So Great Salvation: What It Means to Believe in Jesus Christ

Ryrie has written an important response to the so-called `Lordship Salvation' stance of John MacArthur and those who hold to similar views. These bouts are nothing new; they have been commonplace throughout church history, normally dubbed `antinomian controversies' by those who disagree with Ryrie and Hodges. These disputes have had a significant impact on church history, though you might have to search a little to find clear expressions of what exactly took place from good historical surveys of Christian theology. An example of one of the more famous controversies was that of the `Marrow Men' on the British Isles a few centuries ago. I find these types of disputes healthy for the church because there are indeed tensions in the scriptures on these points, and disagreements about them can only strengthen our expression and faithfulness to the Lord and His written revelation. I think a handful of reviewers have been fair in their assessment of Ryrie's book, though others have unfortunately stooped to ad hominem attacks. Reactionary responses have always been a way for some people to side-step the more important issues the writer intends to express. I think someone well-versed in these disputes can handle each position's major differences on salvation without falling into the un-Christian trap of polemics and ad hominem attacks. Thankfully, many have avoided these errors. Essentially, the book is very good. I think Ryrie always writes in a way that is clear on his views and looks to the scripture for answers. I think he is also justified in his representation of Lordship Salvation. His chapter on `Christian Carnality' is excellent because, though he states all Christians will have works, we are not the `fruit-pickers'. We need to leave that work to the Spirit of God while the Father is the only righteous Judge of the heart, for He alone knows it. Though some have said this allows a false sense of security, I would disagree. If one reads Ryrie carefully and in context of the whole work, one would never come away with this view. This type of response misrepresents him, just read his views on James 2; Ryrie disagrees with the majority of FG people on James 2. The position on works he essentially disagrees with is a `growth in consistent and evident works' as set forth by a true expression of the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. He essentially disagrees with this teaching, not works in the life. Thus, a `false assurance' is not taught by Ryrie at all. I do believe the FG people have, overall, made weak contributions to how sanctification must relate to justification and this is highly problematic. However, it does not mean they are essentially wrong. What it means is that they need to stop reacting to excesses and start being seriously proactive about expressing a stronger relationship between justification and sanctification. To divide the two into such `stages' as they have practically divides the work of the Trinitarian God. This has b

This book has literally saved my life. The freedom which Christ preached has been perverted for centuries by men who self righteously portray themselves as judges of mens souls instead of their actions alone. Certainly I can judge a mans deeds- but his soul is not my domain. Where he or she came from and the fruit they display in their lives is not mine to make SOUL judgements of- I may doubt their salvation- but to know is to truly play God. Lordship advocates talk of playing God by "easy believism and cheap grace" yet in reality their's is true playing of God. Churches where the hurt and empty can come and the "Easy (there's that word again) yoke" of Jesus can be taken have turned into looking good Christians with harsh attitudes and great fear that "you or I may not be doing it right". The fear that grace might lead to "go ahead and sin anyway" was answered by Paul in Romans 6- and he stated in Galatians that the gospel was an offense to the works righteous Jews of his day. While I won't judge the Lordships advocates souls I will say that it appears they would be appalled at the people Jesus hung out with.

This book was an excellent read and really clarified the issue of what it means to beleive in Jesus Christ. By no means an antinomian, Ryrie sets forth a clear exegesis of the issue of exactly 'what it takes' to be saved. He responds with integrity, balance, and grace to the Lordship salvation view.Any serious born again Christian should ponder over this book. Most notable is his exegesis of the passage on the rich young ruler which lordhsip advocates take as a prime text for their view.Very grateful for this work.

My congratulations go out to Dr. Charles Ryrie. Finally someone has stepped out and written a book that showed salvation as the Bible showed it. Ryrie does not present cheap grace here, he presents free grace here. He does not present easy believism here, he presents simple believism. Dr. Ryrie should be commended for taking a stand for the "gift of God unto salvation to everyone who believes." Ryrie adresses the problem that has plagued the church since the first century when the Judaizers caused the Galatians to stumble. It seems that everyone wants to help God out by adding something either to the front or the back of the Gospel. Ryrie doesn't do that in this book. You owe it to yourself to read this book if you truly want to know what the Bible says about the gospel.

Unlike so many of his critics, Charles Ryrie with grace and class demonstrates in "So Great a Salvation" why salvation is a free gift received by simple faith alone in Christ alone. He demonstrates this biblically and theologically. In addition, he explains why the terminology used in explaining the Gospel is so important.Charles Ryrie also looks at the implications of "lordship salvation." He demonstrates convincingly in this book, that "lordship salvation" does not make sense biblically or theologically. He examines many of the straw man arguments that lordship teachers like to use with regards to Free Grace teaching and many of the misnomers used to label Free Grace teaching (eg. "easy-believism", "cheap grace").Ryrie also brings up key questions for the reader to ponder. For example, when he once was interacting with those of a lordship persepective he asked this question to them about a hypothetical person who wanted to be saved but smoked and knew it was bad for him, "Can he not be saved until either he gives up smoking or is willing to give up smoking? (page 113)" The reader then can see that if the answer is "yes", then one has introduced a condition other than faith in Christ to receive the gift of eternal life. Yet, unfortunatley, this is what those of a lordship salvation perspective teach.I found this book to be a great up in clearing up much of the confusion surrounding the Gospel.