John MacArthur

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    Why I Still Preach the Bible

    This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. Sadly and ironically, in its attempt to achieve cultural relevance, mainstream evangelicalism has become essentially irrelevant. As Os Guiness points out,[1]the seductive promise of “relevance” is, in reality, the road to irrelevance. When the church markets itself like the world, the distinctiveness of its message is

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    Missing the Point

    This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. The dean of the seminary I attended was Dr. Charles Feinberg, one of the most brilliant and respected men I have ever known. He was Jewish, and after studying for fourteen years to be a rabbi, he was converted to Christ. He knew more than thirty

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    Jonah: The Rogue Prophet

    The sea is no place to go for peace and quiet. Modern meteorology has documented the destructive power rogue waves, tropical cyclones, microbursts, and other weather phenomena that pose unique threats to ships at sea. But the storm described in the first chapter of Jonah was different. It was personal.

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    The Four Soils: Among the Thorns

    This post was first published in August, 2017. —ed. Most of us have endured the tragedy of watching people we counted as spiritual brothers and sisters leave the church and turn their backs on Christ. It is heartbreaking to see friends and loved ones reject the Savior and instead pursue sin. When we think of

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    The Four Soils: The Rocky Ground

    This post was first published in August, 2017. —ed. Just a short drive from the freeways and congestion of Los Angeles you’ll find barren hills and mountains. During the rainy season they suddenly spring to life with luxuriant-looking greenery. But they quickly revert to a parched brown. The green that looked so promising turns into

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    The Four Soils: Beside the Road

    This post was first published in August, 2017. —ed. Ineffective evangelism can cause a lot of soul searching for the one evangelizing. Some re-evaluate the message while others question their methodology. But those are only worthwhile endeavors insofar as the message remainsfaithfulto the one true gospel (Galatians 1:8–9) and the methodology isobedientto Christ’s command: “That

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    The Seismic Shift in Christ’s Teaching

    This post was first published in August, 2017. —ed. One very busy day near the end of Jesus’ second year of public ministry, the whole character of His teaching changed. The continual rejection of His teaching by hostile Pharisees triggered a massive and sudden shift. He stopped preaching straightforward sermons peppered with key prophetic texts

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    The Revelation of God’s Holiness

    This post was first published in June, 2020. —ed. God is neverbecoming—never growing, learning, or increasing in anything. From eternity past to eternity future, He is alwaysbeingwho He has always been. His infinite perfections cannot be improved upon. It’s hard for us to comprehend the difference between being and becoming. God’s moral perfection and sinlessness

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    God’s Infinite Perfection

    This post was first published in June, 2020. —ed. We can’t fully understand God’s holiness. But we can understand it much better than we currently do. By and large, the typical evangelical’s understanding of God is pathetically superficial. Too many professing believers think about God in only self-centered and self-indulgent terms, reducing Him to little

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    Should Fallen Pastors Be Restored?

    It always saddens me to watch church leaders bring reproach on the church of Jesus Christ. What’s perhaps most shocking to me is how frequently Christian leaders sin grossly, then step back into leadership almost as soon as the publicity dies away. It seems like Christians don’t expect much of their leaders anymore. Some time

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    The Shepherd's Public Reputation

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. Have you ever considered what the unbelieving world thinks about your pastor? He doesn’t need to be a household name or a celebrity preacher with a worldwide audience—it’s not a question of how famous he is. Put it this way: What do the nonbelievers in his

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    The Home of a Godly Shepherd

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. The pastor’s primary mission field is not his congregation or the surrounding community—it’s his own home. His abilities to communicate the gospel, to be a godly example, and to lead others in sanctification and godliness are never more accurately on display than in the lives of

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    The Power of Integrity

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. What is the most important quality leaders can demonstrate? Intelligence, a forceful personality, glibness, diligence, vision, administrative skills, decisiveness, courage, humor, tact, or any other similar natural attribute? Those all play a part, but the most desirable quality for any leader is integrity. While integrity is

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    Rightly Handle God’s Word

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. Churches suffer when pastoral search committees are informed more by the corporate world than by the Word of God. Preferences concerning style, personality, appearance, speaking ability, management skills, and sense of humor often factor too heavily in the decision-making process, obscuring clear instructions from God’s Word

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    Be Temperate and Prudent

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. What qualifies a man for pastoral ministry? Based on the abundance of self-appointed and unaccountable leaders in modern evangelical churches, it seems many church-goers either don’t know or don’t care. The fellowships they attend may profess Scripture’s authority in their doctrinal statement, but their practice reveals

