Sections 7-12 --Salvation by Grace

We believe that salvation is a free gift apart from the works of the law.

(Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:28; 4:4-5; 11:6, Galatians 5:1-4).

Section 7 -- Basic Salvation by Works  We reject as heresy any teaching that holds that any work of man is necessary for obtaining eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, including, but not limited to, public confession of Christ, baptism by water, prayer, or faithful attendance in church.

Section 8 -- Lordship Salvation  "Lordship Salvation" or "Bilateral Contract Salvation" refers to a false doctrine whereby God offers a lost sinner the promise of eternal life in exchange for a lost sinner's promise of future works.  It is thereby an exchange of promises, or a bilateral contract.  Accordingly, we reject all forms of "Lordship Salvation or Bilateral Contract Salvation as heresy.  We believe that there is no theological distinction between corrupt systems of theology that require works, such as water baptism, to be performed prior to gaining salvation, and corrupt theological systems that require the promise of future works in exchange for salvation.  Accordingly, we condemn as heresy any gospel presentation that makes, as a requirement for gaining eternal salvation, repentance from one's sins, committing one's life to Christ, making Christ the "Lord" (master) of one's life, becoming a disciple of Christ, and other equivalent statements that require a promise of future behavior (Romans 5:8; Titus 3:5).

a)                  Lord          We believe that, in the time of Christ, the term Kurios (Lord) could variously mean "God," "master," or "Sir" depending on the context of usage. We believe that any verse in Scripture using the term "Lord" in conjunction with the salvation of an individual refers to Jesus' divinity, not a lost sinner's concession to Jesus' mastery over their life.  We believe this hermeneutic is consistent with other verses making Jesus' divinity an element of saving faith.

b)                  Repentance  We believe that extant Greek literature demonstrates that the Greek verb "metanoeo" and the noun "metanoia" are simply a change of mind.  We believe that this change of mind can take virtually any object, as evidenced both by Scripture, and by extant Greek literature.  Accordingly, we acknowledge that sin can be the object of repentance, but we categorically deny that there is any basis in the Greek language for understanding "sin" to be the necessary or intrinsic object of repentance.  Moreover, we believe that in no passage of Scripture directed to eternal salvation is sin ever the stated or implied object of repentance.

We believe that, in passages dealing with eternal life, repentance is used in a sense that is equivalent to believing on Christ alone, which, within the witness of the New Testament, has the reasonable scope of:

i)       rejecting other gods (Acts 17:22-30), thereby affirming our Triune God as the only true God;

ii)             rejecting as the means for salvation all other vehicles, such as religion (Matthew 3:5-9), sacraments, animal sacrifice or religious ritual al or sacerdotal functions good works, animal sacrifice, religion, or religious rituals (Hebrews 6:1 [c.f. Hebrews 9:9-14]), or salvation by obedience to the ten commandments (Luke 13:1-5), thereby affirming Jesus as the only means by which men must be saved; and

iii)           evaluating the person and work of Christ and turning to Him in faith (Luke 24:47, Acts 26:20).

Accordingly, we deny that saving repentance is ever directed to sin, either by way of sorrow for one's sins, or the resolution or promise to "turn" from them.

We affirm that the demand for obedience to the Lordship of Christ should properly be set before the believer, but wholly reject that this demand is ever placed before a lost soul as a requirement for obtaining for eternal life.

 9            Eternal Security  We believe that a Christian, having believed in Jesus Christ as Savior, is, from that moment in time, forever secure in his eternal relationship with God, in spite of human frailty or subsequent failure.  The security of the believer is attested to in Scripture on multiple independent grounds, any of which would, by itself, be sufficient to establish the doctrine of security.  Those independent grounds include, at least,

(a)        That salvation is granted apart from the works of the law (Romans 3:28; 11:6-7), making it impossible that a believer should lose his salvation through disobedience and sin.

(b)        That the sin debt was paid in full by Jesus at Calvary (John 19:30), and that one accepts that total payment for sin, including their future sins, the moment one believes in Christ alone as their Savior (Hebrews 10:10-12, & 10:14), making it impossible for one who has accepted Jesus Christ to somehow commit a sin that was not paid for at Calvary.

(c)                That a believer is given a regenerate nature which is not capable of sin (1^st John 3:9), and therefore, not subject to the punishment for sin.

(d)               That the believer is not even subject to the laws of Moses, but only to the law of Christ, and is therefore, jurisdictionally insulated from the penalties associated with the law of Moses such as the Ten Commandments  (Galatians 3:10; 3:24-25; 4:21; Hebrews 5:5-6; 7:12; 7:18; 8:7-13; 10:1; 10:9).

