This is a subject that gets many a believer hot under the collar, there are those who would own Jesus as Saviour but not as Lord. The root of this controversy is borne out of Dispensationalism, which is another gospel. We may call this 'gospel' Dispensational Antinomianism which declares that a person may have Christ Christ as Saviour but refuse to accept him as Lord of one's life. This battle is known as the 'Lordship Salvation' controversy.
How did it originate?
To cut a very, very long story short; along came J.N. Darby who was influenced by (shall we say through an ambiguous source) a novel doctrine circa 1830 that the church would not go through the coming great tribulation, that is she would be raptured some seven years before the Lord's Second Advent. Darby travelled widely to promulgate this new doctrine, and it spread literally like wildfire throughout conservative evangelical churches in the USA and beyond with no little help from the Scofield Reference Bible which had marginal notes next to the relevant verses regarding the new rapture theory.
At the core of the new teaching was that the Lord's warnings in Matt. 24 were not for the believing NT church , but only to unbelieving Israel! The Dispensationalists taught that the gospel of the kingdom was for Israel and the gospel of Christ was for the church, (in effect two gospels!), Israel were saved by keeping the law, the church by grace! Salvation was always by God's grace alone, God first saved His people out of Egypt and afterwards gave them the law (613 commandments, of which Ten are eternal). This nefarious teaching drove a wedge right through the gospel separating the law from grace, whereas the two are one component whole, they cannot be separated: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Ever remember, Who gave the law to Moses! I and my Father are one. John 10.30. Jesus is not some new 'improved' God that is different to the OT God, which was the Marcionite heresy. As a 'young' believer, I recollect many times hearing the mantra "We are not under law, we are under grace!" and for a while I was very comfortable with this strange notion. The 'fact' that you can be saved for eternity under your own terms without any obligation to be obedient to God slowly but surely began to trouble me. Why did God say to Adam thou shalt not eat of it, if he wasn't under God's law? Certain verses began to speak loudly to me, such as Matt. 7. 21, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. and Matt. 12.50: For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. and 1 John 2.3, And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. (my emphasis's). John says in no uncertain terms that He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar , and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2.4. At this juncture, I must stress that I am not advocating salvation by works! this is where the the 'rubber hits the road' so to speak regarding the controversy of Lordship Salvation. The law is the way of life, the way to life is the cross. As believers we should have a very high view of the law, Jesus even said, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Matt. 5.17. But, what law is this? Is not this law the Ten Commandments? Jesus paraphrases the Decalogue into the two commandments, Matt. 22. 36-40. In these verses the great commandment is the first four Commandments of the Ten; to walk in obedience to them will be to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. These four Commandments are between us and God. The second six of the Decalogue are contained in the second like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. To obey these six Commandments is to fulfill our obligation to our fellow man, they are between us and him. Paul enforces this doctrine in Romans 13. 1-10, especially with regard to our neighbour.
Parable after parable and teaching after teaching, illustration after illustration reveal that those who do not take up the cross of Christ and follow Him, do not have saving faith in Him and will be disowned and damned by Him on the Day of judgment.
Antinomian theology is rife today in the church of Christ, and has penetrated and permeated schools, colleges, and institutions alike at every level. Easy believism is an integral part of this 'gospel', I recollect being at a Barnabas Church summer camp in Cornwall back in 2004 when the evening altar call took place after the sermon, the band playing contemporary Christian music, emotions were running high, tears were a flowing, and you were invited to "raise your hand for Christ" as it were, and come up to the altar where you would be prayed over by a 'Christian worker' who would ask the respondent to recite the sinners prayer and receive Jesus into one's heart.
If there were any chosen (that is of the names written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world) by God in that place, above all the dross, they will hear my voice. John 10. 16. They will be awakened and make their calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. They will not rest on the 'assurance' of a 'Christian worker' that they have been saved!
I quote A.W.Pink;
"They want to make their experience, their feelings, something within themselves, the basis of their assurance. This is a favourite device of Satan, to turn the eye downwards upon ourselves. The Holy Spirit ever directs the eye away from ourselves to God and His Word." (Mr Pink's italics).
This false gospel is also being proclaimed by missionaries in foreign lands. And one thing is for sure, there will be no widespread reformation-things will only deteriorate further. Lawlessness will increase until the king of lawlessness, the man of sin himself arrives on the scene, only to be destroyed with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thess. 2.8.
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