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The Truth About Grace

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“Is the experience of God’s grace in your life a thrilling thing? Just thinking about the fact that God, by His own sovereign plan, decided to be gracious to me is overwhelming. There is nothing greater than receiving grace upon grace.” ―John MacArthur Simple definitions can make grace feel like an obvious?even mundane?concept. Nothing could be further from the truth. Grace is the defining feature of the Christian faith. Once we understand how undeserving we are and how much favor we’ve been given, grace becomes shocking, thrilling, inspiring, and contagious. Best-selling author and pastor John MacArthur illuminates this profound concept with verse upon verse of Scripture. He also shows that misunderstandings about grace have led to some of the church’s greatest problems, perhaps because grace is her most precious gift. The Truth About Series For decades, MacArthur has encouraged countless Christians to develop a deeper understanding of the Bible and a greater respect for God’s truth. In The Truth About series, he now gathers his landmark teachings about core aspects of the Christian faith in one place. These powerful books are designed to give readers a focused experience that centers on God’s character and how it applies to their daily walk of faith.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

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About the author

John F. MacArthur Jr.

1,344 books1,928 followers
John F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
265 reviews
February 28, 2020
A stirring summary of the importance of Grace in the life of the Christian.
Profile Image for Jaden,.
63 reviews
April 20, 2023
A book that explains the Christian aspect of "grace" in great detail. There is an extensive and broad substantiation. At the same time, it dares to refute the error of grace about grace in a respectful way.
2 reviews
January 3, 2018
Este Libro trata el tema de manera centrada y profunda, tambien baja las ideas abstractas al mundo de lo practico y concreto. un libro de lectura facil pero de contenido abundante.
2 reviews
April 25, 2018
Excelente libro, nos da una claridad sobre la gracia de Dios, respaldando cada punto con la palabra de Dios.
Profile Image for Laurie Myer.
29 reviews
July 31, 2018
Solid truth in a very easy-to-read format. Addresses ancient heresies that abound in modern church culture
Profile Image for Naomi.
211 reviews
May 12, 2012
Grace is a word that tends to get tossed around in Christian circles. But how many of really stop to think about what it means for believers? John MacArthur explores this issue in "The Truth About Grace", one book in a trilogy called "The Truth About" series. He takes a detailed look at what grace means, how believers receive grace into our lives, how the idea of grace gets distorted, the implications for living a grace-filled live, and the practicalities of living a life of grace. He draws on a plethora of Scripture passages to shed light on this uniquely Christian concept, as well as looking at the Hebrew and Greek meanings of certain words to further emphasize his point.

I really enjoyed this book and exploring the concept of grace and what it means for me as a believer. My favorite chapter was the last one, discussing the hallmarks of a grace-filled life. Grace is truly transformative and every aspect of our lives should be changed once we really grasp the implications of what grace means for us as believers. I also appreciated where MacArthur makes the point to say that he promotes "fidelity to Scripture". As believers we also need to know and speak the true Word of God, not just our ideas about the Word.

This is a short book, but so very rich. It would be a wonderful book for a small group or book club to go through together as there are many points that are worthy of further discussion.

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Thomas Nelson Publishing House through the Book Sneeze program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)
Profile Image for Cherie Hill.
Author 36 books79 followers
March 30, 2013
Grace is probably the most misunderstood aspect of the Christian faith by both believers and unbelievers, yet the faith hinges upon it. This "Truth About" series by John MacArthur has been incredibly profound in my faith walk. The Truth About Grace offers the truth about God's grace . . . it adds nothing to it and takes nothing from it. Although I have grasped a personal understanding of Grace through my own walk with God, the message within this book has placed my faith on a more solid foundation than ever before. In fact, the whole series "The Truth About Grace/Forgiveness/The Lordship of Christ," has powerfully impacted my faith in profound ways. I don't think I could place a higher recommendation on a series of books. They are truly a MUST READ, certainly for all Christians, but also for those who lack understanding of the Christian faith. This series clears up any misinterpretations and builds a foundation that is upon a solid Rock.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Profile Image for Brenten Gilbert.
492 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2012
Part of why I like John MacArthur is because he doesn't pull punches. He stays pretty close to the Bible whenever he expounds topically and always provides practical insights and wisdom. I'm currently enjoying a daily dose of his thoughts with Moments of Truth and I always have at least one of his books in my "to-read" stack. This series (The Truth about...), offers a few thematic quick reads (about 100 pages) that cut to the chase on some popular topics.

In this book, the topic is grace. That tricky subject we all like to claim and demand from others, but which often eludes definition. MacArthur does a pretty thorough job of defining and explaining grace and its role in our salvation and relationship with God. He also tackles some sticky arguments, such as the age-old Arminianism vs. Calvinism grudge match, and the recently revitalized universalism philosophy.

However, MacArthur doesn't stop there. He lays down some tough pills to swallow for all who follow Christ. Our acceptance of God's grace comes with a responsibility to live a life worthy of the calling. We are crucified with Christ, called to obedience and good works, and we must strive to the holiness modeled by Jesus during His life on earth.

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272 reviews3 followers
June 7, 2012
This is another precious book from John MacArthur.

Part of the Series "The Truth About..." that also includes "The Lordship of Christ" and "Forgiveness", this particular book goes deep into discussing Grace in all aspects, supported by Scriptures references, in five Chapters.

It is very well written but in order to savor completely all details you might need to read it twice and also grab a Bible and read the verses referred in the text. The definition for grace I like most, he gives at the end, on his summary, saying that grace is "the free and benevolent influence of a holy God operating sovereignly in the lives of undeserving sinners".

It took me about 5 hours to read the whole book.

I recommend this book for the permanent library of any Christian home for those who want to grow in understanding grace behind the Word of God. Superb work!


This book was written by John MacArthur and published by Thomas Nelson in May of 2012 and they were kind enough to send me an electronic copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program.
Profile Image for Bridgett Warren.
8 reviews
May 17, 2015
Excellent Explanation of God's Grace

Excellent Explanation of God's Grace and how it changes our lives. Not only does His grace save us, but it also, and just as importantly, changes our hearts so that we deeply want to serve Him by being obedient to His Word. I have been confused by those who have used God's grace as a license to live any sort of way. I have actually thought that I was wrong in feeling convicted about my every act of disobedience against God. But now I know that it's God's grace that causes me to mourn over my wrongdoing and to constantly seek to know Him and live according to His Word! AMEN!!! Thank You Pastor John MacArthur! And thank You Father for how You are using Him to discern to us Your Holy Word! In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen!!!
Profile Image for Adrian.
67 reviews3 followers
October 18, 2019
Wonderful book expounding the elements of grace. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Danette.
2,970 reviews14 followers
December 31, 2020
MacArthur gives a clear and concise explanation of a wonderful doctrine.

I listened to the audio.

2020 A book by a speaker at Together for the Gospel
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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