In the past three months…

• John MacArthur passed away in July of 2025 at the age of eighty-six.
• James Dobson passed away in August of 2025 at the age of eighty-nine.
• Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September of 2025 at the age of thirty-one.

Perhaps many would argue that they do not rise to the level of the Hall of Faith as found in Hebrews 11 which includes Cain, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, among others.

However, from our contemporary perspective, these three, MacArthur, Dobson, and Kirk represent, for many, examples of faithful service for the Lord.

John MacArthur

Perhaps nothing speaks more to the legacy of John MacArthur than his popularizing the theological term “Lordship Salvation.” Initially, his views on the importance of demonstrating outward changes based on an inward conversion (James 2:26) were misconstrued to be a challenge to the traditional view that salvation is based on God’s grace and our faith in Jesus Christ as the sole foundation of the gospel message (Ephesians 2:8-9). As the dust settled from mistaken assumptions by overzealous pundits, the valid point MacArthur was trying to make was that once saved, the believer should be a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is not enough to say a prayer or walk down an aisle at one point in life and expect that to be sufficient with no other tangible changes from the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). Lordship salvation represents an ongoing submission to God, through His Word.

Romans 10:9 - If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

James Dobson

Perhaps nothing better defines James Dobson’s life focus than his own words, “I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living. When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and machines and stocks and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else makes much sense.”

Charlie Kirk

There is no question that Charlie Kirk was a firebrand for conservative values and the political right. However, if his memorial and its aftermath are any indication, his legacy will entail much more than politics. The increase in interest in Turning Point chapters at both the college and high school levels is more an indication of a Gen Z wave of Biblical Christianity entering one of the darkest institutions in America, our educational system. At the risk of overplaying the point, there is perhaps a corollary between Satan’s expectation that the death of Jesus would be a victory for evil, when, instead, it was the catalyst for a movement that swept around the world. Could this also be true of the assassination of Charlie Kirk? Time will tell.