My Personal Thoughts on John F. MacArthur's Book "Hard to Believe"
Many times today, I easily hear "Christianity Lite" which can exist in many forms which I thought didn't exist until I realized so many "Christians" today aren't Christians. When I was a new Christian, I really couldn't swallow for a moment that a Christian can be a Christian and still remain as is. I've heard of people say that there are "Christian homosexuals" which is totally contradictory to the Word of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). If people are truly saved then there ought to be changes in their life and they don't remain the same.
I just finished reading "Hard to Believe" after reading a few years ago another beloved classic "The Gospel According to Jesus". Some time ago, I used to think MacArthur taught salvation by works and conditional security only because somebody misrepresented him. The more I started reading through and investigating MacArthur's site Grace To You, the more I realized what Lordship Salvation is all about. The controversy may have come because most people don't know what it is and what it truly stands for. Jesus is Lord and the Gospels declare it. There are true converts and false converts. Many people think they're saved or others are saved because they signed under a dotted line or because they "said a prayer". Now some people did sign a dotted line or prayed a prayer and are true converts but many today who do don't last long. Many of them apostasize showing they're not even true converts to start with (1 John 2:19).
The Gospel facts are indeed hard to believe for the sinful man stuck in his pride, love for sin and/or self-righteousness. Tell a person that they're not righteous enough for Heaven, expect a blackeye. Tell a person that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life and you become a bigot. Tell them that Jesus' death was for lost sinners they find the thought that God would send His sinless Son to die for mankind an absurd thought and injustice. Many think they're righteous enough even if their sinfulness is so manifest. In today's "liberal" and "tolerant" world especially in the age of ecumenism with the Vatican II Council - declare Jesus Christ is Lord and that only He saves then be ready for an onslaught. Preaching the Gospel doesn't make you popular. It can get you called a bigot, a backwards thinker and all the nasty names they can think of. You can even lose your life and suffer damage.
After reading the book, I remembered the very lecture of Ray Comfort of Living Waters (and also a writer at Christian Apologetics Research Ministry) called "Hell's Best Kept Secret" that it's because today's evangelism is faulty. Many times, people have this "Easy Gospel" to the point the parable of the sower is so grossly misrepresented. Everyone starts off as the three types of soil so it's necessary to condition the hearer for the true Gospel. Some true converts today might even tell you how many times they refused to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior before they eventually accepted him. "Easy Christianity" or "Christianity Lite" has even just made the Gospel more "palatable" for the sinner rather than preach it in its full context.
Do we even realize grace is free but not cheap? I remembered the words that MacArthur wrote in this book saying in Chapter 6 on "Empty Words":
Don't believe anyone who says it's easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinner cost God His own Son; it cost God's Son His life and it'll cost you the same thing. Salvation isn't gained by reciting mere words. Saving faith transforms the heart and that in turn transforms behavior. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile. Remember that what John saw in his vision of judgment was a Book of Life, not a Book of Words or Book of Intellectual Musings. The life we life, not the words we speak reveals whether our faith is authentic.
The whole idea that Jesus died for sin so we can see freely is really garbage theology. If you really believe Christ took your place, that would make one say, "Lord, it should have been me but why did You take my place? Lord, you saved me, how can I serve you?" It's also impossible for a person to get saved and never bear fruit because of the grace of God. Titus 2:11-14 and Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it clear God's grace doesn't only save, it also transforms one life. It's not only that Christians should walk in good works but the would also walk in good works. That message is really missing in "Christianity Lite" resulting to more and more false conversions.