I have a friend at my workplace who is asking questions about whether or not he is saved. He is what no-lordship advocates would consider a "carnal Christian," and by his own confession he really doesn't want to live for God, rather he just wants his free ticket out of hell. Coming into this book I had hoped to gain an answer his question. Not only have I been able to give him a solid, scripture based answer, but I myself was spiritually cut open by the truth in this book. It has been right in front of me all along and I have not seen it.
Part one introduces us to the issues at hand and gives a brief overview of both lordship salvation and no-lordship salvation.
Part two is really where the meat begins. This section is called "Jesus heralds His gospel." I was wowed by what I found. I have always believed that I am righteous. At least I put in a better effort than most people when it comes to Christianity. I read a lot of books on the topic of Christianity, and I generally go the extra mile when necessary; but John blew me off my feet by explaining the meat of the gospel. "I have not come to save the righteous, but sinners." Wow. This section lays out the gospel in the way that Jesus really said it! It really set a high pace and tone for the rest of the book.
Part three consists of six chapters which are based on explaining parables and how they fit into the gospel Jesus was teaching. Another fantastic, eye opening section that really helped bring out the truth of the gospel in everything Jesus said.
Part four is about how Jesus explained His gospel. It talks about the true meaning of the word "repentance" and the nature of true faith, as well as the cost of discipleship and a few other things. Once again, another bone chilling section. "The broad way is the natural choice, from a human point of view. People prefer sin to righteousness. Jesus said, 'Men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil' (John 3:19). It is easy to fall in step with the crowd. You can even add Jesus to all your treasured sins and possessions so that you can feel religious. You can go to church and be as active or as passive as you desire. You never have to deny yourself or take up your cross. The only problem is that the natural way ends in disaster." (p. 208 - hardcover anniversary edition)
The last part is only one chapter, and it explains how the death of Jesus was perfectly planned and what effect it has on the gospel.
Overall, this book really cut deep. In my first year of college I went to a Bible college (I am just finishing up my second year), and I did all the things you would expect from a Bible college student. I participated well in the classes, I read my Bible a TON, I was definitely one of the most active Christians at the whole school (by this I mean I read my Bible a lot and such, mostly legalistic practices to make myself a better Christian). But in the end nothing clicked. It was like everything I was learning I was learning up in my head, and none of it was making its way down to my heart.
This book sparked something in me. This really IS the gospel according to Jesus. If this is not the gospel according to Jesus then I want no part in Christianity any more, for all the months and years that I have believed that my righteousness was so important and that God was on a leash to grab whoever wanted a free ticket out of hell simply because they "believed (if you can really call it belief)" in a list historical of facts. For the first time ever, as I have read this book and begun to really understand the gospel, I have really felt God chipping away the scab on my heart and speaking to me in a heartfelt way, and for this I will be eternally grateful, first to God and then to John.
I heartily recommend it!
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Now that I have reviewed the book, I feel that I should post some quotes to counter these silly claims that people are making about how John is saying that works save and so forth.
"IMO, MacArthur does not condition salvation on the performance of the "good works" (Eph. 2:10) expected of a disciple. He does, however, require an upfront commitment to the "good works" of discipleship in "exchange" for salvation." - Lou Martuneac
"No one questions that there must be a sincere change of mind, a turning of one's self to the Saviour; but lordship advocates attempt to make behavior and fruit essential ingredients of, rather than evidence of, saving faith." - Miles Stanford
"Salvation is by grace through faith. It has nothing to do with the meritorious human works. But the only possible response to God's grace is a broken humility that causes the sinner to turn from his old life to Christ. The evidence of such a turning is the willingness to submit and obey. If coldhearted disobedience and deliberate rebellion continue unabated, there is good reason to doubt the reality of a person's faith." p. 122
"Clearly, the biblical concept of faith is inseparable from obedience. 'Believe' is treated as if it were synonymous with 'obey' in John 3:36: 'He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life.' Acts 6:7 shows how salvation was understood in the early church: 'A great many...were becoming obedient to the faith.' Obedience is so closely related to saving faith that Hebrews 5:9 uses it as a synonym: 'Having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.'" p. 190
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From the Publisher
Discover What Jesus Meant When He Said "Follow Me."
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The Undiluted GospelJesus taught that the cost of following Him is high...Scripture encourages us to examine ourselves to determine if we are in the faith. |
Being Born AgainTo follow Jesus is to do more than make a profession of faith, but to abandon your former self and have a spiritual rebirth. |
The CrossJesus displayed his spiritual authority when He died on a cross. Far from being a tragic end to His earthly ministry, it was the culmination of all He had set out to do. |
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| The MacArthur Bible Commentary | Only Jesus | The Heart of the Bible | One Perfect Life | One Faithful Life | |
| About this MacArthur resource | A Faithful, focused, and passage-by-passage commentary of the whole Bible. Perfect for anyone interested in knowing their Bible better. | A distillation of the most important points MacArthur makes in The Gospel According to Jesus. | John Macarthur’s collection of the Bible verses that every Christian needs to know and understand. | John MacArthur shares with us the complete story of the Eternal Christ from Genesis to Revelation. | Experience Paul's world-changing writings in the full, chronological context of his life story. |
| Page Count | 2040 | 176 | 160 | 528 | 528 |
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This along with The Holiness of God by RC Sproul could be the single two most important books written about God and Jesus. These are life changing books. Amen.
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Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Challenging book for mature Christians or those searching for the real Christ.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 26, 2017M. McManus
Strong contrast between Lordship salvation and easy believerism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 17, 2011M4CL
Excellent read - lays out the demands of the gospel of Jesus as shown in the Holy Bible.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 4, 2018
