John F. MacArthur, Jr. or Charles C. Ryrie?

[PrincetonGuy]

Why do John F. MacArthur, Jr. and Charles C. Ryrie teach two different gospels? Which one is right, or are they both wrong?

 

[RichardT]

Which ones do they preach.

 

[BereanTodd]

They are not all that far removed, both are within the pale of orthodoxy. Overall I'm much closer to Ryrie, in soteriology I'm closer to MacArthur.

 

[JacobHall86]

Examples and links or it never happened.

 

[Thomas35]

Why do John F. MacArthur, Jr. and Charles C. Ryrie teach two different gospels? Which one is right, or are they both wrong?

I see the samething. On very critical verses on salvation one goes one way the other another way. Sometimes I see them avoid important verses that go against what the church doctrine says.
Alot of people have built their whole relationship on what other people think. People think, well they are preachers and they have a Dr in front of their name its the truth.
Whats sad is alot of churches have gotten away from the truth. The people want a feel good sermon. If the preacher spoke the truth people might leave or quit giving.
When we study scripture we must always go to the greek and hebrew. We can use study bibles but we must be careful.
2 Tim 4: 3-5 gives us a warning. Matt 7:15 Jesus warns us.
The reason alot of people have trouble understanding the bible is they don't listen to what it says. They go to someone else and they put their twist on it and then their really confused.
Lets look at one verse that they differ on. James 5:19 & 20 My brothers if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this; Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Charlies say this is a physical death, Mac says this is spiritual and he could be in trouble. They both believe once saved always saved. Another says this is not a christain. What do we believe?
If our minds have been seared into think of a church doctrine, we will be confused. This can't be were once saved always saved.
What does the GREEK say the word brother means a believer, follower of Christ. This is just one example. Be careful putting all your faith in study bibles. Look at a Dake study bible they are different also. Just let the bible say what it says. God is not the author of confusion, satan is.

 

[JPPT1974]

If we believe in Christ as Savior & Lord
We are born not just physically but born
Spiritually which is most important
But if we don't have Christ then we
Die both a physical death and a spiritual
One meaning separated from Christ!

 

[Flynmonkie]

I see the samething. On very critical verses on salvation one goes one way the other another way. Sometimes I see them avoid important verses that go against what the church doctrine says.
Alot of people have built their whole relationship on what other people think. People think, well they are preachers and they have a Dr in front of their name its the truth.
Whats sad is alot of churches have gotten away from the truth. The people want a feel good sermon. If the preacher spoke the truth people might leave or quit giving.
When we study scripture we must always go to the greek and hebrew. We can use study bibles but we must be careful.
2 Tim 4: 3-5 gives us a warning. Matt 7:15 Jesus warns us.
The reason alot of people have trouble understanding the bible is they don't listen to what it says. They go to someone else and they put their twist on it and then their really confused.
Lets look at one verse that they differ on. James 5:19 & 20 My brothers if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this; Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Charlies say this is a physical death, Mac says this is spiritual and he could be in trouble. They both believe once saved always saved. Another says this is not a christain. What do we believe?
If our minds have been seared into think of a church doctrine, we will be confused. This can't be were once saved always saved.
What does the GREEK say the word brother means a believer, follower of Christ. This is just one example. Be careful putting all your faith in study bibles. Look at a Dake study bible they are different also. Just let the bible say what it says. God is not the author of confusion, satan is.

I second this. Amen to that my brother.. People just need to learn to think for themselves and study for themselves. Prayer and study is all we need for a strong personal relationship with our Father bringing true discernment!

 

[JPPT1974]

I second this. Amen to that my brother.. People just need to learn to think for themselves and study for themselves. Prayer and study is all we need for a strong personal relationship with our Father bringing true discernment!

Amen to that my friend!

 

[SIGMARHO]

I have read the sides on the "lordship salvation" issue and originally, while I agreed with Ryrie and the "non-lordship" side, I have come to appreciate John MacArthur's clear presentation of what he means by "Lordship Salvation" (a term which the critics, like Hodges, Ryrie, etc.. used first).

