John MacArthur Releases Scorching Open Letter to CA Governor Gavin Newsom
Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, has released an open letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, blasting him for “the diabolical effects” of his worldview and policies, as well as the “many immoral decisions” he has “perpetrated against God and the people of our state.” MacArthur closes with a gospel message, encouraging him to repent and turn to Christ.
Governor Gavin Newsom September 29, 2022
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Sir,Almighty God says in His Word, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:3). Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–7). You have not only failed in that responsibility; you routinely turn it on its head, rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous.The Word of God pronounces judgment on those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20), and yet many of your policies reflect this unholy, upside-down view of honor and morality.
The diabolical effects of your worldview are evident in the statistics of California’s epidemics of crime, homelessness, sexual perversions (like homosexuality and transgenderism), and other malignant expressions of human misery that stem directly from corrupt public policy. I don’t need to itemize or elaborate on the many immoral decisions you have perpetrated against God and the people of our state, which have only exacerbated these problems. Nevertheless, my goal in writing is not to contend with your politics, but rather to plead with you to hear and heed what the Word of God says to men in your position.
“Let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him” (Psalm 72:11).
“He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of
the morning when the sun rises” (2 Samuel 23:3–4).
“It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established
on righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12).
What God said to Cyrus is a truth you should take to heart: “I am the LORD, and there is no< other; besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5–6) In mid-September, you revealed to the entire nation how thoroughly rebellious against God you are when you sponsored billboards across America promoting the slaughter of children, whom He creates in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 45:9–12).
You further compounded the wickedness of that murderous campaign with a reprehensible act of gross blasphemy, quoting the very words of Jesus from Mark 12:31 as if you could somehow twist His meaning and arrogate His name in favor of butchering unborn infants. You used the name and the words of Christ to promote the credo of Molech (Leviticus 20:1–5). It would be hard to imagine a greater sacrilege.
Furthermore, you chose words from the lips of Jesus without admitting that in the same moment He gave the greatest commandment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). You cannot love God as He commands while aiding in the murder of His image-bearers.
Psalm 50:16–19 speaks to people who pervert the Word of God for their own sinful ends:
But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to recount My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth? For you hate discipline, And you cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, And you associate with adulterers.You let your mouth loose in evil And you harness your tongue for deceit.”
My concern, Governor Newsom, is that your own soul lies in grave, eternal peril. “Each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). One day, not very long from now, you will face that reality. Nothing is more certain. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). You will stand in the presence of the Holy God who created you, who is your Judge, and He will demand that you give an account for how you have flouted His authority in your governing, and how you have twisted His own Holy Word to rationalize it.
As you look over the precipice of eternity, what will your answer be? When you look ahead of you and see that nothing awaits you but eternal misery—the just punishment for your sins—what will< all the clever rationalizations and political talking points avail for you then? And by then it will be too late for any remedy or redemption. “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
My plea to you, Sir, is that you would not let it come to that—that you would not go to that day of judgment apart from receiving forgiveness and righteousness through faith in Christ alone. In Psalm 50, after rebuking the wicked for uttering God’s words in a profane way, Scripture makes this promise: “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies Me; and he who orders his way, I shall show the salvation of God” (vv. 22–23).
So there is salvation for those who repent. Christ purchased full redemption for all who will turn from wickedness, forsake their evil thoughts and actions, and trust fully in Him as Lord and Savior. Our church, and countless Christians nationwide, are praying for your full repentance. Please respond to the gospel, forsake the path of wickedness you have pursued all your life, turn to Christ, ask for forgiveness, and use your office to advance the cause of righteousness (as is your duty) instead of undermining it (as has been your pattern).
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the
wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to
the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6–7).
Governor Newsom, “now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation”
(2 Corinthians 6:2).
For the Master,
John MacArthur
Pastor-Teacher
Editor’s Note. While the letter is quite excellent, we do have a quibble, which is the exegesis he provided in the first paragraph. He writes “Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–7)”
While those verses certainly say that the role of government is to punish evildoers, nowhere does it say in this verse or any other he citied that the chief duty is to “reward those who do well.” It may be true that this is what they should do, but that is not derived from the text he provided and is an incautious interpretation at best.
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MacArthur’s letter is one of the best statements I’ve ever read. Kudos for your unwavering fearlessness in standing up to an increasingly evil society.
Gavin Newsom Shirtless Pics
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I wish MacArthur and just about every other pastor/preacher who urges the need to repent would also mention that mankind in their spiritually dead condition cannot repent and will not unless first regenerated as repentance must be granted by God just like faith must be. I don’t think it’s no small matter to point this out.
I think it’s important for the preacher to communicate the fact of how helpless we are in our natural state and how we must continually cry out to God to be released from our bondage and be granted salvation.
My fear for Gavin Newsom is that he sees himself in a god-like manner and may have already been given over as we read about God doing that to people and societies and Romans chapter 1. Then again, I can say that about many people, especially politicians like his aunt, Nancy Pelosi and many other Democrats and even some Republicans full of themselves.
The Apostle Peter said “…and for the praise of them that do well.” (1 Peter 2:14) This establishes the principle of authorities praising well-doers as scriptural. God very often says things once (as with forbidding Adam to eat of the two trees), and it is the Christians responsibility to believe and obey and uphold what God has uttered.
https://www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/3592
Dante211 John Macarthur certainly does teach that salvation is by sovereign election, and that no-one can contribute to his/her own salvation. His plea to Newsome is like God’s plea to all people, to repent and turn from their wicked ways.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Romans 13:3
I fully agree with his letter to Newsom, very sad the times we’re in but also I rejoice for the end of this age is near, Newsom and all who are making these evil decisions will pay the ultimate price, I just have to wonder if he is aware of the blasphemy, just seems that if he’s quoting Jesus from the Bible he’s well aware of his actions.