Because He Was Raised

Just a quick, but important I think, thought tonight. The Lord Jesus Christ was raised from death after He died for our sins. The Bible says He took on all the sins of the world. He willingly became guilty for every sin. The Bible says this propitiated, or appeased, God for all those sins.

Because the one who became guilty was raised we know something pretty amazing. The wages of sin is death, complete separation from God who is the Life by the way. But God was propitiated by the death of one who had no guilt of His own. Because He was sinless Himself He was able to pay for the guilt of others, He had no debt of His own to pay. And that God took Christ's payment and then raised Him back to life tells us that the payment was accepted in full.

The very fact that Christ was raised from death is our proof that God will forgive any and every sin if we put our faith in Christ. That Christ is alive shows us we have Eternal Security in Him and that salvation can truly be by faith alone. If any sin were not yet paid for in full, if there was anything that God would hold against the one who is in Christ then Christ Himself could not have been raised for He took on all the guilt of everything we have ever done. If we are in Him, as the Bible says those who have placed their faith in Him are, then we too will be raised to Life because He was.

The Offense Of The Cross

The Apostle Paul was constantly questioned, examined and reviled because he preached grace instead of law. People who thought godliness was the key to salvation, and that obedience to rules and regulations was the both the standard and mark of such godliness could not stand Paul’s message of the Christian’s total assurance in the sufficiency of Christ. The Apostle’s words resound with meaning as he rebukes the idea that he still preached law.

Gal 5:11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? The the offense of the Cross has ceased.

Paul says it clearly. The offense of the Cross is that through it the unholy are justified, and seen as holy. The Cross and nothing else.

The World is offended by the Cross because it shows them God’s wrath for sin. It declares each and every person throughout history as having been judged and found guilty. It shows the “god of this age” guilty, judged, defeated and even made a public spectacle. 1 John 2:2 John 12:31 Col 2:15

How? The only power Satan has to destroy someone is by deceiving them so that they fall under God’s judgment and just sentence of death. But since God died in our place the full payment has been made and can freely be applied to anyone who receives it. The “sting” has been removed. Because God paid the price, the one who has fallen under the influence of Satan doesn’t HAVE to pay the price for his sin, Salvation is available and even JUST. The payment has been paid in full. The power that justly should fall on Satan's victims fell fully on God's Only Begotten Son.

Some of the offense caused to the World by the Cross is just plain unreasonable. Such as the criticism that Jesus is made a martyr by the Cross, that He is the Man wrongfully convicted of sin He did not commit. But what is missed by those who make claims is that Jesus went willingly to the Cross. He was not “wrongfully” convicted. He willingly paid the price. Luke 22:42 He is the Man who gave His life for ours.

The World which has ignored the God Who’s Glory is clearly revealed by Creation Rom 1 is shown exactly how Good He is by the Cross. What more offensive thing can there be than absolute proof that the One you hate is perfectly good and loving? The Lord God Himself took on our guilt to save us from having to come under His just wrath. He’s not the evil God who’s waiting to damn sinners to Hell. He’s the Loving God who was willing to do the ultimate to show His mercy without compromising His justice. He paid the price we could not. 1 John 4:10 John 3:16 1 Cor 15:1-11

That’s the offense the Cross causes the world. But Gal 5:11 talks about the offense the Cross causes some professing believers. That the completely guilty go completely free by Grace through Faith. This is the offense of the Cross to those who preach Lordship Salvation.

See, Salvation is by Grace through Faith apart from works lest any should boast. Eph 2:8-9 Salvation is the Gift of God. Rom 6:23 John 4:10

What the false message of Lordship Salvation says is that one is enabled to be “worthy of Jesus” through regeneration prior to Salvation. Mat 10:34-38 is an example of a proof-text of what some will preach as a so called “Gospel presentation” by the Lord.

