Pointing out that most English-language translations of the Bible often substitute the word ‘servant’ where ‘slave’ should be used, MacArthur goes on to explain the importance of the Master/slave relationship that believers now have with Jesus. Although our pride tends to bristle at the word ‘slave,’ the reality of Scripture is that we are all slaves—either to sin or to Christ. MacArthur unpacks this truth, including many references (plus an appendix), in a potent manner.

When we call ourselves Christians, we proclaim to the world that everything about us, including our very self-identity, is found in Jesus Christ because we have denied ourselves in order to follow and obey Him. He is both our Savior and our Sovereign, and our lives center on pleasing Him. [11]

Discipleship, like slavery, entails a life of total self-denial, a humble disposition toward others, a wholehearted devotion to the Master alone, a willingness to obey His commands in everything, an eagerness to serve Him even in His absence, and a motivation that comes from knowing He is well pleased. [43]

Submission to the lordship of Christ—a heart attitude that works itself out in obedience to Him—is the defining mark of those who are genuinely converted…those who claim to belong to Christ but persist in patterns of disobedience betray the reality of that profession. [46]

Though sin promises satisfaction and life to its slaves, its reward is in actuality the exact opposite—misery in this life and condemnation in the next. [126]

The gospel message is not simply a plan of salvation; it is a call to embrace the Person of salvation. And He is both Savior and Lord; the two cannot be separated. To truly come to Christ is to willingly surrender your heart, mind, and will—the whole person—to the Master. Mere lip service to Jesus’ lordship is nothing more than hypocrisy—a false profession that cannot save. [209] 

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In the tradition of Preaching The Cross, this book features the collected transcripts of the messages given at the 2008 Together for the Gospel conference. Each speaker focused his sermon on the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ and what his death means in terms of both doctrine and application. Although the variety of writing styles occasionally disrupts the continuity of the book, the overall message is coherent and their unified proclamation of the Gospel remains clear. 

The view that people are fundamentally good actually betrays a hatred of the God of Scripture—because such a message deceives sinners about their sinfulness, and it hides the true God behind a benign, domesticated god of some worldly psychologist’s making. [84]

Much of current evangelical strategy merely aims only to identify what people most desire, and then tells them Jesus will give it to them if they would but choose him. God is portrayed as sitting in heaven, wringing his hands and loving everyone intensely yet frustrated when people won’t come to him for the things they desire. Few seem to consider that what the unconverted sinner actually desires is the last thing God wants to give him—and what the gospel actually says about fallen humanity is the last thing sinners want to hear. [87]

Salvation is a divine work. It has to be, since flesh produces flesh. Dead people can’t give themselves life. The Spirit gives life to whom he will. You can see when it happens, but you can’t make it happen. [90]

Because people think salvation is a result of sinners’ own free-will decisions for Christ, they tell sinners what they want to hear to try to get them to like him—and that in turn has obscured the gospel rather than unleashing it to do the true work of salvation. [96]

There’s nothing more important than getting that message right. It doesn’t matter how “cool” you are; what really matters is how clear you are in proclaiming God’s truth. [98] 

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Questions about divorce and remarriage are all-too-common in our day and time. In this book, MacArthur has delivered a concise, yet thorough examination of the main passages of Scripture that deal with divorce and remarriage. He draws His conclusions from the text (and the larger context of the entire Scripture) with accuracy and poignancy. This work is easily recommended as an invaluable resource to anyone affected by these issues and those seeking to guide others Biblically. 

Marriage is the welding of two people together into one unit, the blending of two minds, two wills, two sets of emotions, and two spirits. They are not two anymore: From a divine perception, a man and his wife are one, and one is an indivisible number. The Lord intends for that bond to be indissoluble as long as both partners are alive. [11]

Marriage is not the key to happiness; God is. If you are right with God, He will help you to have right relationships with others. [16]

God never condoned divorce because He does not want that which He has joined together to be rent asunder – and “woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker!” (Isaiah 45:9). That’s exactly why adultery (another sinful reality that God never intended) – specifically the hard-hearted adultery of an inveterately unfaithful spouse – is the only thing that makes divorce permissible. When the bond of marriage has already been irreparably broken by such a sin, then – and only then – is divorce an option. [24] 

A human standard may be more lenient or more restrictive than Scripture, but it can never be better. When God’s Word is ignored or perverted in any area, tragedy is always the consequence. That is especially true regarding marriage and the intertwined lives involved. [33]

Marriage was instituted by God as the norm for man-woman relationships. As such it is a great blessing to mankind. It is not required for believers or anyone else, however, Paul’s point is this: If you are single, that is good; if you are married or get married, stay married and retain normal marital relations, for that is of God. Spirituality is not determined by marital status. [69] 

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The modern-day picture of a genteel Jesus has little in common with Scripture’s view of Him. In his latest book (an edited-together collection of sermon material spanning many years), MacArthur examines the encounters between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day. Jesus had no problem with confronting falsehood and exposing false teachers, something current evangelicals should not only take heed of, but put into practice as well. This book may challenge your conceptions of Christ. 

