Customer Reviews

Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus

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I truly appreciate, in this world of "easy-believism", the opportunity to praise someone who resists it. I don't always agree with everything John MacArthur says, but I give him kudos for speaking out on this most unpopular of issues. I've passed the book around a bit to friends who attend "seeker-friendly" chruches, and invariably they report that the book is "too harsh", "depressing", and the like. Does this scare anyone besides me? When did it happen that the gospel needs to be happy and cheery or "we won't listen", or, worse yet, "let's change it to make it sound more enticing"? Most depressing of all is the fact that truth no longer matters - it's all about making the narrow way as broad as we can. I'm sorry the current popular view of God is so low. We all need to remember that "converts" must be weighed as well as counted. If you'd like a thoughtful, well-written response to "easy believism", read this book. As usual, MacArthur points the reader to God's Word as the final authority.

The title of the review may sound overdone but I truly believe the Christian church will look back upon this book as the salt needed to combat the "seeker sensitive", "user friendly" church phenonmenon popularized by Robert Schuller, Bill Hybels, and now the master charlatan of them all, Rick Warren. These guys, in order to build empires, have thrown away sound biblical teachings, and have structured their churches with modern, worldly music, psychology and political correctness to make people feel good. These marketing efforts do attract numbers, which of course leads to higher budgets and eventually, more square footage of building needed to entertain and make the "seekers" feel comfortable. Warren's book essentially cherry-picks the appealing teachings of the bible and completely ignores the clear teachings that are "hard to believe." MacArthur's book describes these unpopular teachings and one quickly learns why guys like Warren and Hybels won't touch them with a ten-foot pole. Our selfish American society doesn't want any negativity or discomfort with their Christianity. Whatever one wants to believe is fine. These guys have reinvented the gospel to make the unchurched "buy" Christianity because if they heard the true gospel, they never would do so. Is that really evangelism or a "bait and switch" used car salesman tactic? Read MacArthur's book and you decide.

(You may wish to read my November 8, 2003 review of the "The Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren on Amazon.com to properly compare and contrast "Hard to Believe." )

MacArthur tactfully does not take on "The Purpose-Driven Life" by name in "Hard to Believe" but there is little doubt to whom this book is responding. Rick Warren has sold ga-zillion copies of his book and churches are stumbling over themselves trying to implement "seeker-sensitive" approaches into their church worship styles and church governance. No longer can one enter a sanctuary away from the pressures of the world to respectfully worship God; church is now one big marketing blitz, complete with multimedia, entertainment, and diversity in beliefs, no different than the rest of our week. I for one want to worship with people like-minded in the exclusivity of Jesus. (John 14:6)

MacArthur refutes the "seeker sensitive" heresy by using scripture. He continually reminds the reader that his statements are not opinion, but scripture which is clearly documented and referenced. The gospel is hard to believe and there is a cost to follow Christ.

Some would say MacArthur risks stepping into legalism. Believing following rules determines salvation quickly invites legalism. MacArthur supports that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). But that if grace is exclusively taught, many people get into the mindset of never facing their sin and depravity. MacArthur argues that those genuinely saved will be miserable staying in sin and will want to get out of it. A balance is needed between grace and truth. But MacArthur argues that the "seeker sensitive" churches preach grace without a portrayal and definition of sin and you have many people "accepting" Christ who never realize why they really need to do so.

Essentially, the good news of Romans Chapters 3 through 8 is not great news unless one fully realizes his/her sin and depravity (Romans Chapter 1 and 2.) And with seeker-sensitive churches, you will never hear Romans 1 and 2 taught. Why? Because those ideas are hard to believe and unpopular. If churches did teach that, people wouldn't come back.

MacArthur then reveals the conundrum: the true gospel is easily rejected. The seeker-sensitive message is easily accepted. If you had a big church budget and overhead and sought earthly prestige and power, what would you preach? What people wanted to hear or the truth? MacArthur leaves the reader with that challenge.

John MacArthur is one of God's greatest witnesses to this generation. I think when Rick Warren's ideas get truthfully analyzed, the purpose-driven concepts don't work or scandal ensues, (one or more will eventually happen), we will still have MacArthur's book quoting scripture standing the test of time. And you will be able to buy "The Purpose-Driven Life" on Amazon for a penny.

Thank God for a genuinely Biblical book - one that tells the real truth about what the scriptures really teach us about the Christian life! John MacArthur, like his hero Spurgeon in the 19th century, has always been 101% Biblical in his preaching and this book shows this to be the case yet once again. Read this book, give 10 copies away to your friends and make sure your pastor not only has this book but has taken notes from every page - it will transform both you, your church and then the whole community around you. This is REAL Biblical Christianity folks! This is the message of the Cross that turned the world upside down in the first century and is doing so still in the 21st! Thank God for a genuinely Biblical book. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003) ...

When churches start marketing themselves to customers, they get consumers.

When churches get back to the Book of Acts and proclaim the Whole Gospel (Discipleship, Follow Me) to the Whole World, they get communers.

