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John MacArthur

John MacArthur explains absolutely everything in 3 minutes

Colossians 1:15-17; Genesis 1
John MacArthur February, 6 2026 Audio
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Insightful short audio by John MacArthur!

Pastor John MacArthur's sermon addresses the theological doctrine of divine revelation and the necessity of transformation through Christ for understanding truth. He argues that true comprehension of the universe, morality, life, and the afterlife can only come through the illumination provided by faith in Jesus Christ, asserting that human wisdom is inadequate apart from divine revelation. MacArthur supports his argument with Scripture references such as Colossians 1:15-17, which emphasizes Christ's preeminence in creation and sustenance, and Genesis 1, highlighting God as the ultimate source of existence. The practical significance of this message emphasizes the importance of evangelism and the necessity of a transformed heart for genuine understanding, pointing to the Reformed doctrine of total depravity and the need for regeneration.

Key Quotes

“I understand why the world is the way it is, why people act the way they act. Am I particularly intelligent? No. Am I particularly wise? No. I just have the mind of Christ here in this book.”

“You have to have been transformed by faith in Jesus Christ so that your understanding is opened.”

“The Word brings light to absolutely everything.”

What does the Bible say about understanding the world?

The Bible teaches that a true understanding of the world comes through the knowledge of Christ.

According to the Bible, true comprehension of the world is not acquired through human wisdom but through the mind of Christ. In Colossians 1:15-17, it is evident that Christ is the creator and sustainer of all things, which means that understanding the universe and our place within it can only be achieved through His revelation. As believers, we recognize that it is through faith in Jesus Christ that our understanding is opened, allowing us to see life, death, morality, and the afterlife in their true light. This transformational knowledge starkly contrasts with the confusion prevalent in worldly perspectives.

Colossians 1:15-17

How do we know the gospel is true?

The truth of the gospel is confirmed by the transformative power it has in the lives of believers.

The affirmation of the gospel's truth is fundamentally linked to its ability to transform lives. In the sermon, it is noted that to genuinely understand and believe the gospel, one must first be transformed by faith in Jesus Christ. This transformation is not merely intellectual but engenders a profound change in one's heart and mind, enabling clearer insight into life's truths. Additionally, scripture reveals that the gospel is the divine power for salvation (Romans 1:16), providing confidence in its truth as it successfully changes hearts and leads people to Christ, as demonstrated when students responded positively after hearing the gospel.

Romans 1:16

Why is the mind of Christ important for Christians?

The mind of Christ equips Christians to see the world clearly and understand spiritual truths.

Having the mind of Christ is crucial for Christians as it grants them insight into the spiritual realities of existence. The sermon emphasizes that this clarity allows believers to comprehend the origins and destiny of the universe, morality, and the nature of life and death. It is through the transformation that faith in Christ brings that believers are granted a correct understanding of these vital concepts, enabling them to navigate the complexities of life with godly wisdom and discernment, distinctly different from worldly views. This transformative aspect is key to aligning one’s thoughts and beliefs with God’s truth and purpose for humanity.

1 Corinthians 2:16

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
As a Christian, you and I share this in common. I see things clearly. I see the world clearly. In fact, I often wonder why I'm not on more programs giving the right answer to everything. It's all very clear to me. Everything is clear to me. I understand where the world came from, where it's going. I understand all of that. I understand why things happen the way they happen. I understand life and death and life after death and heaven and hell and morality and immorality. I understand it all. I understand why the world is the way it is, why people act the way they act. Am I particularly intelligent? No. Am I particularly wise? No. I just have the mind of Christ here in this book.

I remember one time years ago being invited to Cal State Northridge to speak to the philosophy class and the professor was a former rabbi who liked to chew on an occasional fundamentalist. And so I was going to be the bone for that experience. I went to the class. And I was supposed to talk on the subject of Christianity and culture. Well I didn't want to talk about Christianity and culture, I wanted to talk about the gospel.

I think I opened by saying, if I remember right, something like, I'm here to tell you this, I know this is a philosophy class and I know that you're searching for the truth and I'm here to bring your search to an end. That was enough to lose them all. They looked like somebody had shot off a gun in the room.

So I said, I'm here to tell you the truth, tell you the truth about the origin of the universe, tell you the truth about why the universe holds together, things that Einstein couldn't figure out. I'm here to tell you where the universe is going in the future, how it will end. I'm here to tell you about life and death and the afterlife, morality, everything you want to know, I'm here to tell you all of it.

And then I said this, and the rabbi professor was as stunned as everybody else, I said, but no matter what I say, you're not going to understand it and you're not going to believe it. And one student at that moment spoke for all of them and said, How do you know? How do you know we won't understand it, we won't believe it?

I said, Because there's a prerequisite. For you to understand this, you have to have been transformed by faith in Jesus Christ so that your understanding is opened. To which he replied, well, how does that happen? And I said, good, now we'll talk about how you become transformed by Jesus Christ. And so I went into the gospel, which was no small irritation to the professor. I remember an extended time of sharing the gospel with some of the students out in the hall after the class was over. A number of them came to church and a couple of them actually joined our ministry here and professed Christ. The Word brings light to absolutely everything.
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