In May of 2023, Grace Evangelical Society held its annual national conference. The title of the event was, “Vital Free Grace Issues.” This theme was chosen because of certain theological divisions within the broader Free Grace movement. Each speaker addressed a specific area of doctrinal difference among those who call themselves proponents of Free Grace. These differences revolve around the gospel of eternal life. The New Testament uses the word gospel in different ways, but at this conference we emphasized the message that saves the unbeliever from the lake of fire: What must the unbeliever believe?
Sessions at the conference also attempted to address the call for inclusivity among those in the Free Grace community. Many who call themselves Free Grace say we should overlook our differences, even concerning the gospel. They maintain that there are different ways to present the gospel, that the unbeliever can be saved from the lake of fire by believing in various messages. All the speakers at the conference rejected this view, holding that there is only one message that saves: The unbeliever must believe in Jesus for eternal life.
The articles in this journal are the written presentations of six conference speakers. We encourage our readers to watch the oral presentations online at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY9IcmV 16LTTs31iiOrR_7vT5cSPDRRc2.
At this link, the reader will also find other presentations, as well as break-out sessions that did not deal with the main theme.
In his article in this journal, Robert Wilkin argues that we should not reject the gospel of eternal life by faith in Christ alone simply in order to make our preaching more inclusive. A big tent philosophy of ministry is not Biblical. Mike Lii explains the difference between two major divisions within Free Grace circles, labeling them as “flexible” and “focused.” Bob Bryant provides some historical context to the debate, going back to the 2006 GES conference to show when some in the movement rejected the idea that eternal security is a necessary part of the gospel presentation. Ken Yates maintains that the offer of forgiveness of sins, which is often used as a gospel presentation, is not the same thing as the message of eternal life by faith alone.
David Janssen also discusses eternal security, highlighting that faith is completely separate from works. Faith without works is faith. The unbeliever needs to believe in Jesus for eternal life, which means he or she is convinced that what the Lord promises is true. When speaking to unbelievers, that is what faith means. John Claeys addresses an issue that has come to light in recent times in certain Free Grace discussions. He concludes that unbelievers who die will not receive eternal life after death.
Many think such discussions are divisive, unloving, and ungracious. The speakers, however, try to show the importance of these issues. If only one gospel brings eternal salvation, it is unloving and ungracious not to proclaim it.