When Jesus, Salvation, Sin, the Cross, Repentance and Commitment to Self-Denial are downplayed or 'saved for believer-time only', you get seekers.

When the Hard-to-Believe Full Gospel of the Crucified/Risen Jesus Who commands all people to repent or else is preached and taught sans apology in a loving but uncompromising way, you get sinners seeking salvation in Christ alone.

When Love is offered with no mention of Judgment, Gospel with no Law, Justification with no Sanctification, Heaven with no Hell or Earthly emphasis (God will heal you, things will go better, you will feel more connected, me me me I I I), it is a convoluted, truncated Madison Avenue consumerism pseudo-gospel.

For those who are struggling so much with what MacArthur is saying in this challenging book, please read the sermons of Peter and Paul in Acts to the crowds of Jews & Gentiles. Then compare to what you're hearing in your comfy evangelical pew.

Let the Holy Spirit convict and correct pulpits accordingly!

"Hard to Believe" is another hard-hitting, no-holds-barred strike against the modern church. Much as he did years ago in "Ashamed of the Gospel", MacArthur takes aim at easy-believism and a watered-down, seeker-friendly gospel. In particular, he criticizes the influence of those who preach self-esteem, a health and wealth gospel and aim to be overly seeker-friendly. This book forceful - so much so that there were several places where the force of his words and his anger at the perversion of the gospel shocked me and stopped me short. MacArthur's righteous indignation reminded me of Spurgeon who wrote many similar books and essays in his day. In case you are wondering more specifically who he is writing about, the only person he mentions by name is Robert Schuller and his infamously antibiblical book "Self Esteem: The New Reformation." However, it is easy to see shades of many popular Bible teachers if one reads between the lines.

While I have utmost respect for MacArthur and regard him as one of my most trusted Bible teachers, I often find that he speaks out against a caricature of a movement rather than a more accurate portrayal. He tends to speak in generalities and criticize a worst-case scenario. I suppose this is necessary lest he speak out against a specific person or church, yet it does cause his words to lose some of their impact. I have been heavily exposed to the seeker-friendly movement and have found that much of it is not as badly corrupted as he would indicate. Despite that small complaint, this book is powerful and contains a clear depiction of the gospel. And even more important, it contains a clear call to maintain the purity of the gospel and to ensure that the church continues to focus on preaching the pure gospel. To allow unbelievers to influence our churches to such an extent that we replace the gospel with something friendlier to the unregenerate is to deviate from God's plan and further, is to lead the church into inevitable decay. The gospel is not meant to be kind to unbelievers; it is meant to either convict or offend. As with all MacArthur's books, he quotes liberally from Scripture and exposits God's word to the reader. Few men are more gifted in that task than he is.

I did find one particularly troubling statement in the book. One page 93 MacArthur writes, "Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile... The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny." While I agree that faith and actions can not be separated, to say "salvation...comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ" is dangerous ground. I know enough about MacArthur to understand he is not preaching salvation by works, but one could easily understand his words to mean that. In his eagerness to criticize the seeker-friendly gospel, it seems he almost begins to advocate works-righteousness.

"Hard to Believe" presents the gospel as it is - as something that is more than hard, but actually impossible to believe without the Spirit's help. Watering it down - making it easy to believe - can never succeed. When we tamper with the gospel we tamper with the very wisdom of God, who saw fit to share news that is so foolish that none can believe it without His illumination. Our job is to preach the gospel, and full gospel, and leave the results to God. "Then, instead of being unbelievable and foolish, these words that are so hard to believe become the only balm that soothes a sinful heart...Those hard words become precious and welcome and treasured. `All that the Father gives to Christ, they will come.' They will come. Our calling is to reach them with the truth." (page 215) That very truth is the foundation of this book.

I am happy to recommend this book. I believe it would make an interesting companion to "Ashamed of the Gospel" which covers much of the same material but from an earlier perspective. While "Ashamed of the Gospel" serves as a warning, "Hard to Believe" serves as a wake-up call. And truly the church needs to wake up and return to the clear, forceful preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ!

This is only the second of John MacArthur's books that I've read. But I do listen to him on the radio and have a couple of his teaching tapes.

In my humble opinion, this book is MacArthur at his very best. John MacArthur will tell it like it is. He is a very straight shooter and pulls no punches.

The whole "easy believism" craze has concerned me greatly for sometime. As does the incredibly high number of backsliders that is produces. One of the things that I respect most about John MacArthur is his willingness to preach on difficult subjects and his willingness to make his listeners uncomfortable. John definitely not not sugarcoat the truth, but I don't think he crosses the line into "hellfire" preaching either. I think this is a very well thought out and convicting book. It clearly shows MacArthur's concern for his readers/listeners and comes straight from his heart. There is no doubting his passion and sincerity.

This is not a book to read for enjoyment. This is a book to ponder, digest and apply. I believe this book will change your life, if you read it with an open mind and an open heart.

