OUR SUFFICIENCY IN CHRIST
by John F. MacArthur
Crossway Books, 282 pages, $12.99

John MacArthur's volume, Our Sufficiency in Christ, is another of those books which has not received the distinction and wide reading audience it deserves. In a time when fictional and apocalyptic writings, or 30 day wonder prayer formula books top the Christian best seller lists, a book such as MacArthur's, which presents a sane and biblical understanding of a believer's position in Christ, all too often goes unnoticed and unread.

Sadly, Christians go looking for truth in all the wrong places. They dig through the garbage cans of psychology, mysticism, spiritual gimmicks, and supernatural quick fixes. "As a result," the book says, "they wallow in a watered down, pseudo Christianity that has been drained of its vitality, effectiveness, and security."

MacArthur tackles a wide range of issues in the book. And he clearly shows the complete sufficiency of Scripture. The Word of God need not be supplemented with psychology or other man made therapies. He writes, "The Bible is like a lion. You don't need to defend it. Just open the door and let it out. It'll take care of itself" (pg. 141). Scripture, he stresses, provides reliable answers for life's hardest questions. And he's right on target. If more Christians were taught and believed this basic truth, they would not be so easily deceived by Satan or search in vain for spiritual truth. "Scripture hasn't failed them they've failed Scripture," MacArthur writes (pg. 89).

MacArthur also surveys the issue of spiritual warfare and presents a solid case for the sufficiency of God's grace. The biblical principles and understanding he sets forth in both these chapters are extremely helpful in combating the current wave of deliverance ministries and health and wealth theologies.

The book has Scripture and Topical indexes. The latter is expanded to include entries for several of the illustrative stories MacArthur uses.

This book was first published under the same title by Word Publishers in 1991. Crossway Books (beginning in 1998) is now publishing the volume. They should be commended for keeping this important work in print.

-- MKG

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