The Truth War

Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception
By John MacArthur. For details click HERE or go to http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=262636&event=1010SBF%7C636132%7C1010

Right now, Truth is under attack, and much is at stake. In a postmodern culture, Christians are caught in the crossfire of alternative Christian histories, emerging faulty texts, and a cultural push to eliminate absolute Truth altogether. As a result, many churches and Christians have been deceived. Worse still, they propagate the deception that poses itself as Truth! In The Truth War, John MacArthur reclaims the unwavering certainty of God's Truth and anchors Christians in the eternal, immovable promises found in His Word.

ChristianBookPreviews.com
Looking for a good book on the importance of fighting for and defending biblical truth? Look no further. John MacArthur's The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception is just what you need. When those like the Emergent Church leaders are claiming we cannot know for sure what the Bible teaches, that we cannot be certain whether things like homosexuality are sin, MacArthur shows how the Bible is not ambiguous about these matters at all. And further, the Bible warns that we would see false teachers claim such things. The fact of the matter is, the church is warned often by the writers of the New Testament, and Jesus Himself, that wolves in sheep's clothing would come.

The Truth War has eight chapters, which are all prefaced by the introduction "Why Truth Is Worth Fighting For." Right off the bat, MacArthur explains why truth is important to defend. Each following chapter deals with an important aspect of the battle: "Can Truth Survive in a Postmodern Society?" (Chapter 1); "Spiritual Triumph: Duty, Danger, and Guaranteed Triumph" (Chapter 2); "Constrained into Conflict: Why We Must Fight for the Faith" (Chapter 3); "Creeping Apostasy: How False Teachers Sneak In" (Chapter 4); "Heresy's Subtlety: Why We Must Remain Vigilant" (Chapter 5); "The Evil of False Teaching: How Error Turns Grace into Licentiousness" (Chapter 6); "The Assault on Divine Authority: Christ's Lordship Denied" (Chapter 7); and "How to Survive in an Age of Apostasy: Learning from the Lessons of History" (Chapter 8). All this great discussion is followed by the appendix: "Why Discernment Is Out of Fashion."

An important theme MacArthur takes up in the book is Postmodernism, the philosophical engine that drives the Emergent Church movement. He is right when he says "Postmodernism is simply the latest expression of worldly unbelief," and that it is "proud rebellion against divine revelation" (p. 25). While false teaching masquerading as biblical Christianity has always posed a threat to the church, "most Christians nowadays simply don't care about the prevalence of false doctrine, nor do they take seriously their duty to fight against apostasy" (p. 47).

The real problem, as MacArthur sees it, is that the true church is battling apostate teachers who are espousing corrupt teaching. "They frequently remain and continue to function as preachers, teachers, or authors. Certainly they pretend to be Christians. They cover up their defection with subtlety. They profess faithfulness to the truth even as they try to undermine its foundations" (p. 66). "[A]postate religion is dynamic in the same way gospel truth is---but it produces exactly the opposite results. It intensifies sin's bondage, multiplies sin's pollutions, and magnifies sin's consequences" (p. 122).

The level of apostasy now in the church is not helped by the amount of people filling our pews who may not be genuine Christians. "Churches today are filled with people like that. They drift from church to church. They are often more concerned about whether they like the music than they are about whether they are hearing the truth. They are usually absorbed in religion for self-centered reasons. They want a better life. They are 'recovering' sinners looking for fellowship. They are therefore susceptible to anyone who promises to meet their 'felt needs.' They are the first-line victims of false religion" (p. 182).

The Truth War is must-reading for all Christians. It reminds us of the essential fact that Christianity is a matter of truth. And truth is always worth fighting for. � Ray Hammond, Christian Book Previews.com