Christianity,  Politics

John MacArthur Rebukes Democratic Platform

I’ve been following John MacArthur’s ministry for many years now. He is not—by any stretch of the imagination—a political preacher. In fact, he steers clear of politics in his preaching because he believes it to be a distraction from the preacher’s primary responsibility—preaching the word of God.

So it is worthy of note that MacArthur has recently included remarks in a sermon that address politics. I could write an excerpt here, but you’ll probably benefit more from hearing it from the man himself. You can download the audio here or listen below.

[audio:http://www.gty.org/media/audioblog/AB_90-448_1.mp3]

(HT: Dan Phillips)

13 Comments

  • Joe Blankenship

    Joe Blankenship
    Dr. MacArthur makes some great points in regard to the party platforms. When President Obama first ran for office, I wanted to vote for him. Supporting his presidency seemed like it would have been a great benefit to the ministry we are in and definitely would have opened doors to cooperation and conversation. President Obama’s promotion of and/or support of abortion and the death of the unborn made it impossible for me to support him as a Christian. I couldn’t reconcile the love of Christ and his view of life with the President’s view of abortion.
    The challenge to my thinking in relationship to this election is that the Lord Jesus had His harshest words for those who promoted false teaching, especially that which denied His deity and His saving work. I agree with Dr. MacArthur that we are not selecting a pastor and there is something to his Romans 13 argument of the ability to recognize morality BUT how could a government have the blessing of God when the leader denounces His Son in the most awful of ways. So how do I pray for this election? I really don’t know. Do I want the advancement and normalization of a religion that denies the deity of Christ and will damn millions to hell who embrace it as a result? Do I want the advancement of the culture of death and the dismantling of marriage and the external semblance of morality?

    I trust the Lord to bring to our nation what will be most for His glory and for the furtherance of His kingdom. I know some are praying for a certain candidate to win the election. I can’t see the biblical argument as clearly as Dr. MacArthur seems to. Maybe the decline will lead to a depth of sin that leads to a judgment that gives birth to repentance and revival or maybe the rise of a false gospel will bring a level of persecution on the intolerance of those proclaiming the truth that will be the martyr’s blood that becomes the seed of revival. The Lord knows and I trust Him. I sure don’t know.

    • Dan Montzka

      Joe,

      Thanks for sharing your views. You appear to be very concerned about Romney’s view to Christ and the Gospel. Do you have any similar concerns about Presidents Obama’s view of Christ and the Gospel? What were the issues that made you want to vote for President Obama in the first place?

    • Daryl Little

      Joe,

      A question that may be worth asking would be, when was the last time a man running for the White House could have definitely been identified as a believer?

      Reagan perhaps? Carter…maybe? Can’t think of anyone else, although many (including Obama) have played that card falsely.

      • James Stanton

        Reagan was a decent man but also an adulterer. Carter was in the evangelical mainstream but he’s followed the social liberalization of his party. It used to be a matter of Protestant vs Catholic but that changed as political preferences diverged amongst Christians over social issues post 60s-70s.

        • Joe Blankenship

          Dan
          Wasn’t saying I was voting for Obama or that I had. Just like to cheer God on through my prayers but can’t get a sense of what would honor Him. I believe the support of the murdering of children is an indefensible horror that Christians must stand against with at least the way we vote. I also don’t know of anything treasured more by the Father than His love for His Son and thus Mormornism’s disdain for the real Jesus must be extremely revolting to the Father. I understand your point that the other candidate is not a lover of Jesus either and past presidents have occupied the office without honoring the biblical Jesus … BUT it seems pretty naive to think that Romney’s presidency will not provide a tremendous benefit to the Mormon cult – moving it into the mainstream of society. I could be very wrong in that assumption and could imagine scenarios that produced a different result but that seems to be the most likely effect of a Romney presidency. My concern is not for a Christian in the white house just burdened for the honor of Jesus in a society that seems way off the mark.

          • Rip Ryness

            Joe,

            This is exactly what I’ve been feeling. It seems to me it would be better to have an agnostic or even an atheist as president than someone who would further a cult so cleverly deceitful. How can the sin of abortion or homosexuality be compared to denying who Jesus is?

  • Terry Steinhauer

    Rip, it begs the question, “Don’t people deny Christ all the time by the way they live no matter what they profess?” There is forgiveness for anyone who would repent and believe on the Lord under any nation’s leadership, but I would argue that when our hearts become numbed to the slaughter of the innocents in the womb, a cult-ish president will be the least of our worries.

    • Rip Ryness

      Terry,
      In my mind when I compare abortion to denying the true deity of Jesus Christ and leading people away from that deity in a cleverly deceitful way, I really see no comparison. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift to mankind. We would dare promote a man to our highest office to represent us both here on earth and in heaven when he promotes one of Satan’s greatest deceptions? Mormonism not only denies the Triune Godhead, and the magnitude of the Father’s gift to us in the sacrifice of His Son, but it claims we can become like God. Abortion either snuffs a life out that has no soul, or it sends that soul to heaven. Mormonism damns souls to hell.

      • Terry Steinhauer

        Thank you for your input Rip. I do respect your position and I agree with most of what you have said and completely understand why you feel the way you do. I was on the fence whether to vote or not, being diligent in prayer and in His word for a direction for many months. I do not believe that any leader of a nation, yes including our own, represents us as individuals and I think that is precisely the point on where we part ways. I am Christ’s and I owe allegiance to Him and no other. There has never been a Christian leader of this nation(all have denied Christ) save for lip service so, technically, we should never vote for anyone. A nation based on Biblical principles does not make it a nation of Christians. I do not fear the cult of Mormonism any more than I would fear Rome or any false gospel being preached from the pulpits in our church buildings. They all send people to hell. But I do fear Obama’s Marxist agenda bringing the earthly hell Hitler created. And may the Lord have mercy on us all! Our job is to preach the Gospel in season and out of season to any and all who will listen regardless of what puny man has a temporary seat of authority. The Lord knows those who are His. 2 Timothy 2:19
        There did we rejoice in Him, who rules by His might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Psalm 66:7
        He makes nations great, and He destroys them;
        He enlarges nations, and leads them away. Job 12:23
        God bless.

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