HERALDING THE TRUTH: PASSING GOD’S WORD TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Psalm 78:4 gives specific marching orders for followers of Christ, namely – we must herald the truth of God’s Word:

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Psalm 78:4, ESV).

Instead of “hiding” the truth, we must herald the truth.  Obeying this divine command means we tell people about God; that is to say, we proclaim the Word of God.  The Psalmist proclaims, “Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever” (Psalm 48:12–14, ESV).

Psalm 78:4 lays a heavy burden of responsibility on parents to pass the torch of truth to the next generation.  Exactly what does this proclamation look like?  What are the high points of a faithful herald?

WE TELL THE NEXT GENERATION ABOUT GOD

We tell the next generation about the works of God:

““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, ESV)

Like our Jewish forefathers, we tell of the greatness of God throughout redemptive history.

Additionally, we tell them about the wonders of God..  We show them how the Redemptive story unfolds in Scripture.  We help establish a strong Christian worldview in our children by marking out the key stages in redemptive history, namely – creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.  And telling our children about the wonders of God involves constantly retelling the gospel story.  J.I. Packer remarks, “God saves sinners” – “By this we mean that, God – the Triune Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit; three Persons working together in sovereign wisdom, power and love to achieve the salvation of a chosen people, the Father electing, the Son fulfilling the Father’s will by redeeming, the Spirit executing the purpose of the Father and Son by renewing; saves – does everything first to last, that is involved in bringing man from death in sin to life in glory: plans, achieves and communicates redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies; sinners – men as God finds them, guilty, vile, helpless, powerless, unable to lift a finger to do God’s will or better their spiritual lot.”

WE TELL THE NEXT GENERATION TO HOPE IN GOD

“He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;” (Psalm 78:5–7, ESV)

Notice the conscious decision to “arise.”  There is a decisiveness, a resolute spirit that should characterize every parent.  The reason for “rising up” is to tell the next generation to hope in God:

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:5–8, ESV)

“But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.” (Psalm 71:14, ESV)

We tell the next generation to hope in God because God calls us to put our hope in him.  John Piper adds, “The beauty of the gospel is that in one simple demand (“Put your hope in God”), we hear good news and God gets the glory … This is the command of the gospel that keeps God at the center – the center of his affection and ours.”  So we commit ourselves to this sober task – we tell the next generation to hope in God!

WE TELL THE NEXT GENERATION NOT TO FORGET THE WORKS AND WONDERS OF GOD

Here is the shocking reality.  We are one generation away from abandoning God entirely.  Judges 2:10 describes the dreadful fate of Israel, “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”  Like Israel, we are on the cusp of losing all we hold dear.  Thankfully, God will always have his remnant.  Despite the apostasy of the nations, God will maintain a faithful band of brothers.  God will as Steve Lawson has described, “have a long line of godly men” who herald the Word of God.

WE TELL THE NEXT GENERATION TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

Solomon is a man who experienced a life of sin and finally came to his sense at the end of his days.  He says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14, ESV).  Therefore, in order to be faithful heralds, we must tell the next generation to obey God and his commands.  Greg Gilbert wisely says, “It is through our proclaiming the gospel – whether through preaching or teaching or conversations over meals with friends, family members, and coworkers – that God has determined to save sinners.”

Establishing the next generation in the gospel requires us to herald the Word of God.  We must tell them about God.  We must tell them to hope in God.  We must tell them not to forget the works and wonders of God.  And we must tell the next generation to keep the commandments of God.  May God grant us the heart of King David who instructed Solomon moments before he died:

“Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel’” (1 Kings 2:2–4, ESV).

OUR TRIUNE GOD: Living in the Love of the Three-In-One – Philip Graham Ryken and Michael LeFebvre (2011)

Philip Graham Ryken and Michael LeFebvre add to the growing list of books on the doctrine of the Trinity with their release, Our Triune God. Their work focusses on the essence of the Trinity – how the Trinity saves, the mysterious nature of the Trinity, how the Trinity relates to the Christian life, and the joy he brings the people of God.

Our Triune God steers clear of the debates that take place in church history.  The authors leave that discussion for another time.  The strength of this work is that  Ryken and LeFebvre cut to the heart of the Trinity.  This book may be the perfect starting place for Christians who desire to learn more about the Trinity.  Practical, solid, and readable.  Highly recommended!

