The Gospel According to Jesus

I agree. We try to make being a Christian too easy, too comfortable. I visited some newcomers to our church one time who were both from India. The wife had been raised as a Catholic but the husband was a Hindu and converted to Christianity. He told me that ever since his conversion his life had been continually threated because of his faith. He said that his Christianity was much weaker since he had come to the United States because his faith was now socially acceptable and he no longer was putting everything on the line because of his decision to follow Jesus.

There is no real personal risk associated with being a Christian in America. Oh there might be some embarrassment or harassment from other Christians if you don't belong to the right political party or support the current war but that's nothing compared to what this couple had faced. Easy faith, no commitment, social acceptance, a theology that even discourages standing up for your faith. These are the things that are killing real Christianity in the U.S.

 

:wavey: Keep on :type:

peace to youraying:

 

John MacArthur's LS interpretation of the Gospel is the crux of the LS controversy.

MacArthur has redefined the terms of the Gospel. In so doing, MacArthur has corrupted the Gospel from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Cor. 11:3).

Dr. Ernest Pickering wrote,

It IS the teaching of MacArthur and all men who teach and promote Lordship's peculiar interpretation of the Gospel that has introduced “divisions and offenses” into the body of Christ.

It is exactly the teaching of men like MacArthur that must be biblically resisted. The Bible mandates our course of action when the Gospel is under assault such as it is by the teaching of Lordship Salvation.

Finally, I want to reiterate that MacArthur’s character is not under question, his teaching is because his teaching on the Gospel is a departure from the faith once delivered (Jude 3).


LM

 

I encourage any one who has TGATJ, the 20th Anniversary edition to turn to page 250. There you will find a stark example of the works based teaching of John MacArthur's Lordship Salvation.

If you do not have a copy, for details see, Summary of Lordship Salvation for documentation from the book.


LM

 

One way or the other.

 

I haven't a clue what TGATJ is.
In matt 19 there is a rich man who asked Christ about how to obtain eternal life. Christ told him if he wanted to be perfect to sell all he had and give it to the poor. He went away because he couldn't do that. The disciples asked then who could be saved. Christ told them that with men it was impossible but with God all things are possible.

Was that rich young man saved or not?
Or was he so in love with his possessions that he had no room left in his heart for Christ?

The biggest fear in many hearts is " What am I going to have to give up for this Salvation ?" When I was saved I had nothing to posses but my sin. Did I give it all up?. Obviously not because I still sin. At the time I was convinced that I wouldn't ever sin again. It all seems silly now that I thought such a thing. I just hadn't been fully educated yet.

Everything I have is really God's. Even my children and wife. I think maybe what is missing in Christianity today is the realization that Christ deserves to be first in our lives. It is truly rare to meat someone who is totally devoted to Christ, so rare in fact, that I doubt that there is anyone really that devoted. I'd like to be able to make such a claim but, when I examine myself I know better. No one is perfect but Christ with this I can agree. Yet perfection is what being Christ like is all about isn't it?

Being a Christian is to seek to be like Him. Isn't Lord ship over our lives allowing Him to live His life through us?.

I’d really like to know, can anyone be saved who will not surrender to His righteousness? If you hold back one thing is it really a complete surrender?
MB

 

MacArthur's book The Gospel According to Jesus (TGATJ), now in its 3rd edition.


LM

 

MB:

You wrote, "What am I going to have to give up for this Salvation?" Answering that question as though the lost have to give something up FOR salvation is how LS can be identified as a WORKS message. MacArthur's answer is, "Salvation is for those who are willing to forsake everything." (TGATJ).

Be willing to forsake everything FOR salvation; forsake everything to become a Christian?

I read one man equate this to a pledge drive. A promise for a promsie, an exchange, a barter system. Pledge the willingness to forsake everything and in return you receive the gift of eternal life. This is Lordship Salvation!


LM

 

RB, Wake up!

That that has always been the issue is obvious from the numerous debates.

 

TC:

RB wrote,

RB not only needs to wake up about the words with which MacArthur uses to teach his LS, but he also needs to wake up and understand that I have not argued about what works a man must perform, what he must DO to become a Christian.

My argument with LS is over what LS insists a lost man must promise, make a commitment to DO to become a Christian.

LS is wrong because it is a message instructing the lost man that he must be willing to forsake everything FOR salvation, FOR the reception of eternal life.


LM

 

Thank you for answering my post;
Salvation is a gift we couldn't earn, even if we had to.
My salvation depends on submission or, surrender to Him. When we submit or surrender aren't we giving something up? Aren't we turning over our will over to Him?. If Jesus is Lord of our lives isn't He our ruler?.
If when we see something we really want and we take off after it leaving all else behind. Are we giving up on what we left behind?. Or is it just taking second place to the attraction . Leaving it behind. Does it insure that we will obtain what ever the object of our attraction may be.

The disciples left everything behind to seek after the one and only God in the flesh. Were they buying Salvation? I don't think they were. They were just so drawn. Every word Christ spoke to them must have rang like huge bells in there heads. They instantly became attracted to Christ and inside I think they already knew who He was.
In matt. 19, the disciples admit that they had given up everything to follow Christ. I for one am glad they did.
Christ said;
Luk 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
In other words give up your own life...
This isn't talking about a murderous type of hate but, an abandoning type. Can we be saved and not follow Christ? If we follow Him, we most certainly are giving up something, even if it's just our freewill. Some of the disciples left there wives behind, some left businesses. All of them gave up everything with the exception to Judas of course.
JM's statement;"Salvation is for those who are willing to forsake everything." For some reason I don’t think that JM is suggesting that we can buy Salvation. I’ve heard the man preach and I don’t think buying Salvation is what he meant. It's an explanation of what happens when men see the answer to life right in front of them. With their attention is focused on Christ. Everything else becomes unimportant because of there focus on Christ. Money, relatives, all possessions, all fade, in comparison to Christ. Nothing absolutely nothing is more important. At least not to me.

I don’t usually defend Calvinist I do not believe as they do. However they do believe in Christ the same way I do. I consider them brothers and sisters in Christ. None of us agree totally on matters of doctrine even in my own church.

JM has a lot of controversy surrounding him. I don't agree with everything he says, but there is a good chance here that you've misunderstood what he was trying to say. I haven't read the book so obviously you know more about what he said than I do this is just my opinion.

You stated this is what JM believes and teaches, in his book;

I say amen to what JM says here. There is no difference between the Jew and the greek we all have to go through Jesus to have eternal life. You should know that submission is not a work but is simply giving up.
MB

 

RB,

Have you read MacArthur's take on James 4:7-10? If so, Do you agree with him?