Hard to Believe - John MacArthur

'The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus', is the subtitle to this hard hitting and demanding book by John MacArthur, whose motto is 'Unleashing God's Truth, One Verse at a Time'. Given fifteen seconds to make his point MacArthur would say two things: to affirm 'the absolute and single authority of Scripture, and the absolute exclusivity of Jesus Christ'.

In this book he presents the case for there being no 'user-friendly' or 'seeker-sensitive' gospel, just the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to God, based on the unfallible Word of God, as given in the Bible.

I came to this book, thinking that it would confirm what I have believed and lived out throughout my life as a Christian - and I was not disappointed. MacArthur places the Cross of Jesus Christ central to every belief and every motivation. He destroys the myths that have infiltrated the church and led to a 'watered-down' message which invites people to commit their lives to God without fully understanding the need for repentence - turning away from sin, and truly surrendering their lives to him. He questions whether much of the church, particularly in America, is truly 'born again', whether they are truly Christians - followers of Christ.

I was greatly reassured by this book, but I was also deeply challenged about the outworking of my relationship with Jesus on a daily basis and with the call to self-sacrifice, the hallmark of every true Christian. It certainly gets you out of your comfort-zone!

This is not a light read or an easy read. As the title suggests, Hard to Believe, confirms what true Christians from the time of Christ have discovered, that there is a narrow path that leads to Heaven and few find it. Many take the broad path that leads to destruction, but think they are on the narrow path. He refutes all other gospels and makes no apology for doing so. He reiterates the great commission - to go into all the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ, emphasising that they are doomed if we do not go and tell them. Throughout the book he bases everything he says on the Bible, the only foundation of our faith and everything we do must be based on and grounded in it's Truth.

The image that came to mind, as I was reading, was of a snow-plough pushing back the freshly fallen soft snow to reveal the hard compacted snow and ice beneath. A snow plough goes out before the traffic making the road clear and passable. It is brutal and unyielding to anything obstructing its path. For me, this book cleared the clutter out of the way and revealed our purpose here on Earth. It takes you back to the foundations of the Christian Faith, to inspect them for yourself, to make sure they are solid and firm, and having done that to recommit yourself to making disciples - learners, people with passion for the Truth which will transform their lives.