Here is a quote to wet your appetite:

By maintaining the purposeful, orderly and teleological nature of creation as it existed in the Christian worldview and rejecting the God who had dictated those purposes, men and women were left to themselves to determine what this purpose should be. Without the commandments and biblical suppositions acting as a restraint on evil, humanity saw some of its worst. Lamarck’s teleology had justified the concept of race. The development of the perfect race of human, as determined by environmental factors, had opened the door to declare the Caucasian as the crown jewel of creation rather than, as in Christianity, the whole of humanity itself. As such, the beginning acceptance of evolutionary thought in a distinctly Christian heritage resulted in the justification of the atrocities of imperialism and racial slavery within the past few centuries. This can be noted in contrast to the purely economical and military slavery that was accepted prior to enlightenment thought.

This is in response to a man who has falsely claimed the bible guarantees and teaches that a rapture of God’s elect people is to take place on May 21st. He also teaches that the church age ended in 1988 and that anyone who is still a member of a church is actually worshiping Satan. Here is a Youtube clip of some of his bizarre teaching:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Other resources available at:

Alpha & Omega Ministries

TurretinFan: Does the Bible Guarantee Camping’s Prediction?

Watch the video:

Epistemology answers the question, “How do we know what we know?” It also affects your answer to the question, “How do we know the bible is true?” Many Christians including evangelical apologetic ministries would answer this question with the same epistemology as an unbeliever. The reason? They were never taught a biblical worldview. Check out PART I of Greg Bahnsen’s worldview lecture:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Or rent the entire thing from PuritanPicks.

I just wanted to thank Dave Hunt and the staff at TBC.  I have come to an understanding of reformed theology and as I have begun to share it with friend and family many times Dave Hunt’s works and writing is mentioned.

Your writing has made it so much easier to share reformed theology with friend and family.  Since the arguments you make are so clearly biased, without substance or biblical & historical accuracy it is easy to point out the true facts and discredit your stance.  Even a five year old can read the scriptures and plainly give God the glory and honor He deserves for working salvation in men.  As I share the doctrines of grace with friends often I will use your books and writings to show the folly of the arguments they will face against God’s sovereignty.  I love it!

Your mis-representation of reformed theology, God’s sovereignty and grace is unfortunate but easily refuted and obviously apparent.  I would say keep up the good work… but that wouldn’t be entirely accurate.  I am praying the sovereign God for you and your ministry.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Matt 7:13-14

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matt 7:21-23

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Luke 13:3

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Luke 13:5

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:3-6

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s[a] seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:4-10

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1 John 4:20

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.
1 John 5:2-4

and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:46-47

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
Acts 3:19

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Acts 17:30

but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
Acts 26:20

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:36

I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
John 17:6 (speaking of his people)

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[a] in heaven. 19Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:15-20 (What to do with the unrepentant)

Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Luke 17:3-4 (What to do with the repentant)

you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
1 Cor 5:5 (What to do with the un-repentant)

and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Luke 17:4  (What to do with a repentant sinner)

Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matt 3:10

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 3:1-2

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying,  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-15

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 3:8

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying,  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matt 4:17

and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matt 10:22

But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:13

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10:38

through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations
Romans 1:5

but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
Romans 16:26

in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
2 Thess 1:8

and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:22

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you
John 15:7

But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Luke 8:21

You are my friends if you do what I command you.
John 15:14

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,”
John 8:31

34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mark 8:34

23And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:24-26

“The grace of God has appeared, brining salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and wordly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age”
Titus 2:11-12

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
2 Cor 5:15

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:7-8

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10:38

and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,[a] to the unquenchable fire.[b] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,
Mark 9:43-47

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Luke 6:46

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’
Luke 13:24-27

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:26

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:8-10

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
John 8:31

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:27-28

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:24-26

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
John 15:8

You are my friends if you do what I command you.
John 15:14

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Acts 2:21

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Acts 2:36

Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.
Acts 3:22

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ ( he is Lord of all),
Acts 10:36

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:21

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.
Romans 2:28

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Romans 6:1-2

We know that our old self[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free[b] from sin.
Romans 6:6-7

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Romans 6:15

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,[a] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Romans 6:16-19

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
Romans 7:4

Or do you not know that the unrighteous[a] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,[b] 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 6:9-10

For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
1 Cor 7:19

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
1 Cor 9:25

But I discipline my body and keep it under control,[a] lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1 Cor 9:27

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
2 Cor 7:10

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2 Cor 13:5

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21envy,[a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:19-21

For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Gal 6:15

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Eph 2:1

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:10

to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Eph 4:22

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
Phil 1:29

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[a] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Col 1:21-23

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Col 3:10

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
1 Thess 1:9

in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
2 Thess 1:8

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound[a] words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
1 Tim 6:3-5

if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
2 Tim 2:12

Paul, a servant[a] of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
Titus 1:1

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Titus 1:16

Slaves[a] are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior
Titus 2:9-10

