Does your Bible teach ‘Lordship salvation,’ or ‘Just believe salvation’? This question is dividing Christianity today! Proponents of ‘Lordship salvation’ teach it’s not enough to just believe in Christ as Savior, Christians need to make Jesus Lord of their lives in order to be saved. Opponents of ‘Lordship Salvation’ argue that it stinks of ‘earning one’s salvation’ by works - and that instead, we’re saved by ‘grace alone,’ in ‘Christ alone.’
Never mind the fact that the words ‘grace alone’ & ‘Christ alone,’ do not appear anywhere together in your Bible! It’s Human Nature to want to reduce Bible teaching to easy to remember catch phrases, but such phrases still have to reflect the truth.
Advocates of ‘Just believe salvation’ cite Biblical texts like: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved…” (ACTS 15:11); “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (ACTS 16:31); “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (EPHESIANS 2:8,9)
But this is a classic case of ‘deception by omission.’ If your Bible mentioned no other requirements for salvation than to ‘Just believe in Christ,’ then advocates of this teaching would be hard to argue with. But your Bible adds: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (MARK 16:16); If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (ROM.10:9,10); “Moreover, brethren, I (Paul) declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain.” (I CORINTHIANS 15:1,2); “And having been perfected, He (Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (HEBREWS 5:9)
Paul tells the Corinthians that they can ‘believe in vain,’ if they don’t hold fast to Paul’s gospel by which they are saved! Jesus combined belief with baptism as dual requirements for salvation. Paul told the Romans that confession of the mouth that Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead, are also part of being saved. Paul also mentions that a convert ‘believes unto righteousness,’ which means to believe unto right living. And the author of Hebrews says that obedience is linked to salvation.
Did Jesus only save Mankind from the penalty of sin (death-Rom.6:23) - or did He also come to save us from the power and dominion of sin over our lives? Proponents of ‘Lordship salvation’ teach and believe that the salvation wrought in Jesus our Savior accomplishes both!
The Apostle Paul was inspired to write about both benefits of Christ’s sacrifice: “God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…” (II TIMOTHY 1:9,10); “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (I CORINTHIANS 1:18)
Salvation is a process - not a one time event! The cross unleashed power over the death penalty for those who believe, are baptized, confess that Jesus is Lord and raised from the dead, and believe and enact the gospel message. But the cross also unleashed power (Holy Spirit - John 14:25-28), which builds within us the Divine nature as manifested in the fruits of the Spirit (GAL.5:22-23). We overcome Satan by Christ’s presence in us (I JOHN 4:4); Society’s negative influence, by Christ’s sacrifice (GALATIANS 1:3,4); and Self through joining in Christ’s death (ROMANS 6:4) This is how God gives us victory over the power and dominion of sin (I CORINTHIANS 15:57)
Your Bible says that SIN is the transgression of the Law (I JOHN 3:4 KJV). Christ’s sacrifice makes the Holy Spirit of Power available to us so “that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” (ROMANS 8:4 KJV)
Lordship salvation is most perfectly expressed by the apostle Paul’s own ‘lordship’ pledge: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (GALATIANS 2:20 NKJV)
To believe is not enough - even the demons believe and tremble (JAMES 2:19)! To call Jesus ‘Lord’ isn’t enough either! Jesus warned His followers saying, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (MATTHEW 7:21-23)