By Mike Lii¹

V. Fundamental Theological Differences as a Consequence of the Two Essential Differences (Eternal Life and Assurance)

A. THE NATURE OF THE FAITH THAT SAVES

Many Flexible Free Gracers view assurance of eternal life as optional for saving faith because they understand faith as including something more than the Focused Free Grace definition: a persuasion or conviction that some proposition is true. These Flexible Free Gracers define faith as an act of the will or a deliberate decision (e.g., “make a decision for Christ” or “decide for Jesus”). When faith includes an act of the will or a decision, there is the possibility of saving faith without assurance of eternal life. You can ask Jesus to save you and/or you can make a decision for Jesus without being persuaded of the truth of His promise of everlasting life to all who believe in Him.

If faith includes a decision or an act of the will, then Jesus’ saving message to Martha in John 11:25-26 may be misunderstood as follows:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in decides for Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in decides for Me shall never die. Do you believe want to decide for this?” (original text struck through and added text in bold)

B. FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES REGARDING REPENTANCE: MUST WE DESIRE MORAL REFORM TO BE SAVED?

Regardless of their various definitions of repentance, Focused Free Gracers are unified in rejecting the notion that a desire for moral reform is a condition of salvation. Focused Free Grace sees even a desire for moral reform as a work; therefore, faith in Jesus does not include a desire for moral reform. Some Flexible Free Gracers inadvertently present works salvation messages by including works in their definition of repentance, then making repentance a requirement for salvation.

For some Flexible Free Gracers, the repentance required for salvation includes a moral change or a change of moral direction. A willingness to change one’s moral direction or make a moral change is a work. Changing one’s sinful attitude to a proper attitude and direction is a work. There are no essential differences between the Flexible Free Grace and Lordship Salvation views of repentance. Both view repentance as a requirement for salvation and both see repentance as including a willingness for moral change or a change in moral direction. The saving message in John 6:47 might thus be misunderstood as follows:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me and repents by being willing to make moral change has everlasting life.” (added text in bold)

VI. Other Theological Differences as a Consequence of the Two Essential Differences (Eternal Life and Assurance)

A. MEANING OF SAVIOR

Focused Free Grace understands the term Savior to refer to Jesus as the One who provides, for everyone who believes in Him, an unconditional, guaranteed, forever salvation from hell and the lake of fire. One is not believing in Jesus as Savior if one believes he must work in order to be saved, to prove that he is saved, or to stay saved.

Many Flexible Free Gracers typically summarize their gospel message as believing in Jesus as God and Savior. But one should ask, “What do they mean by Savior?”

In Flexible Free Grace, one is believing in Jesus as Savior if one believes in a Savior who provides a salvation conditioned upon works or perseverance, or a salvation that may be lost. Although they may use the term, there is also no need in Flexible Free Grace to believe that Jesus is “my” Savior. If I am unsure of my salvation, then how can I call Jesus “my” Savior? In order to get eternal life according to Flexible Free Grace, one need only believe that Jesus is the Savior of those for whom He died, which does not have to include oneself.

B. ARE THERE MULTIPLE SAVING MESSAGES?

Focused Free Grace has a single saving message: “Believe in the Jesus of the New Testament for everlasting life.” However, is the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus the only saving message presented by Flexible Free Gracers? No.

For some Flexible Free Gracers, multiple saving messages are possible. According to some Flexible Free Gracers, one can, without actually believing in Jesus for eternal life, unknowingly receive eternal life as a result of believing any of the following messages or performing any of the following actions:

» Jesus is God, died on the cross and rose again.
» Jesus has been sent by God.
» Jesus is coming again.
» Fear God, give glory to Him and worship Him.
» Ask God for mercy as a sinner.

C. FLEXIBLE FREE GRACE: CHURCH HISTORY PROVES THAT WORKS SALVATION MESSAGES ARE SAVING MESSAGES

One cannot believe both in Jesus for everlasting life and in the need to work for one’s salvation. For this reason, Focused Free Grace considers both overt works salvation messages and Lordship Salvation messages to be non-saving messages.

If one does not believe in eternal security, then one is not believing in Jesus for eternal life. When you speak with individuals who reject or doubt eternal security, it is apparent that they consider works a condition for receiving eternal life. In their minds, works are necessary to either become saved, prove their salvation, or stay saved. However, if eternal security is an unnecessary addition to the gospel, as Flexible Free Grace teaches, then works salvation messages become acceptable saving messages.

