Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: Discipleship and Conclusion (Part 7 of 7)

 

by Doug Smith

 

A disciple is a student – one who is a learner.  This learner is a follower of a teacher.   Inherent in the concept of a disciple is that the student is in a position of subjection to a higher authority, the teacher.   The student is to learn from that teacher, and such learning involves listening and obedience.   Failure to fulfill one's duties as a student rightly results in discipline.  Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). There could hardly be any controversy that a true disciple is a follower of Jesus.

 

The controversy lies in the identity of a disciple.  Are all believers disciples?   Or is discipleship a second-stage, advanced level for those who want to go deeper in their relationship with Christ?

 

To be sure, being called a disciple does not ensure salvation.   But, on the other hand, to be saved is to a disciple, contrary to assertions by teachers who deny the necessity of trusting Christ as Savior and Lord.

 

Jesus recognized the fact that some [so-called] disciples were not true believers.   Notice his words in John 6:64-66 and how some of these disciples reacted:

 

But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.   And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.    From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

 

Although Jesus recognized that some who were called disciples were not true believers, other statements of His indicate that true believers will truly be disciples.   In commenting on John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow

me," D. L. Moody observed:  

Christ's sheep have two marks: –

(1.)   In their ears,            "They hear my voice;"

(2.)   In their feet,             "They follow me."

 

When Jesus invited people to come to Him, it was not first to believe and at some later time become disciples, but to believe and become disciples:

 

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.   (Matthew 11:28-30)

 

Notice also the Great Commission:

 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.   Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:   Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

Here Jesus says that discipleship is an integral part of evangelism.   In the English Standard Version, the rendering of the KJV "teach all nations" in Matthew 28:10 is given this way:   " make disciples of all nations."  Christ could have said, "Make believers," but said, "make disciples."   These disciples are to be taught by the followers of Him who has all power (authority) to keep all His commandments.   Is discipleship an option for advanced Christians?  Is it an extra credit track?   No.   Discipleship is part and parcel of what it means to be a true believer in Jesus Christ.

 

Conclusion

 

The issue of what role faith and works play in salvation is a matter of eternal consequence.   It is not a game of words in Wonderland.   What we mean by these important terms and how we interpret the Bible will inform our understanding of salvation, how we live our own lives, and how we communicate the Gospel to others.   It is about the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ.   We need to know its meaning.  That meaning is not determined by teachers who act like theological Humpty Dumpties from the fantasy land of Alice.  We gain understanding by a thorough reading of the Scriptures, whose source is the God of the Word.   This God has the right to determine meaning, and has spoken clearly and revealed that meaning in regard to the role of faith and works in salvation.   He is not playing word games with us.

 

[1] D. L. Moody, Moody's Notes From My Bible (Chicago:   The Bible Institute Colportage Association, 1895), 139.

Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: the Package Deal of Justification and Sanctification (Part 6 of 7)

by Doug Smith

Justification and sanctification are two important terms concerning salvation. The two should not be confused, as they are not identical, but neither should they be divorced, according to the Bible’s teaching. They are distinct, but inseparable.

Justification is a declaration of righteousness, or conformity to the law of God. Proverbs 17:15 says, “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” A contrast is given here; justification and condemnation have opposite meanings, but share the fact that they both are pronouncements. These pronouncements do not make the person wicked or just, but simply state (whether truly or not) something about the person. It is possible for a wicked person to be declared righteous and possibly for a just person to be condemned (declared wicked). Saying that an innocent person is guilty by no means makes a person guilty. Nor does merely saying that a guilty person is innocent legitimately remove that person’s guilt.

So, justification is the declaration of God that someone is righteous. But the Scriptures give more information concerning exactly who God justifies. He justifies people through faith apart from their works, or through faith alone: “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). Romans 4:5 says, “To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”.

When one compares these Scriptures, particularly Romans 4:5 (which tells us that God “justifieth the ungodly”) to Proverbs 17:15, it sounds like God is one who “justifieth the wicked” and would therefore be an abomination to Himself. Has God violated His own standard in justifying guilty sinners?

This same question may legitimately be raised by a reading of Exodus 34:6-7:

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God,

merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping

mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no

means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon

the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

The Scripture says that God forgives sin, and that He will by no means clear the guilty. How can both things be true?