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    Sexual Fidelity

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. “The NFL’s doing a better job at it. CBS is doing a better job at it. Kmart is doing a better job at it. Virtually every institution on earth is demonstrating that they are doing a better job at restoring people than the Church.”[1]These are the

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    Be Above Reproach

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. America’s church culture suffers from an abundance of unqualified church leaders. What’s worse, many of these mavericks preside over a form of church government incapable of restraining or disciplining them. Tragically, in many cases it’s the media that holds these leaders accountable—tragic because the media ends

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    Unwavering Biblical Conviction

    This post was first published in January, 2015. —ed. Churches are everywhere. So why is it so difficult to find a good one? There are many towns and cities void of even one Bible-teaching, gospel-proclaiming, disciple-making church. There are several reasons good churches are so rare today. 1. Leaders are entrepreneurs, not shepherds. Recent decades

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    Why Does Sola Scriptura Still Matter?

    This post was first published in July, 2016. —ed. The Protestant Reformation is rightly regarded as the greatest revival in the last thousand years of church history—a movement so massive it radically altered the course of Western civilization. Names like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox are still well-known today, five centuries after they

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    Can We Add to God's Word?

    This post was first published in July, 2016. —ed. Over the last hundred years, the church has seen an explosion of interest in the Holy Spirit—particularly in His work of empowering God’s people and revealing His truth. This renewed interest in the Spirit’s role in our daily lives has injected excitement and enthusiasm into many

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    Counting Your Blessings

    This post was first published in September, 2019. —ed. It’s easy to take God’s blessings for granted. It’s even easier to be unaware of many of them. But Scripture calls all believers to regularly take inventory. That is what the apostle Peter is pointing out when—with a hint of sarcasm— he asks his readers “if

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    Craving God's Word

    This post was first published in September, 2019. —ed. Babies crave milk, andonlymilk. Parents care about the color of the blanket, the pattern of the curtains, the decorations in and around the crib, and the way the child is dressed. The baby doesn’t care about any of that. Babies don’t scream because they’re offended by

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    The Quest for Christlikeness

    This post was first published in September, 2019. —ed. No true believer is completely satisfied with his spiritual progress. Under the illuminating, sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, all of us are aware of our need to be refined and disciplined for the sake of godliness. In fact, the more we mature, the more capable

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    The Right Kind of Hunger

    This post was first published in September, 2019. —ed. Some Christians undergo a frantic struggle every Sunday to remember where they last saw their Bibles. They know they had it with them at church last week. But they haven’t seen it since they got home and set it down. Inevitably, they’ll find it buried somewhere

  • Anna: The Aged Evangelist

    This post was first published in December, 2015. —ed. Few people paid attention to Christ’s birth, and fewer still were aware that He was the fulfillment of Israel’s hope for Messiah. That spiritual insight was granted to just a small circle of faithful men and women—most of whom we know very little about. Anna is

  • Anna: The Prophetess from Asher

    This post was first published in December, 2015. —ed. Scripture wasn’t written carelessly. There are no throwaway verses and no filler. Every word was inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16), free from error (cf.Titus 1:2), and profitable for the people of God. It’salldivinely intended for our spiritual growth. That means God included even

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    Anna: The Faithful Witness

    This post was first published in November, 2015. —ed. It is truly remarkable that when Jesus was born, so few people in Israel recognized their Messiah. It was not as if no one was watching for Him. Messianic expectation in the early first century was running at an all-time high. Scripture records that when John

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    Schooling a Scholar

    This post was first published in December, 2018. —ed. It’s easy to be intimidated by the intellectual giants and academic elite of this world. But the gospel message profoundly levels that playing field. The conversation between Christ and Nicodemus illustrates that human accolades and prestige don’t diminish a person’s need for the blunt truth of

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    Friday’s Featured Sermon: “No Other Gospel”

    This post was first published in August, 2018. —ed. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an exclusive, narrow, and nonnegotiable message. While there is only one way to preach it, there are seemingly endless ways to distort and pervert it. And even the smallest alteration strips the gospel of its saving power. The apostle Paul

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    The Gospel Distilled

    This post was first published in December, 2018. —ed. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16is likely the Bible’s most well-known verse. Most Sunday school children can quote it verbatim before they learn to read

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    What Jesus Meant by “Water and the Spirit”

