My Changed View on Pastor John MacArthur

A few years ago I remembered thinking that Pastor John MacArthur was teaching works salvation and conditional security without actually bothering to investigate the source that was him out of biases. The problem with me when I read about a person who tried to refute the doctrine of eternal security to which that person had said that salvation was all about doing what Jesus says, not receiving Him as Lord and Savior and that a backslider has lost his/her salvation. Actually, she had misquoted Pastor MacArthur to a huge extent. So I began to really think that he was teaching the wrong doctrine like conditional security which he does not so if you really read through and through what he has to say! Also the words "lordship salvation" are now being widely misused by the conditional security crowd which leads to the "lordship salvation controversy". Well, he even got a "skull and crossbones" award for emphasizing the wonderful truth that salvation can't be lost.

There is NO controversy whatsoever that a person must receive Jesus as Lord and Savior in order to be saved. Why? The Bible refers to Christ as Lord, and Jesus that is not Lord is a false Jesus. The problem today is Christ's Lordship is frequently undermined from the pulpits when in the Bible, many times the repentant call Him Lord for salvation! The Bible says in Acts 19:31 to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Paul clearly addressed Jesus as Lord. No doubt, it was a Lord and Savior preaching NOT just a "Savior preaching " or "Lord preaching". Pastor Kent Jesalva emphasized many times that these two are inseparable! Amen Pastor Kent! So then again, what is Lordship doctrine? Lordship doctrine presents its distinction from easy believism to which easy believism welcomes apostates as Christians, Lordship doctrine does not. It investigates the person's profession as a Christian is if ever, compatible with the life they live. There is NO way that people who live so sinfully without any remorse as Christians. Even if a Christian may backslide so horribly at times that they need to be set aside, however, the hand of the Lord is always ready to chastise (Hebrews 12:5-6), God's grace teaches the believer to live differently (Titus 2:11-15) and that they CANNOT completely fall away (1 John 2:19). Christians have power over sin and if they CANNOT lose their salvation, they also CANNOT lose their power against sinful lifestyles this damnable world has to offer them because of daily sanctification!

I am fortunate that a brother-in-Christ had rebuked my error especially when I did encounter it at a site I was discouraged from reading which I won't even link here, as said I won't link any of these sites to avoid giving them any more traffic than they already have. Here are some reasons why Pastor John MacArthur is considered a "works salvation preacher" - he emphasizes surrender, repentance of sin and not to mention counting the cost of the narrow gate. However, these are all Biblical. Surrender is not works salvation, it means GIVING UP yourself to Christ for salvation. The person sees their sins, they see their life as dirty and the only way to get a new life is by submission to Christ. Submission means yielding one's self to another, surrender means giving up without a fight. How can one let Him into their heart and life IF they don't even realize they are dirty rotten sinners and Christ is Lord? NONE! The more I read even just a few of his books like "Fool's Gold" and "The Gospel According to Jesus" I began to think that my stand was a lot for Calvinist (that is the perseverance of the saints) versus that of Arminianism (that a Christian can lose their salvation, most Christians are not aware of that). Carrying your cross and forsaking all is actually the proof of authentic faith. And of course, again, John Macarthur was NOT teaching works salvation or teaching that it was not necessary to have bloodshed for forgiveness, rather than blood and death are two inseparable facts! Then I began reading "The Jesus You Can't Ignore" and "Truth War" which again, DO NOT TEACH SALVATION BY ANY FORM OF WORKS! In fact, many times he stresses that true converts DO NOT LOSE THEIR SALVATION and the true evidence is in the life they live! They cannot totally fall away if their salvation cannot be lost! That is what eternal security really is all about!

Now the book "The Gospel According to Jesus" which really shows what the Gospel is about. The more I read the book, the more I am seeing what authentic faith really is. Salvation is NOT for those who refuse to follow Jesus as Lord because in the first place, why would they who reject who Christ is for who He is, want to even receive salvation in the first place? The problem that the book presents is the diluted, watered-down preaching which is literally killing people because they are sent to Hell every minute. After listening to a few of Paul Washer's sermons, there is the "just pray a sinner's prayer heresy" or "salvation by decision cards" and the worse part is that he admitted, there was really no preaching about sin and the Savior. Not everyone who thinks they are opponents of Lordship theology believes that sadly they are in terminological error. As said, unless a person REALLY knows the Gospel, is even willing to forsake everything - knowing that receiving the free gift of salvation WILL result in a life of hardship, knowing that Jesus DID NOT promise any life of ease and luxury. In fact, just think of the rich young ruler after he realized that he could risk losing everything if he chose Jesus. He was weighing more on the worldly than the spiritual, he was also crushed of his pride realizing that the Law was far above him than he thought. Worse, he was self-righteous and trusting in riches he earned himself. MacArthur's sharing with Kirk Cameron was right- the rich young ruler was really unwilling to follow Jesus. In fact, people who are not willing to forsake sinning will always reject the Gospel because the Law convicts them of sin (John 3:20, Romans 3:19), and people who don't see Jesus as Lord will NEVER realize they are lawbreakers in need of forgiveness! Or that indeed it is true people who want to get saved are so FED UP with sinning and they know only Jesus heals them from their sins! Free from sin NOT free to sin!