Comments on Timothy Ministry: The Trouble with "Lordship Salvation"

Hi Eli, I saw your post on sermon index and found...

2011-12-28T00:47:39.934-04:00

Hi Eli,

I saw your post on sermon index and found it interesting as I have been thinking about Lordship salvation lately. I liked how you emphasised the fact that the gospel is about God serving us. It's a humbling truth, and one that seems to be neglected more and more in much of today's Christianity, and especially in evangelistic preaching. It really is THE important

Andrew Wommack on simply receiving God's grace...

2011-12-16T20:53:33.310-04:00

Andrew Wommack on simply receiving God's grace: "You will find yourself obeying more by accident than you ever did on purpose." :)

Hello Nate and Eli! I appreciate reading your com...

2011-12-13T04:32:18.503-04:00

Hello Nate and Eli! I appreciate reading your comments!

Nate, you wrote that "It's not that we believe that our efforts will bring salvation, but we focus on the effort because we desire to obey the commandments of God, and be true to the commitment we made to Him. And if we don't make the effort, then we will drift from God, and forget Him, and are in danger of losing

Hello Nate, I wanted Clarification on your statem...

2011-12-13T03:55:31.306-04:00

Hello Nate,

I wanted Clarification on your statement statement:

"First we must graft ourselves into the vine, and then our righteousness comes from the life flowing into us from the vine, rather than from ourselves, which is sin."

Are you referring to the verses from the Gospel of John 15:1-8?

Olivia

Many people try to escape the intensity of the Pau...

2011-12-06T14:41:17.232-04:00

Many people try to escape the intensity of the Pauline/Protestant gospel of grace by claiming that Paul's issue with the Judaizers, and his preaching that men do not need to obey the law, had merely to do with the ceremonial law (rituals, sacrifices, circumcision, etc). But to think so is to seriously misunderstand Paul and the whole Bible. I have found that people who claim that it is merely

I have more to write, but time doesn't allow i...

2011-12-05T21:16:41.677-04:00

I have more to write, but time doesn't allow it! Will write again shortly.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul lays out his gospel...

2011-12-05T21:14:51.152-04:00

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul lays out his gospel message in a simple manner. He received his gospel from those before him. He preached no more than that "Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures". All the rest is unpackaging that. The Old Testament itself bears witness to the message of grace that Paul preached (Acts 28:23, Rom. 1:1, 3:21, 16:26).

Hi Nate, thanks again for your comments. I did pla...

2011-12-05T21:14:20.797-04:00

Hi Nate, thanks again for your comments. I did plan on writing more, to address your points.

I am not saying there isn't effort. It is perfectly clear from the Scriptures that there is. What I am saying is that there is a new motivation to work besides fear of punishment and the desire for reward, and that motivation is love for God inspired by the love of God, which love is only

Hi Eli, thanks for responding so thoroughly. The ...

2011-12-05T19:22:24.022-04:00

Hi Eli, thanks for responding so thoroughly. The examples you gave were very clear and convincing. First we must graft ourselves into the vine, and then our righteousness comes from the life flowing into us from the vine, rather than from ourselves, which is sin.

However, as beautiful and true as this paradigm of grace is, I do think it is important to understand that this

This is how it is with God. It is not that works a...

2011-12-05T14:05:45.505-04:00

This is how it is with God. It is not that works are bad. Doing someone's yard work is not sinful. Going to church, giving money to the poor, praying, loving your neighbor... these things are not wrong, but good. Yet however good they may be, such works do not please God when one is trying to earn that which God wants to give for free. When are we going to realize that it's not

Hi Nate, thanks so much for your comment. You said...

2011-12-05T13:56:51.807-04:00

Hi Nate, thanks so much for your comment. You said a lot, so please bear with me as I touch upon some of your points.

You wrote that "Paul contends strongly for grace above works." This, actually, is not true. Paul contended strongly for grace without works (Romans 3:28, 4:4-6, 11:6, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). Now I am not saying that works are not important to

You speak eloquently of the power of grace, and I ...

2011-12-05T00:27:55.707-04:00

You speak eloquently of the power of grace, and I love your phrase "This grace is righteous, and is expressed at the cross where both God's wrath against us and His amazing love for us come to a head."

However, I think you stumble a bit in your over-anxiety to advocate for grace. Consider the circumstances of Paul's grace-based doctrine: Paul contends strongly for