John MacArthur: Proclaiming God’s Truth With Courage and Clarity

John MacArthur, one of the leading pastor/teachers of our time, went to be with the Lord at age 86 on July 14. While he was the pastor of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California, for over 50 years, he was also a shining example of expository gospel-centered preaching for many pastors and his insightful books and “Grace to You” ministry discipled millions of Christians throughout the world – including me.

Soon after I became a Christian over forty years ago, I remember driving to work early every weekday morning from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami, and I would listen to “Grace to You” on the Christian radio station. His sermons were a tremendous blessing to me, and I began ordering his tapes, such as “How to Study the Bible,” “The Wisdom of God,” and “Justification by Faith,” to name a few. Dr. MacArthur’s tape ministry was my introduction to sound doctrine and discipleship, and eventually God called me into ministry, and I went to seminary. I’ll always be grateful that God led me to listen to John MacArthur.

MacArthur was also a close friend of one of my seminary professors, Dr. R.C. Sproul, and both men were torchbearers of truth for our generation. Dr. Sproul’s books and radio ministry, “Ligonier Ministries,” along with Dr. MacArthur’s books and radio ministry, “Grace to You,” helped carry the baton of biblical truth and historical Christian doctrine to encourage believers to grow in God’s Word. Sproul, known more as a theologian, and MacArthur, known more as a biblical expository preacher, locked arms to speak truth and fight the good fight of faith in this fallen culture.

John MacArthur was often on the frontline speaking out against liberalism, false doctrine, and moral depravity. When many pastors lacked the courage to preach sermons concerning the sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage, and other biblical issues of our day, MacArthur would always preach truth with love and grace, and there were three outstanding characteristics of his preaching: He was always Christ-centered, with moral courage, and biblical clarity.

Known as the dean of expository preaching, MacArthur was mostly a Christ-centered gospel preacher. When I think of John MacArthur, I think of Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

Next, MacArthur preached with moral courage. He was not afraid to stand up and preach God’s inerrant Word because he knew it was the truth of God (John 17:17) and he held onto God’s promise, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

And finally, MacArthur preached with biblical clarity. Although he was winsome and bright, and he had a good sense of humor, he did not try to be cute or witty. He preached with a straightforward purpose to proclaim the truth of God’s Word so that hearers could understand the meaning of the verses being preached. He wanted God’s Word to be understood so that believers could apply the message to their lives and grow in Christ.

Thank you, John MacArthur! We praise God for you and your faithful ministry!