I agree fully with JohnMac here:

Jesus is Savior and Lord. In fact, the New Testament uses the term "Savior" only 24 times but "Lord" is used 522 times. That has to mean something.

One who professes to be of Christ necessarily also confesses an intention to follow Christ. In fact, the term "Christian" implies followership already. This is not to say that following is a prerequisite for salvation. Of course not! However, it is a definite sign and byproduct of a regenerated heart. We were saved to obey God (cf. Ephesians 2:10).

"Two things basic to salvation, turning from sin and following Christ. That's true salvation. And I am so burdened, because I know there are churches were people are sitting deceived, who think they are saved. Look at your life. Look at your life. Do you follow Christ? Let me put it simpler, do you want to follow Christ? Do you desire to follow Christ? And when you don't, are you saddened by that? Are you grieved by your sin? That's the mark of salvation. It's not that following Christ is the perfection of your life, but it is at least the direction. The truly saved, very simple, "Love Christ and hate sin." Love Christ, hate sin. It doesn't say, "They don't sin," it says, "When they do sin, they hate it." Paul says in Romans 7, "The things that I don't want to do, I do. The things I want to do, I don't do. Oh, wretched man!" - John MacArthur Jr., The Lordship of Christ

"What a tragedy that in our day we often hear the gospel appeal made on this kind of basis: "Come to Jesus! You do not have to obey anyone. You do not have to change anything. You do not have to give up anything, alter anything, surrender anything, give back anything - just come to Him and believe in Him as Savior!"

So they come and believe in the Savior. Later on, in a meeting or conference, they will hear another appeal: "Now that you have received Him as Savior, how would you like to take Him as Lord?"

The fact that we hear this everywhere does not make it right. To urge men and women to believe in a divided Christ is bad teaching for no one can receive half of Christ, or a third of Christ, or a quarter of the Person of Christ! We are not saved by believing in an office nor in a work.

I heard well-meaning workers say, "Come and believe on the finished work." That work will not save you. The Bible does not tell us to believe in an office or a work, but to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Person who has done that work and holds those offices.

The Bible never in any way gives us such a concept of salvation. Nowhere are we ever led to believe that we can use Jesus as a Savior and not own Him as our Lord. He is the Lord and as the Lord He saves us, because He has all of the offices of Savior and Christ and High Priest and Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption! He is all of these things and all of these are embodied in Him as Christ the Lord.

My brethren, we are not allowed to come to Jesus Christ as shrewd, clever operators saying, "We will take this and this, but we won't take that!" We do not come to Him as one who, buying furniture for his house, declares: "I will take this table but I don't want that chair" - dividing it up!

No, sir! It is either all of Christ or none of Christ!

I believe we need to preach again a whole Christ to the world - a Christ who does not need our apologies, a Christ who will not be divided, a Christ who will either be Lord of all or who will not be Lord at all!" - A.W. Tozer, I Call It Heresy

"A godly man may argue thus, Whosoever receive Christ are justly reputed the children of God - "But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God (John 1:12); but I have received Christ in all the ways which the word there can import: for I am pleased with the device of salvation by Christ, I agree to the terms, I welcome the offer of Christ in ALL HIS OFFICES, as a King to rule over me, a Priest to offer sacrifice and intercede for me, a Prophet to teach me; I lay out my heart for Him and towards Him, resting on Him as I am able. What else can be meant by the word RECEIVING?" - William Guthrie (A Puritan who wrote this in 1658)

 

[SIGMARHO]

• The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary:

Repentance(Gk. Metanoia, a “change” of mind). In the theological and ethical sense a fundamental and thorough change in the hearts of men from sin and toward God. Although faith alone is the condition for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 16:31), repentance is bound up with faith and inseparable from it, since without some measure of faith no one can truly repent, and repentance never attains its deepest character until the sinner realizes through saving faith how great is the grace of God against whom he has sinned. On the other hand, there can be no saving faith without true repentance.

Repentance contains as essential elements (1) a genuine sorrow toward God on the account of sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Matthew 5:3-4; Psalm 51); (2) an inward repugnance to sin necessarily followed by actual forsaking of it (Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20; Hebrews 6:1); and (3) humble self-surrender to the will and service of God (Acts 9:6).

