By Bob Wilkin

I. J. asks an important question:

Hi. I appreciate reading many of your articles online, and I am trying to study the Lordship Salvation debate for myself. I know that John 3:16 is used to support the idea that only belief is necessary for salvation. From what I understand, how is it possible to use John 3:16 when those words are stated before Jesus died on the cross, still not the age of grace? Before Jesus took our punishment on the cross, the Jews had to do many things to be saved, the main one being sacrifices and such. That would imply that since John 3:16 was before Jesus’ death and resurrection, belief actually means performing the actions that the Jews had previously done in order to be saved.

First, the Apostle John was writing to people during the church age to tell unbelievers what they must do to have everlasting life (John 20:31). Hence, John 3:16 is still valid today. That promise is not out of warranty.

When you buy a new car, it has a warranty that is good for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. After a time, the promise about the dealer fixing the major components of the car for free no longer applies. But that is not true with the promise of life in John 3:16. That warranty is eternal.

Second, the message that Jesus preached during the Law of Moses was the same saving message that Abraham believed before the Law of Moses (Gen 15:6; John 8:58; Rom 4:1-5). The saving message never changed. Old Testament people were not saved by works. No one on either side of the cross can be.

Third, the shed blood of Christ on the cross applied to people before the cross (Rom 3:25-26). If it did not, then no one could have been saved before Calvary. No one could have eternal salvation unless Jesus had removed the sin barrier (John 1:29).

In one sense, it does not matter what we believe regarding how people were saved in the OT. After all, we don’t live then. But in another sense, it matters greatly. Here’s why. If you think OT people were saved by faith plus works, then you logically think that NT people are saved by faith plus works. That is the way many Lordship Salvation people think. They think that the works required are different. And they think that the works of the post-cross person are works that God does through us, not works we do apart from God. (Of course, they could think the same about the works of pre-cross people as well.) But the bottom line is that a person who has a faulty view of pre-cross salvation often has a faulty view of post-cross salvation.

I. J., I’m not sure from your question whether you believe that everlasting life is received by faith alone, apart from works. I hope you do. As you study Lordship Salvation, keep in mind that the message of John 3:16 is also the message of Gen 3:15; 15:6; Acts 16:31; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16; Jas 1:18; 1 John 5:9-13; and Rev 22:17. Eternal salvation has always been by grace through faith and apart from works.

____________________

Bob Wilkin is Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society. He lives in Highland Village, TX, with his wife of 46 years, Sharon. He is an avid race walker and marathon walker.