I
Heard A Preacher Say “Turn From Sin” To Be Saved!
Is He Teaching Lordship Salvation?
By David J. Stewart | December 2013
Not necessarily! A lot of good preachers use that terminology, but I don't
like it because it's not found in the Bible. Likewise, I don't like the term
“Trinity” because it's not found in the Bible. However, the all-important
word “Godhead” is found in Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20 and Colossians 2:9 in the
King James Bible. All modern corrupted Bibles remove the word completely to
attack the Lord's deity (that He is almighty God). Gotta love the dear King
James Bible!!!
A man once wrote to me, saying that he'd read where Evangelist Oliver B. Greene, Pastor John R. Rice and Brother Lester Roloff had use the phrase “turn from sin” concerning salvation in their sermons. The man asked me to expose these great men of God as heretics for teaching the lie of Lordship Salvation. However, as you will see, they certainly weren't teaching heresy. I have found at least two dozen variations of the Lordship Salvation heresy amongst today's numerous radio preachers, Bible colleges and pastors. One way or another they all errantly place the burden of sin upon the sinner, instead of allowing Christ to bear the total weight of our sins as the Bible teaches (2nd Corinthians 5:21).
- First, we must understand (and not forget)
that man's words are NOT inspired nor infallible as are GOD'S WORDS IN THE
BIBLE. Charles Spurgeon was a prolific author, mighty man of God and a
brilliant expository type preacher. Yet, Spurgeon's words were not
infallible, nor inspired. Our Final Authority is THE BIBLE!
- Second, we must understand that truth often
exists in paradoxes. The Bible is filled with examples of apparent (or
alleged) discrepancies, simply due to the paradoxical nature of truth.
For example: Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 10:34, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Jesus said that He didn't come to bring peace to earth, but a sword. So why did the angel proclaim peace on earth at Jesus' birth? Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus didn't come to bring us peace because JESUS IS OUR PEACE. Matthew 10:35, “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” Truth divides families and churches!!! Ephesians 2:14, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” So as we see, there is no discrepancy at all. Only the cross of Jesus Christ can restore peaceful harmony between God and man. God didn't promise peace to the earth; but rather, God promises peace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We must be extremely careful about labeling every man of God who teaches
that we must “turn from sin” to be saved as a heretic, because many of them,
especially the older preachers like Charles Spurgeon, Lester Roloff, John R.
Rice and Oliver B. Greene,
didn't mean what people are trying to attribute them as saying. You cannot
determine any man's beliefs based upon one quote. The same is true of the
Bible.
Dr. John R. Rice DIDN'T Teach Lordship Salvation
For example: Here is a quote from the beloved Dr. John R. Rice...
“To repent literally means to have a change of mind or spirit toward God and toward sin. It means to turn from your sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust in Jesus Christ to save you. You can see, then, how the man who believes in Christ repents and the man who repents believes in Christ. The jailer repented when he turned from sin to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” (John R. Rice, What Must I Do to Be Saved?, 1940).
Now, the above statement can really be distorted if you don't read carefully what Brother Rice says. Dr. Rice clearly states that he views repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ as one in the same... “You can see, then, how the man who believes in Christ repents and the man who repents believes in Christ.” Thus, the “turning from sin” which Brother Rice speaks of is only in the sense of a realization of one's guilt; not actually ceasing from committing sin as a prerequisite to salvation.
Considering this quote by itself, one could be misled to believe that Brother Rice was teaching Lordship Salvation; BUT, he certainly is not. Dr. Rice goes on to state...
The change in your heart, sinner, is God's part and you may be sure He will attend to that. Your part is to simply believe in Him. Whatever else is necessary in your eternal salvation, the Lord attends to when you trust in Him, or believe in Him.
SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice
Did you read what Dr. Rice said?, "The change is in your heart..." This is exactly what Brother Hutson and Pastor Hyles taught. Salvation is of the heart; not of works. Salvation is of God, not man. Our part is simply to believe, but it is God who changes our heart. Dr. Rice further states...
One who believes in Christ has repented.
SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice
This statement alone by Dr. John R. Rice
clearly shows that he didn't believe in Lordship Salvation!
I guarantee you that neither Oliver B. Greene, nor Lester Roloff, nor John
R. Rice, believed
that a person had to forsake the act of sin to be saved. What they did
believe, and I do, is that a person must realize their guilt of sin in order
to be saved. Romans 3:19 teaches that God gave mankind the Law so that “all
the world may become guilty before God.” That's what Brother Rice is saying.