This apparent “riddle” of how God can legitimately justify sinners is solved by the substitionary and penal nature of Christ’s death on the cross for sinners and the double imputation [1] secured by that death. Romans 3:24-25 speaks of “being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” In other words, until Christ died on the cross, it may have looked like God was merely winking at past sins. But on the cross, He publicly poured out His judgment on sin on Jesus Christ and publicly showed His mercy for sinners in the same act. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” On the cross, Christ was punished for the sins of others. These sins were imputed to Him, or put to His account. Therefore, forgiveness of sin may be rightly secured. Furthermore, the positive imputation of Christ’s righteous life is credited to the account of those who believe in Him, so that, although they are wicked and not righteous in themselves, God can legitimately declare them righteous because of what the perfect Son of God has done on their behalf. So, in the cross, and nowhere else, God justifies the wicked and condemns the just – but only rightly because Christ became a substitute for sinners. This is how God can be “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, emphasis mine).

This justification is a once-for-all declaration that secures peace with God and a life with Him forever. Notice the completed past action spoken of in Romans 5:1 (ESV): “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:30 says that those “whom he justified, them he also glorified,” giving hope to believing sinners that their eternal destiny to be with God in heaven was secured.

There is a justification of works spoken of in Scripture, but it should not be understood as a contradiction of the clear teaching of the Bible that we are justified through faith alone in Christ alone by God’s grace alone, concerning our standing before Him. But the Scripture also makes clear that faith is accompanied by works.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?

can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one

of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give

them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith,

if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I

have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my

works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and

tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not

Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And

the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto

him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by

works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot

justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out

another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:14-26)

Good works corroborate true faith by making it public to others, and so declare us righteous in the sight of others, who cannot see that naked faith through which alone a person is justified in the sight of the God who saves sinners for the purpose of doing good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Whereas justification is the one-time declaration of a sinner as righteous, sanctification is the process of making that person righteous, holy, and godly. 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes sanctification this way: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” “From glory to glory” is translated this way in the ESV: “from one degree of glory to another.” In other words, sanctification does not happen all at once, but takes time. One makes progress to the proportion he beholds God’s glory in His Word. The goal of God saving sinners is to make them like Christ, to conform them “to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

Whereas justification is by faith apart from works, sanctification includes faith and works. To the unbelieving sinner, God gives the commandment to repent and trust Christ. To the believer, God commands the pursuit of holiness. “But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). Hebrews 12:14 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” How then can obedience and growth in the Christian life be considered optional by some?

Justification and sanctification are two distinct things, but they are both necessary components of the package in salvation.

[1] Imputation is an integral part of the Scripture’s teaching on justification. We are declared righteous before God because our sin was imputed to (credited, reckoned, put to the account of) Him and His righteousness is imputed to us. This great exchange has been illustrated in Zechariah 3:4, where these words are spoken concerning Joshua the high priest: “Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” So, filthy rags (our sin) is exchanged for a pure robe (the righteousness of God). A similar illustration would be if someone went millions of dollars into debt and was unable to repay it, but someone then not only paid their debt, but put to their account billions in the positive. This idea of imputation is at odds with the Roman Catholic teaching that justification is based on the infused righteousness of Christ, the idea that God declares people righteous because God has actually made them righteous in themselves. If this were true, then it would be true that God actually judged Christ for sin that was in Himself, but this is not the case; He only treated Christ as if He were a sinner since He was dying as our substitute. The Roman Catholic understanding confuses justification and sanctification.

NEXT TIME: Discipleship and Conclusion

Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: Regeneration (Part 5 of 7)

by Doug Smith

Following Christ as Lord and doing good works are not ultimately a result of human effort (although they involve human choices and activity), but are the product of God's work in the hearts of people. This work is called regeneration, and it gives a new nature to the one who is born "again" or "from above."

The new birth is essential for salvation, even for the most religious person. Jesus said to Nicodemus (who was a highly regarded religious leader and teacher) what may have been shocking words, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

The new birth is a gift from God. It comes from the Spirit of God, not from human efforts: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). The new birth is a mystery beyond human control: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). The apostle Paul makes the point that regeneration comes from the mercy of God, not man's effort: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1).

The Bible not only speaks of the need and source of regeneration, but of its results. Regeneration results in faith and good works. A person regenerated by the will of God has faith in Christ: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). A regenerated person is a person with a new nature: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17). In the same chapter, this is written: "he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). A new person should live a new life.

[1] Phillip Johnson, executive director of John MacArthur's Grace to You radio ministry and an elder at Grace Community Church, has said that a comprehensive study on what "no-lordship" teachers have taught about regeneration would be a vital contribution to the understanding of the debate about the role of faith and works in salvation in "The Lordship Salvation Controversy" a 2006 message downloaded from www.theGraceLifePulpit.com (click to download: GL-064-000-PJ).

