William, I have to agree that there will always be some verses that make us nervous. I have been thinking about this lately and I do not know if there is a single, unified, human system of “theology” that aligns with everything in the Bible. It would actually kinda-sorta make sense if there isn’t, because our ways and thoughts are not God’s.
I know that when I was a Calvinist, I had to bend some verses so that ALL meant the elect, the WORLD meant the elect…basically everything meant the elect. And voila, like magic the entire Bible fit perfectly into my system! But only because I twisted it to fit.
Now as a free gracer, there are still some verses I don’t understand. All I know is, the position of faith alone is what God has put in my heart now, and the thought of adding my own works to what Jesus did on the cross is devastating to me. I simply cannot go along with anything lordship salvation-related. I don’t have everything figured out in the Bible, and that’s ok. Possibly even a good thing, because it forces me to come back to it again and again, and always be dependent on God for wisdom and guidance. We can do nothing apart from the one true Vine!
—Nick
Grace, Insight, and Art 
Yes, Nick,
I think that is true of many doctrines. Dr. Mark Hitchcock is my favorite prophecy teacher. He is premillennialism. He admits that premillennialism does not fit “every” eschatology verse in the Bible. But, it fits the best “model” to support the rapture and the tribulation, and fits practically all verses on the subject of the end times.
Grace + Nothing fits hundreds of verses in the Bible for salvation. Although we can be wrong on other doctrines, we cannot be wrong on salvation. That is scary.
For myself. I have to accept Grace +Nothing. If salvation is anything else, I am already condemned, because I cannot live it. Jesus has to save me and keep me. Unlike LS, I cannot keep myself.
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Grace believers like Curtis are called “easy-believism” by LS folks. There are several books out there that have labeled “easy-believism” as the great end times apostasy in the Bible. Some LS have labeled easy-believism as the great deception that will condemn all those who listen and believe.
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Jesus, Paul, and John all advocated salvation by faith.
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I think Lordship Salvation False Gospel is the great deception. If you have a situation where people think they are saved but they are not, what could be more terrible?
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Thanks Nick and William for both your comments.
I love the idea of not needing to know everything—because we really do need to continue revisiting the Word and relying on God’s wisdom, and not our own nor anybody else’s.
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I totally agree, Eric. Thank you from this great comment.
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Yes,
Paul was a reputable scholar of his time, and I am reminded that Paul says in Acts that he studied at the feet of Gamaliel. In the Talmud, Gamaliel was praised for his great teachings. He was a senior leader of the Sanhedrin, and the Pharisees.
In the Mishnah, he was considered the greatest Hebrew teacher of all history of Judaism. In rabbinic literature, Gamaliel, a doctor of law, was summoned by kings and queens for advice. He was not only the greatest theologian of his time, but of all time.
Yet, both Paul and Gamaliel missed the first coming of Christ (only on the road to Damascus did Paul realize the truth). The pharisees, scribes, sadducees, the most studied and learned men of their time, missed it. Who would have believed it?
The Jews had been looking forward to the Messiah for centuries, since the time of Moses, studied the scriptures diligently, watch for his return, only to misunderstand scriptural truth. They were wrong, misinterpreted the greatest event of Jewish history.
Shouldn’t we expect the same confusion from modern theologians when Christ comes the second time?
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Yeah, but they ain’t gonna be able miss the End Times Events.
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