Editing Sola fide (section)

== Free Grace view ==
[[File:LewisSperryChafer1929.jpg|thumb|217x217px|Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871 – 1952) who was a major influence upon many Free Grace theologians.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":23" />]]
[[Free grace theology|Free Grace theology]], which is held by authors such as [[Zane C. Hodges|Zane Hodges]], Jody Dillow, [[Charles Caldwell Ryrie|Charles Ryrie]], David R. Anderson and others,<ref name=":232">{{Cite book |last=Chay |first=Fred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bNKiswEACAAJ |title=A Defense of Free Grace Theology: With Respect to Saving Faith, Perseverance, and Assurance |date=2017 |publisher=Grace Theology Press |isbn=978-0-9981385-4-1 |language=en}}</ref> is distinguished from other traditions by holding an especially strong version of the doctrine of faith alone. It holds that things such as turning from sin, baptism or perseverance in the faith are not necessary for salvation, but instead hold that these things are necessary for eternal rewards.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hodges |first=Zane Clark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SrWpPQAACAAJ |title=Absolutely Free!: A Biblical Reply to Lordship Salvation |date=1989 |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=978-0-310-51960-7 |language=en}}</ref> It holds [[eternal security]], and denies that every believer will necessarily persevere.<ref name=":23">{{Cite book |last=Chay |first=Fred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bNKiswEACAAJ |title=A Defense of Free Grace Theology: With Respect to Saving Faith, Perseverance, and Assurance |date=2017 |publisher=Grace Theology Press |isbn=978-0-9981385-4-1 |language=en}}</ref> Thus, they hold that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will go to heaven regardless of any future actions—including future sin, unbelief, or apostasy—though Christians who sin or abandon the faith will face God's discipline. For example, [[Robert Thieme]] states ''“Although the believer can never lose his eternal life, he can be in danger of destroying his spiritual life and losing all the blessings that “God has prepared for those who love him”.''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lazar |first=Shawn |date=2017-03-17 |title=Perpetually Carnal, Yet Eternally Secure? – Grace Evangelical Society |url=https://faithalone.org/blog/perpetually-carnal-yet-eternally-secure/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Stanley |first1=Charles |url=https://archive.org/details/eternalsecurityc00stan/page/81 |title=Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? |date=1990 |publisher=Thomas Nelson |isbn=0840790953 |location=Nashville, TN |pages=[https://archive.org/details/eternalsecurityc00stan/page/81 81, 116–118]}}</ref> This view is primarily taught by Southern Baptist, Independent Baptist, Plymouth Brethren, Non-Denominational and Calvary Chapel churches, although it is not a majority within them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilkin |first=Bob |date=2022-02-11 |title=What Denominations Hold to Free Grace? – Grace Evangelical Society |url=https://faithalone.org/blog/what-denominations-hold-to-free-grace/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lazar |first=Shawn |date=2021-08-24 |title=Are There Any Free Grace Denominations? – Grace Evangelical Society |url=https://faithalone.org/blog/are-there-any-free-grace-denominations/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Free grace theology is distinguished by its treatment of the words "salvation" and "save" in the Bible. These theologians argue that there are many ways believers can experience "salvation", not necessarily referring to salvation from hell. This view cites verses such as Acts 27:34, where the Greek word {{lang|grc|σωτηρῐ́ᾱ}} ''sōtēríā'' – typically translated as 'salvation' – is translated "health" or "strength" because food will assist their deliverance from physical death. Spiritually, salvation is seen as referring to deliverance from the eternal penalty of sin ([[Justification (theology)|justification]]), the current power of sin over the Christian ([[sanctification]]), the removal of any possibility to sin ([[glorification]]), and being restored to [[Stewardship (theology)|stewardship]] over the world as God intended for humankind at creation (restoration to rule).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dillow |first1=Joseph |title=Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings |date=2012 |pages=990–1030}}</ref> Most Free Grace theologians such as Bob Wilkin, Zane Hodges, and Joseph Dillow, among others hold that the one who possesses "dead faith" – as mentioned James 2:17 – is not a false convert, in this view the word "dead" refers to a faith that is not profitable in this life nor in the judgement seat of Christ, but does not imply false conversion. Thus, when the epistle of James says "can that faith save him", it is either understood as salvation from temporal consequences of sin (as with Hodges), salvation from a loss of reward (as with Bing), both (as with Dillow), or as the physical salvation of the poor person described in the chapter (as with R. T. Kendall).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kendall |first=R. T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mW6OAAAACAAJ |title=Once Saved, Always Saved |date=2005 |publisher=Authentic Media |isbn=978-1-932805-27-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hodges |first=Zane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2EuatAEACAAJ |title=A Free Grace Primer |date=March 2018 |publisher=Grace Evangelical Society |isbn=978-1-943399-24-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bing |first=Dr Charlie |title=Faith and Works in James 2:14 |url=https://www.gracelife.org/resources/gracenotes/?id=2&lang=eng |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=www.gracelife.org |language=en-us}}</ref>

There are some differences among free grace theologians on the issue of fruit in a Christian life. More moderate free grace theologians still affirm that faith will necessarily lead into good works, although it may not be outwardly evident or last to the end of one's life. However, those who hold to a more strong form of free grace theology deny that every Christian will bear fruit in their life.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Geisler |first=Norman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bBWkzgEACAAJ |title=Systematic Theology: In One Volume |date=October 2021 |publisher=Bastion Books |isbn=978-1-7376546-0-5 |language=en}}</ref>