I have gone through Brother Martuneac’s revised edition of In Defense of the Gospel. He has done Christians a great favor in his expose of Lordship Salvation. He also added helpful comments in the main text as well as two appendix entries to briefly discuss and identify the Calvinistic roots from which Lordship’s theology flows. Thank you Brother Martuneac for your arduous work in authoring this book.
Dr. Ron Comfort
President, Ambassador Baptist College
The first edition of IDOTG (pictured left) was published in Spring 2006. In the new revised and expanded edition you will find several new sections. One of the additions is a brief discussion of the Grace Evangelical Society’s (GES) *Crossless Gospel. This teaching, originated by the late Zane Hodges, is the most extreme reductionist assault on the Gospel of grace ever introduced to the New Testament church by one of its own. On GES repentance, for example, I noted,
“The teaching of these men entirely eliminates repentance toward God as a condition of salvation. Furthermore, Hodges and Wilkin reject the almost universally held ‘change of mind’ definition of repentance.”I added new sections on GES to help all readers, especially Lordship advocates, understand that the Hodges, Bob Wilkin Crossless gospel is **NOT representative of any believer’s position on the nature of saving faith outside the GES or its friends.
There are revisions to several original chapters with the chapter on repentance being the most heavily revised and especially expanded. In it I add a number of citations from Lordship advocates allowing them define their interpretation of repentance for salvation in their own words.
IMO, the most significant addition to this chapter is taking a passage of Scripture, a favorite of Lordship advocates, and demonstrate from the text that it cannot possibly be interpreted to bolster Lordship’s repentance. From the Inspired text I demonstrate how Lordship advocates extract an interpretation that is not found in and cannot be supported from the passage, but nevertheless attempt to force it into conformity with Lordship’s repentance.
The Lordship Salvation controversy must be kept in the forefront of Christian discussion because so much is at stake theologically and practically. Lou Martuneac has written and now revised a valuable resource that will help Christians understand and evaluate the Lordship position. I encourage every believer to read this helpful book for a greater grasp of this crucial issue.
Dr. Charlie Bing
GraceLife Ministries
For additional endorsements and excerpts see the following links:
Very Soon Now, Dr. Robert Lightner
Very Soon Now: What to Expect, 2, Evangelist John R. Van Gelderen
*Is the “Crossless” Label the Right Label?
Available for ordering now from Amazon.
**For additional reading see- The Free Grace Fracture: What Every Advocate of Lordship Salvation Should Know and Is “RE-DEFINED Free Grace Theology- Free Grace Theology?”
Greetings Bro. Martuneac,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Daniel and am a strong opponent of Lordship Salvation. Throughout my search and studies, you are one of the best known defenders of the gospel I have read from. I don't have a copy of your book, but from the articles I have read, I am amazed at the work you've done.
I am eighteen years old and believe that God has called me to be a writer, evangelist, and maybe a pastor even. I became aware of Lordship Salvation just due to the fact of being around it all the time and being surrounded by the dangers of it. I had been saved at the age of 17 and it was through the Word of God I came to realize that salvation is not of my good works. I thank you and commend you for your work.
Daniel:
ReplyDeleteThanks for those kind remarks. I would also recommend So Great Salvation by Dr. Charles Ryrie and LS: A Biblical Evaluation and Response by Dr. Charlie Bing.
LM
Great recommendations Lou.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, may God's Grace abide richly in your life and ministry.
Kev