Journal: Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
Volume: JOTGES 31:61 (Autumn 2018)
Article: A Cloudy View Of Salvation: David W. Cloud On Repentance
Author: Shawn C. Lazar

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JOTGES 31:61 (Autumn 2018) p. 73

A Cloudy View Of Salvation:
David W. Cloud On Repentance

Shawn Lazar

Associate Editor

I. Introduction

David W. Cloud is a Fundamental Baptist missionary, writer, and publisher. His Way of Life Literature is well-known in Fundamentalist circles and defends many conservative positions with which readers of JOTGES would agree. Cloud has even explicitly written against Lordship Salvation. But how consistent is he in rejecting it?

II. Free Grace Friendly Positions

Cloud takes several positions that would naturally align him with Free Grace Theology. In this section, I list six such positions.

A. Cloud Is A Dispensationalist

In an article entitled, “Study the Bible Dispensationally,”1 Cloud affirms that a “consistent application of the literal method of interpretation will result in a dispensational theology.”2 He warns against Covenant Theology, Progressive Dispensationalism, and Hyper-Dispensationalism. Cloud seems to favor Dispensationalism as taught by Scofield and Charles Ryrie without requiring complete adherence to any one system.3

B. Cloud Affirms Faith Alone

Cloud affirms that we are saved by faith alone, not by works. For example, in the Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity,

JOTGES 31:61 (Autumn 2018) p. 74

Cloud writes: “Salvation is through faith ALONE and grace ALONE, not by any mixture of grace and law, faith and works (Ro. 4:13–16; 11:6).”4 It is difficult to miss the emphasis on “alone.” Cloud then writes a paragraph with which many JOTGES readers would agree:

Faith alone is the door into God’s wonderful salvation. Having been forgiven and blessed with eternal blessings in Christ, we serve God with a thankful heart—not in order to be saved or in order to perfect our salvation, but because we have been saved. We are not saved by works; we are saved unto works (Ep. 2:8–10; Titus 3:4–8).5

Again, we see the emphasis on “faith alone.” And Cloud is intent on clarifying that we do good works because we have been saved by faith alone, not to be saved. This is strongly in keeping with Free Grace ...

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