9: Zane Hodges – Free Grace Theology and the Debate over Lordship Salvation

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1. Introduction

Zane C. Hodges was a New Testament scholar and leading proponent of Free Grace Theology, a doctrinal system that sharply distinguished salvation from discipleship and rejected the idea that true faith must necessarily produce good works. In contrast to Lordship Salvation—promoted by figures like John MacArthur—Hodges insisted that eternal life is a free gift that cannot be conditioned on personal surrender, behavioural change, or perseverance. His writings sparked one of the most significant theological debates in late twentieth-century American evangelicalism, fundamentally reshaping discussions about faith, assurance, and sanctification.

2. Biographical Overview

Zane Clark Hodges was born in 1932 and died in 2008. He studied at Wheaton College and later taught New Testament Greek and exegesis at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) for over 27 years. While DTS had long supported a distinction between justification and sanctification, Hodges advanced a more radical form of this separation, eventually forming the core of what is now known as Free Grace Theology.

He was closely associated with the Grace Evangelical Society (GES), an organisation dedicated to promoting his views on salvation and assurance. Hodges’s influence was primarily felt in theological academia and conservative dispensational circles, but the debate he fuelled reached wide into pastoral and lay settings.

3. Theological Commitments and Doctrinal Distinctives

Hodges’s theology is systematic, consistent, and centred around one core theme: salvation is a free, unconditional gift received by faith alone, without any necessary evidence in works or behaviour. Key tenets include:

Soteriology

  • Eternal life is received by simple belief in Jesus Christ as the giver of life, without repentance, confession, or submission to His lordship
  • Assurance of salvation is grounded solely in the promise of Jesus, not in the believer’s works or perseverance
  • Post-conversion obedience, while desirable and rewarded, is not guaranteed, nor is it required for salvation to be genuine

This doctrine is detailed in works such as Absolutely Free! (1989), where Hodges challenged Reformed and Lordship proponents for adding conditions to the gospel.

Repentance

Hodges rejected the traditional understanding of repentance as a change of behaviour or sorrow for sin, redefining it as a change of mind that does not necessarily relate to sin but can be context-dependent (Hodges, 1992).

Discipleship and Sanctification

He taught a clear distinction between justification and discipleship:

  • Justification is a free, instantaneous event
  • Discipleship is a costly, lifelong process that does not affect one’s eternal standing
  • Believers may fall into persistent sin or apostasy and still be eternally secure

4. Ministerial Approach and Communication Style

Though not a megachurch pastor or public speaker in the style of many contemporaries, Hodges’s impact came through:

  • Careful biblical exegesis, especially in Greek
  • Scholarly commentaries (e.g., on the Gospel of John and Hebrews)
  • Engaging in theological debate through journals, books, and GES publications

His writing is precise, polemical, and exegetically focused, aiming to refute what he saw as theological confusion on salvation. He also contributed to the New King James Version translation team.

5. Cultural Engagement and Public Voice

Hodges was not a culture warrior or political commentator. His focus remained narrowly on biblical soteriology, ecclesiology, and personal faith assurance. Nevertheless, his ideas intersected with broader evangelical concerns, especially:

  • Assurance in a moralistic or performance-driven culture
  • Evangelism strategies, particularly the content of the gospel message
  • Youth ministry and altar calls, where the blending of salvation and discipleship often caused pastoral confusion

His theological project aimed to deconstruct evangelical legalism and restore confidence in the grace of God, even at the cost of controversy.

6. Contributions to Evangelical Thought and Practice

Zane Hodges’s most enduring contributions include:

  • Formalising Free Grace Theology as a counter to Lordship Salvation
  • Influencing the Grace Evangelical Society, which continues to promote his teachings
  • Challenging assumptions about perseverance, fruit-bearing, and assurance
  • Producing technical commentaries that applied his theology to biblical texts (e.g., Hebrews and 1 John)

His writings continue to shape seminary curricula, theological debates, and pastoral practices regarding evangelism and spiritual growth.

7. Legacy and Continuing Relevance

Though he passed away in 2008, Hodges’s legacy remains contested:

  • For supporters, he restored the purity of the gospel and removed burdensome conditions from the message of grace
  • For critics, he promoted cheap grace, encouraging false assurance and tolerating untransformed Christian lives
  • The Lordship Salvation vs. Free Grace debate remains active, especially in American evangelical and dispensational institutions

His name is still invoked in debates over assurance, apostasy, and the fruit of faith, and his influence is felt in churches, online ministries, and theological discussions.

8. Reflective Commentary

Zane Hodges raises an essential question for all Christians: What must a person do to be saved? His answer—“simply believe in Jesus”—cut through centuries of pastoral complexity and doctrinal caution. Yet his theology presses us to consider: Does saving faith inevitably lead to visible change? Can a gospel of no-cost assurance produce true disciples?

His contributions cannot be ignored: he forced evangelicalism to define its gospel clearly, even if some reject the lines he drew. In a culture of anxiety and performance, his message of certainty grounded in Christ alone remains pastorally potent—and theologically provocative.

9. References

  • Hodges, Z. C. (1989). Absolutely Free! A Biblical Reply to Lordship Salvation. Dallas: Redención Viva.
  • Hodges, Z. C. (1992). The Gospel Under Siege: A Study on Faith and Works. Dallas: Redención Viva.
  • Hodges, Z. C. (1993). Harmony with God: A Fresh Look at Repentance. Dallas: Redención Viva.
  • Grace Evangelical Society. (2025). ‘What We Believe’. Available at: https://faithalone.org (Accessed: 24 July 2025).
  • MacArthur, J. (1988). The Gospel According to Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
  • Ryrie, C. C. (1995). So Great Salvation: What It Means to Believe in Jesus Christ. Chicago: Moody.
  • Schreiner, T. R. (2015). Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
  • Christianity Today (1990). ‘The Gospel Debate: Lordship or Free Grace?’. Available at: https://www.christianitytoday.com (Accessed: 24 July 2025).
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