The Keys to Spiritual Growth

by MacArthur, John F., Jr.

• ISBN13: 9781581342697
• ISBN10: 1581342691
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-24
• Publisher: Crossway Books

Summary

Few people were ever more sincere than I in trying-without success-to find meaning, truth and purpose to life.But at the university I noticed a small group of people-eight students and two faculty members-with something different. They seemed to know what they believed and why. I wanted what I saw.Two weeks later, while I was sitting with some of them at a table in the student union, the conversation began to center on God. That bothered me, because I thought it was not intellectual. And yet I was curious.Leaning back in my chair, I said to one of the students, "Tell me, what has made you so different from others?"She looked me in the eye with a little smile and said: "Jesus Christ!"My response revealed my bias and my ignorance. "Oh, for heavenrs"s sake," I said, "donrs"t give me that garbage about religion!"To which she replied: "I didnrs"t say religion. I said Jesus Christ!"My new friends challenged me to examine the claims of Christ. I thought most Christians were idiots. But these people were persistent. Finally, I accepted their challenge, out of pride, to refute them.One of the crucial areas of my research to refute Christianity centered around His resurrection. More than 1,000 hours of studying this subject showed me that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was either one of the most wicked, heartless, vicious hoaxes ever foisted upon human minds, or it was the most fantastic fact of history.Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish prophet, claimed to be the Christ prophesied in the Jewish Scriptures. He was arrested, judged a political criminal, and crucified. Three days after His death and burial, some women went to His tomb and found the body gone. His disciples claimed that God had raised Him from the dead and that He had appeared to them and to many others at various times before ascending into heaven.In my attempt to refute Christianity, I made some startling observations about the resurrection. The testimony of history, for example. I had no idea there was so much positive historical, literary and legal testimony supporting the factuality of Christrs"s resurrection. But the more I investigated, the more evidence I found. I came to see why the Apostle Paul had said, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14).Jesusrs" foretelling of His resurrection was another of my startling observations. Prior to Jesusrs" death, He took His disciples aside and told them that He would be condemned to death and handed over to the Romans who would mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. And three days later He would rise from the dead (Mark 10:33-34).The more I studied the historical-biblical Christian faith the more I realized it is a thinking personrs"s faith. As Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).But alongside the scholarly evidence for the resurrection, there is circumstantial evidence-what happened to me.Having set out to refute the resurrection and Christianity, and then having been compelled by the evidence to believe that Jesus Christ was indeed exactly who He claimed to be-and that He indeed rose from the dead, I faced a new problem. My mind was saying, "Christianity is true," but my will was saying, "Donrs"t admit it!"It came to the point where Irs"d go to bed at ten and wouldnrs"t fall asleep until four in the morning. I knew I had to get Jesus off my mind or go out of my mind.Finally on December 19, 1959, at 8:30 p.m., I became a Christian.I prayed four things that night, to establish a relationship with the resurrected, living Christ who has since transformed my life. First, I said, "Lord Jesus, thank You f

Author Biography

John MacArthur is the pastor of Grace Community Church in California and president of The Master's College and Seminary. He can be heard daily on the "Grace to You" national radio program and is the author of numerous books

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 11
Introduction	p. 13
The Master Key: A Presupposition	p. 17
The Master Purpose: The Glory of God	p. 25
The Master Plan: How to Glorify God	p. 41
Obedience: Unlocking the Servants' Quarters	p. 59
The Filling of the Spirit: Unlocking the Power Plant	p. 75
Confession: Unlocking the Chamber of Horrors	p. 89
Love: Unlocking the Bridal Suite	p. 107
Prayer: Unlocking the Inner Sanctum	p. 117
Hope: Unlocking the Hope Chest	p. 127
Bible Study: Unlocking the Library	p. 141
Fellowship: Unlocking the Family Room	p. 153
Witnessing: Unlocking the Nursery	p. 161
Discernment: Locking the Security Gate	p. 171
Notes	p. 179
Scripture Index	p. 181
General Index	p. 189
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