Product Description

“Our response to moral questions is not determined by politics, economics, personal preference, popular opinion, or human reasoning. It is, instead, grounded in what God has told us is true about ourselves and our world….God’s Word offers sanity, clarity, and hope.”

--John MacArthur

Trusted Voices Offer Biblical Responses
to Today’s Hot Issues

One of the greatest challenges facing Christians today is the powerful influence of secular thinking. From all directions we’re fed a constant barrage of persuasive—yet unbiblical—worldviews. This makes it difficult to know where to stand on today’s most talked-about issues.

The leadership team at Grace Community Church, along with their pastor, John MacArthur, provide much-needed discernment and clarity in the midst of rampant confusion. Using the Bible as the foundation, you’ll learn how to develop a Christian perspective on key issues—including…

political activism                     environmentalism
the cult of celebrity                 entertainment and escapism
homosexual marriage              abortion, birth control, and surrogacy
euthanasia and suicide             disasters and epidemics
immigration                             God and the problem of evil

Also included is a topical reference guide of Bible verses that address key concerns—a guide that will arm you with right thinking and biblical answers to challenging questions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28396 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780736926430
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

A Pastoral Perspective on Controversial Issues
As a contributor to this book, I am admittedly biased. But I thought a few remarks might prove useful to anyone considering it.

First, this book addresses a wide range of contemporary issues in a practical fashion from a biblical (and pastoral) perspective. It is not just another ethics textbook (nor was it ever intended to be). Rather, it was written by our pastoral staff with the intent being to show how biblical principles apply to the issues that Christians face everyday. The book is born out of real-world ministry experience, as we attempted to apply biblical principles to real life.

Second, the book is intended to be a concise treatment of the topics addressed. Full books could be written on many of the topics we addressed. Our goal was not to do that, but rather to give a succinct and hands-on treatment of each of the issues. As a result, topics like abortion, euthanasia, birth control, homosexuality, global warming, illegal immigration and the like are addressed in a concise manner. In this way, the book is somewhat of a handbook on contemporary issues.

Finally, in response to J.J.'s rather negative review, it should be noted that the book does NOT equate saving faith with external obedience, but in fact clearly states that obedience follows faith as its fruit (see p. 9, for example). Also, the love of God is specifically addressed in the book (see pp. 206-207, for example). Based on J.J.'s comments, it becomes difficult to imagine that he even read the whole book.

In any case, our church staff's hope (in putting this book together) was that it would be a resource for pastors and lay-people alike, as they seek to exalt Christ by exhibiting "right thinking in a world gone wrong."

Invaluable guide to today's ethics as a Christian

Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong by John MacArthur is a thorough look at many of the dilemmas and issues facing Christians in today's world in a remarkable way. There is a great deal of discord within the church about issues like homosexuality, illegal immigration, politics, and so many other issues. MacArthur and some other authors back up their point of view with plenty of Scripture, and I was glad to see their compassionate view on illegal immigration. It's an issue that had bothered me, and I wasn't quite sure how to view it as a Christian, but MacArthur boiled it down to its essence giving me and other Christians a way to view this volatile issue through faith. I don't necessarily agree with his view on capital punishment, but for the first time I was able to see how Christians can support it and yet oppose abortion Biblically. MacArthur offers a real way for Christians to interact with the world without losing their soul. Popular culture including media, video games, and celebrity is also addressed by focusing on the 1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. This book covers a wide range of subjects and gives Christians a guide to use to help their own response to the world.

Excellent Resource for Controversial Issues
John MacArthur's latest book tries to answer some of the most controversial and engaging questions that Christians are asking today. MacArthur isn't the only author of this book. It's more of a compilation of essays by MacArthur and his leadership team, which includes Rich Holland, Nathan Busenitz, and Jonathan Rourke. Some of the chapters aren't written specifically by one author; they are adapted from staff discussions.

The topics covered in this book are diverse, and it seems as if the Grace Community team left no stone unturned. Some of the issues discussed include homosexuality, internet dating, video games, celebrity, divorce, birth control, in vitro fertilization, capital punishment, environmentalism, suffering, and many more. Each chapter is written by a different author, who usually specializes in the topic covered. The writing is concise and organized, but never very lively. If you want doctrine, Biblical quotation, and clear-cut answers, this book is for you.

I was unhappy, however, with their treatment of certain issues, or rather their lack of treatment. Abortion is discussed, but cases of rape, mental and physical handicaps aren't mentioned at all. I'm assuming that because of their pro-life stance that they articulate clearly, they didn't feel the need to include those subjects. But I feel that in a book of this genre, every inch of the issue should be covered, and the author's omission of critical questions and information severely undermines the book's overall theme.

MacArthur and his team use the Bible as their authority, and though I don't agree with some of their interpretations, they are consistent. This is a thoughtful read that will help many Christians who are unsure of God's perspective on certain topics.