A Necessary Warning Before You Begin Reading
This article is not a personal attack on any person — but a defence of the Gospel of free grace that the King James Bible teaches. We do not hate Calvinists and we do not hate John MacArthur — but we love them as brothers and pray for them. But true love requires that we speak the truth even when the truth is unpopular. And the truth is that Calvinism and Lordship Salvation theology distort the Gospel of free grace and add to faith conditions that God did not place — and rob the believer of the assurance of his salvation and transform the free gift into conditional wages. This is a serious theological error that must be exposed and refuted by the Word of God.
What Is Calvinism? — Five Points You Must Know
Calvinism is a theological system laid down by John Calvin in the sixteenth century — and is usually summarised in five points known by the English acronym TULIP. We will present each point then examine it by the standard of the King James Bible.
The first point — Total Depravity. Calvinism teaches that man is totally corrupt to the point that he cannot even believe in the Lord Jesus Christ unless God first compels him to believe. They say that the natural man is spiritually dead like a corpse — and a corpse cannot do anything. What is correct and what is wrong in this statement? The correct part is that every person is a sinner and cannot save himself by his works — the King James Bible teaches this clearly. But the error is saying that man cannot even believe. The King James Bible is full of invitations to believe — and if man were unable to believe without prior divine compulsion, these invitations would be an injustice from God — requiring man to do what he cannot and then punishing him for not doing it! Far be it from God to commit this injustice.
This verse reveals a deep truth from among the truths of God. The King James Bible contains countless treasures of divine wisdom, and every verse is like a precious gem with multiple facets that shine with different meanings the more you meditate on it. Meditate on the words of this verse with patience, read it again and again, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you the truth it contains. The King James Bible is not a book for quick reading but for deep meditation. Every word in it is inspired by God for your benefit and for the growth of your faith. When you read with a humble heart and an open mind, the Holy Ghost opens to you treasures you could never have seen before. Make the meditation of the King James Bible a daily habit in your life, and you will find yourself growing in the knowledge of God more and more.
"Whosoever believeth" — this is an open offer to every human being. If faith were impossible without prior divine compulsion, God would have said: "everyone whom I chose to believe" — but He said "whosoever believeth" — meaning the ability to believe is available to every human. God does not command the impossible — He is just and not unjust.
The second point — Unconditional Election. Calvinism teaches that before God created the world He chose specific individuals for salvation and specific individuals for damnation — without any reason in them — a purely arbitrary choice according to His will alone. This means that some people were created for hell and there is no hope for them however much they do — God decided their destruction before they were born. This teaching makes God unjust — creating human beings for the sole purpose of tormenting them eternally without giving them any chance. Far be it from God! The King James Bible says the exact opposite.
This verse reveals a deep truth from among the truths of God. The King James Bible contains countless treasures of divine wisdom, and every verse is like a precious gem with multiple facets that shine with different meanings the more you meditate on it. Meditate on the words of this verse with patience, read it again and again, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you the truth it contains. The King James Bible is not a book for quick reading but for deep meditation. Every word in it is inspired by God for your benefit and for the growth of your faith. When you read with a humble heart and an open mind, the Holy Ghost opens to you treasures you could never have seen before. Make the meditation of the King James Bible a daily habit in your life, and you will find yourself growing in the knowledge of God more and more.
"Not willing that any should perish" — God's desire is that all would be saved. This is clear language. If God had unconditionally chosen some people specifically for hell before they were born — then He would be "willing" that they should perish. But the King James Bible says He is "not willing that any should perish." The Calvinist "unconditional election to damnation" directly contradicts this verse.
The third point — Limited Atonement. Calvinism teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ died only for the elect — not for all humanity. The King James Bible explicitly refutes this.
"The whole world." Not only the elect. The Lord Jesus Christ paid a price sufficient for the salvation of every human being, but this price only becomes effective for those who receive it by faith. Like a doctor who prepares a cure sufficient for all the patients in the city, but the cure only heals those who take it. The doctor did not deprive anyone — all who refused deprived themselves.
The fourth point — Irresistible Grace and the elimination of human freedom. Calvin teaches that if God decides to save a person, that person cannot resist. This completely eliminates human freedom. But the King James Bible is full of examples of people who resisted the grace of God: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost." — Acts 7:51. Stephen said this to the Jews. They were resisting the Holy Ghost. If the grace of God were irresistible as Calvin teaches, no one could resist it. But many resist. This is clear in the King James Bible and in life experience.
