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Some of what I hear from MacArthur sure sounds like what was called "Lordship Salvation". I think he has skated too close to that line many times and comes across as implying a works-based salvation rather than sanctification being a lifelong process for a believer that starts with receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and believing in him. Repentance means to "change your mind" and not to "turn from sin" as is often expressed by preachers like him. If we believe that grace is what saves us through faith, then that is the only way we can be saved and never because of righteous deeds that we do. It's ALL grace.

I think the reason why some preachers talk like he does is they are afraid of being accused of preaching "easy believism" - the idea that we just walk forward at an altar call, say we believe in Jesus and then, that's it, we go to heaven when we die and God doesn't care how we live until then. Of course, NOBODY really teaches that, it's a rhetorical extremist device to get people to back away from the truth of grace and lean towards works AND faith being required to be saved. We shouldn't be pressured into falling into that trap - and it IS a trap.

Instead, we should do as Paul said - through the Holy Spirit, of course - that a genuine faith WILL result in a life that is moved to do the works God has prepared for us to do. It is a realization that the old, godless, sinful life no longer holds the attraction it once did. We find that, the closer we move towards God, the less sin appeals to us and we start to see that we really HAVE had something change deep within us. Before we came to Christ, sin's temptation was hard to resist, but after, we find we HAVE power now to be able to resist sin and what once appealed to us now repulses us and we feel shame over past sins. THAT, I believe, is the evidence that we ARE born again. The Holy Spirit within us bears witness to our spirit that we are the children of God.

Do we wake up the next day after giving our life to Christ completely changed into a perfect, sinless person? Not usually, at least most people won't but there WILL be change - with some faster to reach holy living than others. Even Paul, twenty five years after his experience on the road to Damascus said that he STILL faced a spiritual tug of war between his old sin nature and his new spirit nature and that it was through the strength of Jesus Christ that he could prevail over sin. That, through Christ, he could do all things. I think the very fact that we are experiencing this going on in our lives is proof that we ARE His sheep and that we ARE His redeemed and WILL be in heaven when we die.

You mailed it, as usual.

Thanks for putting into words what I was trying to say.

Instead, we should do as Paul said - through the Holy Spirit, of course - that a genuine faith WILL result in a life that is moved to do the works God has prepared for us to do. It is a realization that the old, godless, sinful life no longer holds the attraction it once did. We find that, the closer we move towards God, the less sin appeals to us and we start to see that we really HAVE had something change deep within us.

Excellent comments sister...all of them. When I read the full sermon I did not come back with the impression JM was saying we would be perfect "walkers" in His Way right away or ever until we are glorified. I think his point was the compass has to be pointed in the right direction.

Again, your response speaks volumes on your walk with Christ.