The Truth About the Lordship of Christ

by John F. MacArthur Jr.

"Becoming a Christian means being sick of your sin, longing for forgiveness and rescue from present evil and future hell, and affirming your commitment to the Lordship of Christ to the point where you are willing to forsake everything. I've said it before and I'll say it it isn't just holding up your hand or walking down an aisle and saying, 'I love Jesus.'" ―John MacArthur Best-selling author and pastor John MacArthur brings his deep knowledge of Scripture to this foundational subject. Step by step, he walks through the impact of God's sovereignty, our submission, the characteristics of holy living, and our assurance of salvation. MacArthur makes the case that the Christian life is full and rich―but not easy. It requires sacrifice, perseverance, and transformation in the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. And it is absolutely worth the cost. 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.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Faith, Religion, Christian Living, Audiobook, Nonfiction

139 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Margaret Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you select a book from John MacArthur you can expect it to theologically sound. This book is certainly that. Usually his books are . . . a little more challenging than I found this one. Maybe that's because the subject matter is both difficult for many and important enough that he wanted to make it more easily understood by everyone.

I think the title can be misunderstood. People could read it and think it's going to be about Jesus. It's really about us and how we relate to Christ -- what our role as Christians and disciples is. That is important and often misunderstood in this era of me first, what feels good to me, what pleases me, what I like, what I think, and so on. We are so centered on ourselves that it can be incredibly difficult to give the reigns to someone else.

I don't agree with everything said by anyone but I think this is a book that should be in every church library to help believers understand what is meant by Jesus being the Lord of their lives.

I was given this book by Thomas Nelson as part of the Book Sneeze program but it in no way influenced my review.

[Lashawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should listen to this book 📖

[Katelyn Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 Peter 1:10 brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you

2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?

I John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

CH1 Vs. 6-7a If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another

CH1 Vs. 9-10 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

CH2 Vs 4-5 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

CH2 Vs5-6 By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

CH2 VS10-11 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

CH2 VS23 ; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

CH3 vs7-8 the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

[Brenten Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

Possibly the touchiest of the three topics is the Lordship of Christ. We like to acknowledge God's sovereignty when it comes to our salvation and the redemption that allows us to get to Heaven. However, when it comes to our daily lives, we'd rather not really think about it. Why? Well, that involves submission which is fast becoming a "dirty word" in our society. We all like to believe we're in control of our own life - even if we've already recognized our need for intervention.

Acknowledging the lordship of Christ in our lives requires becoming more like Him each day and, yes, submitting to His will in all things. We need to be available to His calling and willing to obey His commands. We must undergo a sanctification process that brings us ever closer to sharing a mind with Christ. It's a big responsibility and it's a daily process that takes our entire lifetime.

- from trudatmusic[dot]com[slash]raw

[Kenneth Garrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually read Kindle edition.
A disappointing, yet not surprising added volley to MacArthur's decades long tussle with Free Grace Theology (which he calls the "No Lordship" position.
Complete with lists of rules and barometers of faith, long on admonition and rules, with plenty of criticism of the late Free Grace theologian Zane Hodges, this book will help many figure out where their neighbors are falling short in their Christian lives, and why heaven seems so sparsely populated.

[Will Thorpe · Rating 1 out of 5]

John is a top tier preacher. No one should deny that. And this book is essentially a long-form sermon. If you're a fundamentalist Evangelical Christian you will be comforted by the assurance of faith and challenged to convert to the christian sect of Calvinism.

After being a fundamentalist Christian (yes, I am/was a born again Christian who followed Jesus and helped make disciples and led people to Christ) for 20 years who believed in the inerrant word of God I am now starting to realize many issues with Christianity, the bible and the divinity (Lordship) of Jesus.. Perhaps by provenance I found this audio book. If anyone could help put the fear of the Lord back into me, it's John MacArthur. I looked forward to hearing the "the Truth" about the lordship of Jesus.

Unfortunately if you're not a Christian or a Struggling one trying to see reason as to why Jesus' Lordship is "true" you will not see anything beyond the regurgitation of bible verses- and (I think) I already knew every single one them- to support his belief. So, if you're a christian, you're going to have your beliefs reinforced.
The problem is this: If you're already a Christian, Jesus should already be your Lord. John is simply stating Calvinist doctrine to help reassure and toe the line of the specific doctrine you should follow, per his interpretation of various verses. If you're not a Christian, this all just sound like well spoken theological nonsense and isn't helpful. John is making his statements based upon a logical fallacy: circular logic.

