I've said so often to pastors, if your sermon can't get out of your zip code throw it away. It has to be transcendent. If it can't be translated into another language then it's not a right reflection of the word of God.
John MacarthurRead
To advance the Gospel by political lobbying, by any form of pragmatism, shallow Gospel entertainment, emotional manipulation, acceptance of sin and sinners, is to cross over into the devil's work.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote warns against compromising the integrity of the Gospel for political or societal gain.
John MacArthur's quote emphasizes the importance of adhering to the true essence of the Gospel without succumbing to external pressures such as political lobbying or the pursuit of popularity through entertainment or manipulation. He believes that straying from the core teachings and moral standards of the Gospel, whether for pragmatism or social acceptance, constitutes a betrayal of its fundamental purpose and aligns one with morally dubious practices.
Themes
GospelPoliticsIntegrityPragmatismSin
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the importance of maintaining moral integrity in faith.
More from John Macarthur
All quotes →Our calling as gospel ministers is to preach the truth, confront sin, and call all men to repentance and obedience to the gospel - the good news that achieves soul conversion and saves sinners from eternal wrath.
John MacarthurRead
Similar quotes
for 100,000 (dollars), you [can] flatten a house with a wrecking ball. Imagine how much less it [takes] to destroy something than it [does] to build it in the first place.
Jodi PicoultRead
Philosophy makes progress not by becoming more rigorous but by becoming more imaginative.
Richard RortyRead
Let your Christianity be so unmistakable, your eye so single, your heart so whole, your walk so straightforward, that all who see you may have no doubt whose you are, and whom you serve.
J. C. RyleRead
Take away all your labels and you are the Infinite Being.
Deepak ChopraRead
His overriding life necessity was not love, it was his profession…He had come to medicine not by coincidence or calculation but by a deep inner desire. Insofar as it is possible to divide people into categories, the surest criterion is the deep-seated desires that orient them to one or another lifelong activity. Every Frenchman is different. But all the actors the world over are similar.
Milan KunderaRead
The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.
Sandra Day O'ConnorRead