• New Bible Dictionary, 2nd Edition:

In the NT the words translated “repent” are metanoeô and metamelomai. Im Gk. They usually mean “to change one’s mind”, and also “to regret, fell remorse” (i.e. over the view previously held). This note of remorse is present in the parable of the tax collector (Luke 18:13), probably in Matthew 21:29, 32; 27:3 and Luke 17:4, and most explicitly in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10. But the NT usage is much more influenced by the OT sûb; that is, repentance is not just a feeling sorry, or changing one’s mind, but a turning round, a complete alteration of the basic motivation and direction of one’s life. That is why the best translation of metanoeô is often “to convert”, that is, “to turn around.”

• Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary:

There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance.

• The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matthew 27:3).
• Metanoeo, meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge.
• This verb, with the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.

Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Psalm 119:128; Job 42:5, 42:6; 2 Corinthians 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavor after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments.

The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Psalm 51:4, 51:9), of pollution (Psalm 51:5, 51:7, 51:10), and of helplessness (Psalm 51:11; 109:21, 109:22). Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Psalm 51:1; 130:4).

• International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:

The word μετανοέω, metanoe´o¯, expresses the true New Testament idea of the spiritual change implied in a sinner's return to God. The term signifies “to have another mind,” to change the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. It is equivalent to the Old Testament word “turn.” Thus, it is employed by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles (Matthew 3:2; Mark1:15; Acts 2:38). The idea expressed by the word is intimately associated with different aspects of spiritual transformation and of Christian life, with the process in which the agency of man is prominent, as faith (Acts 20:21), and as conversion (Acts 3:19); also with those experiences and blessings of which God alone is the author, as remission and forgiveness of sin (Luke 24:47; Acts 5:31). It is sometimes conjoined with baptism, which as an overt public act proclaims a changed relation to sin and God (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24; Acts 19:4). As a vital experience, repentance is to manifest its reality by producing good fruits appropriate to the new spiritual life (Matthew 3:8).

The Psychological Elements:

1. The Intellectual Element:
Repentance is that change of a sinner's mind which leads him to turn from his evil ways and live. The change wrought in repentance is so deep and radical as to affect the whole spiritual nature and to involve the entire personality. The intellect must function, the emotions must be aroused, and the will must act. Psychology shows repentance to be profound, personal and all-pervasive. The intellectual element is manifest from the nature of man as an intelligent being, and from the demands of God who desires only rational service. Man must apprehend sin as unutterably heinous, the divine law as perfect and inexorable, and himself as coming short or falling below the requirements of a holy God (Job 42:5, Job 42:6; Psalm 51:3; Romans 3:20).

2. The Emotional Element:
There may be a knowledge of sin without turning from it as an awful thing which dishonors God and ruins man. The change of view may lead only to a dread of punishment and not to the hatred and abandonment of sin (Exodus 9:27; Numbers 22:34; Joshua 7:20; 1 Samuel 15:24; Matthew 27:4). An emotional element is necessarily involved in repentance. While feeling is not the equivalent of repentance, it nevertheless may be a powerful impulse to a genuine turning from sin. A penitent cannot from the nature of the case be stolid and indifferent. The emotional attitude must be altered if New Testament repentance be experienced. There is a type of grief that issues in repentance and another which plunges into remorse. There is a godly sorrow and also a sorrow of the world. The former brings life; the latter, death (Matthew 27:3; Luke 18:23; 2 Corinthians 7:9-:10). There must be a consciousness of sin in its effect on man and in its relation to God before there can be a hearty turning away from unrighteousness. The feeling naturally accompanying repentance implies a conviction of personal sin and sinfulness and an earnest appeal to God to forgive according to His mercy (Psalm 51)..