Where God’s Word speaks clearly, we have a duty to obey, defend, and proclaim the truth He has given us, and we should do that with an authority that reflects our conviction that God has spoken with clarity and finality. [xxv]

Avoiding conflict is not always the right thing. Sometimes it is downright sinful. Particularly in times like these, when almost no error is deemed too serious to be excluded from the evangelical conversation, and while the Lord’s flock is being infiltrated by wolves dressed like prophets, declaring visions of peace when there is no peace. [19]

Truth doesn’t defeat error by waging a public relations campaign. The struggle between truth and error is spiritual warfare, and truth has no way to defeat falsehood except by exposing and refuting lies and false teaching. That calls for candor and clarity, boldness and precision – and sometimes more severity than congeniality. [70]

It was the truth they needed to hear. The fact that they were not “open” to it did not alter Jesus’ commitment to speaking the truth – without toning it down, without bending it to fit His audience’s tastes and preferences, without setting the facts of the gospel aside to speak to their “felt needs” instead. [106]

It is significant that Jesus, was as omniscient God incarnate, was the most sensitive Person ever to walk the earth, and yet in circumstances like these, He refused to tone down the message, adopt a delicate tone, or handle His spiritual adversaries as fragile souls. Too much was at stake. [191] 

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First published in 1982, this revision’s core message remains intact: God’s Word is to be studied, understood, and applied by His people so that they may grow into a deeper relationship with their Creator and Savior. To that end, MacArthur examines what the Bible is, why it can be trusted, and offers practical advice on how to study it. He provides a good balance of encouragement and conviction regarding the role of Scripture in Christians’ lives.  

The Bible is God’s holy Word; it’s a tremendous resource. But the Christian who never approaches it with an intense commitment to study it is forfeiting a tremendous blessing. [25]

We’ll never function on what we don’t know. We’ll never be able to apply a truth or principle we haven’t discovered. So as we feed into our minds the Word of God, it becomes the resource by which the Spirit of God directs and guides. [47]

Don’t presume on God. When you believe Him to care for you on a trip, you don’t lie in the freeway. There’s a big difference between trust and presumption. [49]

You could own a Bible warehouse and still not have the sword of the Spirit. Having the sword of the Spirit is not owning a Bible, but knowing the specific principle in the Bible that applies to the specific point of temptation. The only way Christians will know victory in the Christian life is to know the principles of the Word of God so they can apply them to the specific points where Satan, the world, and the flesh attack. [52]

You cheat yourself if you stay a baby. You cheat yourself if you stay a spiritual young man and all you know is doctrine. You must strive to reach the place where you begin to walk in the very presence of the God of the universe, where you really begin to touch the Person Himself. That’s the ultimate end of growth. [57] 

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How can Christians remain faithful to the end of their lives? Many Christians in America are preparing to retire or have already done so. Others face their senior years with little direction or purpose. The authors of this book (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor) convincingly argue that the ‘golden years’ should be times of faithful service and increased devotion to the Lord. The result is a challenging book, recommended for believers of all ages. 

Time and truth go hand in hand: given enough time, the truth will come out… If you’re living a hidden life, it’s going to come out, and you’re not going to make it. The only way to avoid that problem is dealing with the sins of the heart on an ongoing basis. [58]

Be faithful and true to the Word of God. Have a relentless commitment to biblical fidelity. If you don’t do that, you can’t survive long in one place. You’ll have to take your show on the road or on TV, where it is easier to manipulate people since they don’t get to know you day in and day out. If I manipulate a passage of Scripture for selfish ends, eventually, I’m going to get caught. [60]

Try to grasp this thought: Everything we as believers do here on earth we’ll do better in heaven except for one thing, and that’s evangelism, because there won’t be anyone in heaven who hasn’t already embraced the gospel. Evangelism is our Lord’s Great Commission to us. He said to go into the whole world and preach the gospel. [62]

We don’t need to worry about matters of “style. That is grossly overemphasized in Christendom today, and church leaders waste untold energy fussing over whether to style their worship services as contemporary, postmodern, traditional, formal, informal, Emerging, Emergent, or county-and-western. I’ve been all over the world and have seen just about every possible way you can conduct a church service, but style alone doesn’t mean much of anything. In fact, more often than not, too much stress on style obscures the significance of the message itself. The only way the light goes on in a person’s life is if you preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Trying to find whatever style suits the most people is folly. [65]

All true servants of Christ learn through the years to embrace the assaults that cut to the heart, the mutinies, the betrayals, the disaffection, the massive disappointment, the heartache, and even the physical pain and suffering because they know all those things work together to destroy self-reliance… Christ is more powerfully revealed in his servants when they bear up under severe affliction. [67]

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An in-depth examination of perhaps the most famous parable of Jesus: the Prodigal Son. MacArthur examines the main characters in the story and draws out who they represent. He skillfully reveals how the original listeners would have reacted to the story and makes useful application of its truths to modern living. This book was adapted from sermons, which is obvious in some places, but seldom interrupts the flow of reading. An eye-opening look at familiar ground.

