an adult, is that we can still resist said grace, which is where we diverge from Calvinism.

And later we diverge more which is where your paragraphs from the Catechism come in. Because from that justified state we're expected to keep our baptismal vows, walking in God's ways, maintaining that justice and, depending on what we're given: time, grace, revelation, even increase in grace and justice ("From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" Luke 12:48, also ref the Parable of the Talents). God wants more from-and, most importantly, for, us. And yet all of that, from beginning to end, is still a work of grace, but one we cooperate in as we work out our salvation with He who works in us. Phil 2:12-13

 

[BCsenior]

Grace precedes everything.

Yes, it is the starting point of the BAC's spiritual life.

And it is also necessary to reach the end ...
for ... salvation is a process!
If the NT teaches anything, it is this!

2 things proving that salvation is a process:
1) Many NT verses teach us that ...
we must endure in the faith until the end of our lives,
if we are to receive eternal life!
2) Revelation 13 and Revelation 14 teach us that ...
we must NOT take the mark of the beast,
if we are to receive eternal life!

 

[redleghunter]

Thanks so much for sharing all of this with us!

Glad I could do it. I know you have been mentioning what's going in N.A. (assuming that is Northern Alberta) churches. What I quoted from can give us some idea where churches have been heading in the last 20-30 years.

 

[GodsGrace101]

NOT Calvinism. Initial justification, formally at Baptism is pure gratis; one dying in that state is heavenbound. "...none of those things that precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification" (Council of Trent, sess 6, chap 8). Our only role, for an adult, is that we can still resist said grace, which is where we diverge from Calvinism.

And later we diverge more which is where your paragraphs from the Catechism come in. Because from that justified state we're expected to keep our baptismal vows, walking in God's ways, maintaining that justice and, depending on what we're given: time, grace, revelation, even increase in grace and justice ("From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" Luke 12:48, also ref the Parable of the Talents). God wants more from-and, most importantly, for, us. And yet all of that, from beginning to end, is still a work of grace, but a work we cooperate in with He who works in us. Phil 2:12-13

Agreed...
Catholics call this progressive justification.

 

[BCsenior]

I know you have been mentioning what's going in N.A. (assuming that is Northern Alberta) churches.

No, No ... Northern Afghanistan!

 

[BCsenior]

It all begins with God's free gift of His incredible grace.
Then, it's all about the free-will choices we make.
We have been chosen and called unto holiness.
The time is short to get right with God's plan.

 

[redleghunter]

---Staff Edit---

All Christians should agree we are saved by Grace through Faith in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ. That this faith which is from God by His Grace makes us His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

It has been and always will be a package deal.