While going through my bookshelves, I ran across a 1999 booklet by Jimmy Swaggart titled “What Must I Do to Be Saved?”
I expected to find a typical Lordship Salvation message: Turn from your sins, commit your life to Christ, and follow Him for the rest of your life. Instead, I found a soft Lordship Salvation message.
Swaggart starts by quoting Acts 16:30 and Paul’s answer in verse 31. He only talks about believing in the Lord Jesus Christ in the opening section (p. 7).
After a section titled, “All Are Sinners,” he cites John 3:16 and asks, “What does that mean?” (p. 8). His answer is to quote Rev 22:17: “Whosoever will, may come and take the water of life freely.”
Wow! Up to this point, I was surprised. Jimmy Swaggart sounds like Zane Hodges.
But then Swaggart asks, “What does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?” (p. 8). Here is where confusion enters. He says believing in Jesus “is more than just giving mental assent that He is the Son of God.” He says it means “to accept Him, and Him Alone as your Savior, resolving to make Him the Lord of your life, and to follow Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength as long as you live” (p. 8).
That is a Lordship Salvation message. However, notice that he does not say anything about turning from one’s sins. I was surprised. In fact, nowhere in the booklet does he use the terms repent, repentance, or turning from sins.
In the booklet’s evangelistic appeal, titled “It Is Time Now!,” Swaggart says “If you have not already given your heart and life to Jesus Christ, it is time that you do so…” (p. 11). He then offers a sinner’s prayer that does not mention making Him Lord of your life or promising to follow Him for as long as you live. He does bring in confessing with one’s mouth the Lord Jesus and calling upon Him. But there is no mention of repentance, surrender, commitment, or following.
After that, the booklet goes over discipleship and a charismatic view of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking “with other Tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance” (p. 17).
While this booklet is not clear on what one must do to be saved, it is far from being one of the worst booklets or tracts I’ve read. On a scale of 1 to 100, where 1 is a terrible works salvation message, 50 is an unclear, but very soft Lordship Salvation message, and 100 is crystal clear faith-alone-in-Christ-alone, I’d rate this 40. I would not recommend giving it to anyone. But it is far less confusing and misleading than at least half the tracts out there.
Keep grace in focus, and you will remain able to accurately tell people what they need to do to be saved.
