The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-R, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 20."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1982. All Rights Reserved.

Question

A friend of mine in Discipleship Evangelism was witnessing to a man who claimed to be a Christian. But he used Mark 10:18 to prove his point that Jesus was not God while on earth. And I was just wondering what my friend could say to this man?

Answer

Well, he could say he’s wrong. Mark 10:18, “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.” You know what Jesus was saying there? “You’re not calling me God are you?” He really put this guy on the spot, right? “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” And Jesus says, “Your not calling me God, are you?” Jesus isn’t denying that; He’s putting the guy on the spot. He’s saying “What are you saying to me?” You see, you cannot just find one verse; you know, this is what people do. You know, people proof text their ignorance incessantly. It’s an old ploy. You know, it’s like the guy who preached the sermon on the fact that women shouldn’t have their hair on a bun in the back of their head, and his text was in Matthew 24 “Top not come down.” And it says “Let those on the house top not come down.” See, if you just pick out the right words—if you just pick out the right words, you can prove anything you want to prove.

But the best thing to say to people like that is, “That verse isn’t sufficient.” You know what I tell people who have a question about the deity of Jesus Christ? "If you really want to know the truth, you sit down and read the gospel of John from chapter 1 to chapter 21. Read the whole thing, and then come back and tell me that Jesus isn’t God. Don’t pull out a verse like that." I mean, “A wayfaring man” as it says in the Old Testament “though he be a fool, need not err.” There is one thing that is absolutely clear in the Scripture, and that is that Jesus is God. There’s no other way to explain anything about Him. What you don’t want to do when dealing with somebody like that is get tangled up in the one verse. Put the burden on them. Say “OK, you’ve given me your little verse, now you read the gospel of John, and come back and tell me whether that’s the right conclusion or not. Or read Colossians, chapter 1; try that one on him.

Question continued

If he doesn’t believe that Jesus was God, then he can’t be a Christian, is that true?

Answer continued

Oh, no. He sure can’t. “If any man comes along and has any other Christ than the Christ of God, let him be anathema and accursed.” That is the most violent, flagrant denial of truth that is possible—to deny the deity of Jesus Christ is to undercut all of God’s revelation. Not only is he not a Christian, but he would be judged more severely than others who did not know the record and have it in their hand and deny the deity of Jesus Christ. You know what I said? I was listening to myself on the radio the other day—I have to listen to myself now and then to see what I believe because I forget. Sometimes when I come in the morning I have a chance to listen; I listened the other day—I think it was today, or whatever. And I was talking about the series on the wrath of God—the importance of hitting people with that. You know, when somebody says to me, I don’t believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, maybe the best answer to say to them “Well, just let me let you know that people who don’t believe in the deity of Jesus Christ spend forever in Hell, so you’d better be right because that’s what the Bible says. You’re accursed, so you’d better be sure that you’re really right, because it’s a severe price if you’re wrong.”

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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