(e)        That the eternal life formed during regeneration is infused with divine life from the very "sperma" of God, thereby divinely imparting unto a lost man, a regenerate nature, having the same eternal nature as the life that God himself possesses, which is not even subject to death (John 3:3, 16; 1^st John 3:9; 1^st Peter 1:23).  We therefore believe that, if it were possible for man to lose the eternal life implanted in him by God, it would necessarily mean that the life of God Himself is not eternal or incorruptible, but subject to death.

(f)        That God has sealed believers of this age with the Spirit as an "earnest," that is, a non-refundable down payment; who is given as a guarantee of our eternal life (2^nd Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30)  The plain meaning of this specific guarantee being, that if God were to break His word and condemn one of His own to eternal hell, that He would have to send His Spirit likewise to hell for eternity.  We believe that the horrifying absurdity of this prospect was the deliberate intent of Scripture, highlighting in the most vivid language possible, the offense given to God to suggest that a believer can lose his salvation.

(g)        That justification of the believer by God, ("dikiao," "dikiasune) is a forensic (legal) process by which God declares a lost sinner to be "not guilty" in the supreme tribunal, imputing to the believer the spotless righteousness of His Son in spite of the reality of sin in the life of the believer, and that any doctrine that impugns the absolute righteous standing of the believer before God necessarily impugns the righteousness of his Son that has been imputed to those who are saved.

(h)        That faith alone is stated over one hundred sixty times in scripture to be the sole requirement to be justified through the blood of Christ and to receive the give of eternal life.

(i)         That God has made explicit promises to the believer, and God cannot break His word (John 10:27-30; 17:12; 18:9; Numbers 23:19; 1^st Peter 1:3-5).

(j)         That Scripture attests to believers falling into terrible sins, including incest (1^st Corinthians 5:1-5); murder (1^st Samuel 11:14-16), ritual infant sacrifice (1^st Kings 11:7), and even falling away from the faith or denying Christ (1^st Timothy 1:19-20; 2:Timothy 2:17-19), each of whom, though outside the realm of fellowship with God and subject to divine chastisement, remained in an eternal relationship with God.

(k)       That those who fall away from true faith and embrace false Gods or false gospels remain saved, and that God is able to distinguish those who were truly His (2^nd Timothy 2:19).

For at least these reasons, we believe that the doctrine of eternal security is indissolubly bound to the very core of virtually every aspect of the doctrine of salvation and the gospel message.  Accordingly, we believe that any professing Christian who denies the security of the believer is not simply in minor error, but fails to demonstrate even the most rudimentary grasp of any aspect of salvation whatsoever, that such a grievous error is a strong indication that the smallest vestige of the gospel has never been comprehended, and that a true saving faith in the work of the Savior is not evident in a profession of faith that is tainted by the denial of Eternal Security of the believer.

We deny that the doctrine of eternal security is an invitation for sinful or licentious living, nor do we believe that the doctrine of eternal security cultivates such a life style when taught in a biblical context that includes a clear understanding of the judgment seat of Christ.  Rather, we believe that Scripture plainly teaches that the doctrine of eternal security is both a basis, and a primary motivation for godly living (Luke 7:40-43, John 10:27-30; 14:21; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1^st John 4:19).

We affirm, however, that God does discipline an erring son as a beloved child when necessary (Hebrews 12:8).

Section 10 -- Assurance  We believe it is the privilege, not only of some, but of all who are begotten again by the Spirit through faith in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, to be assured of their salvation from the very day they take Him to be their Savior, and that this assurance is not founded upon any fancied discovery of their own worthiness or fitness, nor hopeful self-reflection that they are "persevering" in faith, godliness or good works sufficient to "confirm" their salvation.  Rather, assurance is wholly based upon the testimony of God in His written Word to whosoever believes (Luke 10:20; John 5:24; 6:47; 1^st John 5:9-13; 2^nd Timothy 1:12; Heb. 10:22).  Accordingly, we deny that lack of commitment, lack of appreciation or other emotions, or lack of "fruit" constitutes proof that someone was "never really saved."

We believe that the numerous admonitions in Scripture for Christians to live a holy and godly lifestyle would be pointless if such changes were, within this lifetime, the automatic consequences of saving faith.  We affirm that a life marked by holiness, godliness and good works can, and should follow regeneration, though not necessary to a firm assurance of eternal life (Luke 22:31-32; Ephesians 2:10; Titus 3:8).  The ungrateful lepers remained cleansed in spite of their ungratefulness (Luke 17:11-19).

(a)        Assurance and the Perseverance of the Saints  Perseverance of the saints is defined herein as a doctrine taught within the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas, Part 1 of the Second Part, Treatise on Grace, Questions 109-114; Early American Puritanism, and other sects, particularly within modern Reformed Theology.  The false doctrine of perseverance holds, as its fundamental axioms:

1.   That genuine believers will, in this lifetime, irresistibly and without exception, experience a visible and enduring fruit of faith and good works.

