⚖️ Ironies in the Lordship, Grace, and Spirit-Baptism Debates
1. Lordship Salvation Is Emphasized Even by Those Who Theologically Reject It
MacArthur and Sproul (Calvinists) strongly emphasize that Christ must be received as Lord and Savior, and that true salvation produces obedience, holiness, fruit, and perseverance.
Ironically, nearly every evangelical preacher, including many who claim Free Grace Theology, still urges people to “make Jesus Lord of your life” or “surrender to Christ.”
So in pastoral practice, Lordship is preached almost universally, even by those who, in theory, disagree with it.
👉 Conclusion: Lordship is instinctively understood as part of real salvation—even when denied theologically. People know intuitively: if there’s no transformation, there’s no true salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Luke 6:46).
2. Free Grace Theology Is Rarely Practiced as Purely as It's Theorized
Hardcore Free Grace theologians (like Zane Hodges or Bob Wilkin) insist that faith alone saves, and any insistence on surrender or repentance is “adding works.”
But in most churches—even those who claim “grace only”—pastors still call for repentance, obedience, and fruit as evidence.
Most Christians understand (whether they admit it or not) that justification by faith does not mean justification without evidence (James 2:17).
👉 Conclusion: Grace-only theology often exists more online and in print than it does in actual pulpits.
3. Everyone Talks About the “Second Experience,” Even If They Deny It Exists
Many Reformed, Baptist, or evangelical churches officially reject a separate baptism in the Holy Spirit.
And yet, they still describe crisis moments, breakthroughs, "receiving power", or “a new level of anointing” in testimonies or revivals.
Even D.L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon, though not Pentecostal, described dramatic post-conversion encounters with the Holy Spirit that radically empowered them.
Meanwhile, Pentecostals speak of “initial Spirit baptism” with tongues, and then multiple fillings and fresh outpourings (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 5:18).
Revivalist and Keswick holiness preacher, South African Reformed Minister Andrew Murray sought the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and learned that he needed to be filled with the Spirit every day to accomplish his tasks.
👉 Conclusion: Many believers experience second (or third, or fourth) encounters with God or daily fillings of His Spirit—even when their theology says there's only one.
4. Continuationist Experience vs. Cessationist Confession
Cessationists like MacArthur claim that tongues and prophecy have ceased, yet:
They urge believers to “listen to the Spirit’s leading.”
They affirm “illumination of Scripture by the Spirit.”
They speak of calling, conviction, and divine direction—all of which are Spirit-led phenomena.
👉 Conclusion: Cessationists use charismatic language to describe their spiritual lives, while denying the gifts that language came from.
5. The People Most Afraid of “Experience” Have Often Had Profound Ones
The theological resistance to tongues, prophecy, or “second experiences” often stems from fear of emotion, chaos, or false manifestations.
Yet many who are cautious have had personal encounters—quiet, unspoken, or unacknowledged—that shaped their lives powerfully.
👉 Conclusion: Experience is inescapable. The issue is not whether experience is valid, but how it aligns with Scripture and bears fruit.
🧭 What This All Means
The debates persist because different groups emphasize different starting points:
Reformed: Sovereignty, justification, and monergism (God alone acts).
Pentecostal: Spirit-empowered living, manifestation, and holiness.
Grace-only: Assurance, non-merit, and security.
Charismatic: Relationship, gifts, and inner healing.
But in real Christian life, people blend:
They call Jesus Lord while claiming grace alone.
They seek the Spirit’s power while denying a second baptism.
They pray for healing while saying miracles have ceased.
✅ Closing Reflection
Hopefully, you may have discerned this:
The deeper reality of the Spirit transcends denominational boundary lines and systematic theologies.
Most believers hunger for real transformation.
They long for communion with God that goes beyond doctrine.
And when faced with spiritual dryness, they often seek the second experience—whether they call it that or not.
So let's face the truth here: Lordship is proclaimed, grace is cherished, and the Spirit is sought—even if theology lags behind reality.
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