    This post was first published in December, 2018. —ed. There’s nothingwecan do to earn our way into God’s kingdom. We needGodto do something to us. That truth demolishes every religious system outside of Christianity. And that is the sobering reality Jesus used to initiate His evangelistic encounter with Nicodemus—a man who had devoted his whole

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    Nicodemus, the Friendly Pharisee

    This post was first published in December, 2018. —ed. The gospel of John doesn’t attract much attention during the Christmas season. Instead, we are usually drawn to the birth narratives found in the accounts of Luke and Matthew. However, John captures the essence of Christmas beautifully in the opening prologue to his gospel account: “The

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    All Dressed Up and No One to Thank

    This post was first published in October, 2015. —ed. The atheists’ dilemma: whom do you thank when you think there’s no one to be grateful to? Thankfulness is one of the distinguishing traits of the human spirit. We sense the need to say thanks, and we realize we ought to be more grateful than we

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    The Marks of the Meta-Church

    How can we tell a true church from a false church? Or a healthy church from one that’s weak and incomplete? During the Reformation, as Protestants were separating from the Roman Catholic system, they were forced to ask these questions. Spurious sects sprouted up all around them, so they needed to develop a set of

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    Digitally Dismembering the Body of Christ

    Can a church function properly if the members are never gathered together? TheChristian Postarticlewe’ve been examining assumes it can. The article highlights Oasis Church VR, which meets exclusively through Facebook’s metaverse as an alternative to physically gathering. Craig Groeschel’s Life.Church also recently opened an avenue for forming a metaverse “congregation.” Amazingly, neither of these groups

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    Disembodied Fellowship

    Is there a difference between assemblingin personversus assemblingonline? Last time, we argued that Scripture commands believers to assemble (Hebrews 10:25). But with the advances of modern technology, that command must be further elaborated. Why does it matter if we gatherdigitallyinstead ofphysically? The answer to this question lies in biblical anthropology—the study of humanity. Embodied Souls

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    A Disassembled Assembly

    Has the church as we know it out-lived its shelf life? Do we need to redesign our congregations to fit modern sensibilities and technological advances? That’s the argument put forth in a recent series of articles atThe Christian Postpromoting virtual congregations and churches designed for the metaverse. As we sawlast time, God’s Word is sufficient

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    Sola Scriptura and Cyber Worship

    If God owns the church (1 Peter 2:9), shouldn’t His Word take priority in how it is structured? Yetthis articlefromThe Christian Postpromoting the shift to virtual church lacks any interaction with Scripture (aside from one twisted application ofMark 2:22). The article references youth engagement, potential missional opportunities, and survey results to argue for the importance

  • Does the Church Need Digital Disrupters?

    Are you bored with your local church? Are you sick of the same four walls, talking with the same people, and sitting under the same pastor week after week? If you’ve succumbed to the sinful misconception that church is intended to satisfyyourever-changing desires—that the church is meant to appeal to personal tastes and to follow

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  • Can We Really Do All Things Through Christ?

    The following blog was originally posted in February 2016. -ed. Tim Tebow was featured on the cover of the July 27, 2009 issue ofSports Illustrated, decked out in his Florida Gators uniform. But what made the image so striking was the message written in Tebow’s eye black—under his right eye was the word “Phil,” and

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  • For What "Good" Is God Working All Things Together?

    This post was originally published in September 2015. -ed. You’ve probably heard the proverb “Familiarity breeds contempt.” That’s often true with relationships and institutions, as your close proximity reveals cracks and blemishes you wouldn’t notice in passing. However, when it comes to Scripture, familiarity usually breedscarelessness. Many of the “Frequently Abused Verses” we’re considering have

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  • Why Pray in Jesus' Name?

    This post originally appeared in September 2015. -ed. What do your prayers sound like to other people? Are you expressing submission to the Lord and His will for your life? Or do you approach His throne with an exhaustive wish list? If we are honest, we’re all occasionally guilty of treating God like a mystical

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  • Is Judgment Always Forbidden?

    This post was originally published in September 2015. -ed. Love, don’t judge. For many people in the church, that simple slogan has become the kneejerk defense in the face of criticism and confrontation. At some point, believers decided that careful discernment andagapēlove are diametrically opposed; that judgment is always a threat to our unity in

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  • Are We Physically Healed by Jesus' Stripes?

    This post was first published inAugust 2016. -ed. Most of us have heard of faith healers. They exist almost exclusively within the charismatic movement and claim to be divinely gifted to supernaturally heal the sick. For these miracle workers to have any longevity—some of them have thriving ministries that last for decades—they need to develop

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  • What Are the "Greater Works" for Believers?