Galatians 3:25-26 says that the Law is a school teacher that points us to
the Master (Jesus Christ) for salvation. The word
"repent" in the Bible means, “A CHANGE OF MIND,” but we don't know exactly
what that change of mind is. I think Dr. Jack Hyles explains repentance the
best, and I agree with him 100%...
In Brother Hyle's book, Enemies of Soulwinning, in the chapter Misunderstood Repentance, he states:
So, from what must a person repent in order to be saved? He must repent of that which makes him lost. Since "believing not" makes him lost, "believing" makes him saved. In repentance there is a turning from the thing that keeps him from being saved to the thing that saves him. So, yes, there is a repentance from unbelief in order to believe. It is simply a change of direction. It means a turning around. You are going away from believing, and you decide to turn around and believe. You change your direction; you change your mind. With your will you believe and rely upon Christ to save you. In order to believe, you have to repent of unbelief. That which makes a man lost must be corrected.
Dr. Hyles loved, promoted and honored Bro.
Roloff often. Do you think Bro. Hyles would have honored Bro. Roloff if he
taught heresy? No way! Obviously, many great men of God used (and use)
the phrase "turn from sin" when preaching about salvation. In the case of
Oliver B. Greene, John R. Rice, Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody and Lester
Roloff—they are all referring to the evidence that genuine repentance
brings—a changed life!
Heretics On Salvation
However, here are some heretics that clearly
teach works salvation:
I expose pastor, John MacArthur, because he foolishly teaches...
"Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny" (Hard to Believe, p. 93). [emphasis added]
Well MacArthur certainly makes it hard to
believe! MacArthur speaks blasphemous lies! Salvation is
receiving; not giving. It is obvious that MacArthur is teaching works
salvation, even though he repeatedly teaches salvation by grace through
faith in other places. MacArthur is confused and confusing at best. Did you
know that
Mormons and
Seventh Day Adventists teach the same false understanding of repentance
as John MacArthur!
Ray
Comfort agrees with the Jehovah's Witnesses!
Evangelist, Ray Comfort, has
also become entangled into this new evangelical misunderstanding of
repentance.
I know many old preachers who say that a person should receive Jesus as
their "Lord and Savior." I could technically criticize them for preaching
Lordship Salvation," but I'd be dead wrong. Jesus is the Lord and
everyone who gets saved has already received Christ as their Lord (i.e., the
one supreme in authority, God). We don't make Jesus Lord; He is Lord! The
idea of "making a commitment" or "surrendering" to Christ is Christian
discipleship and has nothing to do with being saved. Salvation is a
free gift.
I expose the Salvation Army, because they clearly teach works salvation. If
you look at the Salvation Army's list of doctrines, you'll come down to
doctrine # 9, which reads as follows...
"We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ."
SOURCE: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/salvation_army_heresy.htm
It's damnable heresy! If someone can show me
anywhere where Lester Roloff, John R. Rice or Oliver B. Greene taught that
doctrine I'll expose them as heretics too.
Repentance Is Recognizing My Need
For The Savior Because I Am A Sinner!
It's as simple as this... if you realize that you're enough of a sinner to
need the Savior, then come to Him and you will be saved! Jesus PROMISED in
John 6:37 that
“Him That Cometh To Me I Will In No Wise Cast Out.” Don't let
anyone sell you on the lie that you have to first be sorry for your sins, or
be willing to give up sinful bad habits or forsake the world to be saved. No
you don't! All you need to do to be saved is believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ (Acts 16:30-31).
This is definitely a delicate issue. Certainly, Lester Roloff and Oliver B. Greene are not wrong on repentance. When viewed from the Lordship Salvation window of our time, it may appear that preachers who used the phrase "turn from sin" back then were heretics; but preachers back then taught salvation and repentance from sin as almost being synonymous, because genuine repentance brings forth new life—i.e., a changed life. However, none of the great preachers of the past required sinners to forsake the act of sin as a prerequisite to be saved. No, rather, they simply taught that genuine repentance is mandatory for true salvation, which brings forth a life of righteousness. Of course, even the best of Christians still sin every day, and the Bible if filled with flawed believers who messed up horribly. There is a fine line between seeing our sinnership and recognizing our need for the Savior; verses the turning from sin that false prophets require for people to get saved. If we're wrong on repentance as believers, then we're wrong on everything else too.
Romans 4:5 plainly teaches that a man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to one's heavenly record by faith.
"Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word."
SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3
Repentance and faith are inseparable. The Gospel of John mentions the word "believe" 85-times; but the word "repent" is never mentioned even once. In genuine salvation, one who believes on Jesus Christ has repented; and one who repents has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