3. The Volitional Element:
The most prominent element in the psychology of repentance is the voluntary, or volitional. This aspect of the penitent's experience is expressed in the Old Testament by “turn”, or “return,” and in the New Testament by “repent” or “turn.” The words employed in the Hebrew and Greek place chief emphasis on the will, the change of mind, or of purpose, because a complete and sincere turning to God involves both the apprehension of the nature of sin and the consciousness of personal guilt (Jeremiah 25:5; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10). The demand for repentance implies free will and individual responsibility. That men are called upon to repent there can be no doubt, and that God is represented as taking the initiative in repentance is equally clear. The solution of the problem belongs to the spiritual sphere. The psychical phenomena have their origin in the mysterious relations of the human and the divine personalities. There can be no external substitute for the internal change. Sackcloth for the body and remorse for the soul are not to be confused with a determined abandonment of sin and return to God. Not material sacrifice, but a spiritual change, is the inexorable demand of God in both dispensations (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Hosea 6:6).

Repentance is only a condition of salvation and not its meritorious ground. The motives for repentance are chiefly found in the goodness of God, in divine love, in the pleading desire to have sinners saved, in the inevitable consequences of sin, in the universal demands of the gospel, and in the hope of spiritual life and membership in the kingdom of heaven (Ezekiel 33:11; Mark 1:15; Luke 13:1-5; John 3:16; Acts 17:30; Romans 2:4; 1Timothy 2:4). The first four beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-6) form a heavenly ladder by which penitent souls pass from the dominion of Satan into the Kingdom of God. A consciousness of spiritual poverty dethroning pride, a sense of personal unworthiness producing grief, a willingness to surrender to God in genuine humility, and a strong spiritual desire developing into hunger and thirst, enter into the experience of one who wholly abandons sin and heartily turns to Him who grants repentance unto life.

 

[SIGMARHO]

• Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary:

REPENTANCE a turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and a turning back to God (Matthew 9:13;Luke 5:32). In a more general sense, repentance means a change of mind (Genesis 6:67) or a feeling of remorse or regret for past conduct (Matthew 27:3). True repentance is a godly sorrow for sin, an act of turning around and going in the opposite direction. This type of repentance leads to a fundamental change in a persons relationship to God.

In the Old Testament the classic case of repentance is that of King David, after Nathan the prophet accused him of killing Uriah the Hittite and committing adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. Davids prayer of repentance for this sin is found in Psalm 51.

In the New Testament the keynote of John the Baptists preaching was, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). To the multitudes he declared, Bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8). When Jesus began His ministry, He took up Johns preaching of the message of repentance, expanding the message to include the good news of salvation: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel (Matthew 4:17;Mark 1:15).

In Jesus preaching of the kingdom of God is seen the truth that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin: by repentance, one turns away from sin; by faith, one turns toward God in accepting the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a twofold turning, or conversion, is necessary for entrance into the kingdom (Matthew 18:3). Unless you repent, said Jesus, you will all likewise perish (Luke:13:3, 5). This is the negative, or judgmental, side of Jesus message. The positive, or merciful, side is seen in these words: There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).

After Jesus crucifixion and resurrection, His disciples continued His message of repentance and faith (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 20:21; 26:20). Repentance is a turning from wickedness and dead works (Acts 8:22; Hebrews 6:1) toward God and His glory (Acts 20:21;Revelation 16:9), eternal life (Acts 11:18), and a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25).

Repentance is associated with prayer (1 Kings 8:47), belief (Mark 1:15), baptism (Acts 2:38), and conversion (Acts 3:19) and is accompanied by humility (Matthew 11:21). Repentance is Gods will and pleasure (Luke 15:7; 2 Peter 3:9), as well as His command (Mark 6:12; Acts 17:30). It is a gift of His sovereign love (Acts 5:31; 11:18; Romans 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25), without which we cannot be saved (Luke 13:3).

• NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible:

In the NT repentance and faith are two sides of one coin (Acts 20:21). They are a response to grace. Jesus preached the need for the Jews to repent (Matthew 4:17), and required his apostles/disciples to preach repentance to the Jews and Gentiles (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 17:13). Repentance is a profound change of mind involving the changing of the direction of life. The positive side of repentance is conversion, the actual turning to God or Christ for grace.