    The following post originally appeared on September 18, 2015. -ed. In the quiet intimacy of the upper room, just hours before His arrest, Christ gave His disciples some final encouragement and instruction. He revealed again His unity with the Father, comforted His disciples with the promise of heaven, and told them about the Helper who

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    War in the Church

    This post was first published in September 2017. -ed. Postmodernism is, at its very core, an assault on all truth. And the gospel of Jesus Christ—who is “the way,the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, emphasis added)—is a clear enemy of that agenda. No wonder postmodernists have been so determined in recent decades to infiltrate

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    Uncertainty is the New Truth

    The belief that no one can really know anything for certain has emerged as virtually the one dogma postmodernists will tolerate. Uncertainty is the new truth. Doubt and skepticism have been canonized as expressions of humility. Right and wrong have been redefined in terms of subjective feelings and personal perspectives.

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    Friday’s Featured Sermon: “Why Biblical Christianity Is Intolerant in an Age of Tolerance”

    This post was first published in September 2017. -ed. The world has enshrined tolerance as perhaps the greatest of all virtues. This new zeitgeist suppresses all who would call anything wrong or sinful. Exclusive truth claims appear to be headed for rapid extinction in this new world order. As Christians who worship “theway,thetruth andthelife” (John

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    No God, No Truth (Know God, Know Truth)

    This series was first published in September 2017. -ed. Truth has no meaning apart from God. Truth cannot be adequately explained, recognized, understood, or defined without God as the source. Since He alone is eternal and self-existent and He alone is the creator of all else, He is the fountain of all truth. If you

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    Can Truth Survive in a Postmodern Society?

    Is truth subjective? Does it hinge on our preferences and perspective? Many today would answer yes to both questions. That’s why most social media platforms today are weighed down with endless debates that boil down to “my truth” versus “your truth.” But that kind of relativism is nothing new. It merely echoes the ancient question that Pontius Pilate asked of Jesus: “What is truth?”

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    The Blessings of Forgiveness

    This series was first published in April 2016. -ed. Forgiveness is Christianity at its highest level. It reflects God’s immense forgiveness through Christ, and no human expression of forgiveness could ever surpass what Christ has done for us. But extending forgiveness to others also brings with it great blessings upon the Christian life. Let’s conclude

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    Forgiving Fallen Pastors

    This series was first published in April 2016. -ed. It has always saddened me over the years as I’ve watched church leaders bring reproach on the church of Jesus Christ. What’s perhaps most shocking to me is how frequently Christian leaders sin grossly, then step back into leadership almost as soon as the publicity dies

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    Why I Signed the Frankfurt Declaration

    Christ declared, “My kingdom is not of this world. . . . My kingdom is not of this realm.” (John 18:36). Far from setting Himself up as a rival to Caesar, He was saying that the church belongs to a different, higher realm than any earthly government, and therefore she poses no threat to Caesar’srightfulauthority.

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    Why I Signed the Frankfurt Declaration

    Christ declared, “My kingdom is not of this world. . . . My kingdom is not of this realm” (John 18:36). Far from setting Himself up as a rival to Caesar, He was saying that the church belongs to a different, higher realm than any earthly government, and therefore she poses no threat to Caesar’srightfulauthority.

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    Forgiving One Another

    For a Christian to be willfully unforgiving is unthinkable. We who have been forgiven by God Himself have no right to withhold forgiveness from our fellow sinners. In fact, Scripture plainly commands us to forgive in the same manner as we have received forgiveness.

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    "Father, Forgive Them"

    If anyone ever had good reason to withhold forgiveness from his enemies, it was the Lord Jesus. He was the only true victim—totally innocent of any wrongdoing. He never broke the law of God. He never sinned in His actions, words, or thoughts. He never yielded to any temptation whatsoever.

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    Blessed Assurance

    God is holy and we are sinful. Those two inescapable truths should frame our entire worldview. They also explain the terror God’s saints always felt during the divine encounters recorded in Scripture.

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    God Glorified Through His People

    This series was first published in January 2019. -ed. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1

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    Sovereign Care and Protection

    This series was first published in January 2019. -ed. How would you assess the current state of the church? Many believers would deliver a despairing report. Cowardice, compromise, and heresy abound in the guise of church growth strategies and contextualization. Religious broadcasting is overrun with charlatans and salesmen. And the political correctness juggernaut continues to