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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

All right, take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 5 Matthew and chapter 5 I want to talk to you on lordship salvation part 2 we covered the other night about the subject of lordship salvation and How that the teaching of making Christ the Lord and the master of your life in order to be saved is a wicked teaching and that it comes from keeping the law. As it says in the book of Mark in chapter 12, when described as Jesus, what is the first commandment?

And he says that, “‘You shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul.” And he also says, the second is likened to it, and that is to love your neighbor as yourself. And that was the commandment. The Lordship Salvation teaches that you are to make Christ the Lord and the Master of all of your life and if He’s not Lord of all, He’s not Lord at all. And so therefore you have the teaching of the law, putting people under the law that they must live a certain way in order to be saved.

Now we often say there’s only two kinds of people in this world know the saints and the aunts, the believers and the unbelievers, the saved and the lost. But there’s only two kinds of people. And there’s another one that’s given to us in Matthew chapter 5. And I want you to look there in verse 45. Matthew 5 and verse 45, where it says that ye may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven, for he makeeth his son to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Rain on the just and the unjust. That’s two classes of people. There are those that are just and there’s those that are unjust. So that’s another one that’s beside the saints and the the saints, the sade and the lost, the believers and the unbelievers, there’s the just and there’s the unjust. Well, what’s the difference between them? That’s an interesting one. So, turning your Bible to the book of Acts in chapter 24, the book of Acts and chapter 24, Acts chapter 24, and look there in verse 15.

In verse 15 says, and have hoped toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. So the resurrection of the dead, the just and the unjust. Now, what will help you is studying the next one that I want you to see, and so take your Bible and look there in 1 Peter 3, 1 Peter and chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3 and look there in verse 18.

1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 says, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just which would refer to Christ. For the unjust. That would refer to the lost. So it rained upon the just and the unjust. It rained upon those who have been justified and those that are not justified. So there’s only two kinds of people. So as we said here this morning, you’re either justified or unjustified. So what would it mean to be justified? It’s a terminology that’s used in a court of law.

You have been found guilty. but the court decision comes down as you’re cleared, as though you’re innocent as though you have been declared righteous. But not because of what you have done, but because somebody paid your penalty. What you owed to the court, someone paid and you’re justified just as if you had paid it yourself. you’re clear to go free. No double in jeopardy, you are free to go. And those charges can never be brought up against you ever again.

So when you make this statement here in verse 18, for Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just who is Christ, for the unjust, that is us, that he might bring us to God, been put to death and to flesh but quickened by the Spirit. Now turning your Bible to the book of Galatians, the book of Galatians and chapter 2. This is important because if you once see that you have been justified, then you do not seek to be justified.

And if I am justified, then I do not need to make Christ the Lord and Master of my life in order to be justified because I already am justified. You don’t need to seek what you already have. Since I have eternal life I’m not trying to get eternal life. Since I have been declared justified, righteous, I don’t have to seek it. I already have it. I don’t have to seek to be saved? Why? Because I already am saved. I already have eternal life.

So in verse 16 of the book of Galatians in chapter 2, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, there is a contrast there. One is true and one is false. You are not justified by the works of the law. So that means that lordship salvation cannot be true. But you’re justified by faith and faith only. So therefore if I’m justified by faith alone, then I can’t be justified in the future by any other means.

Because I’ve already been declared justified. It’s a done deal. The only way I could in the future be justified by any other way, I’d have to become unjustified. But I can’t become unjustified. I like that. So he says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners. In the words, if you’re still a sinner, then evidently Christ did not justify you. If you’re still a sinner, then Christ evidently hasn’t saved you. You’re still a lost man. So why would you seek something that’s been done? It’s like saying Christ did not do his job. And that’s why in verse 21 he says, I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law, Christ died in vain.

If you and I could be justified any other way, then Christ did not have to die. But he died because there was no other way. So you see there in verse 17, but if while we seek to be justified? What you’re saying is that you’re not yet justified if you’re still seeking to be justified. And that’s why he says in verse 18, for if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. So if you’re trying to…

Put yourself back under the law, still seeking to be saved by the things that you do, what you’re declaring is, I am not now saved. I am not now justified. I am not now righteous. I’m still seeking something. But I’m not seeking anything and I haven’t for 52 years because I have been justified by faith. You see the book of Romans in chapter 3 says, justified freely by His grace. So it’s a done deal. It’s already done. Now take your notes and look there.

I want you to see this. In the little box and it’s so important to keep these things straight in your mind. This is very, very important. You’re going to deal with people who are messed up on this issue of grace versus works. In the little box, when you trust Him to take you to heaven, talking about Christ, it becomes your Savior, this is salvation. When you allow Him to control your life, He becomes your Lord. This is service. One is salvation, one is service.

Always keep them separate. There’s many things you’re supposed to keep separate in the Bible. Grace and words have to be kept separate. The two natures, you’ve got two natures. You’ve got to keep those things separate. Salvation is the gift rewards are earned and therefore they’re separate two different things. One, being born into God’s family is the gift of God. You didn’t earn it, you didn’t work for it, you didn’t buy it. But once you trust Christ as Savior, there’s many things God tells us in His Word about how we’re supposed to talk and how we’re supposed to walk.

