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2015: How John MacArthur Denies the Grounds of Salvation
In Luke 1:31-33, an angel promised Mary three things regarding her son, Jesus; specifically, that Jesus:
- would be great and would be given the throne of His earthly ancestor, King David
- would reign over the house of Jacob forever and
- His kingdom, once established, would have no end.
Scripture makes it indisputably clear that it would be during Jesus’ first advent that He would receive the fulfillment of these promises, and become an eternal King, whose kingdom would never be limited, but as it says, would have no end.
Jesus is called the King of Israel during His early ministry. John 1:49. Zechariah 9:9 prophesied how Jesus would come and be seen as the King, riding on the back of a donkey. And so it was. Matthew 21:5,9,15.
God’s promise to Mary was fulfilled according to the testimony of Scripture. Jesus, upon His resurrection and ascension, sat upon the throne of David as King of kings and Lord of lords, having received from the Father all power and all authority in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18.
Jesus will never have more authority over this earth than he does right now. He has been made, and will forever remain, King of kings, Lord of lords, and is the only Sovereign and Potentate. I Timothy 6:15. Amen.
Scripture itself testifies that Jesus now sits on the promised throne of David in Acts 2:29-32, in fulfillment of the prophecy which Peter quotes in Psalm 110:1,2 where specifically, our Lord was promised to rule at God’s right hand – where He is, leaving no doubt of the matter.
Now, I want you to understand something clearly here. If Jesus is not sitting on David’s throne in accordance to Scripture, then He cannot be King at all, and, moreover, he cannot be our High Priest.
Jesus is our High Priest and King of kings, the two offices are inextricably linked together. He cannot be one without being the other at the same time. In other words, if Jesus, as some teach, is not sitting on David’s throne as promised, then He is neither King, nor is He our High Priest before the Father.
Observe:
In Psalm 110:4, Jesus is said to be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Well, Melchizedek was both a king and a priest at the same time. Genesis 14:18. And so must our Lord be, being after the order of Melchizedek!
Scripture affirms as much, for in accordance to Psalm 110, we now have a High priest who also rules as King at the right hand of the Father. When did He sit at the right hand of the Father? After He made sacrifice for sin! Hebrews 6:20; 7:1; 8:1; 10:12,13.
Jesus was King (on David’s throne) when He became our High Priest and sat down at the right hand of the Father.
To deny that our Lord Jesus sits, right now, upon David’s throne, at the right hand of the Father, having been given all power and authority as King of kings in fulfillment of the Davidic promises, is to, perhaps without intention, deny Jesus as Lord and Christ! There is no escaping the conclusion.
John MacArthur, and again, I pray it is unintentional, belittles the offices and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Macarthur has said outright that Jesus is Lord “in the sense of…” What!? Brethren, Jesus is Lord in every sense, His lordship is not restricted! Yet MacArthur says:
Jesus does not presently exercise His full Divine will over the earth.
Do you realize what this man is –perhaps unintentionally – rejecting?
If Jesus is not sitting on David’s promised throne according to prophecy, then He is not only not King, but He is also not High Priest, which means we have no sacrifice for sins, which means we have no hope for salvation at all!!!
MacArthur – and all dispensationalist who believe as he does:
- Reject that Jesus is exercising His full divine will over the earth.
- Reject that Jesus is King, sitting on the promised throne of David.
- By rejecting His Kingship, also reject His office as High Priest (He must hold them at the same time, remember?)
- By rejecting Jesus as King on David’s throne, reject His Priesthood, His sacrifice and the only grounds for salvation.
John Macarthur is popular.
Yet I have shown over and over and over again, that this man’s dispensationalism goes far beyond ‘secondary issues’.
- It is an attack on the purity of the Gospel.
- It is an assault on the sovereignty of God.
- It is a denial of the offices of Christ.
- It is a thief to the Church, the Bride of Christ, attempting to rob us of promises, comfort, hope and instruction meant and given for our benefit.
- It is an assault on the glory of God, His Son Jesus Christ and denigrates Jesus authority and majesty.
It is many other things, all vile, but you know what troubles this preacher the most?
I can’t stop it. I can’t make it go away.
All I can do is warn the brethren.
Tell them I have done so.
Related articles
- Dispensationalism Defined (5ptsalt.com)
- John MacArthur: Diminishing the Cross of Christ (5ptsalt.com)
- My Apology to Everyone (5ptsalt.com)
- When Chicken is More Important than God’s Word (5ptsalt.com)
5 Pt. Salt 
Thank you for this.
You’re quite welcome. Spread it if you will!
If Christ’s complete will is currently being realized on the earth then why are commanded to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?
Certainly, “Jesus is Lord of all or he is not Lord at all”! God completely enforces all of his divine DECREES and so, “No plan of God can be thwarted” (Job 42:2) But does God enforce (“presently exercise” as MacArhthur says), his MORAL WILL completely. Joel, are you saying MacArthur would not claim the WCF?
Q: What are the decrees of God?
A: The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.1
Joel – is it possible you’ve misunderstood MacArthur (with whom, btw, I differ with on some secondary theological stances)?
Scripture clearly states the Son is at the right hand of the Father (Rev. 3:21) and that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. (John 5:22)
But where exegetically do you see that Christ is currently seated upon the throne of David, which can only be in Jerusalem? And in this age, when the whole world is under the sway of the god of this world? (1John 5:19, 2Cor. 4:4)
You kinda showed your hand with the ‘dispensationalist’ jab 🙂 but in citing Acts 2, you failed to cross-reference the verses Peter was referencing, namely 2Sam 7:12 and Psalm 132:11.
Those specifically reference Christ’s kingdom (of which there will be no end – Isa. 9:7, in stark contrast with the soon end of this present age) and David’s throne, which cannot be considered to be the throne of God in context.
Thoughts?
Anyway, thanks for the blog and for being a watchman.
Blessings,
Ian
Good Job!! I thought I was the only one speaking out against Mac Arthur and dispensationalism as a severe heresy and a false gospel. what on earth was RC Sproul thinking traveling with this man??