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:14

And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
Hebrews 5:9

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:11-12

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:26-27

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
James 2:14

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:24

You adulterous people![a] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
1 Peter 1:14-15

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[a] of God.
1 Peter 2:16

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
1 Peter 4:18

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[a] his own glory and excellence
2 Peter 1:3

Therefore, brothers,[a] be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall
2 Peter 1:10

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1 John 1:6

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
1 John 2:19

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
1 John 2:29

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
1 John 3:17

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
2 John 9-11

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude 3-4

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,
Revelation 2:7, 11, 26

The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:7-8

I have a hard time calling it a debate and am really sad that our brothers and sisters in Christ are denying the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  I find that their arguments are based on pragmatism and logic as opposed to the truth of scripture.  What disturbs me most is that this comes from men, women and denominations who pride themselves in their study and teaching of scripture.

The no-lordship stance declares that a man must accept Jesus as their savior but that his lordship comes later or is entirely optional and unnecessary for salvation.  Discipleship is the “next step”.  This view is held to on account that salvation is by grace, not of works lest anyone should boast.  In an attempt to put the horse in its rightful position (before the cart) when preaching the gospel they completely ignore the cart and pretend it doesn’t exist.  The result: the gospel is no longer a gospel of reconciling men to God as Lord and the object of our worship.  The gospel merely becomes a means to get a free ticket out of hell and into heaven and perhaps a goody bag of things to use for self-pleasure while still on earth; an item that any demon or unrepentant human would still desire apart from the working of the Holy Spirit.

Those who deny the Lordship of Christ take verses such as Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” and Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” and John 3:16 “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  But do those verses REALLY say that Jesus can be Savior and not Lord?  Do the scriptures really encourage us to call upon Jesus as “Lord” with our lips without his Lordship being the condition of our hearts?  If our brothers and sisters would go about ignoring the rest of the bible they would do great benefit to at least finish reading the chapter or book!

Advocates of the Lordship doctrine such as Jesus, Paul, Peter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and James do not deny that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.  But they do emphasize that true saving faith gives birth to works including, “to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27)  If faith does not give birth to works it is not true saving faith; because the very biblical definition of “faith” and “to believe” denotes more than just intellect or emotion.  James calls the man who would argue with this fact a fool (James 2:20).

The Lordship stance does not state the pre-requisite for salvation is to get ones life in order before being saved.  But the pre-requisite is recognizing our sinful rebellion against God and repenting (turning).

Now if your understanding of repentance is wrong you WILL immediately stand up and say, “BUT THAT’S SALVATION BY WORKS!”  No, it’s not.  In fact it was part of the gospel presentation in scripture.  “Now they heard this and they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ and Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’” (Acts 2:37-40) see also: Acts 26:19-20; Acts 20:21; Acts 3:19

The difference between the apostles view of salvation and the view of salvation held to by the no-lordship camp is that the apostles recognized that for someone to genuinely exercise faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit needed to be at work in the person’s heart, drawing the person to Christ to be reconciled to God.  Faith is a gift from God (Romans 12:3).  Not only is the atoning work of Christ a gift of grace but so is my ability to repent/believe (John 6:65; 2 Chronicles 30:11-12; Phil 1:29, 2 Tim 2:25, Acts 13:48, Rom 9:15-18; John 1:13; 1 John 5:1).  One can only refute these verses through human logic.  Yes it is a requirement and command that man turn (repent/believe) however his turning, from God’s perspective and ultimately the true perspective, is granted through the grace of God via the working of the Holy Spirit.  I have no need to argue this stance.  Let the scriptures speak for themselves.

We should therefore approach evangelism with this perspective.  God is working and sovereign.  All I must do is proclaim the truth!  I don’t need to butter it up, I don’t need to hide certain “hard” truths about Lordship.  I don’t need to close the deal with a “decision” and popishly declare men saved.  I proclaim the full-counsel of God and trust God to do the rest.  I explain who God is and what he created us for, I explain rebellion and sin, I explain the results of rebellion and sin (separation and wrath), I explain what Jesus did to reconcile and save us.  The call is for all men everywhere to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus… and if that’s your desire my friend here is how to do it and here is what it looks like!

“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” Acts 20:21

Proponents of anti-lordship salvation claim that repentance is unnecessary for salvation, they deny that Jesus is Lord and offer Him as Savior apart from Lord.   This stance stems from a misunderstanding of repentance and failure to see its relation to belief and regeneration.

By claiming repentance as a condition for salvation does not mean to say you are saved by works. Repentance is an active opposition and hatred for sin, a condition of the heart brought about by true regeneration.  It’s a stance of agreement and belief in God, a direction that someone faces.  To repent of your sin does not mean you are sinless nor does it mean you have done any acts of righteousness.

A person is presented with a sin or the life of sin, rebellion itself, and they either justify it in their heart/make excuses why it is ok; or they agree with God and repent (turn to God) and seek the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to overcome it.  To be repentant doesn’t mean that you never sin or struggle with sin. It means that you are in agreement with God that it is wrong and are actively battling it as many times as you fall into it.  It results in war between flesh and spirit and is the mind of every Christian (Romans 7:18-25).

