My Testimony

For years, I misunderstood the gospel. I believed that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins were sufficient for salvation.[1] But the good news reveals another necessary truth—the “righteousness of God” [2]—which I was “ignorant of.” [3]

Upon learning this,[4] I adopted Lordship Salvation. This heretical doctrine mixes the free gift of salvation [5] with the costly works of discipleship [6] and emphasizes works for assurance rather than Christ.[7] I thus sought righteousness through works.[8]

Even after repenting of Lordship Salvation, I mistakenly believed that the imputed righteousness of Christ gave me a right standing with God and guaranteed my future inheritance of the kingdom.[9] I was therefore misrepresenting not only the true gospel but also the Christian life.

But when the Holy Spirit convicted me “of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment,” [10] I repented of my “dead works” [11] and “submitted” to the imputed “righteousness of God” through faith in Jesus Christ—the ultimate purpose of the law. [12] Only then did I understand and rightly represent the Christian life.

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[1] “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” — 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 NKJV

[2] “For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”” — Romans 1:17, emphasis added

[3] “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” — Romans 10:3

[4] “Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” — 2 Timothy 3:7

[5] “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23

[6] “Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” — Luke 14:25–33

[7] “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” — Hebrews 12:2

[8] “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” — Romans 10:3

[9] “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” — Matthew 25:31–34

[10] “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” — John 16:8–11

[11] “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” — Hebrews 6:1

[12] “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” — Romans 10:3–4