Why? Because now you’re child of God, and God expects us, desires for us, to walk into talk like his child. Therefore, that takes some training, being raised, taught, just like a little child being born into the world. Nothing’s automatic. But look at this. In the next statement, you must keep the two separate that salvation and service. Scripture separates the two so much Jew. One is salvation the other is service. Service involves work and work cannot save you. Service is not a part of salvation.

It is an entirely separate issue to be dealt with only after a person has trusted Christ as Savior. It is only after a person is saved that the Holy Spirit will give Him the power to control His old nature and live a life pleasing to the Lord. And then he may and then he may not. But God says that he does not want us to live in this old wicked sinful world like the world. But he says you’re to be lights in the world according to Philippians 2 and 13 down to verse 15, 16.

Look at the next statement. The false doctrine that you must accept Christ as your Savior and make Him master or Lord of your life at the same time to be saved, mixes salvation with service. This doctrine is called Lordship Salvation. In a multitude of texts this, and though they may not use the words Lordship Salvation, they simply tell you that you must commit your life to Christ to be saved, that you must make Him Lord and Master of all in your life in order to be saved.

But see, when you boil it all down, it’s still teaching works for salvation. And the majority of independent and Southern Baptist churches teach this doctrine. You may not see it, it may not know it, but it is there. I know I’ve had to deal with it. I’ve been in a lot of churches. I’ve listened to a lot of preachers. I’ve gone to a lot of seminars and all those things, and you’d be surprised how well-meaning individuals contaminate the truth of the gospel.

Therefore, it makes it difficult for a person like me to have individuals like that to come and speak in the church. Now if I have somebody come like for a college situation and they’re not really right on the money. The students don’t have to worry about it because there’s somebody else that will talk to them. But in a college situation, sometimes you want the kids to be able to see the difference so that you can explain to them the difference.

See what I told you? I remember down at Florida Baba College, Dr. Stanford would have some guys come in there. And all of us kids were set there and just burning and wiggle because we knew that he right, that he right, that he right. And soon as he gets through, Dr. Stanh comes up and it says, thank you so much. Now you kids know that we are teaching a little bit different than what you’ve heard this morning. We do not teach that you have to ask Jesus to come into your heart if the guy said that.

Or if he taught and said anything about repentance, we teach that repentance means a change of mind. It does not mean to turn from your sins and Ray He’ll do it. He did it. I don’t know if you ever did why you was this go, but buddy. I saw it and He would always deal with it. There was always a wonderful lesson to watch because Ray was like a Lone Ranger. He really didn’t care everybody loved him or not He was so soul and so in love with the truth of the gospel that he would just give the gospel and letter it But so many people could see the difference.

They saw, it was like when you really understand the clarity of the God, it’s like light that helps you to see and understand the rest of scripture. The clearness of the gospel is the lens by which we discern God’s Word. And if that’s fuzzy, man, everything else gets fuzzy. But when it’s crystal clear, whether you can rightly divide, so much easier. The other thing I want you to see because this is so important They’re in the bold Adding works to the gospel takes away the power of the gospel for then it becomes a false message that cannot save When it says that I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone that what?

Believe it add works to it. There’s no power to it So if you want power in your life, I’ve hit for me people say I just want to have the power of God in my life Well, didn’t preach a clear gospel. And you’ll see a lot more results. I remember that I used to have people and even preachers would wonder sometimes, they’d say, well, I don’t see how come you have so many people trust the Lord compared to what I do.

I says, it might be that you’re not making the gospel clear. And they just can’t believe it. That would do it. But it is the clearness of the gospel that helps people to see and to trust the Lord. Look at the next statement. The truth of the matter is that salvation is not a give proposition at all. It is a take. And whereas you don’t give Christ your life, you don’t give Him your heart, your liver, your lungs, or your toe, or anything else.

Salvation is not you giving Him something. It is you receiving from Him something. It’s a take proposition. He offers to you the gift of eternal life. All you have to do is accept it. So always remember that. There are people who try to get individuals to do something. You don’t have to do anything because it’s done. It’s already done. We don’t give our hard lives, I even put that in your life. Or anything else to God in order to get Him to save us.

This would be a form of bribery, a way of meriting or deserving to be saved. But God says salvation not of our selves. And especially it is not offering anything to God. Look at the next statement. Salvation is receiving. We simply receive Him. John chapter 1 verse 12 says, but as many as given their heart know, receive Him to them gave He power, the right, the authority to become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on His name.

God does the giving and we do the receiving. And once you understand the principle of it, you can listen to a preacher and you can discern whether or not is he clear or unclear. Because see, here’s a problem that you’ll find. You can go to a church that’s not as clear, but it’s okay because see you’re clear and you know the difference and so it’s not going to mess you up. But if you go to a church that’s not clear, You’re also using your money and your power of influence to get others into the same thing, and they may not understand, and they will adapt to that message that you were so glad you were delivered from.

