The Great Divide

By SCOTT REEVE, Jeff Coburn, David Seaman and Emily Boehm

There is within Christianity a debate taking place over the doctrine of salvation. The Great Divide dives into the issues and viewpoints of the debate and offers a Biblically based answer to the question of what is necessary for a person to become a follower of Jesus and what happens in the life of those who put their faith in Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716492723

Book preview

Conclusion

Chapter One – Why This Book and Why It Matters

Controversy.  Throughout church history there have been times of disagreement and differences of opinion regarding theological issues.  Some are considered, by certain Biblical scholars, minor issues leading to major splits and the formation of new groups, while others were major occasions of doctrinal crises.

One example of the latter is the Arian controversy that led to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. It focused on the teachings of the bishop Arius, who taught that Jesus was not God, but a created being.  The Nicene Creed, which was the result of this meeting in the fourth century, affirmed the eternal, divine nature of Jesus.  This was a major issue that had to be dealt with.

This book deals with an issue that, depending on your particular viewpoint and Biblical interpretation, could be considered either a minor or a major point worthy of discussion.  The author believes that what we cover in this book, though not a complete treatise on the subject, is important and is a major theological issue that must be discussed.

In 1988, John MacArthur published the first edition of his monumental work The Gospel According to Jesus.  This book is basically a theological treatise on the doctrine of salvation.  What erupted after the book was published became known as the ill-named Lordship Salvation Debate.  The firestorm that followed was, to say the least, incredible.  Zane Hodges wrote Absolutely Free, for example, as a response to MacArthur’s work.  Books and articles have been penned supporting differing views on the issue.

Others also became involved in the fray.  There were those, because of the ramifications of The Gospel According to Jesus, who formed societies to defend the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, or free grace, as they called it.  One of those, for example, is the Grace Evangelical Society, who over the years has published books and articles refuting statements and teachings by MacArthur and others.  Other groups, such as the Free Grace Alliance, sprung up and entered the discussion.

Recently I heard of a church that split over the very things discussed in this book.  There was a great divide between two groups within this particular church and it led to a major division and half the church leaving.  To many, including the author, this topic is important.

At stake is the correct interpretation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What exactly is the Gospel, and what is required to become a follower of Jesus Christ?  And what does a follower of Christ look like? What defines a believer in Jesus Christ? We shall reference some of the areas of contention before we go deeper into the basis of this book.

What are the issues?

This book is not intended to be a lengthy, comprehensive discussion of all the issues.  Some things might be dealt with in more detail in a subsequent publication; but other authors have written much more extensive works than this study will do.

There are some things, though, that do need discussion.  To do justice, these cannot simply be expressed in just a few words, but we will in this chapter deal briefly with some of the sticking points.  It is also important to keep in mind that many who hold to a particular view regarding this discussion may not agree with each other across the board.

For example, and this is vital, some believe that obedience, a complete surrender to the Lordship of Christ at the point of salvation, is part of the Gospel message.  I do not believe that nor do many others who hold to what sadly is called Lordship Salvation.

We do believe, unapologetically, that faith in Christ leads to obedience, a desire to follow Christ with our lives, but it is not part of the Gospel.  It is, though, without a doubt, a result of true faith in Christ as we shall see.

Let’s continue.  For example, MacArthur’s book, along with other works by those that agree with what he wrote, focused on some of the following issues: Is repentance a necessary part of salvation? How do we define repentance? Should this be a part of the Gospel message? This became grist for the mill of controversy, generating strong opinions, as will be examined later.

Another point of discussion can be stated as a question, Is there such a thing as a fruitless Christian?  There are those who believe that though there should be fruit, if someone has made a decision for Christ, the evidence may not be observable by others, creating the possibility there may never be any way of knowing with certainty whether a person has really come to Christ.  Is that, though, what the Scriptures teach?

Is the grace that saves a person, the grace that also transforms that person?  Some believe that grace is simply, but magnificently, God reaching down to us and giving us something that we don’t deserve; a relationship with Christ through faith in Him alone. Others would absolutely agree with this, while also adding that the grace causing our salvation, is the same grace that changes our lives; seen in the fact we have been made new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Another aspect of the discussion has been whether there are various types of Christians. Some believe that it is possible for someone to be a lifelong carnal Christian, noted in 1 Corinthians 3, while others would argue that this category of Christian is certainly not a reflection of an individual’s personal relationship with God, per se.

The concept of a carnal Christian as noted in 1 Corinthians 3 was tied to certain attitudes among some of the people at the church in Corinth (the same things that could be a problem for us today – pride, jealousy, envy), and should not be categorized as an acceptable or viable lifestyle.  This is an important part of the conversation.  We will deal with this in a later chapter.  As we shall see, it is possible for a Christian to act carnal but not be carnal, meaning that though we do sin the Bible does not teach lifelong carnality as a possibility for a child of God.

Another area of disagreement regards Jesus’ place as Lord of our life.  Do we make Jesus our Lord, subsequent to our salvation; or is Jesus Lord because of Who He is when we become His followers, and as we recognize this, do we recognize obeying Him as a part of the Christian life?

This particular point has caused heated debate.  Part of the problem has been how this has been explained.  Jesus is Lord regardless of what side of the aisle we fall on in this discussion but how this truth has been handled has caused confusion.  We will attempt to clarify this all-important fact about Christ.

