Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus
Overview
Popular perception of Jesus Christ is that of a tempered, genteel man who walked the earth, offering nuggets of wisdom to His followers. But what we sometimes fail to recognize is that although Jesus Christ offered a message of forgiveness, He also spoke challenging, demanding words about what being a follower of Christ requires.
In contrast to the superficiality of much modern Christian teaching, Dr. John MacArthur serves up the unvarnished truth of what Christ taught and lived. In simple, compelling terms, he spells out what is required of those who would follow Him. Going beyond Jesus' life to include the crucifixion and resurrection, MacArthur shows readers that Jesus modeled the commitment and loving obedience He requires of us by making the ultimate sacrifice for humankind.
Top Highlights
“The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment.” (Page 2)
“It’s pretty simple. Anyone who wants to come after Jesus into the kingdom of God—anyone who wants to be a Christian—has to face three commands: 1) deny himself, 2) take up his cross daily, and 3) follow Him. These words are hard to believe. They’re not consumer-friendly or seeker-sensitive.” (Page 6)
“If they’re not willing to face the hard truth of conviction over their sins, the hard disturbing reality of self-denial, and the hard demands of following Christ, they’re not going to hang around very long.” (Page 2)
“When Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by posting his Ninety-five Theses on the door at Wittenberg, he affirmed in the fourth thesis that salvation required self-hate. He wrote that ‘self-hate remains right up to entrance into the kingdom of heaven.’ The original Greek word for ‘deny’ means ‘to refuse to associate with.’ The thought is that if you want to be Christ’s disciple, and receive forgiveness and eternal life, you must refuse to associate any longer with the person you are! You are sick of your sinful self and want nothing to do with you anymore. And it may mean not just you, but your family.” (Page 7)
“But Christianity, the genuine gospel of Jesus Christ, is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of truth. What you want, or I want, or anybody else wants, makes no difference whatsoever. It is what it is—by God’s sovereign will.” (Page 5)
