So here’s Jody Dillow’s statement he allowed me to publish…and below I’ve linked my Open Letter. Here’s the point. Please discuss things with with me and among yourselves. Jody will weigh in when he’d like. This is strickly an effort to clarify where different Free Grace Leaders stand on the simple nature of the gospel. I’d be happy to interact … talk to me!
“I believe that in order for one to be saved he has to believe that Jesus is the Christ (that is, the Lamb of God who takes away sin and the Messiah), the Son of God (that is, He is God), and in believing one can have eternal life through His name. One must trust in Christ’s forgiveness for sin wrought for him at Calvary as an essential element of saving faith.” -Jody Dillow (by permission, email correspondence, September 4, 2009)
God bless,
FRL
Wow…no one has a single comment or question?
Fred:
I think the most interesting questions and/or commentary is yet to come. That will be once we learn, in light of Brother Dillow’s letter you reproduced here, whether or not Bob Wilkin will be retaining Dillow as a featured speaker for the 2010 GES national conference.
Lou
Just read the post today. To me it sounds fine and well within the sideboards of a biblical soteriology. I would probably use some difference language in describing the core of the gospel but I can’t really argue in large part with Jody.
The only question I might have is how much information must someone have about the Messianic role of Jesus as the fulfillment of OT prophecy. To say that someone must believe Jesus to be the lamb of God and the Messiah might imply that they fully understand the theological implications of that and the fulness of the OT background that comes with those terms.
David,
Good thoughts…Jody probably doesn’t want to overplay the terms. I’m sure he also would add the resurrection as well. It is a debate that is simple…but that we can complexify (to illustrate the point) into gaga!
Peace,
FRL
I assume Dr. Dillow thinks you need to believe in a resurrected Christ, too; otherwise the rest is moot. I just notice there’s no mention of Christ’s resurrection.
Yes… a few days later he did say he wished he included the resurrection…
Hi Fred,
I see nothing wrong with Jody Dillow’s statement. Although Jody does not explicitly include the resurrection of Christ, the truth is no doubt implied (not denied). Jody emphasizes the substitutionary death of Christ as the heart of the gospel, and that is what the Bible emphasizes as well.
Jonathan Perreault
Folks, Jody simply paraphrased what is already in the Gospel of John. Man is the only one who makes eternal life complicated. All that is required is faith alone in Christ alone. See http://www.faithplusnothingelse.blogspot.com for further study.