One of the sad realities of our culture is that we tend to be in a hurry, even when we read the Bible. We want to find practical applications for ourselves hastily, without doing the careful work necessary to interpret Scripture correctly. [5]

Yes, of course Jesus consorted with sinners, but always as their deliverer. He was a true friend of sinners – the most authentic kind of friend. He served them and reached out to them and laid hold of their lives. Jesus didn’t affirm them in their sin. Quite the contrary: He gave His whole self to redeem them from sin’s cruel bondage. [22]

Sin never delivers what it promises, and the pleasurable life sinners think they are pursuing always turns out to be precisely the opposite: a hard road that inevitably leads to ruin and the ultimate, literal dead end. [61]

Far from a mere mind change or an intellectual exercise, genuine repentance always demonstrates itself in the brokenness of the sinner’s self-will. The sinner who has desperately tried to hide from God now diligently seeks Him instead. Apart from this quality, all the sorrow in the world is just meaningless remorse. [97]

Grace is the only hope for any sinner. That’s what this parable is about, and that is what the forgiveness of the Prodigal Son symbolizes. Those who repent and turn to Christ are fully forgiven and immediately covered with the garment of His own perfect righteousness. Thus they meet the impossible standard God requires – not through any doing of their own but through what Christ does on their behalf. That is how God justifies the ungodly. [173]

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Starting from the book of Jude, MacArthur breaks down the reality of false teaching, its subtle methods of deception, and the need for Christians to actively contend for the faith that has been delivered to us by God. MacArthur reminds us that our war is against ideas and not people; people are to be shown mercy, false doctrine is to be shown none. In an age where certainty is disregarded, we must clearly proclaim the truth.

Biblical orthodoxy encompasses orthopraxy. Both right doctrine and right living are absolutely essential and totally inseparable for the true child of God. That is the consistent teaching of Christ Himself. [37]

We must never assume that things like the teacher’s reputation, the warmth of his personality, or majority opinion about him are perfectly safe barometers of whether his teaching is really dangerous or not. We also shouldn’t imagine that common sense, intuition, or first impressions are reliable ways of determining whether this or that error poses a serious threat or not. Scripture, and Scripture alone, is the only safe guide in this area. [77]

Handling false doctrine with kid gloves is never a good tactic. There is no value in toning down the truth with ambiguities or withholding the hard parts. Those who are being deceived can be rescued only by the gospel. The more clearly we proclaim the message and the more starkly we set it in opposition to the error, the better. [132]

Christ has spoken in the Bible, and He holds us responsible to understand, interpret, obey, and teach what He said – as opposed to deconstructing everything the Bible says. Notice that Christ repeatedly rebuked the Pharisees for twisting Scripture, disobeying it, setting it aside with their traditions, and generally ignoring its plain meaning. Not once did He ever excuse the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and false religion by apologizing for any lack of clarity in the Old Testament. [156]

Whenever the people of God have sought peace with the world or made alliances with false religions, it has meant a period of serious spiritual decline, even to the point where at times the truth seemed almost to be in total eclipse. But whenever Christians have contended earnestly for the faith, the church has grown and the cause of truth has prospered. [184]

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A compilation of messages delivered at a Together for the Gospel conference, this book addresses the notion of preaching from the perspective of several men who have been called to the preaching ministry. Filled with practical advice and timely exhortation concerning the proclamation of the Word, this book is easily recommended to anyone who stands behind a pulpit, or for any who would seek to better understand what preaching should be and what preaching should do.

If you don’t have the meaning of Scripture, you do not have the Word of God at all. If you miss the true sense of what God has said, you are not actually preaching God’s Word! [139]

Faithfully preaching and teaching the Word must be the very heart of our ministry philosophy. Any other approach replaces the voice of God with human wisdom. Philosophy, politics, humor, psychology, homespun advice, and personal opinion can never accomplish what the Word of God does. Those things may be interesting, informative, entertaining, and sometimes even helpful – but they are not the business of the church. The preacher’s task is not to be a conduit for human wisdom; he is God’s voice to speak to the congregation. No human message comes with the stamp of divine authority – only the Word of God. How dare any preacher substitute another message? [143]

The Bible makes it clear that, no matter what people’s felt needs may be, their real need is for forgiveness and salvation from sin so as to escape eternal hell and enter the bliss of heaven. [145]

When I started in ministry, I committed myself to expository preaching, just explaining the Bible, because I knew that there was nothing I could say that was anywhere near as important as what God had to say. [148]

The people will not rise to a level that is higher than their teacher. They will follow the example of their leaders. So, if we love God’s Word, our people will too. If we don’t, they won’t either. [157] 

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Written by preachers for preachers, this instructive work details the value of proclaiming God’s Word -- as it is written -- without ceding to the temptation to modernize or minimize what it says. It also addresses what makes preaching effective and what must be avoided. As with any compilation, some chapters are more helpful than others, but the whole volume remains a benefit to those called to preach (or to those wondering what biblical preaching entails).

God puts the priceless treasure in clay pots for this very reason: no one ever has to ask where the power comes from! [152]

Someone deeply impressed with his own value isn’t going to see value in the gospel. So God chose peasants, fishermen, smelly guys, and tax collectors – clay pots chosen to carry, proclaim, and write the priceless treasure we call the gospel. [154]

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