NEXT TIME: Justification and Sanctification

Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: Lord (Part 4 of 7)

 

by Doug Smith

 

When one speaks of salvation through trusting Christ, the concept that Jesus is a Savior is clear.   What, for some, is not so clear is whether saving faith takes as its object Christ as Savior or Christ as Savior and Lord.  In other words, can one trust Christ as Savior but not as Lord?   To discern the truth about this matter, one should examine the idea of Lord in the Bible and search out whether there is a connection between the lordship of Christ and salvation.

 

There are two words translated as Lord in the New Testament:   kurios and despotes .  Kurios is the most common word for Lord, appearing 747 times, while despotes appears 10 times.   Five times despotes is translated as Lord while it appears the other five times as master or master's.  Six times the word refers to God, while the remaining four occurrences refer to slave masters.   Kurios is translated 720 times as Lord, lords , or Lord's, while it appears 13 times as master, masters' or masters, or master.   A form of Kurios is also rendered as sir or sirs (12 times), God (1 time), and owners (1 time).  Kurios usually refers to God.  When Jesus is specifically spoken of as Lord or directly addressed as Lord, the word kurios is always used, so it should be the focal point of study for this issue.

 

What do the terms Lord , sir, master , God, and owner have in common?  They all denote someone of position and rank.   Furthermore, the idea of authority and therefore the right to give commands is inherent in each term.  Even the word sir, which may seem tame because of its identification as a common term of respect, probably had a meaning of a person who was the father or originator of another or one who had authority and dominion over others.  

 

Some try to explain away the idea of authority inherent in the word Lord, trying to convince others that submission to the "Lord Jesus" is an optional, second-level of Christianity for those who want a deeper commitment.   But can this idea be sustained?

 

Charles Ryrie argues that the title of Lord does not indicate that Jesus is automatically the Christian's master, but only that Jesus is received as God [1].   Certainly, Ryrie's assertion that Lord can mean God is a valid one.  In addition to its translation as God in Acts 19:20, kurios is the word used to translate the Old Testament JEHOVAH (the same name as YAHWEH/YHWH, and sometimes shortened into JAH/YAH) into Greek.   This is the name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3, and is a name that refers only to the true God of Israel.    In the English Old Testament, this name is usually represented by an all-uppercase LORD.  In most editions of English New Testaments, it is represented as the standard word Lord.  Compare the following Scriptures (my notes in [brackets]):

 

Old Testament	New Testament quotation/translation
The LORD [JEHOVAH] said unto my Lord [adonai], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1)	The LORD [kurios] said unto my Lord [kurios], Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? (Matthew 22:44)
And thou shalt love the LORD [JEHOVAH] thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)	And thou shalt love the Lord [kurios] thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:30)

 

These Scriptures clearly refer to God.   Notice that the same word is used to translate the Hebrew JEHOVAH and the Hebrew adonai.  JEHOVAH is related to the words God used to speak of Himself as "I am that I am," denoting His self-existence (an attribute no other being can share), and is the name that evoked memories of His covenant relationship to His people, and faithfulness to keep His Word.   The word JEHOVAH was traditionally replaced with adonai out of reverence for this sacred name of God; the vowel markings in the Hebrew manuscripts give the vowels (added later) for adonai , and the original pronunciation may actually be lost.  Adonai means sovereign master or lord.  The concepts in both of these words are fundamental to the Biblical teaching about God. 

 

That this same word kurios, which translates JEHOVAH and adonai, is used for Jesus, certainly bolsters the claim that its meaning is God.   This is further reinforced when one surveys the teaching about Jesus' identity in the Gospels, and the way religious leaders responded to His claims (attempting to stone Him on more than one occasion because they perceived His words to be a claim to deity).

 

The claim that Lord = God in the New Testament, when referring to Jesus, is certainly credible.   But the idea that defining Lord as God in relation to Jesus eliminates the idea of submission to His lordship is in credible.  It makes no sense to say that Lord = God, therefore obedience to Jesus is optional, when God, as the true Supreme Being, and Author, Originator, and Creator of all, has unlimited rights over His creation, including the authority to tell everyone what to do.   Lordship is part of God's very essence.  In trusting Him to save us from our sin (not only its consequences, but the love of it and commission of it), we also trust Him to guide us with His Word to keep us from sin.   We are seeking to move from a life of disobedience to a life of obedience.  Constant refusal to submit to Christ's lordship is evidence that one has no desire to be saved from sin.   The Christian will not render a life of perfect obedience; only Christ could do that.  But part of what it means to be a Christian is that self and sin are no longer one's lord, but that Jesus Christ now calls the shots.