But Scripture says that Salvation is by Grace. Χαριτ or unmerited favor. The Lordship Salvation preachers would have one believe that God makes a person worthy and then saves them – regeneration then Salvation. They say that man can do nothing, not even see they need the Savior, and surely not call out to Him for help, because they are “totally unable” or “dead in their sins” but God makes them better – He regenerates them! They are “born into God's family” (which is what regeneration means) and then they are “able” to seek the Savior and respond to the Gospel in Faith. They are made worthy, and adopted, and then they are saved. This is not Grace, because the Salvation of a regenerated child of God is merited.

But this issue of Regeneration is not truly the matter of offense. What is offensive to the Lordship Salvation proponent is that a guilty man can simply stand before God trusting that Jesus Christ died for his sins and seek God's forgiveness and be fully and completely Justified. Luke 18:9-14 is as good a rebuke of the Lordship Salvation message as any

9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This is the offense of the Cross that many true believers hold today. That the sinner who has given nothing, either through God given ability or their own is Justified (called Righteous by God) apart from works, simply by Grace through Faith. He who believes he is or even has been made worthy is rebuked by the Lord God Himself.

The Lordship Salvation proponent would have a sinner “pledge” to be a Christian. I will submit. I will love. I will work. I will forsake all. I will exchange mine for His.

But the Apostles, all of them, expected sinners to receive. 1 Cor 15:1-2, 11

Faith does not come by pledge. Salvation does not come by pledge. Works do not come by pledge.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Salvation comes by Grace through that faith. And Good Works, for which Christians are “created in Christ” for, were "prepared" for Christians to “walk in.” Christians are created in Christ for this purpose, not sinners to perform in the process of OR for Salvation.

But the Lordship Salvation proponent doesn't promote such a Gospel. That Christ died for our sins and that this is enough. That there is no other work to be done for Salvation. Their message turns even Faith it's self into a Work (as recent readers can attest to) using the common question “What must I do to be saved?” and the answer “Believe” to equate that Belief must therefore be a “work” that one does.

Instead of preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ that the Corinthians were saved through reception they preach what seems reasonable to them. They deny and rob the power of the Cross by preaching a man centered message instead of a Cross centered one. 1 Cor 1:17-18

Christ has forgiven all the trespasses of those who believe in Him. He has wiped out the handwriting of God's requirements that was against us. Col 2:13-14 There are no “requirements” for Salvation. The Living Water is free to drink. John 4:10 John 7:38 Rev 22:17

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall surely be saved.
Acts 16:31

Next Articles

We've had some really great conversation in the thread called The Power Of God To Salvation. Mark, Jazzy and Bridget each contributed their views in support of Lordship Salvation.

I, and other men, vehemently disagree with them. We have shown by Scripture why. I would like to thank both Lou and JP for their comments and for their participation in the Gospel of Christ. In that thread I tried to remain friendly and graceful but of course did not always succeed. These discussions can get very heated and it's easy to see people on either side wanting to "win" instead of wanting to offer up simple Truth.

The Gospel is precious and can not be allowed to be defiled. It is the message of God's Grace towards man. It speaks of things that are too Holy to be uttered by the dirty mouths of men. But for His Glory, the Lord God Almighty has chosen weak and small men like myself to carry that message of Salvation to the World. A message freedom without cost available to the slaves in bondage who will but receive the Gift of God.

I've turned comment moderation on. That means IF I manage to get some time in the next week to allow comments then I will. But I do not expect to. I made my closing statements and then left commenting on for several hours. The others have not chosen to offer any closing statements so the thread stands as it is for now. I will turn free commenting on again as soon as I will be able to moderate properly.

In the meant time, I'm preparing the next article in a series on Lordship Salvation Theology and it will be called "The Offense Of The Cross" Gal 5:11 comes to mind immediately of course, but so do sections like 1 Cor 1:17-24 and Col 2:11-23 if you think about it.

The Gospel is the message of The Christ Crucified on the Cross on our behalf for our sins, buried in the ground, and risen and seen again. Are you offended by the Cross because of any of these?

That the Cross shows you exactly what a sinner you are.

That the Cross shows you exactly what is required because of your sin.

That the Cross shows you exactly how Good God is.

That the Cross shows you exactly what the Innocent willingly paid.

That the Cross shows you exactly that the guilty and unworthy can justly, and freely, go free.

Does the Cross offend you, Sinner?