2.  Therefore, serious or habitual sin would constitute proof that true conversion was never experienced - that the person was "never really saved."

3.   Since at any moment anyone may backslide into serious or habitual sin, thereby "proving" that he was "never really saved", no one can be absolutely sure that they are saved.

4.      Assurance of one's salvation therefore is not derived from one's certainty of his faith in Christ, but circumstantially from evidence of one's changed life.  Assurance can never be absolute.

In view of the foregoing statements related to assurance, we believe that the doctrine of the "perseverance of the saints" is fundamentally incompatible with the doctrine of assurance, and therefore constitutes a denial of the doctrine of assurance.

We believe that sincere attempts to reconcile carnality with perseverance, by statements like, "the believer may fall away for a time, but the true believer will always return," imply that the carnal Christian is impervious to death when engaging in sin, the very opposite thing as taught in Scripture.  As such, we believe the logical conclusion of the doctrine of "perseverance" is an invitation to carnality.

We believe that, when taken to its logical conclusion, perseverance of the saints is a form of justification by works, offering a forensic declaration that someone is truly saved only after a life of good works has preceded that declaration.  We believe that this errant view of sanctification and assurance is often predicated on an errant view of the meaning and operation of "grace."

(b)              Assurance and the False Profession of Faith  We affirm that there is such a thing as a false profession of faith.

i)       The Doctrinally Aberrant  We believe that men are unsaved who make a sincere, but misguided profession of faith.  We believe that salvation is not bestowed simply on those who invoke the name of "Jesus" without a rudimentary understanding of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2^nd Corinthians 11:3-4).  A man must "know" -- John 4:10, "grasp" -- 1^st Corinthians 15:2 or otherwise understand the person and work of Christ before they can believe on Him.

ii)            The Almost Persuaded  We believe that men are unsaved who evaluate and understand the gospel, but remain un-persuaded, refusing to receive it unto themselves as the basis of their eternal hope (Acts 26:27-28).

iii)          Reprobation and Deception.  We believe that there exists a class of persons known by various names including "reprobate," "sociopath," "the wicked," "narcissists," and "character disordered," who, in varying degrees of reprobation, regard truth as a mercurial commodity for advancing their selfish pursuits, personal gain, self aggrandizement, or appetites.  We cite, for example, Herod, who professed interest in the worship of the Christ for the purpose of slaughtering the innocents (Matthew 2:8)  We believe that such a profession is so transparently worthless as to not merit refutation.

iv)          Reprobation, Self Deception, and Self Examination  We believe that when someone lives a life of lies, wherein truth is not weighted on the intrinsic merit of a proposition, but only as a mercurial commodity for advancing one's self interests, that such a person become progressively hardened to the truth, and increasingly susceptible to self deception.  We acknowledge however that every fallen descendent of Adam has some capacity for self deception and denial (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 1:18; 1^st John 1:6-8; James 1:22-25; 2^nd Thessalonians 2:10-12; 2^nd Peter 3:5-6).  Accordingly, we believe that Scripture admonishes professing Christians to examine themselves to evaluate whether their profession of faith is genuine, or whether they are a self deceived reprobate (2^nd Corinthians 13:5).  We believe that some professions of faith, though initially motivated by deception or self deception for personal gain, such as prison parole, social approbation, employment, familial harmony, or romantic interests, may eventually grow into valid saving faith in spite of the insincere origin of the initial profession.

1.                  We deny that Paul's admonition for self examination (2^nd Corinthians 13:5) is ground for denial of assurance.  We believe that a deceiver, as well as one who is self-deceived, has, by the very nature of deception, never been truly concerned about their own personal salvation through Christ.  One cannot lack assurance of their salvation in Christ when they have never actually been concerned about their salvation in Christ.

2.                  We believe that those of genuine faith and delicate conscience, who are inclined to compulsively question the genuineness of their own faith, demonstrate an inner dialogue that is simply not present in reprobates or sociopaths.  Because assurance is a birthright of every Christian, we believe it is the duty of a pastor to know the condition of his flock, to identify brethren of sensitive conscience, and, having confirmed their true testimony of faith in Christ, to affirm and validate them, and to build within them a firm and solid assurance of their salvation.

3.                  We believe that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).  Accordingly, we believe that the most effective way for a pastor to address concerns about false professions within his flock is to proclaim the gospel message clearly and often.  The regular celebration of the Lord's Supper is an excellent opportunity for this.  Hymns that actually talk about the blood of the lamb, rather than some personal experience or emotion of the congregant, are also excellent opportunities for cultivating, imparting, or reinforcing genuine faith.