By Allen Michael Rea

Up until a year or so ago I was an avid Lordship Salvation pastor. In fact, I was a card-carrying MacArthurite.

I studied theology at a small Baptist college where my OT professor was an Open Theist, my NT professor was a typical Baptist, and my theology professor was a five-point Calvinist.

I considered myself a Calvinist for a while, but I did not truly understand the issues. During my time in Calvinism I expressed no concern for the lost and had no assurance of salvation. Once I understood what Calvinism really was, I disavowed it entirely. Still, I did not realize that Lordship Salvation was such a strong part of Calvinism, and its effects lingered with me much longer.

I started my MDiv at one seminary but was very uncomfortable with the Reformed theology there, so I transferred to Luther Rice Seminary. I first encountered Free Grace Theology (FGT) in my hermeneutics class under J. B. Hixson. I also had a few conversations with our librarian, Hal Haller, who wrote the commentary on Matthew in The Grace New Testament Commentary. And, of course, I greedily consumed all the writings of Lewis Sperry Chafer. But I still held to Lordship Salvation.

I finished seminary and pastored my first full-time church. Those three years are a testimony that Lordship Salvation is a spiritually bankrupt theology.

I was miserable enough to share my lack of assurance with my church members.

I taught and preached from The MacArthur Study Bible.

When Bob Wilkin’s book A Gospel of Doubt was first published, I bought a copy to read alongside my well-worn copy of The Gospel According to Jesus. My primary motivation for getting Wilkin’s book was to defeat it. I pridefully sought to dismantle FGT. But I had developed a straw man that I wanted to burn in my own search for assurance. Hence, I expected that Wilkin’s book would be easy to refute. Instead I found myself at a theological crossroads.

I stayed up late, cried, and prayed.

I came to realize that I was adhering to, advocating, and propagating a gospel of doubt.

And then my life changed for the better.

Free Grace Theology has positively affected my marriage, my parenting skills, and the way that I pastor.

I’ve since read much more from GES, especially the writings of Zane Hodges. And I spent some time on the phone with Ken Yates (GES’s East Coast speaker). I am very grateful for GES’s ministry and hope to be more involved in the future.

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Allen Michael Rea is pastor of Higgston Baptist Church in Ailey, GA. He will be speaking at the Feb 10-11 Atlanta Regional Conference, along with Tony Mirabella, Donnie Preslar, Jeff Rutledge, and Bob Wilkin. See faithalone.org/events for more details.