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I was depressed after leaving LFF but didn’t know what was going on inside. I spent nearly 8 years of anxious ridden activity there, trying my best to be an obedient follower of Christ under the “covering” of my HCG/CC/Pastoral leaders. After I left it took me years of intense study to undo the skewed teachings and LFF mindsets – though I’m sure some linger. Teachings I knew and believed like the back of my hand as a Member, GG guide, Cat counselor, MTC grad, JCD, Bible study leader and so on. What was the outcome - I discovered the truth of Christ and his work on the Cross as captured by the 5 Solas of the Reformation: salvation by Grace alone, through Christ's work alone, by Faith alone, for God's glory alone as taught by Scripture alone. Yes, I found the Cross.
I could view my years at LFF as wasted and be bitter and such, but I don’t really. I still have fond recollections of people, friends and yes even leadership in most cases – at least as people. I do believe there was a genuineness of faith behind what was done, just a wrong faith that led to wrong actions in a lot of ways. Overall it was not a pleasant time but I had nothing to compare it to, so I thought this is what Christianity was all about. I did suffer a deep seated torment inside most of those years but I chalked most of that up to my sin or lack of faith and pushed through it – thinking things would get better somehow if I only obeyed more, confessed more, prayed more, served more, studied more, was more O.H. & T., etc. Little did I know that torment was mostly based on the logical consequence of believing it was something I did that kept me from being spewed out of Jesus’ mouth and going to hell!
In hindsight I liken those years to the Old Testament Mosaic period when Israel was under the Law. The Law served to demonstrate the exacting requirements of God, unattainable by human effort, and to reveal sin as sin. It was a schoolmaster pointing to the real solution – Christ and His atoning work – the final sacrifice. Similarly LFF’s de facto works righteousness and its effects only made the sweetness of the Gospel message that much more sweeter upon discovery, and therefore I believe in God’s sovereignty He allowed me those 8+ years as a precursor to understanding the truth of salvation by grace alone in a very deep way.
As Paul taught, the Law and its systems were never designed to save, but point to Christ. Woe to those who think they can self-attain righteousness (or some spiritual status) that pleases God and merits his hand of fellowship. It not only is impossible, it displeases God because is totally misses His plan.
Jesus reserved His harshest words for the Pharisees and Paul cursed the Judaizers who taught the Galatians to add the works of the Law in with the Gospel
Similarly we at LFF followed laws, though they were “spiritual” and pietistic in nature – yet laws the same. We paid lip service to God’s grace, but displaced it with spiritual good works. The Cross was a starting point only, not a continuing reality. It was demoted for the higher “truths” and real “maturity”. In fact grace was seen as something that was extended on rare cases, an exception, not the rule. I believe the lion’s share of the pressures and “wrongness” at LFF were tied to this fundamental error, though there were others causes too, divulged elsewhere in this blog.
In my opinion LFF’s perfectionist teachings and practices were a de facto works righteousness and ironically were more akin to Roman Catholic doctrine. During the Reformation even Rome believed in initial Grace for salvation, but taught (and still holds) that upon receipt that grace empowers the believer to do good works, which in turn are meritorious towards salvation. They believe one is saved by works, but not Christ’s alone, you add your own to His. LFF taught you secure your own salvation by being relationally close to Christ, serving him via the Body, and other efforts of heart, mind and body. Which in essence means salvation is not by Christ alone, but something we add to the equation to make it effectual. Therefore both Catholic and LFF doctrines (at least when I was there) are sadly similar in how they intermingle Salvation and Sanctification.
In truth Salvation is a one time, immediate event, that is eternal in its effectiveness and was applied on the condition of faith alone, which itself was a gift of God. It is based on a historical and objective work of God through Christ. His perfect life earned for me a real righteousness I could never earn and his death atoned for my moral debt. He took all my sin and replaced it with His righteousness. That is why the reformers called it an alien or foreign righteousness. I am saved by good works – Christ’s - and those works are no legal fiction. He earned them while on Earth as the sinless man, perfectly obeying the Father, all on my behalf. And the Father accepted them as such – works done by Christ, but accounted to me. This is why Jesus was baptized (amongst other things) – to fulfill all righteousness for His elect.
Sanctification on the other hand is the lifelong process of growing in Christ likeness. It is empowered by God’s grace through the Spirit, and though I do make effort it rests solely on God’s past salvific work and no way contributes to it. God is also behind my sanctification, bringing about his ends in my life by his sovereign hand and does not intend for me to reach perfection in this life in order to make it to heaven – that is already covered by Christ. This does not mean I have a blank check to sin – that is not in keeping with those who are truly saved – we are new creatures who’s lives point in a new direction, though we struggle with indwelling sin daily.
Again, my salvation was by faith alone, but that faith was not alone in that it does bring about good works in keeping with my new creation. However every good work I do merits me nothing in the eyes of God. My works are to be grace motivated, un-coerced, free of manipulation, and yes in need of stimulation by God’s Word – thus the need for preaching - but never something I do to earn/keep my salvation or God’s acceptance.
The message of the Cross is the power and motivator for sanctification and the fruit of the Spirit. Remove it from the very center of Christianity and you drift to something other than Christianity – whether it is moralistic fundamentalism, subjective mysticism or empty liberal theology. The Gospel is for Christians just as much as it is for the lost. It reminds us we are complete sinners saved by grace and our post-conversion life is lived by that same grace in Christ – we have no boasting in ourselves.
I still remember P. Sherri pointing to the Robe of Righteousness worship banner and how the robe was put on the Christian. She took special note to show there were no hands other than Jesus’ doing the placing. She got that right; sadly so many of the other teachings, systems and the everyday practices of LFF militated directly against that Gospel truth. What the right hand gave, the left hand took away.
Though I’ve heard of big changes in LFF since I’ve left (7 years ago) I don’t think they get at the root problems (from what I know). The church needs a reformation. It needs to get back to the Faith once handed down to the saints.
P.S: I wholeheartedly agreed with LFF’s Arminian worldview while there. I imagine they are still against Calvinism (Augustinianism) today. As one who now holds to many tenets of reformation theology and absolutely rejects Arminianism as false I do want to make clear that the LFF characterization of the doctrine of salvation by grace alone was a straw man. What was taught about Calvinism were common misrepresentations that framed this doctrine in such a manor to make it seem obviously wrong. In the end LFF did not reject Calvinism, but a corrupted version of it – I can vouch for that.
Before you handily dismiss what I’ve said I implore you to clearly understand the doctrine and the rebuttals to these common complaints.
Sites I recommend for more info:
http://www.solagratia.org/ and
http://www.ligonier.org/I am fully convinced upon careful study in the light of scripture you will see that the message taught by Calvin and Luther (and a host of others) was nothing more than a recapturing of the message of Paul and thus Christ our Lord and Savior. And that message shows the amazing grace of a holy, just and sovereign God who dearly loves his children, chosen in Christ from the beginning of time and secures for them a complete salvation from the wrath to come, all for His glory. It is amazing grace after all and is truly good news – worthy of sharing.
