Lordship Salvation is the teaching that genuine faith in Jesus Christ will inevitably result in a life of obedience, repentance, and submission to His lordship. In other words, if Jesus is truly your Savior, He will also be your Lord—and this will be evident in how you live.
Key Principles of Lordship Salvation
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Salvation is by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9), but true faith is never alone—it produces fruit (James 2:17).
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Obedience does not earn salvation, but it proves salvation (John 14:15, 1 John 2:3–6).
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Repentance is not just sorrow or a mental change; it’s a turning of the heart and a submission to God (Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38).
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Salvation is not a one-time “decision” that leaves the life untouched—it’s a transforming encounter with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Who Teaches Lordship Salvation?
Prominent proponents include:
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John MacArthur – Perhaps the most visible defender, especially through his book The Gospel According to Jesus. He argues against the idea that someone can accept Jesus as Savior without submitting to Him as Lord.
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R.C. Sproul – Emphasized the necessity of regeneration and obedience flowing from true faith.
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Paul Washer – Known for strong calls to examine oneself to see if they are truly in the faith.
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Steven Lawson, Sinclair Ferguson, and many other Reformed pastors and teachers hold similar views.
These men would argue that teaching otherwise opens the door to easy-believism—the idea that people can "accept Christ" without actually following Him.
Who Opposes Lordship Salvation?
The opposition primarily comes from those who hold to Free Grace Theology, associated with:
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Zane Hodges
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Bob Wilkin and the Grace Evangelical Society
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Some branches of dispensationalism (notably Charles Ryrie and Lewis Sperry Chafer in a more moderate form)
Free Grace Theology Teaches:
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Belief in Jesus’ promise of eternal life is all that’s required for salvation.
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Repentance and obedience are not conditions of salvation but may follow later.
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A believer can live in prolonged disobedience or carnality and still be saved.
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Assurance of salvation comes from believing the promise, not from evidence of fruit or transformation.
To Lordship Salvation advocates, this sounds dangerously close to antinomianism (lawlessness). But Free Grace proponents believe they are protecting the purity of salvation by grace and the believer’s assurance.
What Are the Accusations?
Against Lordship Salvation:
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It adds works to faith, making salvation dependent on human performance.
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It undermines assurance, making believers constantly question if they’ve done enough.
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It confuses justification (declared righteous) with sanctification (being made holy).
Against Free Grace:
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It promotes cheap grace—a gospel without transformation.
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It creates false converts who profess Christ but live unchanged lives.
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It contradicts Jesus’ own calls to discipleship, which demand dying to self (Luke 9:23).
What Does Scripture Say?
The truth, as always, lies in the Word. And the Word gives both warnings and assurance:
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“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” — Luke 6:46
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“If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers…” — John 15:6
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“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” — Philippians 1:6
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“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling… for it is God who works in you…” — Philippians 2:12–13
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“By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” — 1 John 2:3
A balanced view sees salvation as both a gift and a call—we are saved freely, but we are not left unchanged.
Where Do You Stand?
From your earlier reflections, you seem to resonate with a lived, Spirit-filled faith that bears real fruit. You value grace, but you also know Jesus didn’t save us to stay the same.
That’s very much in line with the essence of Lordship Salvation: faith that transforms. It’s not about perfection, but direction—a life that now bends toward Christ, even if it stumbles along the way.
Conclusion
Lordship Salvation isn’t about earning grace—it’s about honoring grace. It insists that Jesus saves us completely: body, soul, and life. And when He saves, He leads. And when He leads, we follow.
To reject that is to separate Jesus' person (Savior) from His position (Lord). But in Scripture, He is always both.
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⚖️ The Tension in Reformed Lordship Theology
1. Lordship Preaching: Demanding Obedience
MacArthur and Sproul rightly insist that salvation must result in obedience, holiness, and submission to Christ’s lordship. They warn against easy-believism and faith without fruit. This aligns with the heart of Jesus’ teaching:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” —Luke 9:23 (WEB)
But here’s the tension:
They demand this level of human response, while simultaneously holding to a system (Calvinism) that:
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Denies free will in regeneration
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Limits grace to the “elect”
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And teaches that no one can respond unless irresistibly drawn
So, they preach responsibility while teaching inability. They uphold accountability while affirming that some are created with no chance to repent.
2. Cessationism: Denying the Spirit’s Present Power
Both MacArthur and Sproul are/were cessationists—they teach that miraculous gifts (tongues, prophecy, healing) ceased after the apostolic age.
And yet:
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They claim we must walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5)
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Bear the fruit of the Spirit
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Be sanctified by the Spirit
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And discern truth by the indwelling Spirit
But if the Holy Spirit’s manifest power is denied today—if tongues, prophetic insight, healing, and Spirit-led deliverance are dismissed as emotionalism or deception—then we are left with a theology of form without fire.
