PER:The Gospel According to Jesus  by John MacArthur A Review

   MacArthur's book hits four main issues: assurance, faith,
repentance, and the relationship between salvation and discipleship.

   Assurance

   While he never says it in so many words, MacArthur does not believe
in assurance. That is, he thinks that no one can or should know with
certainity that he is saved. He suggests that it is healthy for
believers (regardless of how long they have been saved -- or rather
think they have been saved) to have doubts about their salvation as
long as they do not worry obsessively about it (p. 190). (He never
explains what constitutes too much worrying about one's salvation.) He
views doubt and worry over one's eternal destiny as a strong
motivation, if not the only motivation, for people to live holy lives
(pp. 23, 77, 123, 178, 190, 217-18).

   Faith

   Faith is viewed by MacArthur not as an objective reality but as a
sub- jective mist. He suggests that one can believe all the facts of
the gospel and still be unsaved (pp. 68, 74)! Faith, he suggests, also
must include a 'complete submission' to Christ's sovereignity over
one's life (pp. 68, 74, 135). Of course, since no one submits perfectly
in this life, if that is what faith is, how could anyone hope to know
for sure he had placed his faith in Christ? MacArthur's view of faith
leaves no room for assurance.

   Repentance

   Defining repentance as turning from one's sins (pp. 162-65),
MacArthur suggests that in order to obtain eternal salvation one must
turn from his sins and keep on doing so (pp. 58, 111, 162-65). He even
admits at one point that this is in part a human work. He says, "Nor is
repentance merely a human work" (p. 163). That is, he sees it as a work
of God and us. We must co- operate in our salvation, according to
MacArthur, by striving against sin our whole lives, never knowing we
are saved and always hoping we are turning from enough sins. MacArthur
contends that if anyone ever falls they were probably never saved in
the first place (pp. 77, 84, 123).

   The Relationship between Salvation and Discipleship

   Obedience to God's commands is central to MacArthur's view of both
of these subjects. He suggests that one is saved not merely by obeying
God's command to trust in Christ alone, but by obeying all of God's
commands (pp. 33n, 96, 126-27, 174-78). Progressive sanctification is,
according to Mac- Arthur, the inevitable result of justification. If
one ceases to obey God at some point, he proves he was probably not
saved in the first place (pp. 77, 84, 123). How well must one obey to
be saved? MacArthur admits that no one can obey 100% of the time due to
the flesh which remains with us until we die (p. 174). Yet he fails to
say how much obedience is needed (99%?, 90%?, 80%?, 70%? -- or maybe
God grades on the curve?).

   MacArthur says that salvation requires human effort (pp. 33, 97,
100, 163)! He argues that this is not teaching works-salvation since
our efforts and works alone will not save us (pp. 33, 163). Salvation,
in his view, takes God's works plus our works. However, if it takes our
works at all to be saved, then eternal salvation is at least in part by
works and can rightly be called works-salvation.

   While we may disagree strongly with what MacArthur's book says, we
should not only believe in grace, but also manifest it as we talk with
those who hold errant views of the gospel. While it is apparent from
Galatians 1:6-9 that we should not support the ministry of those who
distort the gospel, that is not to say that we should be argumentative
and belligerent. Let's demonstrate love and grace in the way we talk to
and about those who promote a false gospel.

   Dr. Bob Wilkin Grace Evangelical Society
