In 2023, Brad Doskocil wrote an article for Grace in Focus titled, “H. A. Ironside Was Not Consistently Free Grace.” The article explored several quotes by Ironside and demonstrated his inconsistencies regarding the Free Grace message. I highly recommend the article—you can read it here.
Doskocil’s article highlights a common concern among Free Grace proponents: Many well-known commentators, while helpful in certain areas (such as dispensationalism or general evangelical teaching), lack clarity when it comes to soteriology. Ironside is one such author. Though dispensational and a faithful Bible student, he was not consistently Free Grace. While some label him as “Free Grace friendly,” his gospel was muddied with certain requirements.
Another author who is considered Free Grace is widely respected for his work on Israel and dispensational theology. His insights into the distinct roles of Israel and the Church are invaluable. However, like Ironside, his soteriology raises significant concerns.
In the introduction to the commentary on Isaiah, the tenth section is labeled “Soteriology: The Doctrine of Salvation.” He states:
A third facet of spiritual salvation is the concept of conversion. Man must cooperate in conversion. This is brought out in Isa 55:7: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”i
The author introduces a troubling phrase: “man must cooperate.” This inserts human effort into salvation. Rather than faith alone in Christ, he describes salvation as requiring repentance in the form of forsaking sin and returning to God. In this view, salvation is a gift and a transaction—an exchange that depends on the sinner taking steps toward reform before God extends grace. This contradicts the clear Free Grace teaching that eternal life is received by simple faith in Jesus, not by personal reform or spiritual cooperation.
In the previous quote, the commentator cites Isa 55:7. It is his view that this verse deals with eternal salvation. Later, in his commentary regarding this passage, he writes:
The wicked and unrighteous must forsake their ways and thoughts. If they do so and turn to God, YHWH will have the same kind of sure mercy on them that He had on David. He will abundantly pardon their wickedness and all the unrighteousness that preceded the moment of repentance.ii
This makes salvation conditional upon turning from sins. But salvation cannot be earned or unlocked by moral improvement. Properly interpreted, Isa 55:7 does not refer to the condition for an individual to receive eternal life, but to God’s readiness to forgive Israel nationally and temporally. The author’s interpretation is at odds with the faith-alone message.
In Isa 53:9a, the prophet speaks of the burial of Christ, saying:
And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death.
Commenting on this verse, the author writes:
This verse is the content of the second thing that one has to believe in order to be saved. As 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 shows, this second point is that the Messiah was buried, which was the real evidence of His death.iii
He appeals to 1 Cor 15:1-4 and concludes that in order to be saved, one must not only believe in Jesus, but also in the specific facts of His burial. But that contradicts the testimony of Scripture. The woman at the well (John 4), the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43), the disciples, and many others believed in Jesus without knowing these doctrines—yet they were saved.
While the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord are the basis of salvation, the object of saving faith is always Jesus Himself, not a doctrinal checklist. Free Grace holds that the moment someone believes in Jesus for eternal life, they receive it (John 6:47). Understanding the burial may lead to faith or enrich faith later, but it is not a requirement for receiving eternal life.
This widely respected scholar on Israel and the church is a gifted teacher, especially regarding Israel and prophecy. But these quotes reveal a soteriology that at times is inconsistent with Free Grace. By introducing human cooperation, salvation conditioned on moral reform, and doctrinal checklists into the saving message, he compromises the clarity of the saving message. Readers of his work should be aware of his inconsistency and proceed with caution.
i. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, pp. 15-16)
ii. Ibid., p. 594.
iii. Ibid., p. 576.
