Keys to understanding grace and proper Lordship

Over the years I have grown quite fond of the ministry of Ray Comfort.  He stands for soul winning evangelism and heartfelt piety.

 

I early on approved of Ray comforts method of confronting the lost with the 10 commandments in order to show them their need for Jesus Christ.

  Although such a method could be used to give someone a legalistic presentation warping the gospel.  I didn't get this impression from his early works.  I felt that it was quite orthodox that the law was simply being used to show our need for grace.
 
  After watching the latest Movie "audacity",  I was happy with a lot of the handling of this issue of homosexuality in this post modern culture.  But on the issue of lordship salvation statements were made which honestly undermine evangelicalism and the heart of the reformation.  While Comfort may still hold to the doctrines of justification,  I don't see how an unchurched viewer of this video could obtain that information.
  So I saw this as an opportunity to explain why repentance from sin, though necessary for the New testament religion, is not necessary for Salvation.

In the Bible the word repent means to have a change of mind and heart. More often than not we see the word used about repenting of sin, so you change your heart and stop sinning. But if the word is used without mentioning sin, it might not be talking about sin. for instance look at this verse. Genesis 6:6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." God repents here. But God does not sin! God is Holy. God's Heart was changed on the issue of keeping mankind alive the way they were. So He decided instead to destroy the Earth in the great worldwide flood.(Noah and the ark). The word repent is used for change your heart to believing as well. Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

  A lot of people are confused when reading the New Testament because it is written to Jewish people. What we believe now as Christians is after we have received all the New Testament. But at the time of Christ a lot of what we know has not been shown. The Jews had to learn many big lessons before they could realize the truths that we preach today. for instance look at this story where Paul meets disciples of John the Baptist. Acts 19:19 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

There are 2 ideas that a lot of people get confused about "salvation" and "religion". The Jews knew about religion. The word religion means discipline. James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." but the jews did did not understand much about salvation. It was a mystery to them. Christ saved our souls but it was not until later that he revealed this mystery to the apostle Paul. Ephesians 3:3 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

  So when the bible talks about repentance of sins. it is a call to religious conversion. Which is good! We need to turn form our sins and follow God! But instead of following God to get saved we should follow God because we are saved.

 Lets look at acts chapter 2. The whole church was Jewish and peter tells them they they need to repent of their sins. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." and later acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." What was the subject? This was only a couple months after Christ was crucified. The Jews were guilty of murder of their own messiah. Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." SO now that the jews had been shown they were in sin, what was there reaction? Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" So the Jews were convicted about their sins and so they wanted to know the way to repent from theirs sins. So Peter gives acts 2:38 as advice for how to repent of sins and follow Christ. Later in the book of acts we see a story that is about salvation.  


acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" In this story we see a desperate situation. The prison guard knows that he would be tortured to death for letting the prisoners escape and is considering suicide. Paul reaches out to him. In his need for life he asked the proper question. "What must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."   




But why Does the Bible save by faith alone? First we must understand that faith is believing the gospel.  It is not a virtue or other type of work. 
Romans 3:²² Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The gospel is a set of propositions to be believed.

1 Corinthians 15: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
 So if the gospel is a message then it is not a law commandment. You can believe something,  but that is not doing something.  If you go to work at McDonald's you can confess your faith in McDonald's all day long, yet if you do not work they will fire you.  Because faith is different from works and faith accesses grace.
Romans 11:  ⁶ And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

While works can be good our heart is not good and our works are not truly good before God.
Matthew 15:  ¹⁷ Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
 Philippians 3:⁸ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,"
 Until man is regenerated he is spiritually dead and can not be righteous.

Ephesians 2: 1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
 So the only way to please God is faith alone.
Hebrews 11: ⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Man is regenerated after He believes.
Ephesians 1:
¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"

So after we have believed and been saved, then we are to start our religion and repent of our sins.



So I just wanted to clear up this issue because sometimes people get confused and I want to make sure we understand the gospel and not just become religious instead. We are saved by believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not by our works. But obviously when we love God we should follow Him. romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.