Excerpt Quotations by Miles J. Stanford
on the subject of
"LORDSHIP"
SALVATION
Most eradicationists follow the Covenant line of
Lordship--both for justification, and for sanctification. Christ's Lordship
is primarily found in the Synoptics. It is the stage where believers try
to do for the Lord; to one degree or another it results in the Romans Seven
struggle.
One might refer to the Lordship
motivation as the adolescent stage of the Christian life. That is as far
as the Lordship advocates see, and they tragically think that is the way
the Christian life should be. Anything short of Lordship they
consider to be an unsaved condition; anything beyond, antinomian.
Centering upon Lordship deters the believer from coming to know Christ as
his Life. Being under His Lordship constitutes law--doing.
Knowing Him as Life constitutes grace--being.
quotes from MJS review of WINNING THE WAR WITHIN,
Dr. Charles Stanley
In his [Dr. John MacArthur]
later, and equally anti-dispensational book titled Faith Works--The Gospel
According to the Apostles, the author favorably quotes no less than 22
Covenant writers, in support of his Lordship Salvation thesis. In
both of these books he is highly critical of dispensational writers such as
Darby, Scofield, Chafer, Larkin, and Ryrie.
In this book (p. 231) Dr.
MacArthur accuses me [Miles Stanford] of teaching two ways of salvation. In all of
my writings I have stated carefully and clearly that there is but one way of
salvation, i.e., [by grace through faith] based upon the Cross of Christ, but
two kinds of salvation: 1) the out-of-Christ, earthly/heavenly kingdom
salvation for the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations; 2) the heavenly
in-Christ salvation, exclusively for the Church, the heavenly Body of Christ.
It must be said that Dr.
MacArthur's Lordship Salvation is a child of Covenant theology; it is an
interpolation. It is not the childlike faith in the grace of John 3:16.
It rightly insists upon repentance, but wrongly interjects a change of behavior--one
must bring forth fruits (works) for repentance (Lu. 3:8) in order to be saved.
No one questions that there must
be a sincere change of mind, a turning from one's self to the Saviour, but Lordship
advocates attempt to make behavior and fruit essential ingredients of,
rather than evidence of, saving faith. Scripture teaches that the
Savior saves "the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6) in their sin, and
believers from their sin (Gal. 5:16).
quotes from
MacARTHUR ABERRATIONS:
An
Open Letter to the Independent Fundamental Churches of America (IFCA)
Dr. John MacArthur, along Covenant
lines, seeks to solve the problem by making conversion more demanding, thinking
that a Lordship beginning will provide a successful continuation--with
the "help" and control of the law.
quote from
Dispensational Disintegration (Part 1)
There is a good deal of Lordship
teaching in [Plymouth] Brethren ministry, much of which may well have been
derived from the [William] MacDonald book. The answer to this harmful error is to
get back to Pauline Life-ship: "For to me to live is Christ"
(Phil. 1:21).
quote from
An Open Letter to Open Brethren
I was recreated in Christ Jesus on
the 19th of September, 1940. This occurred by faith alone, apart from
works of any kind. I knew absolutely nothing of Lordship, nothing
of the law--I didn't even know John 3:16. I made no promises,
knowing of nothing that had to be promised.
quote from
Wrongly Dividing The Word Of Truth: A Critique of Dr. John H.
Gerstner
LORDSHIP
SALVATION -- To add to the legal confusion, the Calvinist insists that
the sinner must submit to His Lordship in order to accept the Saviour.
Law to begin with, law to continue with.
quote from
Covenant Calvinism -- Moses-Centered
First, the law-blindness concerning grace. The legalist,
especially the Covenantist, makes a great show of grace for justification.
But by that he does not mean pure grace--grace alone. His law-blindness
causes him to be in terror of pure grace--actually having a hatred of it.
To him, sheer grace is antinomianism (lawlessness), and "easy-believism."
His Lordship Salvation adds "dos" and "conditions" to
justification--hence it is no more of grace.
quote from
DR. JAMES I. PACKER -- Rediscovering Holiness
I am afraid that I [Miles
Stanford] lost out
completely on the Lordship issue. When I was saved (September 19, 1940,
4:30 p.m.) I simply received the Lord Jesus as my Savior, via the sheer
grace of God. I knew nothing of Lordship. Later, I learned via the
Word that He is sovereign God the Son, hence Lord of all. But I have
never considered Him to be Lord over my life, because I came to know Him as my
very Christian life. I am not a servant, but a son (Gal.
4:7).
I think that those who look
upon Him as their Lord, whether at conversion or afterward, rarely progress
beyond that stage--a servant in subjection (sometimes) to Him as their Lord.
One might refer to that
motivation and subjection as the adolescent stage of the Christian life.
The Lordship principle is found primarily in the law realm of the
Synoptics [first three Gospels]. It is the stage where believers try to do for the Lord--it
results in the Romans Seven struggle and defeat.
That is as much as they
understand, and they tragically think that that is the way the Christian life
should be. To them, anything short of that is considered an unsaved
condition; anything beyond that is antinomianism. Paul would soon
disabuse [to free from error, fallacy, or misconception] them of all that.
quotes from
REFORMATION
& REVIVAL -- An Open Letter to
Dr. John H. Armstrong
Also see,
"HISTORY-ONICS" (Adobe PDF format)
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