John MacArthur's Unfruitful Sermon
Just listened to Part 2 of MacArthur's sermon "The Reward of Our Salvation", which is on 2Peter 1:1-11. It seems MacArthur is confused. He contradicts himself first saying that "If you are a true Christian you will bear fruit",
but then speaks of Christians who are barren. At first he speaks
barrenness lasting for only a time, but then his rhetoric is of
Christians who are characteristically barren, and near the end he even
speaks of people who are allegedly saved but absolutely barren. Doesn't
seem like he knows what he's talking about.
For example he characterizes the man of 1Cor 5 who was sleeping with his father's wife as saved, and yet in 1Cor 5:13 Paul characterizes the man as "the wicked man", and goes on in 1Cor 6:9 to say, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?" and then Paul says, "Do no be deceived." Apparently
John MacArthur is deceived. He presumes that the wicked man is saved
while Paul indicates he’s not saved. So who are we to believe? John
MacArthur or
the Apostle Paul?
Another contradiction was that he says barren Christians, though saved,
are indistinguishable from unbelievers, and he says that barren,
unfruitful Christians should have no confidence that they are saved. And
yet he says they are saved. So how is it that he says that they should
not be confident that they are saved even though MacArthur himself is
confident they are saved? It's foolishness. While he points out that
Jesus said, "By their fruits you will know them." Mt 7:20 Yet he fails to utilized that principle when evaluating one's salvation status. In fact in that very context Jesus said, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Mt 7:19,20 Did MacArthur fail to read the context? Apparently. This is the same principle as in John 15:2 "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit." and John 15:6 "If
anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away
and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and
burned."
Yes, contrary to MacArthur's sermon, there is a correlation between a person's fruitfulness and their salvation status.
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Jan 30,2022