• A Theological Word Book Of The Bible (Allan Richardson):

In the NT the prophetic requirement that repentance should be sincere – “rend your hearts and not your garments’ (Joel 2:13) - is deepened and made a sine qua non entry into the Kingdom of God in the teaching of our Lord.

 

[SIGMARHO]

Systematic Theology (Wayne Grudem, 1st Ed., Chapter 35: Conversion)[1]

Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ…Repentance, like faith, is an intellectual understanding (that sin is wrong), an emotional approval of the teachings of Scripture regarding sin (a sorrow for sin and a hatred of it), and a personal decision to turn from it (a renouncing of sin and a decision of the will to forsake it and lead a life of obedience to Christ instead. (p.713)

Scripture puts repentance and faith together as different aspects of the one act of coming to Christ for salvation. It is not that a person first turns from sin and next trusts in Christ, or first trusts in Christ and then turns from sin, but rather that both occur at the same time. When we turn to Christ for salvation from our sins, we are simultaneously turning away from the sins that we are asking Christ to save us from. If that were not true our turning to Christ for salvation from sin could hardly be a genuine turning to him or trusting in him. (p.713)

Therefore it is clearly contrary to the NT evidence to speak about the possibility of having true saving faith without having any repentance for sin. It is also contrary to the NT to speak about the possibility of someone accepting Christ “as Savior” but not “as Lord,” if that means simply depending on him for salvation but not committing oneself to forsake sin and to be obedient to Christ from that point on. (p.714)

When we realize that genuine saving faith must be accompanied by genuine repentance for sin, it helps us understand why some preaching of the gospel has such inadequate results today. If there is no mention of the need for repentance, sometimes the gospel becomes only, “Believe in Jesus Christ and be saved” without any mention of repentance at all. But this watered-down version of the gospel does not ask for wholehearted commitment to Christ – commitment to Christ, if genuine, must include a commitment to turn from sin. Preaching the need for faith without repentance is preaching only half of the gospel. It will result in many people being deceived, thinking that they have heard the Christian gospel and tried it, but nothing happened. They might even say something like, “I accepted Christ as Savior over and over again and it never worked.” Yet they never really did receive Christ as their Savior, for he comes to us in his majesty and invites us to receive him as he is – the one who deserves to be, and demand to be, absolute Lord of our lives as well. (pp.716-717)


Christian Theology (Millard Erickson, 2nd Ed. , Chapter 45)[2]

The negative aspect of conversion is the abandonment or repudiation of sin. This is what we mean by repentance. It is based on a feeling of godly sorrow for our sin. In examining repentance and faith, we should remember that they cannot be separated from one another. (pp.947-948)

As we examine this matter of repentance, we cannot avoid being impressed with its importance as a prerequisite for salvation. The large number of verses and the variety of contexts in which repentance is stressed make clear that it is not optional but indispensable. That people in many different cultural settings were urged to repent shows that it is not a message meant for a few specific local situations. Rather, repentance is an essential part of the Christian gospel. (p.949)

Real repentance is sorrow for one’s sin because of the wrong done to God and the hurt inflicted upon him. This sorrow is accompanied by a genuine desire to abandon that sin. In the case of true repentance, there is regret over the sin even if the sinner has not suffered any unfortunate personal effects because of it. (p.950)

The Bible’s repeated emphasis on the necessity of repentance is a conclusive argument against what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace” (or “easy believism”). It is not enough simply to believe in Jesus and accept the offer of grace; there must be a real alteration of the inner person. If belief in God’s grace were all that is necessary, who would not wish to become a Christian? But Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). If there is no conscious repentance, there is no real awareness of having been saved from the power of sin. (pp.950-951)

[1] Grudem strongly repudiates the “non-Lordship salvation” of Lewis Sperry Chafer and Zane Hodges, endorses John MacArthur’s “The Gospel According To Jesus” and identifies Hodge’s teaching with the Sandemanians. He also notes that not all in Dallas Seminary or all within Dispensational theology hold this view.

[2] Erickson names Zane Hodges’ book Absolutely Free! A Biblical Reply To Lordship Salvation and counters the view that “repentance and acceptance of the lordship of Christ is not necessary for salvation.”