Why is Jesus' Lordship true? Because the bible is true and says Jesus is Lord. How do we know the bible is true? The bible says so. This is circular logic and something Christians do way too often. One has to accept the bible as being self reliant theologically first. This doesn't make it "true" to a person seeking to know who Jesus is or why He is Lord.

I honestly was hoping John would take a historical approach to the gospels and to Jesus. He doesn't. 100% of his support comes from the bible. Again, great if you're an evangelical Christian but ultimately not helpful for anyone outside his realm of influence.


This book is a testament as to why people are leaving the church. Very few leaders of the followers of Jesus (Christians) are acknowledging the tough questions. Quoting a hundred bible verses and your religious views isn't going to help anyone accept Jesus is Lord. It's disingenuous and intellectually dishonest. Christian leaders can espouse these great sermons (as a sermon this book is great) all day long but this book shoes a huge disconnect to a generation that has the internet at it's finger tips and historical reality flying in the face of who Jesus was and what the bible claims to be. Christian Leaders cannot continue to ignore these issues telling their followers to duck and run and just keep listening to my great sermons. That not what Jesus did, that's not what Paul did and its not what we should do.

I realize this book is not meant to be evangelical in nature but to make such a great claim of Jesus as Lord and have it be convincing (instead of self affirming and self reassuring) one needs great evidence or, at least, a great argument. There is a great deal historical and extra biblical reasoning to point to Jesus' Lordship. John did not include these for one reason or another and I think I know of at least one or two of them.

I sincerely hope this book helps your faith. It did more damage to mine which I do not believe was Johns intent. The man clearly loves people, the church and Jesus and wants to be approved by God. In this sense he is the antithesis of a hypocrite and above reproach. I hope he realizes, however, that while "the word of God will never change" (however one wants to interpret that) that times are changing, that information is readily available to all who seek it making it so that simply believing in the bible because the bible told me so is no longer a viable option for pastors to win people to Christ, let alone show the truth His lordship.

[Rob Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacArthur's position on Lordship Salvation and the assurance of salvation is very misunderstood. This book does a good job clarifying it. He's also not afraid to call out those that he would typically agree with when they say something wrong (for example, Pink on whether or not God loves the retrobate). Very concise, clear teaching.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other two books in this series were more enjoyable. This one did not grab me until the last chapter but it was worth the wait. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 should make us all ashamed for ever ONCE thinking of our Heavenly Father as unloving toward us!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that primarily deals with the lordship of Christ in salvation. This is a brief, practical book on the Christian life that is helpful.

[V Luttrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Truth About the Lordship of Christ

By John MacArthur Published by Thomas Nelson



The book is about establishing the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It also part of a a three part “Truth” book series. Written by well-known author John MacArthur, The Lordship of Christ details the reasons why God deserves our all and what it means to live fully for Christ.
Not a heavy read but good for young Christians or older ones who need refreshing! This is a book to encourage a deeper walk with Jesus Christ. Although a small book, I found it to be worth the read. I think this book would make a good gift for a new Christian friend, and for anyone unused to reading books on doctrine, And lastly, although this book is addressed to a Christian, I do recommend it for anyone; it would therefore also be a good gift choice for your unsaved acquaintances as well. It explains very clearly salvation, and how God views sin, how we must repent in order to be saved, etc
This is a fairly easy read but packed with Bible based principles to live by. I found it both challenging and encouraging. It is definitely worth the time to read if you are serious about following Jesus Christ and allowing Him to be Lord.
I know MacArthur is usually pretty good on with his writing so I wasn’t surprised when I agreed with just about everything he had to say in The Lordship of Christ.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. I John 4:7, 13, 15-16
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings... Philippians 3:7-10



You cannot serve God freely and fully if you are a slave to people's opinions.

Don't seek the applause of men ~

seek the approval of GOD.”

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Truth About the Lordship of Christ" by John MacArthur is another installment in "The Truth About" trilogy. My expectation about the book was that it would be an examination of the life of Christ: who He is, His ministry, His fulfillment of Scripture regarding the prophesied Messiah. Instead, it was primarily focused on Christian living. It was good subject matter, just not what I was expecting.

