The Gospel according to Jesus: What Does Jesus Mean When He Says "Follow Me"
Overview
The first edition of The Gospel According to Jesus won wide acclaim in confronting the easy-believism
that has characterized some aspects of evangelical Christianity. Over the past 50 years, a handful of books have become true classics, revered world-wide for their crystal-clear presentation of the Gospel and lauded for their contribution to the Christian faith. These extraordinary books are read, re-read, and discussed in churches, Bible study groups, and homes everywhere. John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus is one of those books.
In The Gospel According to Jesus, MacArthur tackles the idea of easy-believism
, challenging Christians to re-evaluate their commitment to Christ by examining their fruits. MacArthur asks, What does it really mean to be saved?
He urges readers to understand that their conversion was more than a mere point in time, that, by definition, it includes a lifetime of obediently walking with Jesus as Lord.
Top Highlights
“His ‘follow Me’ was a call to surrender to his lordship.” (source)
“Repentance as Jesus characterized it in this incident involves a recognition of one’s utter sinfulness and a turning from self and sin to God (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9). Far from being a human work, it is the inevitable result of God’s work in a human heart. And it always represents the end of any human attempt to earn God’s favor. It is much more than a mere change of mind—it involves a complete change of heart, attitude, interest, and direction. It is a conversion in every sense of the word.” (source)
“Verse 36 goes even further, equating disobedience with unbelief: ‘He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.’ Thus the test of true faith is this: Does it produce obedience? If not, it is not saving faith. Disobedience is unbelief. Real faith obeys.” (source)
“They stumble over the twin truths that salvation is a gift, yet it costs everything.” (source)
“Simple assent to the gospel, divorced from a transforming commitment to the living Christ, is by biblical standards less than faith, and less than saving, and to elicit only assent of this kind would be to secure only false conversions.” (source)
- Title: The Gospel according to Jesus
- Author: John F. MacArthur
- Edition: Electronic ed.
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Print Publication Date: 2000
- Logos Release Date: 2003
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Jesus Christ › Person and offices; Christian life
- ISBNs: 9780310537847, 0310537843
- Resource ID: LLS:42.90.7
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-28T20:20:47Z
John MacArthur (b. 1939) is a Calvinist theologian, author, editor, and teacher. He is a popular conference speaker and the president of both The Master's College and The Master's Seminary. He has also served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. Best known for his expository exegesis of the Bible, Logos has collected more than 3,000 of his sermons in the John MacArthur Sermon Archive and offers the complete MacArthur New Testament Commentary.
MacArthur’s pulpit ministry extends around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly 2,000 English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and CDs by John MacArthur. He has written hundreds of books and study guides, including the bestselling John MacArthur Essential Bible Study Library and the MacArthur Study Bible. He is also the author of notable titles like Different by Design and Twelve Ordinary Men.