 

The one who is offered to sinners as a Savior does not leave His lordship as an optional part of the package.   Jesus' lordship was presented as part of his identity as Savior:   "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).  When we are called to trust Christ for salvation, part of that call is to trust Him as our Lord:   "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9).   As God, He certainly has authority.  Every knee will one day bow to this Lord (Philippians 2:10 -11), who asks this question of those who claim Him as Lord:   "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say" (Luke 6:46)?  One may conclude that a salvation without Christ's lordship is a salvation that is defective and ineffective.

 

Some may respond in this way:  if Christ must be Lord and Savior to every believer, then every believer must obey perfectly, or else Christ is not actually their Lord.   As the Scripture says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness" (Romans 6:16)?   They may say that this text proves that if one is sinning, Christ is not his lord, but if one is obedient Christ is his Lord.  But notice verses 17-18, written to Christians:   "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.   Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."   Believers were the servants of sin, but obeyed, became free from sin, and became the servants of righteousness .  Yet we also know that Christians still sin ("If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," 1 John 1:8).   How can these truths be reconciled?   I believe it has to do with one's position before the Lord.  The non-Christian who sins is acting according to his natural state of being a sinner.   The Christian who sins is acting according to his natural state as a sinner but against his state as a child of God.   Lordship for the Christian does not mean perfect obedience anymore than being an employee means you will always please your boss, to whom you are subordinate and to whose authority you submit.   Likewise, the child of God may not render perfect obedience, but he recognizes God's authority in his life as his Lord.

 

[1] Charles C. Ryrie, Balancing the Christian Life (Chicago, IL:   Moody, 1969, 1994), 182.

 

NEXT TIME:  Regeneration

Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: Repentance (Part 3 of 7)

by Doug Smith

Having established that a sinner is justified by faith alone, but that the purpose of this faith is to produce good works, one may consider the role of repentance in salvation. When one hears of the need to repent and believe, is one hearing what God requires from sinners or is one hearing a message of salvation by works? What does the Bible teach about repentance and salvation?

Jesus clearly claimed that his purpose in coming to the earth was to "call…sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). At the very start of his ministry, Jesus preached a message that required repentance and faith as responses: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15 ). He stated the necessity of repentance: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5). Three parables in Luke 15 illustrated that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15).

Jesus' disciples also preached the same message during their Master's time on earth: "They went out, and preached that men should repent" (Mark 6:12). They continued to preach the same message after his death and resurrection: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19; cf. Acts 2:38 ).

Someone may argue that the earthly ministry of Jesus (and the beginning of the disciples' ministry after his ascension) was primarily directed toward the Jewish nation. But notice the preaching toward the non-Jewish peoples: "God…now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). The apostle Paul testified "both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). This was simply obedience to the command of Jesus "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). Peter wrote that God "is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is therefore required if perishing is to be avoided. So, repentance is a universal requirement, not for Jews only [1].

Since repentance is necessary, one must find out what it is; what it produces; and whose work it is.

Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. Taken separately, the constituent parts of the Greek word for repentance mean "an afterthought." Some may argue that one cannot define repentance as anything but a change of mind, that to say a change in behavior is connected is to add something to the word which is not there, since metanoeo literally means to "think afterward" or to "change the mind." However, when determining the meaning of a word, one must not commit the fallacy of assuming that an apparent compound word cannot mean more than the sum of its individual parts. As D. A. Carson points out, one cannot "determine the meaning of 'butterfly' from 'butter' and 'fly,' or the meaning of 'pineapple' from 'pine' and 'apple.' Even those of us who have never been to Hawaii recognize that pineapples are not a special kind of apple that grows on pines" [2]. One must determine the meaning of repentance not only by its etymology, but by its usage in the Bible. Its usage shows us that it is connected with a change of behavior, as will be demonstrated below.

Repentance is not, in itself, sorrow for something, although it is certainly connected with one being sorry – so sorry, in fact, that the mind is changed so that the behavior will be different (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). In regard to salvation, repentance is a changing of the mind regarding one's sin and one's Savior. It is an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and a desire to be on a different path. It admits that one's good works are not good enough for God but that the work of the Son of God is what one needs to trust in.

Repentance results in a changed life. It is connected with the idea of turning: "Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin" (Ezekiel 18:30; cf. Acts 20:21 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). If one claimed to have a change of mind about his direction on a pathway but continued in that same direction instead of turning the other way, his claim to have repented would be quite suspect! John the Baptist warned his hearers to "bring forth therefore fruits meet [or, fitting] for repentance" (Matthew 3:8, cf. Luke 3:8). In the Luke passage, he proceeded to spell out practical results of repentance for his audience:

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. (Luke 3:10-14)

The apostle Paul also spoke of how people "should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (Acts 26:20). Repentance produces a return to God: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7).