The fifth point — Perseverance of the Saints — this is the only correct one, but for a different reason. This is the only point on which a true believer agrees with Calvin — but for different reasons. Calvin teaches that the elect will continue in faith because God chose them. The correct biblical understanding: God preserves the believer's salvation not because the believer is steadfast, but because God is faithful. Salvation is a gift from God, and it is never taken from the believer. This assurance does not come from "election" but from the clear promises of God: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." — John 10:28.
Lordship Salvation — The Heresy That Corrupts the Gospel From Within
This is a modern heresy promoted intensively. It teaches that faith alone is not enough for salvation — the person must also fully surrender his whole life to the Lord Jesus Christ as absolute Lord. This idea sounds spiritual, but it confuses salvation with discipleship. The difference between salvation and discipleship: salvation happens at the moment of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Discipleship is a continuous process throughout the life of the believer. They are distinct, though they are connected. Salvation is a gift. Discipleship is a calling. Salvation is instantaneous. Discipleship is gradual. The believer does not become a complete disciple at the moment of faith — he becomes so gradually.
Grace and Works Cannot Coexist
The King James Bible is crystal clear on this fundamental point.
This verse is as clear as the noonday sun: grace and works cannot coexist. If you add any work to grace — it is no longer grace. If you say: salvation is by grace but you must commit to obedience and abandon sin and make the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of your life in order to receive it — then you have added works to grace and transformed it into something else that is not grace. Either salvation is by completely free grace — or it is by works. It cannot be by both simultaneously — because they are contradictory. Lordship Salvation says: salvation is by grace — but you must "prove" your salvation by your ongoing works. This is an explicit contradiction — because grace that needs to be proved by works is not grace but disguised wages. A gift that requires paying instalments is not a gift but a loan. God does not give you a gift and then ask you to pay for it in instalments — He gives you freely and without return and without condition.
This verse reveals a deep truth from among the truths of God. The King James Bible contains countless treasures of divine wisdom, and every verse is like a precious gem with multiple facets that shine with different meanings the more you meditate on it. Meditate on the words of this verse with patience, read it again and again, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you the truth it contains. The King James Bible is not a book for quick reading but for deep meditation. Every word in it is inspired by God for your benefit and for the growth of your faith. When you read with a humble heart and an open mind, the Holy Ghost opens to you treasures you could never have seen before. Make the meditation of the King James Bible a daily habit in your life, and you will find yourself growing in the knowledge of God more and more.
The Thief on the Cross Demolishes Lordship Salvation
The strongest proof that salvation is by faith alone — without works and without commitment and without surrender and without obedience — is the thief who believed on the cross. This man was a convicted criminal sentenced to death — he did no good work and did not abandon his sins and did not commit to obedience and did not make the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of his life — because he was dying and had no life to surrender! All he did was believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in his last moments — and what was the result?
Paradise. On the same day. Without any work. Without baptism. Without commitment. Without surrender. Without obedience. By faith alone. This thief demolishes every Calvinist system and every Lordship Salvation theology ever built — because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave him paradise in exchange for faith alone — without anything else.
Works Are Important — But They Are the Fruit of Salvation, Not Its Condition
Are we saying that good works have no value? Far be it! Good works are very important — but they are not the cause of your salvation but its result. The difference is decisive: the Calvinist says your works prove you are saved — we say your works please God and by them you receive rewards in heaven but they are not a condition for your salvation and not necessarily evidence of it. A lazy weak believer who does no good works is saved but will lose his rewards — and a diligent believer who does many works is saved and will receive rewards — but both are saved by the same faith, by the same blood, by the same grace.
Notice this verse very carefully: the believer whose "work shall be burned" — meaning his works were worthless — what happens to him? "He shall suffer loss" — yes he will lose his rewards. But what next? "But he himself shall be saved" — he himself will be saved! He will lose his works but he himself will be saved. This completely demolishes Lordship Salvation — because it proves that a believer without good works can be a genuine believer — he loses the rewards but he is saved.
