Free Grace and The Lordship Salvation Controversy
In the 1980s, Hodges and John F. MacArthur presented differing views over the gospel through various books, generally known as the "lordship salvation" controversy. Hodges defended the Free Grace Theology position, which teaches that the free gift of eternal life is without cost to the believer, that it comes through simply believing in Jesus Christ. A distinction is recognized between believing (which results in receiving eternal life) and submission to the Lordship of Christ (which is part of the sanctification process). Free Grace Theology also teaches that once a person believes in Jesus Christ, they cannot lose their salvation. MacArthur defended the Reformed view of salvation, and argued that the faith that saves invariably results in works, and that a true Christian would not continue sinning without remorse but would instead obey God's commands to do the good works that God has. MacArthur viewed Biblical faith as always including the notion to surrender and obey, while Hodges' taught that Biblical faith was the agreement that something is true.
Read more about this topic: Zane C. Hodges
Famous quotes containing the words free, grace, lordship, salvation and/or controversy:
“And one who is just of his own free will shall not lack for happiness; and he will never come to utter ruin.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)
“The grace of novelty and the length of habit, though so very opposite to one another, yet agree in this, that they both alike keep us from discovering the faults of our friends.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“An ancient prophecy ... pronounced, That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it!”
—Horace Walpole (1717–1797)
“A few ideas seem to be agreed upon. Help none but those who help themselves. Educate only at schools which provide in some form for industrial education. These two points should be insisted upon. Let the normal instruction be that men must earn their own living, and that by the labor of their hands as far as may be. This is the gospel of salvation for the colored man. Let the labor not be servile, but in manly occupations like that of the carpenter, the farmer, and the blacksmith.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“Ours was a highly activist administration, with a lot of controversy involved ... but I’m not sure that it would be inconsistent with my own political nature to do it differently if I had it to do all over again.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)