I've read a lot of MacArthur's stuff through the years, so as I read this I am comparing it to other things he has written. In that regard, I would have given this a four star rating because I don't think it is up to the standards he has set in "The Gospel According to Jesus." Also the basic themes of this book and several others are covered in "Our Sufficiency in Christ." In my mind, "The Gospel According to Jesus" is MacArthur's magnum opus, and everything after that ("Faith Works," "Ashamed of the Gospel," "Reckless Faith," and now this book) are postcripts and reinforcements of that one.

Also, I am not the biggest fan of transcribed sermons, which I think this is. It seems to me that different communication styles are used in speaking and writing. "The Gospel According to Jesus" seemed to have been written before it was preached and it seemed to me to pack more punch. But these are picayune comments reflecting my own idiosyncrasies.

Instead of giving it a four star I have given it a five star because the message is still crucial in our day of continued easy-believism. If someone is new to MacArthur I would recommend "The Gospel According to Jesus," but if this book fell into their lap first I would still say there is much to chew on. The message is vital - the Word of God has never changed, following Jesus means denying oneself and taking up a cross - there is no salvation apart from these things - it is now as it was in the beginning. As before, MacArthur illustrates the shallow gospel that is often preached in our day, and the great majority of spurious conversions that result.

So, by all means, read "The Gospel According to Jesus," but if you get this one first you won't go wrong.

The simple message of the Gospel has been simply mutilated. This book indicts the present-day "church" by plainly pointing out what it does- preferring to not offend attendees, it compromises the truth. So where does God condone such action? Not anywhere in the true church- the Bride of Christ.
Read this book, challenge it with scripture and do not be hesitant to compare your "church" to it.
Can you believe it?

In response to one of the more negative reviews by John Sherman from Ft. Worth, TX, perhaps I can shed some light on "John MacArthur's Church", since it is obvious he has never been here. As a longtime member of Grace Community, I have worn both business suits and casual clothes, and (gasp) I've actually had coffee during the service. I've even rejoiced with a smile on my face rather than a deadpan and (gasp) clapped during the music.

The issue of the gospel is "not eating and drinking" or even the "style" of the music, but the heart, something our Creator knows even better than we do ourselves. The paradox of the gospel, clearly presented from Chapter 1 of this book and throughout, is that in order to live, we must die to our natural selves. That is the evidence that we have been saved.

That salvation is a free gift "by grace through faith" is never disputed by John in this book or anywhere. Only God can save - even our faith is His gift after all. And a heart that has been changed by God will recognize its sinfulness and want to turn from it. A true presentation of the Gospel has to include that. It can't all just be this sentimental self-esteem nonsense that pervades much of evangelicalism today.

In order for there to be the "Good News" (gospel), people first need to know the bad news about their current fallen state, and where they're headed. But if no one ever tells them, because they're afraid to offend them (or worse yet, to loose money when all the unsaved people in their church leave for the next big fad down the street), then they have to come up with all kinds of other ways to "sell" their church. If the church thinks of its competition as movies, music, and sporting events, then it will target its strategy one way - seeker friendly, Gospel Lite. But if it thinks of its competition as hell, it will start telling people the truth. "Saved from What?" by R.C. Sproul is another good resource along these same lines.

Here is another one of MacArthur's books that critiques the shallow Christianity common among modern-day evangelicals. Overall, the book is useful and informative, but there will be times when you fear that MacArthur has lost (or comes perilously close to) losing the Gospel. One can empathize with MacArthur's concern for greater commitment among today's Christians, the spiritual destructiveness of the health-wealth movement, and the problems of seeker-sensitive methods. There were many things in the book that I would give a hearty "amen!" to, but there were also other things written in the book that caused grave concern. I believe MacArthur's rightful criticisms sometimes lands him in hot water. For instance, on page 93, MacArthur seems to teach works-righteousness salvation: "Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions.... The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny." He also equates saving faith with "commitment", "faithfulness", "loyalty", etc. One is left wondering how much commitment/faithfulness/loyalty we must have in order to be saved. MacArthur's zeal to critique the shallow Christianity of the modern church has led him away from the principles of the Reformation (whom many have been persecuted to uphold over the centuries). In fact, MacArthur seems to promote a type of salvation that is not "Hard to Believe" but "Impossible to Obtain." There were parts in the book where MacArthur promoted Reformation principles like faith alone and imputed righteousness, but those statements seem to be nullified by his other problematic statements. To those reviewers who gave this book four or five stars, I suggest you familiarize yourselves with the works of the Reformers. Contrast them with this book and you'll see that MacArthur in many places is not in accord with the Reformers. Salvation comes by faith alone, and our good works only reveal that God's grace has been worked in our hearts. They do not provide us with a righteous verdict in the eyes of God. I suggest pastors and seminary students read this book with a critical eye because there are some things in this book that will make the Reformers raise their eyebrows and wonder if they have successfully brought the church back to the teachings of the Apostles.