“Of course, Lordship Salvation advocates deny they are teaching salvation by works, and anybody who claims they are promoting legalism, has an inaccurate assessment of their teaching. However, their teaching, writing, and conclusions speak volumes against salvation by God’s free grace.”[1]
* * *
I usually hear the phrase “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1) used in connection with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church because the connection is obvious: “they forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from eating certain foods” (1 Tim. 4:3). But is there a connection between “doctrines of demons” and Lordship Salvation that is perhaps more subtle, though nonetheless dangerous? I believe that in at least one sense, the phrase “doctrines of demons” also applies to the teachings of Lordship Salvation! Like Roman Catholicism, Lordship Salvation is similarly corrupted by legalism — not in regards to food but in regards to faith! Here's what I mean: Lordship Salvation redefines saving faith so as to make it include various works of self-righteousness such as surrender, commitment, and obedience. Of course, proponents of Lordship Salvation are careful not to call these things "works of self-righteousness" because they also say they believe in justification by faith alone.[2] This is one of the areas in which they supposedly broke away from the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. But the problem is that proponents of Lordship Salvation redefine saving faith in such a way so as to make it include good works. For example, proponents of Lordship Salvation define saving repentance (which they agree is an essential part of saving faith) not simply as a change of mind and heart about sin, salvation, and the Savior, but in their view saving repentance must also include a turning from every sin in order to be saved (or at least a willingness to do so), accompanied by a deep sorrow for sin and a radical change of life for the better. So although proponents of Lordship Salvation say that salvation is not by works, yet in practice they require works for salvation — which would be expected if indeed Lordship Salvation teaches “doctrines of demons”! It's a very deceptive false teaching (cf. 2 Cor. 11:1-4, 11:13-15; Gal. 1:6-10; 1 Tim. 4:1).
What got me thinking about the subject of “doctrines of demons” in connection with Lordship Salvation was the following statement by Amir Tsafati of the Behold Israel ministry, when he said:
“I also have to make sure that people understand, we talked about the fact that a characteristic of a false teaching is diluting the whole essence of sin and the fact that there is Hell and its real, and all of that. But I also want to remind people that also stealing the aspect of grace is false teaching, to the point that when they say, ‘Don’t eat this, don’t eat that, don’t marry her, don’t this—’ when the don’ts are there, many times this is also doctrines of demons themselves because you are creating your own brownie points here, collecting [brownie points], as if you stayed away from this, and you stayed away from that, so you are holier and better.”[3]
Based on what the proponents of Lordship Salvation are teaching and preaching, Lordship Salvation is guilty of “stealing the aspect of grace” from salvation. In fact, since at least 2014, they are now saying that the teaching of “believe only” for salvation is false![4] Is this the true gospel? Is this how a person is saved? What does the Bible say about it?
The Bible says that we are saved “not by works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5), but rather by God’s “free grace”! I like how the Amplified Bible Classic Edition brings this out in its translation of Ephesians 2:8-9:
For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]
Don’t be deceived by “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). Instead, preach “free grace” like the Apostle Paul writes about in Ephesians 2:8-9!
Addendum:
The following quote by Antonio da Rosa of the Free Grace Theology blog is worth repeating, as it highlights how Lordship Salvation is actually works-salvation. Antonio da Rosa writes:
Although Michael Horton is no friend to Free Grace theology, as he is in the Lordship Salvation ‘camp’, he does make some interesting comments about John MacArthur:
“MacArthur adds W. E. Vine’s definition of faith as including even ‘conduct inspired by such surrender’ (173-74). [In context, W. E. Vine is explaining 2 Corinthians 5:7, not adding conduct as a requirement for salvation.] If we are justified by faith and if faith is surrender, obedience, and conduct inspired by such surrender, then we are justified by works. The logic seems unavoidable: We are justified by faith alone. Faith is surrender, obedience, and conduct inspired by such surrender. Therefore, we are justified by surrender, obedience, and conduct inspired by such obedience” (Michael Horton, Christ the Lord, pg. 44).
Horton uses logic to assess MacArthur’s position, and comes to the same conclusion we all should: MacArthur’s position teaches works-salvation.[5]
So Michael Horton (a Calvinist) likewise concludes that MacArthur is preaching works-salvation! This is significant because Horton isn’t even in the Free Grace camp, so it’s not like he’s being biased against Lordship Salvation. Horton is simply pointing out the obvious: John MacArthur is preaching works-salvation!
See the following resources for more information:
- Assurance of Salvation: False Gospels by John Ricci (YouTube)
- A Return to Rome: Lordship Salvation's Doctrine of Faith by Paul Holloway
- Lordship Salvation: A Forgotten Truth or a False Doctrine? by Manfred E. Kober
References:
[1] Pastor Kelly Sensenig, “The Errors of Lordship Salvation,” p. 2.
[2] Wayne Grudem (a Reformed theologian and proponent of Lordship Salvation) says that “we are justified by faith alone (faith is the only response that God requires from us), but the faith that justifies is never alone (because it never occurs by itself, but is always accompanied by—or includes—repentance from sin”. (Grudem, “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel [of Lordship Salvation], p. 38.) How does Grudem define repentance? Grudem gives this definition: “Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.” (Ibid., p. 42.) So according to Grudem, saving faith always “includes” these things. I want to emphasize that Grudem is not saying that these things follow or should follow saving faith; rather, he’s saying that saving faith “includes” these things! All these things are included in Grudem’s definition of “justification by faith alone”. In other words, it is “justification by faith alone” in name only. In reality, Grudem’s definition of “justification by faith alone” includes much more than faith alone! But according to the Bible, saving faith is simply receiving Christ (see John 1:12, 3:16, 4:10; Rom. 3:24, 4:4-5, 6:23, etc.), not making a commitment that I’m going to walk in obedience—that’s works!
[3] Amir Tsarfati, “Amir Tsarfati: Bible Prophecy Roundtable with Jan Markell and Barry Stagner” (Jan. 2, 2021), YouTube time stamp: 24:40 min. - 25:30 min.
[4] See my blog post titled: “The Moody Handbook of Theology: Then and Now” (FGFS, July 22, 2023). Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on January 13, 2019. It has since been updated and reposted.
[5] Antonio da Rosa, “John MacArthur is ‘Hard to Believe’” (Free Grace Theology blog, January 2, 2006). http://free-grace.blogspot.com/2006/01/john-macarthur-is-hard-to-believe.html
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