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How would LOT, SAMSON, and SOLOMON fare under the Unfinished Gospel?
LOT
How would Lot fare under MacArthur's UNFINISHED GOSPEL? Below are the major events of Lot's life according to notes taken directly from John MacArthur's Study Bible.
The PROOF OF SALVATION STANDARD35 (according to the MacArthur Unfinished Lordship-Gospel)
"Faith obeys. Unbelief rebels. The fruit of one's life reveals whether that person is a believer or an unbeliever. There is no middle ground."
John MacArthur, as quoted in J.B. Hixson, Getting The Gospel Wrong, rev. ed., 2013, Grace Gospel Press, Deluth, MN, p.230.
Would not Lot have failed miserably both The PROOF OF SALVATION STANDARD above as well as the 7-Point UNFINISHED Lordship-Gospel? Remember, "The fruit of one's life reveals whether that person is a believer or an unbeliever. There is no middle ground." according to the MacArthur Proof Of Salvation Standard.
In the chart above, MacArthur's own Bible-notes on Lot's life show Lot could not be saved by the UNFINISHED GOSPEL. Yet the Bible says Lot was saved. Either MacArthur's Bible-notes or MacArthur's Lordship-Gospel is wrong!
In his 2 Peter 2:7-8 Bible note MacArthur admits what he cannot deny — the Bible says Lot was saved. Yet if MacArthur's Gospel is right, then his Bible-notes about Lot's life show that Lot did not DO HIS PART to be saved according to the expectations of MacArthur's UNFINISHED Lordship-Gospel.
But it is MacArthur's Bible-notes on Lot that are right, including the note that Lot was saved. Therefore, his Lordship-Gospel cannot be right. Lot's life proves the UNFINISHED LORDSHIP-GOSPEL is wrong!
SAMSON
As with Lot, how would Samson fare under the Unfinished Lordship-Gospel? Below are the major events of Samson's life as recorded in notes taken directly from John MacArthur's Study Bible.
In his Judges 16:29-30 Bible note, MacArthur agrees that the Bible says Samson was saved. But The MacArthur Study Bible notes on Samson’s life, when compared to MacArthur's Proof Of Salvation Standard, condemn Samson as an unbeliever. Therefore, the Unfinished Lordship-Gospel, with its mixture of faith and works, is proven wrong again.
SOLOMON
Would King Solomon have been saved by MacArthur's Unfinished Lordship-Gospel? Below are the major events of Solomon's life. The notes are taken directly from John MacArthur's Study Bible.
Remember again what the Proof Of Salvation Standard says,
"Faith obeys. Unbelief rebels. The fruit of one's life reveals whether that person is a believer or an unbeliever. There is no middle ground."
John MacArthur, as quoted in J.B. Hixson, Getting The Gospel Wrong, rev. ed., 2013, Grace Gospel Press, Deluth, MN, p.230.
MacArthur's own Bible-notes on Solomon's life show Solomon could not be saved under MacArthur's Lordship-Gospel PROOF OF SALVATION STANDARD. And the 7-Point UNFINISHED GOSPEL? Solomon failed.
But in his Introduction to Ecclesiastes, MacArthur says the Biblical evidence shows that Solomon was saved.
Since Solomon was saved, and since he could not be saved under the Lordship-Gospel, then MacArthur's Unfinished Lordship-Gospel is wrong!
The Bible says that Lot, Samson and Solomon were saved. But why couldn’t they have been saved by the Lordship-Gospel? Many verses—but in this case, Genesis 15:6—gives us the conclusive answer.
“Abraham believed God, and committed to...
1. unconditional surrender
2. complete resignation of self
3. absolute submission
4. willing to forsake everything
5. leave sin
6. follow Jesus Christ at all cost
7. willing[ness] to come on those terms
...and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
ONLY the bold words above is the Gospel gifted to Abraham as expressed in Genesis 15:6. When you add the additional 7-Point requirements of the Lordship-Gospel, then you have Genesis 15:6 PLUS Abraham's Part. True, Abraham was a pillar of faith and faithful works. He would have rated much better than Lot, Samson or Solomon under the 7-Points above. But the Bible says at least 9 times that Abraham was saved by only the part in bold. Even Abraham could not be saved under the Unfinished Lordship-Gospel. But praise God for the part in bold above
Lot, Samson and Solomon fail miserably the UNFINISHED GOSPEL. By adding THEIR PART, it doesn't help them. It condemns them. But they weren't condemned. They were saved.36 So how could these three woefully sinful men have been saved? (see NOTES #36)