MacArthur dives deep into what it means to truly live as a Christian and a disciple of Christ. Drawing upon a myriad of Scripture passages, he examines the many aspects of living as a disciple. The challenge for believers is great. He exhorts "[i]f you want to live correctly, expose yourself to the Word of God" (p. 80). With so much junk surrounding us in today's world and culture, it's even more crucial for followers of Christ to dive into Scriptures and allow a transformation to happen based on the Word.

Overall, he covered a lot of great topics in great detail, but the book on the whole felt a bit disjointed to me. It didn't have the same flow as the other two books in the trilogy. I appreciated his thoughts and the challenge to live a holy life (chapter 4). This book just didn't do it for me like the other two did.

I'll close with my favorite quote from the book, found in chapter 2: "Becoming a Christian means being sick of your sin, longing for forgiveness and rescue from present evil and future hell, and affirming your commitment to the lordship of Christ to the point where you are willing to forsake everything. I've said it before and I'll say it again: it isn't just holding up your hand or walking down an aisle and saying 'I love Jesus.' It is not easy, it is not user-friendly or seeker-sensitive; it isn't a rosy, perfect world where Jesus gives you what you want. It is hard, it is sacrificial, and it supersedes everything. The manifestation of true faith is a commitment that no influence can sway." (p. 27)

(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.)

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Truth About the Lordship of Christ is basically, your typical MacArthur writing. Biblical, insightful, and one that does a good job of covering this eternally important subject. The Lordship of Christ applies to everyone. Philippians 2 tells us that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That is not open for debate. Richard Dawkins will confess this. Nancy Pelosi will confess this. Donald Trump will confess this. Bernie Sanders will confess this. Obama will actually bow the knee to confess this. Yes, even Hillary C. and company will do the same. You will. I will. Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. The only questions are, "When will a person confess that? During his/her life or after it is too late?" The true believer has no qualms with Christ being Lord, Master, and the true believer has no qualms about he/she (the believer in Christ) being the slave. He/she relishes in such, knowing that Christ is not a harsh taskmaster but a gracious, gentle, loving, and sacrificing Master. So MacArthur lays out for the reader a basic overview of Christ and His Lordship. It is well worth a read and one that I believe would be helpful for one who wants to understand the depth of this doctrine.

Perhaps I will note what I believe is the one weakness of the book, though I'm hesitant to say it is a weakness. In this book, it seemed liked perhaps it was more so a cutting and pasting of a bunch of different writings by MacArthur on the subject. Sometimes a section didn't seem to even fit with what was written in the preceding section, thus is felt disjointed at times. Having read almost all of MacArthur's books, I would guess that his editor (Phil J.) possibly took sections from a variety of writings and put them together to come up with this product. As I said, I hesitate to call it a weakness, for the content was excellent. Just struck me as odd at various places.

Overall, I think this is worthwhile read.

[Frank Olvera · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Truth About the Lordship of Christ” (ISBN 9781400204168) by John MacArthur is the second of his “The Truth About” series. I guess first I should include a quote regarding what it means to be Christian.

“Becoming a Christian means being sick of your sin, longing for forgiveness and rescue from present evil and future hell, and affirming your commitment to the Lordship of Christ to the point where you are willing to forsake everything. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it isn’t just holding up your hand or walking down an aisle and saying, ‘I love Jesus.’” –John MacArthur

The author reminds us that God is sovereign, that nothing happens without the will of God, including one’s Salvation. He talks in more detail about Salvation as the sole will of God (sole sovereignty) versus how good we are as Christians and persons (evaluation).

“Whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:30)”

He also reminds us that God chooses to love us (Deuteronomy 7:6-7), but He is not obliged to do so. The author tries to bring light to our love/hate relationship with God making several references to contradictions found in the Bible (texts that we can use to contradict another concept).

MacArthur advises to submit ourselves to God’s will (chapters 2 & 3), live Christianly correctly (ch. 4) and confess our flaws to receive the God’s Grace (ch. 5 & 6).