There is much more to this conversation.  In the following chapters, we will, in addition to what we have noted, look at topics that have, among others, become points of disagreement, including: Biblical passages and how they are interpreted, the re-defining of words, carnal and spiritual Christians.

Our goal is to be concise, while giving enough information to enable you to go to Scripture and come to your own conclusions. 

Before going any further, let me share with you where I land on this topic. The reason for doing so is because I intend to be transparent. As you work through the book you will no doubt see my thoughts on these areas of concern as expressed by both camps.

So…Where does the author stand?

There is always the danger of coming across as a know-it-all when discussing any subject of considerable depth. There may be others who can articulate and support their views better than me, but this is an issue close to my heart.

It is important in explaining my position that I share with you why I believe in the need to do so.  I have heard presentations of the Gospel over the years that are confusing; making one wonder what the Good News actually includes.  It seemed some very salient points were ignored or overlooked; that if you simply believe Jesus died for your sins, you are saved, with:

No mention of the resurrection

No mention of the fact we are sinners in need of a relationship with God, and

No discussion of repentance.

It is true that belief and faith are vital to salvation.  There is no argument.  But I have observed what I call a half-Gospel. As one of our chapters will show, the Gospel does indeed include the death of Christ on the cross, bringing us forgiveness of our sins. 

But the resurrection is just as important to the Gospel message, because that is where new life happens and the power to live for God resides.  Not only that, Romans 10:9 is clear, that you must believe in the resurrection to be saved. You cannot separate these facts.

Being a pastor, and more so, a Christian, I feel a responsibility to honestly state my beliefs regarding any particular doctrine or teaching.  For example, if I am teaching on the return of Christ, I will share the various views held by different people, and then communicate my understanding of the topic.  I believe openness is crucial in discussion and interaction.  With that in mind, let me share a couple of my thoughts.

There are other core doctrines to which the church has historically held, but this is a sampling of important beliefs that Christians should have in common.

When it comes to a discussion regarding the Gospel and this book, I should clarify a couple of things.  I am not saying those who hold a different view than I do are not believers.  I have friends in ministry on the other side of the fence on some subjects, but I have no doubt as to their salvation.  My concern is the correctness of the message they are presenting to those in need of a Savior.

I do think the understanding they have of the Gospel is not as complete as it should be, but everyone on either side of any discussion in this book, certainly believes salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ. 

Ultimately, only God knows those who are truly His, but I also believe, as we shall see, and Scripture teaches, that there are certain elements that must be included when it comes to the doctrine of salvation and the Good News of Jesus and the results that follow from that.

The goal of this book is to respond to those who believe a view of the Gospel (which the author holds to and will be explained in more detail as we go) is heretical, baseless nonsense, stupid, and, as stated by some of the opposite viewpoint, hated by God.

Those are some of the terms used to describe anyone who holds to what is called Lordship Salvation (LS), a phrase that I personally dislike and I believe is misrepresentative of the position I hold to, but seems to have become popular and is used to describe one side of the debate.

In regard to this, Wayne Grudem, in one of his latest books, refers to the two positions as the Free Grace position and instead of Lordship Salvation he uses the phrase historic Protestant.¹  Personally I like this approach because there is sometimes confusion when the phrase Lordship Salvation is used. 

In this book, though I prefer Dr. Grudem’s way of identifying the two sides, since Lordship Salvation (the view of this book) and Free Grace are two well-known ways of explaining opposing views, I will, with apprehension I must admit, refer to them in that way.

I will refer to the Grace Evangelical Society and the Free Grace Alliance and those within that camp as FG since Free Grace, as they define and interpret it, is their focus.  Even if we do not mention each side in the discussion by name, you should be able to discern from whence any viewpoint originates.  We will try to make that clear by the use of these two acronyms, LS (Lordship Salvation) and FG (as mentioned).

Before continuing, let me state my beliefs on the topics discussed in this book, because they will become evident in the following chapters.  I want to be clear:

Salvation is by faith alone through Christ alone. 

No one can earn salvation.

There is nothing an individual can do to attain favor with God and inherit eternal life.

It is the work of God and His grace that saves us.

I do believe repentance is vital when it comes to salvation.  Whether the word itself is used in presenting the Gospel, the idea that one must turn from his sinful, self-focused life and give himself over to Christ in faith, for salvation, is critical. 

Repentance (we will deal with this in more detail in another chapter) is more than simply a change of mind about Who Jesus is.  It is a turning away from sin and toward God.  Remember also, and this is important, only the Holy Spirit can bring repentance.  This is the commonly held LS view.

That last sentence is important.  It is a straw man argument to say, as some in the FG camp do, that those who believe repentance is crucial to the Gospel message are saying that someone must first clean up their act, turn from sin, and then turn to God.  Those who oppose the idea of repentance held by LS viewers claim that teaching repentance as just noted adds works to salvation. 

In other words, LS proponents have been accused of saying that man needs to reform himself first, before becoming a believer. Some within the FG camp claim that those who hold repentance, as defined in a previous paragraph, are teaching one must totally turn from sin in order to be saved.² No one I know, who holds that repentance is vital, believes that as we shall see.

Continuing, Scripture, in numerous places such as James 2:14-26; Ephesians 2:8-10 and the Book of 1 John are clear, I believe, that there will be evidence if someone is truly a follower of Jesus Christ.  This is the result of salvation, not a way of earning