Does the Cross offend you, Saint?

Does the Cross offend you?

The Power Of God To Salvation

Christian, what is the “object” of your faith? Evangelist, what is the object of the faith you call people to so that they might be saved? Pastor, what is the object of the faith you build the flock up in? Is the object Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross, or is the object the quality, quantity, and/or consistency of a person’s response to the messaged preached?

One might ask, 'What is authentic faith'? The Bible use the word faith, or pisteuo (in transliterated Greek) which has the meaning “conviction of the truth of anything, belief;” Vine amplifies this with “belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same” Faith is the confidence that something is true and the natural trusting that results from that confidence.

I had intended this writing to be the catalyst of a healthy new discussion on Lordship Salvation’s additions to the Gospel of grace. However, it seems just linking to the uncommonly short article at Lou Martuneac’s blog, In Defense of the Gospel, which reviews one key page in John MacArthur's third and latest edition of his original The Gospel According to Jesus has done that already.

Still be sure, my purpose in writing this is beyond getting some thoughts out of my head and down on paper, or maybe pixels. For most of the Winter and Spring my focus had been toward answering and limiting the spread of the Grace Evangelical Society’s (GES) reductionist “Crossless” interpretation of the Gospel. Many men have joined together in this cause and it has been a great blessing to learn from and with them. I don’t believe the GES reductionist views are as “dangerous” because they do not, nor indeed can, carry the same credibility as the argument for Lordship Salvation. The proponents of the reductionist view are tenacious, but unless blinded, the casual student of the Word can easily recognize the error. This is not so with Lordship Salvation, and that should not surprise us.

Much of the New Testament deals with and warns of this vein of additionist religious teachings commonly known as Lordship Salvation. Paul knew that Christians would be drawn to things that have the appearance of Holiness, Col 2:23 He knew it, and spent most of his ministry arguing against such false systems telling us over and over again that Christ is our righteousness that there is no profit in anything outside of or in addition to Him.

A short and overly simplified description of Lordship Salvation, indicates that saving faith (that faith which is required of a sinful man in order that he will be saved by God) includes:

1) Submission to the lordship of Christ over all areas of one’s life,
2) A willingness to meet the demands of discipleship (although these proponents sometimes indicate that actually meeting the demands is not the requirement, just the willingness to do so),
3) Loving the Lord Jesus above all things,
4) Forsaking sin,
5) Seeking to live a righteous life.

The impossibility of this proposition is recognized by the additionists and this opens the door for the idea that “regeneration” (being Born Again into God's family) happens to the sinner before they have faith or do anything toward God at all. They are Born Again, then God reveals Himself and then He gives them the Faith to believe in Him, submit, love absolutely... and so on.. and THEN they are saved.

Brethren, does God save people apart from faith? If a person is born again into God's family apart from Faith then Salvation is not “through Faith” at all. Eph 2:8-9

Brethren consider this;

Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

God declares that the Gospel is His power to salvation for everyone who believes. What ought we to add to the power of God in order that we might attain Eternal Life?

The Gospel of Christ is, “The Good News of Christ (God’s Anointed One)” The Gospel is “Good News” not a set of requirements for man. It's not a contract, it's a declaration! It is the “power of God” to salvation for everyone who “believes” which is pisteuo or who places confidence in it. The News is about Jesus and His work on the Cross. This is the plain, clear, and absolute teaching of the Word of God on the subject of Salvation.

Some will ask “What of repentance unto life then?” I declare in agreement with the Word of God that Repentance unto life is a “change of mind” and a “changing of mind” (metanoia and metanoeo) about sin, righteousness, judgment and Christ in response to the convicting and convincing by God the Holy Spirit. John 16:7-11 Let us first read the Apostle’s introduction to the Gospel and then the Gospel it’s self to see if we see this repentance unto life in it, and if we can then see it in Romans 1:16.

The Apostle Paul declares this Gospel in I Cor 15.

1 Cor 15:1-2 “1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”

Here Paul says he is going to “declare the Gospel” that the Corinthians “received” at some point in the past.