 

[SIGMARHO]

The Gospel According To Jesus (John F. MacArthur Jr.):

The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, literally means “to think after. It implies a change of mind, and some who oppose lordship salvation have tried to limit its meaning to that. But the definition of repentance cannot be drawn solely from the etymology of the Greek word.

Repentance as Jesus characterized it in this incident (cf. Luke 18:13) involves a recognition of one’s utter sinfulness and a turning from self and sin to God (cf. 1 Thessalonians 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. (p.32)

Repentance is a critical element of saving faith, but one must never dismiss it as simply another word for believing. The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoi, from meta, “after” and noeo “to understand.” Literally it means “afterthought” or “change of mind,” but biblically its meaning does not stop there. As metanoia is used in the NT, it always speaks of a change in purpose, and specifically a turning from sin. In the sense Jesus used it, repentance calls for a repudiation of the old life and a turning to God for salvation.

Such a change of purpose is what Paul had in mind when he described the repentance of the Thessalonians. “you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Note the three elements of repentance: a turning to God; a turning from evil; and the intent to serve God. No change of mind can be called true repentance without including all three elements. The simple but all to often overlooked fact is that a true change of mind will necessarily result in a change of behavior.

Repentance is not merely being ashamed or sorry over sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of remorse. It s a redirection of human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue righteousness instead. (pp.162-163)



Studies on the Sermon of the Mount (D. Martin Lloyd Jones):

Repentance alters the character of the whole man. As D. Martin Lloyd-Jones said, “Repentance means that o\you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, and that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice, and you deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest, and the whole world, may call you a fool, or say that you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference. That is repentance.” (quoted by John MacArthur in GATJ, pp.164-165)

[FONT=&quot]Evangelism And The Sovereignty of God (James I. Packer):[/FONT]

A man must know that, in the words of the first of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, ‘when our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance,’ and he must also know what repentance involves. ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me… whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same (but only he) shall save it.’ (Luke 9:23-24) ‘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 (i.e. put them all decisively second in his esteem), he cannot be my disciple… whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26,33)

The repentance that Christ requires of His people consists in a settled refusal to set any limit to the claims which He may make on their lives. Our Lord knew-who better?-how costly His followers would find it to maintain this refusal, and let Him have His way with them all the time, and therefore He wished them to face out and think through the implications of discipleship before committing themselves. He did not desire to make disciples under false pretences. He had no interest in gathering vast crowds of professed adherents who would melt away as soon as they found out what following Him actually demanded of them.

In our presentation of Christ’s gospel, therefore, we need to lay a similar stress on the cost of following Christ, and make sinners face it soberly before we urge them to respond to the message of free forgiveness. In common honesty, we must not conceal the fact that free forgiveness in one sense will cost everything; or else our evangelizing becomes a sort of confidence trick. And where there is no clear knowledge, and hence no realistic recognition of the real claims that Christ makes, there can be no repentance, and therefore no salvation. (pp. 72-73)

 

[JM]

Right now...I pick...Piper!

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

Thanks for the info Sigmarho.

 

[mlqurgw]

I have only read Ryrie's "Dispensationlism Today". I have read nothing of MacArthur though I believe they are both Dispensational in theology. MacArthur is Calvinistic, I believe, in soteriology though. I strongly disagree with Dispensationalism so I think they are both wrong.

 

[JPPT1974]

SIGMARHO you know a lot now don't you!

 

[Iosias]

Examples and links or it never happened.

Look at the Lordship Controversy. http://www.pressiechurch.org/Theol_2/Lordship_salvation.htm

 

[SIGMARHO]

For more on the subject, you may visit Grace To You,
..the website of John F. MacArthur.

There are more extensive articles on the Lordship Salvation topic.

Yes, he is Calvinistic but not Reformed. He is a Dispensationalist, but not the hyper kind. I do not agree with Dispensationalism either. I hold New Covenant Theology.

@JPPT1974, I read too much, that's why.

 

[JM]

Sig is correct. John MacArthur believes in classic Reformed soteriology but is Dispensational in eschatological and eccesiological doctrines.

~JM~