by John MacArthur

There has been one book that I have recommended over the years more than any other because it was instrumental in bringing me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; and that book is The Gospel According to Jesus, by our pastor, John MacArthur. In 1992, a member of Grace Church sent it to me in the mail while I was still an unbeliever after he had tried to explain the gospel to me twice. Though I was very reluctant to read it, once l opened the cover, heaven’s gate was opened to me, as well.

Originally, The Gospel According to Jesus was written to address the opponents of “Lordship Salvation,” challenging those in evangelicalism who taught that “believing in Christ” was merely a mental assent to certain facts about His life and teachings as Savior, instead of teaching that “believing in Christ” was a call to loving obedience to Him as Lord. But to me as an unbeliever at that time, I wasn’t reading the book to debate any strand of doctrine; I was reading the book to debate the staunchness of my unbelief.

It was there in those pages that I discovered what it means to really follow Christ as Lord and Savior by submitting to Him in faith and obedience. It was the way Pastor John examined key passages in the New Testament and explained the meaning of those texts in their historical context, chapter by chapter, that opened my eyes and convicted my heart as to what it really means to believe in Jesus Christ.

I would recommend The Gospel According to Jesus to both those who are seriously grappling with the truth of the gospel, as well as those who need a refresher course to ignite their faith once again. It’s a classic!

—Tom Patton, Joint Heirs & Congregational Care Ministries

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