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John MacArthur is Robbing the Church
[ For the sake of the Church, I’d like to ask you to share this post far and wide. Thanks – JT ]
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” – Romans 15:8,9.
I almost entitled this post How Dispensationalism Robs the Church, but dispensationalism is a belief system, and therefore unable to rob anyone of anything of itself. Warning the Church of error is greatly enhanced when a name is put to it, and so it is.
Posts such as this one are not a delight. Yet when the powers of darkness assault God’s truth, we must be jealous for His glory, His Name, and His Word.
Brethren, all the promises of God, in both testaments, find their fulfillment in Christ, without exception. 2 Corinthians 1:20.
Moreover, all the promises of God, both testaments, every last one of them, was made ‘in Christ’. No promise of God’s blessing applies to anyone, in any way, apart from Christ.
In the old testament, the promises are meant for the learning and comfort of the Church alone. I Corinthians 10:11. Not only that, they were recorded to give us, the Church, hope. Hope, encouragement, instruction – all for the believer in Christ. Romans 15:4.
Now, a man comes along and teaches that many of those promises do not belong to me, I cannot claim them, much less draw hope and comfort from them, for they belong to a people outside of Christ, indeed, His current enemies. To believe such heinous error is to relegate much of Scripture as a dead letter to me, yourself and the Church.
Anyone who believes such heresy is being robbed of comfort, hope, encouragement and instruction – and by a man who puts himself in opposition to Scripture, Christ and His Church. That man is a spiritual thief.
God has clearly told us that all His promises find their fulfillment in Christ, and those who are in Christ possess those promises and all blessings associated with them because we are in Christ. They belong to us because they were made and fulfilled in Him, and we are His body.
John MacArthur, and everyone who believes and teaches the lies of dispensationalism is, at least for now, a false teacher. John MacArthur would rob the Church of its comfort, encouragement, hope and instruction by taking those very promises made ‘in Christ’ and hand them over to an unbelieving people:
Now, beloved, let me just tell you that’s why there are still Jews in the world. That’s why there is still a nation. The covenants of God sworn in the oath of God have demanded the preservation of the people of God. For if Israel went out of existence there would be no way for God to fulfill His covenants. And so God has caused perpetuity in the Jewish stock. He has caused those people to outlive all other peoples contemporaneous with them in ancient times. They are a phenomenon. They are not God’s ancient people Israel, they are God’s present people and God’s future people to whom He must fulfill His covenants, He must fulfill His promises therefore He must maintain their existence. God has a plan for Israel. His character depends on it. His integrity depends on it. His trustworthiness and faithfulness depend on it.
And to sum up God’s promise to Israel is to say ultimately He promises to redeem them, to give them a glorious Kingdom, to give them peace from all their enemies and the fullness of blessing. And that will come in the future, that is God’s promise. – John MacArthur, Has God Cancelled His Promises to Israel? (emphasis mine)
In saying these things, John MacArthur, as does every dispensationalist believing the same…
- Denies that, as Scripture teaches, the only Jew is one who is circumcised of the heart, in Christ, who is a Jew inwardly, not outwardly. Romans 2:29.
- Denies the promises were made to Abraham and to his Seed which is Christ, and fulfilled in Christ. Galatians 3:16.
- Denies that salvation for geo-political Israel must be by faith alone, before the return of Christ, and teaches faith plus sight after the second advent. A way of salvation unknown in Scripture.
- Denies that the Church alone is a chosen race, holy nation, a people for God’s possession. I Peter 2:9
- Denies that the promises of God have already been fulfilled in Christ and that apart from Him, there are no blessings and no favored status before God. 2 Corinthians 1:20
In essence, he sets Himself against what God has clearly communicated to His true people, the Church.
Brethren, this man, and many others who teach likewise, are attempting to rob the Bride of Christ, and have succeeded in deceiving many of our brethren – for now. We could go on regarding what is being denied, but do we need to? Is it not clear there is a thief and a false teacher among us?
The question I ask you today is simple: The Church is being robbed in broad daylight. Should we be silent and just ignore that truth for the sake of ‘unity’? Or should we be bold for the sake of Christ’s Name, His Word, His offices and His Gospel?
