LEAVE OUT REPENTANCE OR THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IN PREACHING
Repentance is a scriptural response to the content of the gospel. The Lordship of Christ is part of the content of the gospel. The two occupy the two sides of believing in Jesus Christ. One side is believing and the other is Who Jesus Christ is. You won’t be saved if you don’t believe. And you won’t be saved if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ. You aren’t believing if you don’t repent. And you are not believing in Jesus Christ if He isn’t Lord. Jesus is Lord.
Repentance is the unpopular part of believing. And Lordship is the unpopular aspect of Who Jesus is. People much more often don’t mind believing if repentance is not part of it. And they like a Jesus much more Who is Savior, but He isn’t Lord.
2 Peter 2:1 says that the apostates described in that chapter deny “the Lord that bought them.” “Lord” translates the Greek word despotes, from which we get the English, “despot.” In the English, a despotes is a boss. The apostates of 2 Peter 2 don’t want a boss. They deny Jesus Christ because they don’t want someone ordering them what to do. People want to do what they want to do. They’re glad to have a Jesus Who will save them and yet not require any subordination.
Repentance means turning from your own way to the Lord’s way. Men want their own way, so they like a belief that provides the benefits of “faith” without the requirements of repentance.
Churches and their leaders know that they will find less opposition and even persecution to preaching that excludes doctrines of repentance and Lordship.
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