Reducing the Sauce: Lordship Salvation - A Catholic Response

 

    When I was speaking with and partaking in fellowship with several brothers and sisters in Christ, a point came up that no one was sure of. While there were discussions in trying to define the term, there was no clear answer. So they asked me to put in words what the essence of the term is—without commentary. Just the facts. Here is a condensed explanation, followed by a Catholic response.

Historical Background

    The controversy surrounding Lordship Salvation goes back to Arthur W. Pink’s sermon Present Day Evangelism (circa 1953). It was then picked up in the September 1959 issue of Eternity magazine, which asked: Must Christ “be Lord” in order to “be Savior,” or both?

    Later, Charles Ryrie addressed the issue in his 1969 book Balancing the Christian Life (pp. 169–181). The debate gained significant traction in the 1980s with John F. MacArthur Jr.’s The Gospel According to Jesus.

The Protestant Debate

    Lordship Salvationists argue that the Gospel proclaimed by Jesus was a call to discipleship—to follow Him in submissive obedience. It was more than a simple prayer or decision. It was twofold:

  1. To liberate people from the bondage of sin.
  2. To confront and condemn hypocrisy.

    This teaching rejects what is often called easy-believism—the idea that salvation is merely intellectual assent or saying a prayer without true repentance 1.

The Catholic Response

    From a Catholic perspective, this debate highlights a deeper truth: salvation is not reduced to a single moment of belief, nor is it earned by works alone. It is a lifelong journey of grace, faith, and obedience.

The Cost of Discipleship

    Catholic teaching affirms that following Christ involves sacrifice. The witness of the early martyrs and the ongoing suffering of Christians today remind us that discipleship is costly. Yet it is also filled with hope, for Christ promises eternal life to those who persevere 7.

In Summary

    Lordship Salvationists emphasize obedience to Christ as Lord. Catholics agree that faith without obedience is incomplete, but we place this truth within the broader framework of grace, sacraments, and the Church’s teaching authority.

    Salvation is not a mere intellectual exercise, nor is it earned by human effort. It is a gift of God’s grace, received in faith, lived out in love, and sustained by the Church Christ founded 8.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
You call us not only to believe in You but to follow You as Lord.

Strengthen our hearts with Your grace,
that our faith may be alive in works of love.

Guard us from the temptation of “easy-believism,”
and lead us into true repentance.

May we, like the martyrs and saints before us,
embrace the cost of discipleship with courage.

Through the guidance of Your Church and the power of Your sacraments,
keep us faithful until the day we see You face to face.

Amen.

Notes

  1. Matthew 7:13–23.
  2. Galatians 5:6; CCC 161, CCC 1815. See also St. Augustine, Faith and Works, ch. 21.
  3. Luke 9:23; CCC 1427–1429. Cf. St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew 7.
  4. CCC 1987–2001. St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.17.
  5. CCC 1129, CCC 1436. St. Cyprian, On the Unity of the Church.
  6. CCC 85–87. St. Augustine, On Christian Doctrine II.9.
  7. Revelation 2:10; CCC 2473. Cf. St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Romans.
  8. CCC 169, CCC 1996. St. Augustine, Confessions IX.1.
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