Related articles
- The Cult of Dispensationalism (5ptsalt.com)
- John MacArthur: Diminishing the Cross of Christ (5ptsalt.com)
- A Damnable Error & A Simple Question (5ptsalt.com)
- God’s Word or John MacArthur’s? (5ptsalt.com)
- When Israel Means the Church (5ptsalt.com)
- Is Repentance A ‘Secondary Issue’? (5ptsalt.com)
- No Temporal Blessings for the Unregenerate (5ptsalt.com)
- Bootlicker, Ignorant or Coward? (5ptsalt.com)
- My Apology to Everyone (5ptsalt.com)
5 Pt. Salt 
disagreed…
I think we have spoken before on this matter, but McArthur is accurate in what he is saying. There are still promises God has yet to fulfill to literal Israel. No doubt, no doubting whatsoever, that one who is a jew is one inwardly and circumcision does not make the jew, the circumcision of the heart does. Clearly this is the truth. However, this does in invalidate an actual future event of God’s redemption to those who are Jews naturally. I dare you to read Romans 11.27 and Jer 32.40. Please read thru Isa 60.21, Jer 31.34, and Ezek 39.22, 29. There are signficant events still in God’s divine and Sovereign plan that will occur with His people called nationally – the Jews. Why do the heathen rage at this prospect – it is in the mind of God and it is glorious because it affirms that He saves whom He will and has mercy upon whom He will. Please beware of denouncing McAurthur and be careful that you have actually heard the mind and counsel of God almighty in what you have written.
I am not arguing for dispensationalism, calvinism, and whatever-ism.
Oh, you are, indeed, arguing for dispensationalism, and worse.
Amen! Adherents to replacement theology have that little [not] insignificant matter of Romans chapter 11, as well as the book of Galatians to contend with.
Not to mention Genesis chapter 15, in which God identifies Abrahams seed as his physical descendants.
Of course, in Galatians 3:29 we [Believers] are identified as Abrahams seed as well (the “wild olive branch” spoken of in Romans 11:17.
The primary failing of dispensationalism is the unbilical schism it introduces between the church/congregation and Israel. The Bible clearly identifies we Gentile Believers as adopted Sons of God, waiting only on the physical manifestation of same (Romans 8:19).
God will heal and restore the nation of Israel. A remnant will be saved (Isaiah 10:20-23, 11:10-16, Ezekiel 38:14-39:29).
And of course Israel does not have a different plan of salvation, they too must recognize that Jesus was, and is the promised Messiah if they want to be saved (Daniel 12:1-4).
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Brethren, all the promises of God, in both testaments, find their fulfillment in Christ, without exception. 2 Corinthians 1:20.
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I’ll second that with a hearty amen.
Ron
It’s a little difficult to acertain who or what you’re arguing for , you state that Dispy’s create a schism , which is true, and then place one yourself with the very next sentence. The truth is that there are no distinctions [Gal 3:28]between believers, however , the bible does distinguish between believers [Jews] and non believers, [gentiles] , who spiritually speaking , have always been identified as those outside the congregation, but the real point here is that everyone who is now part of the kingdom, has been adopted , even the natural branches have been grafted back into the tree of Israel.
Joshua 21:43-45:
43 Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
This is History, brothers. It is accomplished and recorded in God’s revelation that the land promises have all been fulfilled. Any current or future events regarding national Israel and Jerusalem, while certainly part of of God’s sovereign plan to glorify himself and redeem His elect from all nations, are not part of his promises to Abraham.
Christ is the true Israel, the one who truly strove with God and prevailed. What would even be the need to reestablish a separate people or to re-institute a sacrificial system that we know never took away sin, or to rebuild the partition between God’s presence and his people when the work of Christ has torn it asunder and ushered into the presence of God?
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Enjoy reading your posts and views, Joel. If i might, I would offer a suggestion to improve the readablity of your sites. If you could use a darker blue or black font, it would make reading easier, for us with less than perfect vision. Otherwise your site is excellent ! God Bless You !