I wouldn't have believed it unless I had witnessed it myself, that is, an
Independent Baptist Church with two plans of salvation. Since having my eyes
opened, I now realize that many evangelical churches today have multiple plans
of salvation; namely, Lordship Salvation and a Free Grace View of the Gospel.
I agree only with the latter. The Bible teaches that we are freely saved by
God's grace. Salvation is a gift, which you don't earn.
“Lordship Salvation” is the heresy that says a person cannot be saved merely by admitting they're sinnership and believing the Gospel (i.e., Christ's death upon the cross, His burial and His bodily resurrection - 1st Corinthians 15:1-4); but in addition, the lie of Lordship Salvation says you must surrender all to Christ, confess “Jesus as Lord,” turn away from sinful behavior, and commit your life to serving God to be saved. These are all manmade fallacies. These are all human effort. The Bible teaches that we are saved by faith alone in Christ Jesus; whereas Lordship Salvation teaches we are saved by human effort plus partial faith in Christ.
The reason why many churches have two plans of salvation in their church is because they don't see a problem. They prioritize making a living (money), and thus allow their congregation to believe either plan of salvation, not exposing one or the other as a fraud. May I say ladies and gentlemen, God only gave us one plan of salvation. The Apostle John said in John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” I could quote you dozens of Scriptures which all teach the same truth, that is, we are saved by BELIEVING on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31). Adding even the slightest amount of human effort negates, corrupts and destroys God's plan of salvation.
Here are plain Scriptures about salvation . . .
John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
My friend, you don't have to be confused about salvation. I have met people in churches that allow multiple plans of salvation, who doubt their salvation and cannot find the sweet assurance of eternal life and knowing that their sins have been forgiven. Good night in the morning, how can any church congregation obtain the assurance of salvation when the church's pastors cannot even agree on what the plan of salvation is??? There is no leeway! There are not two plans of salvation! It's either faith alone in Christ PLUS NOTHING; or else it's partial faith in Christ, PLUS FORSAKING SINFUL LIVING, CONFESSING CHRIST, AND SURRENDERING TO JESUS AS YOUR LORD. It cannot be both.
If I buy you a birthday gift and hand it to you, you simply take it, end of story. That's how salvation works. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Now what if I had the same gift in my hand, but told you that I'd give it to you only if you promise to stop living in sin, clean my car and let everyone know that I gave it to you? Would it still be a gift? That's exactly what Lordship Salvation is! We read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The word “gift” says it all. THE WORD “GIFT” SAYS IT ALL!!! Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15,18), which means you don't have to give up anything to receive it. If you want it, simply come as a guilty sinner, BELIEVE the Gospel (good news), and you are saved.
In Acts 10:1-2 we read about an unsaved man named Cornelius, a centurion commander over 100 Italian soldiers. Cornelius feared God always, gave money to the poor, and prayed continually. Yet, Cornelius had never been born-again. God appeared to Cornelius in a vision, instructing him to go meet the Apostle Peter, so he could learn how to be saved. In Act 10:30-45, we find Peter preaching the story of Christ crucified, buried and risen. After hearing the simple truth of the Gospel, Cornelius believed and was immediately and forever saved. Notice that the word “repent” is not mentioned in Acts chapter 10. Hence, the man who believes on Christ has repented (changed his mind). Peter never told Cornelius to do anything to be saved, except to believe on the name of Jesus Christ.
Woe unto the churches today who are infected with the Satanic lie of Lordship Salvation. Woe unto the pastors who have been deceived by the Devil. Lordship Salvation is a fraud, a deception, a false plan of salvation which cannot produce the new birth. Works (human effort) has no place in salvation, because it is the free gift of God. Salvation is receiving, not achieving. Salvation is a take proposition, not a give proposition. We are saved by trusting, not by trying. Just believe and the work is done. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
What I have found is that churches who teach a free-grace view of the Gospel usually won't tolerate the heresy of Lordship Salvation. The pastor rightly exposes Lordship Salvation from the pulpit. However, churches who teach Lordship Salvation WILL TOLERATE the free-grace view of the Gospel. This makes sense, because one sick person plus one healthy person equals two sick people. Doctrinally contaminated churches don't mind doctrinally correct people coming into their fold, just so long as you don't take sides in the matter (like they don't). But a godly pastor will rip, scathe and roast the heresy of Lordship Salvation, and heretics won't stay in a church like that. In other words, sick people don't mind healthy people coming into their presence, but healthy people don't want to be contaminated by sick people. This is true doctrinally as well. Our churches today are contaminated with counterfeit Bible versions, Zionism, infant baptism, sacraments, speaking in tongues, Lordship Salvation and dozens of other heresies.
God only gave man one way to be saved, which according to Acts 4:10-12 is by faith in the NAME OF JESUS OF NAZARETH.
Acts 4:10-12, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