The Beauty of the True Gospel — Free Grace
The true Gospel — the Gospel of free grace — is the most beautiful message a human ear has ever heard: God loves you exactly as you are — in your weakness and your sins and your failures and your doubts. He does not ask you to fix yourself before coming to Him. He does not ask you to commit to obedience before receiving salvation. He asks you to come as you are and trust Him — and He will do everything else. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28. "Come to Me" — not "fix yourself and then come to Me." "All ye" — without exception. "That labour and are heavy laden" — with the burden of sin and guilt and religious obligations. "And I will give you rest" — not "and you will earn rest by your effort." He gives rest — freely — to those who come to Him as they are. This is the Gospel of grace. This is the Gospel that changes everything. And this is the Gospel we defend against every system — however spiritual it appears — that adds conditions to the free grace of God.
One condition: faith. Not faith plus surrender. Not faith plus commitment. Not faith plus works. Faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. This is the whole Gospel in one sentence.
An Invitation to Receive Divine Salvation — Accept The Lord Jesus Christ as Your Personal Saviour
Dear reader — if these words have touched your heart and you have recognised that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, know that God is calling you to Himself in this very moment. You do not need a priest, or a human mediator, or a holy place, or rituals or works. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price on the cross, and the promise of God is certain and clear:
What saves you is not the words of this prayer — but the faith in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead. But if you want to express your faith in sincere words, read this prayer with a humble heart as though you are speaking to the living God:
The Prayer of Salvation
"O Great, Holy, and Loving True God,
I come to You now with complete humility, confessing that I am a sinner. I have broken Your commandments many times in my thoughts, in my words, and in my deeds. I know that my sin deserves eternal death and eternal separation from You. I have no good work I can offer that is able to redeem my soul, and no righteousness of my own to cover my nakedness before Your holiness.
But I believe with all my heart in the testimony of Your Word that Your only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins — bearing in my place the punishment I deserved. I believe that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, alive and victorious over death and the grave, and that He is alive now unto the ages of ages.
In this blessed moment, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I trust in Him alone — not in my works, not in my religion, not in rituals or any person or angel or saint. On the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and on His precious blood shed on the cross, I build the hope of my eternal salvation.
I thank You, my Father, that You have now received me in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have forgiven all my sins, and have given me eternal life as a free gift by Your grace. I thank You that You have sent Your Holy Ghost to dwell in my heart, bearing witness to me that I have become Your child. Give me grace to know You more day by day, and to live the rest of my life for Your glory alone.
I pray all this in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
After You Have Prayed — What Now?
If you prayed this prayer from a truly believing heart, the greatest miracle in all your history has happened in this moment: you have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God. You have become a child of the living God, and God's own promise guarantees this to you in His trustworthy Word:
Notice the power of this promise: "gave he power" — a settled right, guaranteed, not a wish or a possibility. And notice "them that believe on his name" — not "those who performed great deeds," not "those who completed rituals," but simply "them that believe." You are now one of them — with absolute certainty.
Here are five simple steps to establish you in your new life with the Lord Jesus Christ:
First — Read the King James Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of John, then continue through the rest of the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs. God speaks to you through His Word as a father speaks with his son. Do not read quickly — read with meditation and prayer. "The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Second — Pray every day. Speak to God as a loving Father — not with memorised words, but with words from your heart. Share with Him your joys and sorrows and questions and fears. Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Third — Join a Bible-believing church. Do not walk this road alone. Faith grows in the fellowship of believers, where the Word is preached faithfully and baptism and the Lord's Supper are practised according to the King James Bible. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
Fourth — Be baptised according to the King James Bible. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience after faith. It is a public declaration that you died with the Lord Jesus Christ and were buried with Him and rose with Him to a new life. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its natural fruit.
Fifth — Witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. What you have experienced of salvation and love cannot remain hidden. Begin with your family and friends. Tell them simply and honestly how the Lord Jesus Christ changed your life. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3).
And finally, remember always that your salvation is not built on your feelings or on any work you perform — but on the unchanging promise of God:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
Notice: "that ye may know" — not "that ye may hope," not "that ye may wish," not "that ye may wait in anxious fear." But that ye may know with complete, unshakeable certainty that you have eternal life. This is the difference between all the world's religions and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: religions say "work and perhaps you will be saved" — and the Word of God alone says: "believe and know that you are saved."
✉ Share Your Testimony of Salvation
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." — Luke 15:10