And so because of, well, it doesn’t matter. I mean, he’s not as clear, but and then you butt it all over the place. Remember, our fellowship with the Lord and our fellowship with each other is supposed to be because of the fellowship of the gospel. Do we believe the same thing? Not to believe the same thing, I can’t have good fellowship with those that don’t believe like I do. Therefore, I have to limit my… I guess you could say a…

power of influence because there’s not an awful lot of them that think exactly like I do. Just me and my brother and that’s it, you know. And then I’m not sure about him, no. But look at this statement. Because it’s so important. Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 is often used in an attempt to support the idea of Lordship Salvation. And here’s why. Because it states this, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

When studying this verse, there are a few things you have to keep in mind. And what they say, you must confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life. Well, it doesn’t say that. It just says, acknowledging that Jesus is the Lord, that He is deity, He is God. I want you to take your Bible and just look with me me over to the book of Matthew, the book of Matthew in chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10, and you’ll notice this same phrase is used, but here it’s used in regard to service.

And I want you to see the difference because it’s so important. Here in Matthew in chapter 10, he has called his disciples together and he gave them power over certain things and told them to go within boundaries, to go to various cities throughout Israel. And he told them some of the things that were going to happen to them. And he says that you need to be like your master. And so he says there in verse 25, it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his Lord.

If they have called the master of the house, Beelzebub, Christ was called Beelzebub, how much more shall they call on them of his household? So if they did that to Christ and he’s the master, what do you think is going to do to his followers? So these are those that were following Christ and he’s called the master. So they are serving. So in verse 26 it says, fear them not, therefore, because of what they call you. And then in verse 28, fear them not, because of what they can do to you, like take your life, something simple.

Verse 31, fear them not, therefore ye are of more value than many sparrows. And he knows the numbers of hairs on your head and the sparrow that falls to the ground. So he says, you are of more value. Therefore he makes this statement in verse 32, Whosoever, therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me, before men, Him, while I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven.

So therefore you know you have got to confess Christ before men in order to go to heaven. You’ve got to make them the Lord and the Master of your life and you’ve got to serve them. Now see I just added a whole bunch of things in there that they didn’t say. But this is where they get some of their teaching from. But you need to know what it says. You cannot be afraid of scripture that somebody can take it and twists in such a way that you can’t handle yourself.

This is why you have to know how to defend your faith. It’s good when you know what they believe and the scriptures they use so that you know how to answer the question. Answer every man that asks if you are a reason of the hope that lies within you that make me challenge you. Can you defend your faith? Well we propose to be able to. But in verse 32 when he says, you must confess me before men. And will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven.

Whosoever shall deny me before men. So he’s talking about confessing. And somebody’s going to recognize me, or he’s going to confess me before the Father. And if I deny him, he’s going to deny me. Always remember. Now, are we talking about salvation? How to get to heaven? Are we talking about service? And as you go down through here, you’d be surprised how that the Scripture just might be able to tell us if it’s talking about how to go to heaven or is he talking about service.

But look what he says here in verse 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He’s talking about who you love the most. And he that love of son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. You’re not worthy. Who do you love the most? Well, see, this isn’t talking about how to get to heaven. In other words, you’d have to love God more than mom and dad and brother and sister and anybody else in order to go to heaven.

You see, loving that much is law. The first law with commandment, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, with all thy strength. That’s the law. And no man has ever kept the law in order to be saved. But now notice what else he says. He says, talking about something being worthy. And he says in verse 38, and he that takeeth not his cross, followeth after me is not worthy of me.

But see, following Christ, being worthy, loving Him more, all those are the things that deals with service that has nothing to do with salvation. Because see, you come to Christ for salvation and you follow after Christ for service. A guy by the name of Richard Dehan made that very simple and very clear in the old personal of an colonialism handbook, it’s in there. But now notice what he says here. In verse 39, he that findeth his life shall lose it.

He that loses his life, for my sake shall find it. So he’s talking about how you live your life and who you’re living it for. If you live it for you, you lose your life. If you live it for him, you saved your life. So let’s talk about how you live. What are we talking about salvation? Or are we talking about service? If we’re talking about salvation, that’s free. If you’re talking about service, then you’ll have to earn it.

But if you earn it, you get a reward. All right, look what he says in verse 40. He that received if you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that send me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s, uh-oh, what’s that word? reward says, he that received the righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. Look what he said in verse 42, Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water.

See, when you’re talking about salvation, you’re not talking about giving, you’re talking about taking. When he talks about giving a cup of cold water, He’s talking about giving, talking about service. If you keep those two things separate, it will help you to divide the scriptures, and he says here, a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple. Burly I send you, he shall in no wise lose his salvation.

Is that what he said? She’ll know why he’s losing his reward. You see, in the gospel of John in chapter 6, he says, oh, they come in me, shall no wise cast out. Here’s to my no wise loses reward. You cannot lose rewards once they’re earned. You only lose what you could have earned and didn’t earn. That’s why he says lay up treasure in heaven where thieves can’t get it. Nothing can break through and get it. You can’t lose it.

It doesn’t rust. But you see, you can lose rewards that you could have had. And that’s why God says, I want you to receive a full reward. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.