Whose work is repentance? Since it is commanded, many assume that it is a meritorious human work. But faith is also commanded, so is believing in Jesus also a meritorious work? The answer is no. It is the responsibility of a sinner to repent and believe, but such responses are hardly automatic. Esau tried to repent, but "found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears" (Hebrews 12:17 ). The words of 2 Timothy 2:25 indicate that repentance is a gift from God when Paul writes about the pastor patiently instructing people, "if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." Repentance was not something they could automatically do, but something God had to work in their hearts. Jesus is the One who saves " his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21 ), and He must get the credit even for our repentance.

We are justified by faith alone, but repentance always accompanies true faith, like the front of the coin always comes with its back.

[1] The book of John is sometimes cited as a book in which the purpose is to bring people to faith in Christ, but repentance is not mentioned. However, this assertion seems difficult to maintain when the concept of the need for repentance is inherent in John, particularly in the following quotes. Not long after John 3:16, which speaks clearly of faith in Christ, we read "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (3:20 -21). One of the things Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery was, "Go, and sin no more" (8:11 ). Jesus taught self-denial, which is related directly to repentance: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour" (John 12:24-26). "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34). Jesus said to the religious leaders that their works revealed their condition before God: "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God" (8:39 -42, 44, 47).

A related theme in John's Gospel and first epistle is light and darkness. Jesus said, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness" ( 12:46). However, "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now" (1 John 2:9).

Another key teaching concerns the keeping of God's commands. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15). "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him...If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him…For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 2:3-4, 29; 5:3)

[2] His source was Louw's Semantics of New Testament Greek, 27. D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, 2^nd Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996), 30.

NEXT TIME: Lord

Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: Faith (Part 2 of 7)

by Doug Smith

One's definition of faith inevitably shapes one's view of salvation. Faith has historically been understood to consist of three essential elements: knowledge, assent, and trust. To exercise faith, one must be cognizant of information, agree that such information is true, and believe it is true in his own case to the point of having confidence in the object of his faith. But the first two elements are insufficient to constitute saving faith, as even the demons "believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). To have something more than the faith of demons, the third element must be present. The third element, trust, inherently includes a measure of assurance: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). The English Standard Version renders this verse thus: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

The definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 prefaces an account of various examples of faith. This faith is a confident belief, or trust. This trust is directly connected with action and obedience in many examples, implying that true faith results in good works.

Faith is necessary to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and the following words clearly present saving faith as a trust that people continue to manifest by their lives: "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:38-39).

Faith motivated these people to act in following God, as they trusted his promises. By faith, "Abel offered" (Hebrews 11:4), "Noah…prepared an ark" (11:7), "Abraham … obeyed," "sojourned," "looked for a city," and "offered up Isaac" (11:8-10, 17), and "Moses" chose "to suffer affliction with the people of God" and "forsook Egypt" (11:24-27). Others "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens" (11:33-34).

We are justified (declared righteous in God's sight) through faith alone, apart from performing good works, as the believer in Christ receives the imputation of the righteousness of Christ as a free gift. The Scriptures are clear concerning faith's unique role as the instrumental cause of salvation:

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

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. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

However, the Scriptures are clear in teaching that the faith through which a sinner is justified apart from works is the very seedbed of the works God desires in a believer's life: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

NEXT TIME: Repentance

Defining Key Words in the Lordship Debate: Introduction (Part 1 of 7)

by Doug Smith

 

The usage of words in a debate can be quite helpful or quite confusing.   Careful definition and consistent employment of terms is essential for profitable dialogue.

 

For example, the following exchange took place between Alice and Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to Alice in Wonderland:

'I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice , 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.' [1]

 

This conversation illustrates a problem that has plagued the discussion of the role of faith and works in salvation.   Words such as faith, repentance, and Lord have been redefined in such a way as to hinder meaningful dialogue.  The issue of salvation from sin is not a playing field for word games.   It is a matter of life or death, a matter that concerns the eternal destiny of people.  Unfortunately, the truth has often been obscured by careless and possibly dishonest use of the terminology associated with salvation.   Therefore, in this study, special attention will be given to defining key terms (according to their biblical usage) and the relation they have to each other.

 

The following terms are critical in a study of the role of faith and works in salvation:   faith, repentance, Lord, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and discipleship.

 

[1] Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass in The Complete Illustrated Works (New York: Gramercy Books, 1982), 136.

 

NEXT TIME:   Faith