“Many people claim to follow Jesus. Many people claim to be His disciples, and many always have. But in these verses Matthew, our Lord pointed to the proof of genuineness. This is the mark of a real follower of Christ.” – in reference to Matthew 10:38-39

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago I was very excited about reviewing The Truth About Forgiveness, so I decided to order another book in the series on the Lordship of Christ. Overall I really like this book. Comparatively speaking, I liked Forgiveness a little bit better, but that in no way means that this book was bad.

MacArthur’s biggest strength here is the simplicity in which he presents his information. From what I’ve read of MacArthur, he doesn’t sugar coat his words and lets those doctrines that are offensive be offensive. This doesn’t change in The Lordship of Christ. The simplicity I’m talking about is giving straightforward answers to common questions about Jesus’ lordship.

Second, MacArthur is very practical with principles in his writing. He doesn’t leave the doctrines in the abstract, he gives principles that one can build their life on. This is especially well done in the final chapter on assurance. I like the fact that MacArthur does not give specific application, which makes the book widely applicable.

The weaknesses I found in this book are very subjective. First, it is not very deep. I did not really learn anything new by reading it. Obviously, the book was a good reminder and the Lord used it to convict me in different areas, but there is not deep theology in the book. Also, I think the lack of application - which I already said I liked - will probably be seen as a weakness by some.

Overall, I do like this book. It is especially helpful to new believers, or someone looking for an introduction to what the Lordship of Christ looks like.

[Cherie Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just cannot say enough about this series, "The Truth About Forgiveness/the lordship of Christ/Grace!" This series is absolutely incredible. It's a home run for Thomas Nelson and John MacArhtur and an incredible work of the Holy Spirit.

"The lordship of Christ" provides the TRUTH about justification, sanctification, and salvation. Again, just as in "The Truth About Forgiveness," John MacArthur writes the most powerful message on this topic that I have ever read. It is often to comprehend aspects of salvation, but with powerful biblical truths, MacArthur presents the gospel in a way that there is no room for misinterpretation. I have never understood the meaning of making Christ Lord and Savior more clearly than I do after reading this book. This series should be a mandatory giveaway for every church and a must read for every new and long time believer. With Biblical Scriptures to send a powerful and profound message, John MacArthur reveals the Truth about the making Christ Lord and Savior of your life.

Next on my list to read, "The Truth About Grace."

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."

[Perry Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Audiobook Published by Oasis Audio LLC and available at Audible.com and ChristianAudio.com is Narrated by Maurice England. 

Maurice England has narrated over 100 audiobooks and has a captivating voice. His narration is done with such passion that you believe he is the Author and speaking directly to you. If you want to have your Bible and notebook ready it is worthy of your Devotional Time and Biblical Study.

John MacAuthur shares the thoughts of Calvin regarding salvation, the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, living a life of holiness and the necessity of knowing your are going to heaven, or assurance.

Although the title says this book is about the Lordship of Christ I have to say it is more about the Assurance of the Believer. Knowing not only why and how you came to salvation but more so that once saved you are assured to go to Heaven.
 
MacAuthur would say one should strive to be Sanctified through the leading of the Holy Spirit and live a Holy Life, but that Sactification is a life long process not a single event like Salvation. 

Assurance is necessary to stop doubt about ones future and allow one to strive for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus and too, while on earth, live a Holy Sanctified Life.

[Rachel Blom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I really admire John MacArthur as a Bible teacher. I’ve read more of his books and his teaching is usually solid. This book, The Truth About the Lordship of Christ is no exception, but it does suffer from some serious shortcomings. First of all, it seems to lack cohesion. There’s a lot of truth and important truth at that, but I missed an overall theme or a bigger line that connected all the dots. A second issue is that many important theological issues and viewpoints are merely touched upon, or are described so densely that every sentence has to be studied and pondered. All in all, I found truth and wisdom in this book, but not as much and not as clear as I had hoped. It’s a good introduction for people who want to get a basic overview, but for those who want to dig deeper on this topic, they’d either have to do extra reading themselves as an addition, or find another book. For a full review, see: http://www.youthleadersacademy.com/tr...

[Ramon Lamadrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro para el crecimiento cristiano y saber más sobre Cristo. La verdad nos hace libres.

[Simon Wartanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mijn eerste boek van MacArthur en het was een leuke. Ik vond vooral de eerste hoofdstuk leuk en de laatste hoofdstuk was ook heel leerzaam. SDG!