The Gospel is something you “obey” 2 Thes 1:8 1 Peter 1:17 Rom 10:16

Romans 10:16 “But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?”

And obeying the Gospel is “believing” it, as per Rom 10:16.
Even still The Gospel doesn’t contain instructions one must obey. It is a message, “Good News” of things accomplished by God on our behalf. This news is “received” 1 Cor 15:1 or “rejected” John 12:48 & Acts 13:46

But what does it mean to “receive”? 1 Cor 15:1 says paralambano is an active “response” to hearing the Gospel. We “take it to ourselves” or we “accept it” It is in the Second Aorist tense meaning it happened at some point in the past. The voice is Active which means the Corinthians are the ones who “received” this Gospel. The mood is Indicative meaning Paul is making a “statement of fact” So Paul says it is a statement of fact that you accepted this.

And Paul continues, by saying “in which you stand.” “You stand” is rendered from histemi which is “to be placed firmly, fixed”. It is in the Perfect Tense which “describes an action which is viewed as having been completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be repeated.” It is also in the Active Voice and the Indicative Mood. “You stand” means it is a finished work, that you stand, and it is simple fact – not to be debated. This is Eternal Security found right in the Gospel.

It’s of great importance to point out that Paul is writing these Corinthians to remind them that the Resurrection is true, that we do have Eternal Life, that we will be raised up at the end. This infidelity of the Corinthians, together with Paul's statement “unless you have believed in vain” needs to be considered. How can a person's belief be in “in vain”? Can this mean a “weak belief” or a belief that is only a “profession” or “mental assent”? The Apostle explains what it means to “believe in vain” himself through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit,

1 Cor 15:12-18 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

It is not the quality of the believer's believing that Paul says can be “in vain” it is the object of that belief. Only if Christ is not risen, then our belief would be in vain. Yet, the additionists would have you measure the quality of your faith through prior commitment, works or other evidences in order that you could actually be saved. But the Apostle Paul says, you put your faith in this, and by it you are eternally saved be reminded of this.

Brethren, Paul is writing this encouragement to the same Corinthians, many of whom were living out a very poor Christian testimony. Paul called these born again Corinthians “carnal” to the point that they could not “receive” anything beyond the basics of the faith. 1 Cor 3:1-3 Yet, Paul writes of their Eternal Salvation as an established fact.

Do you see repentance in Rom 1:16 now? Do you see that the Gospel is “obeyed” when it is “received” and do you see that God saves those who have Faith in His Son? Peter says the end of our faith is the salvation of our souls. This is exactly the opposite of regeneration prior to faith. 1 Peter 1:9 Paul says that this faith can come from the revelation we receive, that it is this revelation that makes us “wise” unto Salvation through Faith. And that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. 2 Tim 3:15 Rom 10:17

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Is the assurance of your Eternal Salvation, the quality of your faith & performance or the quality of the Person and His finished works? Is the Gospel the power of God to salvation, or is it His regenerating work? Is the Gospel the willingness of a lost person submission and commitment to performance expected of a born again Christian? What say you? What does the Bible say?

What is authentic faith? The Word of God says “authentic faith” is confidence that Jesus Christ, as identified by the Gospel, was qualified to, and actually did accomplish everything written in the Gospel on our behalf and the confidence that in this alone we stand righteously before Holy God.

This what the Bible says, and, each and every Apostle Jesus Christ sent to bare testimony of Him, and His death, burial and resurrection. This Gospel truly is the power of God unto Salvation and here it is declared in detail by the Apostle Paul himself under inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. Can there be further debate among the Brethren if Scripture declares it?

1 Cor 15:1-11 “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed,”

“Authentic faith” receives this, and the one who does receive it is saved and will eternally stand on these grounds and by no other means. This is the power of God unto Salvation.

The follow-up to this article will be 'The Offense Of The Cross' God willing it will be done soon, and will cover several ways that the Cross offends people. Including that the Innocent was condemned while the guilty ones go completely free, and how the Cross shows the world exactly what a bloody spectacle their own sin is, and that the ruler of this world, the one the world bows down to and follows has been judged and is defeated no matter who bows down to him.