# Lordship Salvation, dispensationalism, ministering to others and Romans 1



## jayce475 (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi,

Just having a few questions circling around my head that are really getting to me. I've read most of John MacArthur's "The Gospel According to Jesus" and sort of agreed with pretty much everything that he said. I am hence trying to grapple with the issue of the assurance of salvation. I've tried looking up various posts regarding lordship salvation and read that the whole Lordship salvation issue is due to dispensationalism. However, I share John MacArthur's pre-tribulation pre-millenial eschatological view and have also been taught how such a view is in harmony with the convenantal theology that we presbyterians subscribe to (in summary, what I have learnt from my ministers is the pre-mil covenantalism propounded by Oliver Buswell). I am confused as to how dispensationalism affects one on the issue of lordship salvation and don't know how to then fit everything back into this less commonly subscribed to pre-mil covenantalism. So how exactly is the lordship salvation position problematic?

On the more practical side, I have a whole group of friends in uni for whom I am hoping to help spiritually. According to my pastor, a born-again believer would necessarily exhibit good fruits such craving God's word, desire to do His will on a day-to-day basis, and remove themselves from unbiblical churches on the basis of biblical separation. Therefore, I am unsure about how to help my friends. Amongst them, there are those in lesbian relationships but seem otherwise steady in their walk with God, those who profess to be Christians based on intellectual assent to the doctrines of salvation (learnt from the Australian religious education classrooms) and never see a need to do anything religious, those who used to go to church but have now stopped going due to a disdain for church politics, those who seldom see the need to study God's word or pray and have moved from Presbyterian churches to charismatic churches (like the new Hillsongs church in Brisbane) as well as those who go to reformed churches and do everything Christian but claim that there are still some aspects of the gospel that they cannot possibly believe. All in all, there are 5 types of people (believers?) whom I am trying to help and I am so confused as to what to say to each of them. Going by the lordship salvation position, are all of them unsaved? Not wanting to stick a label of "saved" vs "unsaved" on each of their head, but I really need much help in understanding what I should say to them. We had a simple bible study on fundamental doctrines over the last two semesters, but people simply started falling out as they felt that they already know all the fundamentals of the faith. When it came to the session on the assurance of salvation, I found myself constantly backpedalling and somehow reassuring them of their salvation regardless of whether it was biblical. What can I do? Also, is Romans 1 really about justification or sanctification? I keep hearing that those who are truly saved would be troubled by their sins and turn back to God in repentance and stop committing those sins. But surely many young people would fall into the sin of covetousness, masturbation/p0rnography and disobedience to parents over and over again? Is that then considered habitual sin and can anyone who still appears "in bondage" to those sins be a born-again believer? 

I know my questions are a bit broad, I'm really looking forward to some answers. Thanks.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Jan 26, 2010)

If you haven't you should give Michael Horton's book a read also also along with Richard Belchers's A laymen's guide to the Lordship Controversy book.

Amazon.com: Christ the Lord: The Reformation and Lordship Salvation (Cure Book) (9780801043741): Michael Horton: Books


Amazon.com: A Layman's Guide to the Lordship Controversy (9780925703132): Richard P. Belcher: Books


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## jayce475 (Jan 27, 2010)

Yup, heard of the book. Amazon books will take a really long time to reach me and it's not economical. Been trying to search for the books online in either Singapore or Australian bookstores, but they don't sell it!


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