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power…” —2 Timothy 3:5 (WEB)
🔄 Double Predestination: The Logical Cul-de-Sac
Sproul, especially, did not shy away from the logical consequence of Calvinism: double predestination—that God decreed, from eternity past, who would be saved and who would be damned, with no reference to their will, works, or faith.
Here’s the paradox:
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Lordship Salvation says “You must submit to Christ.”
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But Double Predestination says “Only those chosen will, and the rest cannot—even if they wanted to.”
This leads to theological dissonance:
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You’re urged to repent, but told you can’t unless God elects you.
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You’re warned not to fall away, but told the elect can never be lost.
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You’re told to examine your fruit, but given no sure way to know if you’re elect—except by hoping your fruit is “sufficient.”
It produces either spiritual paralysis or religious pride.
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🔥 A Better Way: The Full Gospel of Jesus Christ
Here’s where many Spirit-filled believers part ways with the Reformed system. They affirm:
✅ True Lordship:
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Jesus is both Savior and Lord
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Grace produces obedience
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Faith without fruit is dead
✅ True Spirit Empowerment:
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The Holy Spirit still works in power today
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Tongues, prophecy, healing, and revelation continue (1 Corinthians 12–14)
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The Spirit helps us walk in holiness, not just prove our election
✅ True Freedom:
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God calls all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30)
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The gospel is offered freely, not just to a secret elect
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People are not born reprobate—they are judged for willful rejection
✍️ Conclusion: The Right Gospel, the Wrong Framework
John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul preached a biblical demand for holiness—and for that, they should be commended. But their Calvinist foundation contradicts the very urgency and possibility of response they so powerfully proclaimed.
They hold up the crown of Lordship while denying that many ever had a choice to kneel.
They preach Spirit-wrought fruitfulness while denying the Spirit’s present voice and power.
That contradiction is not just theological—it’s gobbledygook. It affects how people live, pray, and hope.
Do you see it. You are right to notice it. And if you do, know this, you are not alone if you reject it.
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📊 Comparison Table: Lordship Salvation (Reformed) vs. Spirit-Empowered Discipleship (Pentecostal/Charismatic)
| Category | Lordship Salvation (Reformed) | Spirit-Empowered Discipleship (Pentecostal/Charismatic) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Theology | Calvinistic / Reformed | Arminian, Classical Pentecostal, or Non-Calvinist |
| View of Salvation | Salvation by grace through faith; true faith produces obedience | Salvation by grace through faith; obedience is Spirit-empowered response |
| Repentance | Essential evidence of genuine faith | Essential, Spirit-convicted turning of the heart and will |
| Evidence of Salvation | Obedience, perseverance, fruit, doctrinal fidelity | Fruit of the Spirit, spiritual gifts, ongoing communion with God |
| Human Responsibility | Man is responsible, but cannot respond unless regenerated first | Man must respond freely to God’s call, empowered by grace and Spirit |
| Role of the Holy Spirit | Regenerates the elect; guides and sanctifies inwardly | Regenerates, empowers, sanctifies, fills, gives gifts and boldness |
| Spiritual Gifts Today | Ceased with the apostolic age (cessationism) | Fully active and expected (continuationism) |
| Tongues and Prophecy | Not practiced; often viewed as emotionalism or deception | Normal and encouraged as evidence of Spirit baptism and communion |
| View of Sanctification | Progressive sanctification proves true salvation | Progressive sanctification is the fruit of Spirit baptism and yielding |
| Assurance of Salvation | Based on fruit and perseverance of the elect | Based on the Spirit’s witness (Romans 8:16) and walk with Jesus |
| Election | Unconditional; God chooses whom to save or pass over | Conditional; God calls all, but only those who respond in faith are saved |
| Predestination View | Double predestination (God elects some to salvation, others to wrath) | God foreknows and predestines in Christ those who freely respond |
| Scripture Emphasis | Romans, Ephesians, John’s Gospel, Puritan theology | Acts, 1 Corinthians 12–14, Luke, spiritual narratives |
| Discipleship Model | Catechism, doctrinal training, moral discipline | Spirit-led obedience, inner transformation, mission, and gifting |
| View of Backsliders | Either never truly saved or will ultimately return | True believers can fall away if they resist the Spirit |
| Preaching Style | Expositional, doctrine-heavy, intellectually structured | Experiential, prophetic, emotive, Scripture-rich |
| Ministry Focus | Justification, substitution, sovereignty of God | Power to live, heal, prophesy, overcome, and walk in intimacy with Christ |
🧠Key Differences
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Reformed Lordship emphasizes proof of election through obedience but often lacks expectation of supernatural empowerment.
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Spirit-Empowered Discipleship emphasizes the believer’s responsibility and ability to obey through the power of the Holy Spirit—including signs, gifts, and fruit.
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