Granted there are sins we don’t even know about!  But to be of a repentant heart means that we are in agreement with God about our sinful rebellion and have turned, actively facing the opposite direction: pursuing and seeking to please God (Eph 4:17-24; 5:10-11).  When we discover sin in our lives we are sorrowful and turn!

This is why repentance is necessary for salvation.  Not for attaining righteousness.  It coincides with believing and agreeing with God (John 3:36).

There is a difference between the repentant person who struggles with a sin and a person who excuses and refuses to repent from it or do anything about it.  This is where church discipline is used to correct the unrepentant… (1 Cor 5) and is for the benefit of the person and congregation (2 Cor 6:8-13).  It is an opportunity to save those who may perhaps have a false assurance of their salvation.  Also see the words of Jesus: Matthew 18:15-18.

{The casualness of our message to merely “accept Jesus” without helping people to understand our wretched condition, allows many to remain stubbornly unyielding in their pride and sin.  This large-scale “user-friendly” message in today’s evangelical churches have given rise to a Christianity that gives hollow worship to Christ but creates a heart that remains unrenewed and still delights in sin.   Many are unwilling to give the Lord their allegiance because they have not been born again. They are told, however, that because they “accepted Jesus into their heart” at some moment in the past that it doesn’t matter that they now live in rebellion against God. The continuing spirit of defiant, willful rebellion to Christ’s authority as an unbroken pattern of our churches are a direct result of a lack of understanding among church leaders of the doctrine of regeneration.}   (John Hendryx, http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/repentance.html)

Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance! (Matt 3:8; Mark 6:12)

The verdict:

Both Gospel A and Gospel B are 100% TRUE.  But Gospel A is only part of the truth.  In fact it is a partial truth which makes it a lie and false gospel!

Concerning Gospel A: There is not a single person on this earth who would not like a free ticket out of hell and into heaven.  But of these people there are very few who would like to see God rule (Lord) over their life.  Gospel A offers a free ticket out of Hell and into Heaven based on a mere intellectual acknowledgment and decision for “Jesus”.   The good news of Gospel A is merely a free ticket out of Hell…  Jesus is Savior but not Lord.   Often proponents of Gospel A add in additional humanistic motivations such as emotional pain relief, a quenching for out of control materialistic desires (void filler) and many other motivations of the man centered gospel.

In Gospel B: The central focus is restoring the man to God aka reconciliation (2 Cor 5).  God created us to worship and glorify Him through the pursuit of God (John 17:3).   The good news of Gospel B restores man to God so that he can now live for God.   Gospel B is the good news that repentance and lordship is available despite your sin which renders you separate from God and deserving of wrath.  This is the true gospel.  I can now begin to live for, know and worship God from now on throughout eternity.  This is a gospel nobody in their depravity wants!  It takes an effectual calling to bring someone into acceptance of this Gospel.(John 6:44; John 6:56; Acts 16:14; Acts 13:48; Matt 16:17; Matt 11:27; Acts 2:39; Romans 9:10-24; Romans 12:3; Phil 1:29; Eph 1:4; John 10:26; John 1:13; Psalm 65:4; James 1:18; John 17:9) Because salvation is a complete work and miracle of God it frees me to preach the true gospel without having to worry about men being offended by it.

Arguments used to support the false gospel:

• I got saved through Gospel A.  Actually no… You got saved in spite of the partial Gospel.  God’s Holy Spirit was already doing a work in your heart and you responded when you heard it.  I don’t deny that Gospel A reaps a legitimate harvest.  My problem with it is that it also confuses true Christians and lies to unbelievers. It tells those who are headed for destruction and judgment that there is safety ahead (Ezekiel 33:7-9).  Perhaps this is why Paul said, “I am innocent the blood of all men because I have not shunned to declare to you the full counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26-27) And perhaps indicates a stricter judgment for the teachers and preachers of God’s word.
• Gospel A works.  It gets more people. Since when was results the litmus test for validity?  Again it only seems to get more people because you are inviting anyone and everyone who still desires to live in rebellion against God to accept a free ticket out of hell.  Who wouldn’t want that?  Does not Jesus say, “not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones who do the will of my father in heaven” (Matt 7:21)  see also: (1 John 2:4; 2 Peter 2:13ff; James 2:14; Heb 6:6; Titus 1:16; Eph 2:10; 2 Cor 13:5,1 Cor 6:9; John 8:31; Matt 7:21; Jude 1:4).

If it says anything to the way we minister or the message we preach: let it be that our message is the Gospel and nothing else!  Let them ridicule us for what scriptures say they should ridicule us for, “Christ and Him crucified!”  Not for presumptions of the end times that even well studied Christians don’t agree on and won’t agree on until the day He comes.

http://www.freeminds.org/psych/propfail.htm