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146 of 157 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Vital Work, especially for the megachurch movement, December 10, 2001
In my opinion, John MacArthur has hit a homerun with this book. If it were up to me, this book would be required reading for every pastor in America, but particularly pastors of megachurches, since an increasing number of megachurches are slipping into the easy believism that MacArthur successfully refutes here. In a nutshell, MacArthur attempts to take on the concept that people can make allegedly sincere professions of faith in Christ and then be considered a Christian with certain eternal security even if their life bears no good fruit after their supposed conversion. This is an important question, both from a theological standpoint as well as from a Christian living perspective. An increasing number of churches, particularly a number of megachurches, have appeared to shy away from topics that remind people of the reality of sin, the need for repentance and forgiveness, and the important desire of being obedient to God and His Word because such sentiments are increasingly unpopular within the realm of comfortable Christianity. MacArthur argues that good works are not a precondition of salvation, thus affirming the historic Protestant position of salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ and relying on His grace. But having affirmed this position, MacArthur then goes into fabulous Biblical detail concerning the FRUITS by which genuine salvation can be measured. Critics of MacArthur's book have argued that MacArthur is preaching a works based salvation, but I think it's clear that MacArthur is not doing that. What he is saying is exactly what the Bible says, and what the historic Christian church has long affirmed - that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, and that genuine faith in Christ will produce good works via the influence of the Holy Spirit that is indicative of genuine salvation and the genuinely changed life that the Bible repeatedly speaks of for people who are truly converted. If critics want to call this a works based salvation, I believe this to be a serious oversight of the clear distinctions MacArthur makes between salvation by faith, versus the logical and Biblically outlined fruits of genuine salvation. MacArthur further demonstrates that those who affirm easy believism and decry this as a works based salvation stand on extremely problematic ground relative to their own position on salvation. MacArthur points out that it is highly dubious to offer an easy believism salvation that basically states that as long as we make some kind of supposedly sincere affirmation of Jesus, we can then claim we are saved while continuing to live an unsaved life and not worry about whether our salvation is certain or not. This is an extraordinarily cheap form of salvation as a matter of Christian living. And I also believe it is catastrophic as a matter of theology. If all are agreed that the Holy Spirit enters a person's life upon faith in Christ, and all are agreed that the Holy Spirit is fully divine, how do the proponents of easy believism reconcile the notion that someone who is supposedly right with God and who has the Holy Spirit in them can continue to live an apostate life? What does that say about the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit if the Spirit can enter someone, but not change them? It seems to me that to believe in the concept of the 'carnal Christian' who never repents, never seeks forgiveness, never acknowledges sin, and never seeks to be obedient to God - all the while claiming that the Holy Spirit is in this person, almost automatically forces an argument for the impotence of the Holy Spirit as a matter of theology. Not only does this not make sense and cheapens both the Christian life and the Christian God, it results in a different gospel. In conclusion, I believe that MacArthur has written an important book that is well documented Biblically. The Bible does not teach the concept of apostate Christians, it does not teach easy believism. It does teach that salvation is by faith, and that when a person makes a truly sincere profession of faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit will enter that person, and change that person over time by conforming him/her to the image of God. It does not teach that someone can make a profession in Christ at some point, and then God leaves that person alone to continue living a life that doesn't look any different from the life they lived prior to professing Christ. Nowhere does the Bible say that. So I am very happy to see MacArthur meticulously deconstruct the tenets of easy believism in favor of what both Jesus and the apostles repeatedly affirmed throughout the New Testament about the nature of salvation and living the Christian life.
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86 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent presentation of true salvation, December 9, 2007
I just finished reading The Gospel According to Jesus, and it was absolutely wonderful. I remember reading through the gospels about 8 years ago when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I had just started attending a seeker sensitive church, and we had a great pastor. But I remember even then, as I read through the gospels and studied the words of the Savior thinking that there was a lot more to accepting Jesus than just praying a silent prayer to yourself at the end of the service. It required a change of lifestyle, a change of heart, a change of attitude, and an understanding of my own sin and depravity. In short, it was not an "easy" thing to accept. And life has borne out that following Him is not always "easy", not always "fun", and the trials that come to test your faith can often be excruciatingly painful. That said, I *have* trusted Him, have kept the faith, and continue to remain in His grace and to seek His strength and direction for my life. I share with Dr. MacArthur a deep appreciation for the true gospel, and a desire to share it with others. I think there are way too many people out there who accept something that is a poor substitute for the gospel Jesus came to give us, and I fear there are a great many people who have been lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to eternal salvation. This is one of the reasons I have such a problem with the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, and others who pervert and distort the real message of our Lord.
As good as this book is, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are even better. If you really want to know the gospel of Jesus, go there first and let Him speak to you personally. For some clear insight and instruction on the difficult passages, you can do far worse than reading this book by John MacArthur. And by difficult, I don't necessarily mean hard to understand intellectually, I mean difficult to accept spiritually. Obedience and submission are a difficult road to travel--perhaps more especially in this decadent worldly society, but "the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life..."
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56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life Wrought in Love, February 26, 2008
Tell you family that you love them and ... thats it. Go back to the TV and leave them alone. Right? WRONG! . . Thus faith is just the beginning of a relationship. Faith is not a singularity. It bonds with love and progresses toward yearning and action. It matures into discipleship. . . Thats exactly the point of this inspiring book. No it is not and does not claim to be a gospel as some dumbfounded reviewers have accused. . . Mr. MacArthur's beautifully laid out presentation invites one to allow their acceptance in faith to be the starting point of an eternal relationship. Faith enraptures the believer in righteousness and moves him into a repentant lifestyle. A new life filled with spiritual self-examination. A moving away from selfishness to selflessness. A communion with right and a turning from wrong. Any salvation through faith that does not alter a lifestyle of sin and transform the heart is not the salvation that God's word speaks. Yes faithfully accepting Jesus as your personal Savior is essential in salvation. But that is only the beginning of you soulfilled desire to voluntarily love and emmulate Jesus. Faith does not allow simple lip service and then a return to your darkened selfish world. He that practices life in faith comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. Thus these are the challenges this book deeply and carefully presents and discusses. It is extensively footnoted to the New Testament. It expounds the major evangelistic messages of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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