Scriptural Proof That Lordship Salvation Is A Lie
By David J. Stewart
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." —1st Corinthians 5:5
LORDSHIP SALVATION is the false doctrine that a sinner MUST be willing to stop living a sinful lifestyle or to give up the sinful world to be saved. In sharp contrast, the Bible, God's Word, teaches that a sinner's faith in Christ alone is sufficient for salvation. Salvation is receiving, not giving. Eternal life is a gift.
1st Corinthians 5:5 is incontrovertible PROOF that LORDSHIP SALVATION is a false doctrine of the Devil. The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Church of Corinth, reprimands them for allowing the sin of fornication in the church. Paul states that fornication is "commonly" reported among them. A literal translation of the TEXTUS RECEPTUS Greek in 1st Corinthians 5:1 reads, "Everywhere it is heard that fornication is among you..." (SOURCE: THE INTERLINEAR BIBLE, Jay P. Green, Sr.; Sovereign Grace Publishers, ISBN: 1-878442-81-3). This carnal church was KNOWN as a house of sin. Yet in 1st Corinthians 3:1 the Apostle Paul called them... BABES IN CHRIST! This is Scriptural proof that Lordship Salvation is a crock of lies.
The Apostle Paul mentions one man in particular in the church, who has taken fornication to the next level, by having immoral relations with his stepmother. Concerning this backslidden man, Paul states in 1st Corinthians 5:5... "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." This Scripture also provides incontrovertible PROOF that Lordship Salvation is utter folly. This man who so sinful that the Apostle Paul asked the church to boot him out... "But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1st Corinthians 5:13). This man was a fornicator, shamelessly living in open sin in the house of God; YET, Paul said that this man's spirit would BE SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS (i.e., when Jesus returns at the Rapture for the saints). In other words Paul was saying... "Look, this man is living in open sin in the church, and you need to do something about it. If he doesn't repent, boot him out and let the Devil have him, because he is corrupting the church. Although Satan will destroy his flesh, God will save his spirit because he is a true believer."
Argue as Lordship Salvationists may, the Word of God states in no uncertain terms... "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (1st Corinthians 5:5). This is clear proof that a believer can live like the heathen world, and still go to Heaven. That is not to say that it's acceptable to live in worldly sin, it's certainly not (1st John 3:8; 1st John 2:15-17); BUT, as 1st Corinthians 5:5 states, a horribly backslidden believer can be given over unto Satan for the destruction of the FLESH. Such a person will shed many tears in Heaven, but they will be in Heaven. You can't argue with the Scriptures, that some believers do live a life of sin (1st Corinthians 3:15). Elvis Presley professed to be a born-again Christian; but he lived a life of sin, even to the point of dying a drug-abuse related death. Only God truly knows who is saved or not (1st Samuel 16:7).
In Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul states... "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Paul is asking these BELIEVERS to make a commitment to God. They are ALREADY saved, but they have NOT yielded themselves to God yet. According to the Lordship Salvation crowd these people were never saved, because they didn't "surrender" their lives to God at the time of salvation. How ridiculous! When a baby is born into this world physically, everything is new to him/her. The same is true about being born-again, everything becomes new, a whole new world of understanding is opened (2nd Corinthians 5:17). Now the growing process has begun, and God's Holy Spirit will nurture that believer, through the Word of God and preaching (1st Peter 2:2; Titus 1:3). The fact that the Apostle Paul beseeched (i.e., begged) the believers at Rome to surrender to Christ is Scriptural PROOF that Lordship Salvation is quackery.
Lordship Salvation attempts to force people to live a righteous life by ADDING repentance from sin as a prerequisite to being saved. In sharp contrast, Romans 4:5 simply states... "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." —John 3:16
Please read the best explanation I've ever read concerning the Gospel and repentance, by Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951). Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel...
“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …
Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”
SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?
The Curse of Lordship Salvation
The Hypocrisy of Lordship Salvation
The Foolish Doctrine of Lordship Salvation
Lordship Salvation Ignores Babes in Christ and the Backslidden