Because Roman Catholics, Calvinists, Arminians, and other Protestants who believe that works are required for salvation also believe that Jesus is God and Savior (in the Flexible Free Grace sense), some Flexible Free Gracers see these groups as believing the gospel. However, these groups do not teach believing in Jesus specifically for assured everlasting life. It is impossible to believe in Jesus for everlasting life while simultaneously believing that one needs to work in order to gain, prove, or maintain one’s salvation.

D. ROLE OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN IN EVANGELISM

Since the Gospel of John very clearly teaches that one needs to believe in Jesus for the gift of eternal life, Flexible Free Grace downplays the role of the Gospel of John in evangelism. Some Flexible Free Gracers question whether other books of the Bible might also have been written for evangelism or whether the entire Book of John is for the purpose of evangelism. However, these views directly contradict John’s clearly stated purpose in 20:30-31:

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (emphasis added).

Notice that the Apostle John has chosen the signs written in his book—not just portions of his book, but the entire book, even the events recorded in 13-17—to lead people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Based on John 11:25-27 to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” is to believe that Jesus guarantees eternal life to all who believe in Him for that life.

No other book in the Bible has a stated purpose of evangelism. It is shocking that those who profess to believe in Free Grace would seek to downplay the Gospel of John’s role in evangelism. John’s Gospel is simply our best tool for making the saving message clear to unbelievers, because that is the purpose for which God intended it.

VII. Conclusion

There are two essentially different views of Free Grace. For Focused Free Grace: (1) Believing in Jesus for everlasting life is an essential component of the saving message, and (2) one who believes in Jesus for everlasting life knows for sure they have it (in other words, assurance is of the essence of saving faith). These are the two pillars, the foundational elements, of Focused Free Grace theology. These are what divide Focused Free Grace theology from any other theological system that claims to be Free Grace. Without both (1) belief in Jesus for everlasting life and (2) the assurance of everlasting life as the essence of saving faith, you no longer have Focused Free Grace theology.

In contrast, in Flexible Free Grace Theology: (1) Believing in Jesus specifically for everlasting life is an unnecessary addition to the saving message, and (2) a person can believe in Jesus without knowing for sure that they have everlasting life (in other words, assurance is optional for saving faith).

Caution: Though eternal life as both content and assurance are optional for Flexible Free Gracers, this does not mean they will never present eternal life or include assurance when evangelizing. Flexible Free Gracers sometimes sound just like Focused Free Gracers in their teaching. Flexible Free Gracers may include eternal life when the audience is receptive but leave out eternal life and assurance if they might be stumbling blocks either to one’s believing in Jesus’ deity, death, and resurrection or to pressing for an act of the will or a decision for Jesus.

From these essential differences regarding (1) the content of the saving message and (2) assurance, we have two very different systems of Free Grace Theology, summarized in this chart:

The resulting differences between Focused Free Grace and Flexible Free Grace are great. Furthermore, Scripture includes a warning about denying Jesus’ saving message (His guarantee of everlasting life to all who believe in Him). In 1 John 2:22, the Apostle John writes:

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

Recall that, based on John 11:25-27, to believe “that Jesus is the Christ” is to believe that Jesus guarantees everlasting life to every believer in Him. The Apostle John identifies as liars and antichrists those who deny the saving message that Jesus is the Christ, making a departure from this message serious and grave.

There have been increased calls for unity within the Free Grace movement despite theological differences regarding Jesus’ saving message. Those who call for unity typically dismiss the doctrinal differences discussed in this article as being minor, inconsequential details. However, given these differences, are Flexible Free Grace and a Focused Free Grace ministry like GES compatible for the purpose of joint ministry?

To answer that, please consider the message of Amos 3:3.² Although the context involves the Lord and the Nation of Israel, this author believes it is applicable to the deep theological differences between Focused and Flexible Free Gracers:

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

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Mike Lii is a finance attorney. He and his wife, Letitia, a member of the GES board, and their son, Payton, live in Dallas and serve at several Free Grace churches. Mike and Letitia also run the Zane Hodges Library online (zanehodges.org).

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¹ This is an abridged version of an article that is available in The Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society,
² This author wishes to credit Bob Bryant for the application of this verse in the context of joint ministry.