4 stars

WORDS, PROPOSITIONS, AND PROCLAMATION


We live in a day where words, propositions, and proclamation is met with suspicion and skepticism.  But living in postmodern times should not prevent Christ-followers from faithfully proclaiming the Word of God.  Paul the apostle instructs the believers in Colossae:

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28, ESV)

The ministry that Paul demands here involves strong proclamation.  The Greek verb, καταγγέλλω [kataggello] means “to declare plainly, openly, and aloud; to announce, to celebrate, to preach.”  In Acts 17:2-3, we find Paul engaged in the ministry that he demands from the Colossian believers: “And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ”” (Acts 17:2–3, ESV).  J.I. Packer refers to the gospel as “a proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good … Its center of reference was unambiguously God.”

Notice several features of strong proclamation:

1. Strong proclamation must be Christ-centered

Christ-centered preaching does not water-down the hard edges of the gospel.  This kind of preaching refuses to proclaim a health and wealth gospel.  It refuses to elevate man’s free will.  And it refuses to minimize God’s sovereignty.  Christ-centered preaching must be gospel preaching; preaching that proclaims that Jesus died for sinners who was raised for our justification (Rom. 4:25); preaching that proclaims sinners may be forgiven (Acts 13:48); preaching that proclaims the way of salvation (Acts 16:17).  Packer adds, “The preacher’s task … is to display Christ: to explain man’s need of him, his sufficiency to save, and his offer of himself in the promises as Savior to all who truly turn to him; and to show as fully and plainly as he can how these truths apply to the congregation before him.”  Strong proclamation must be Christ-centered.

2. Strong proclamation must be unabashedly bold

Paul modeled this bold proclamation in his preaching ministry: “This I proclaim to you …” (Acts 17:23ff).  We must commit ourselves to boldness when we proclaim the Word of God.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Rom. 1:16).  Timid proclamation is tantamount to cowardice.

3. Strong proclamation must be fearless

Of course we live in a cowardly culture, where many preachers back-peddle and compromise the precious doctrinal realities of Scripture.  We can scarcely recall the days of the Puritans when the doctrines of hell, unconditional election, the sovereignty of God, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the lordship of Christ were powerfully proclaimed from their pulpits.  Paul the apostle “did not shrink” from declaring the truth of God’s Word (Acts 20:20).  We should do no less!

4. Strong proclamation must be comprehensive

Strong proclamation must include the whole of Scripture.  We must resist the urge to present bits and pieces:  “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).  The only way of proclaiming the Scripture in a comprehensive way is expository preaching.

5. Strong proclamation must lay the foundation for the Christian worldview

Strong proclamation must drive home the reality that Christ is at the center of all things.  The Scripture tells us that Christ is the creator of all things (Col. 1:16), Christ is the sustainer of all things (Col. 1:17), Christ is the Redeemer of sinful men (Col. 1:13-14), and Christ will make all things new (Rev. 21:5).  So faithful Christ-f0llowers have a responsibility to present the Christian worldview which will strengthen believers and challenge the pagan presuppositions of the unbelieving world.

6. Strong proclamation must carry the full weight of biblical authority

Strong proclamation must reprove, rebuke, exhort, and include solid teaching in keeping with 2 Timothy 4:-4.  It must confront worldly ideology (Col. 2:8).  Lloyd-Jones referred to preaching as “logic on fire.”  Therefore, faithful Christians are faced with the challenge of presenting the weighty truths of Scripture with passion and God-centered logic.

7. Strong proclamation must have a sense of urgency

Strong proclamation must be blood-earnest and have a sense of gravitas: “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears” (Acts 20:31, ESV).  Boring preaching should be considered a capital crime.  Woe to the preacher who puts his people asleep.

8. Strong proclamation must be intensely theological

Al Mohler rightly says, “As a theologian, the pastor must be known for what he teaches as well as what he knows, affirms, and believes.  The health of the church depends upon pastors who infuse their congregations with deep biblical and theological conviction, and the primary means of this transfer of conviction is the preaching of the Word of God.”  Therefore, theological categories should be taught relentlessly for the building up of the body of Christ.

9. Strong proclamation must make a lasting difference in the hearts and minds of people

Lloyd-Jones writes, “Preaching should make such a difference to a man who is listening that he is never the same again.”  The photo above marks the location in Wartburg where Luther translated the Greek New Testament into the German language.  His tireless work and faithful proclamation made a difference in the lives of the German people, not to mention the continent of Europe.  His strong proclamation made a lasting difference in the hearts and minds of people.

So words, propositions, and proclamation matter.  May the courage and conviction of the “wild boar in the vineyard” captures the hearts and minds of pastors all around the world.  And they proclaim the message of the gospel so the nations might rest and rely on the all-sufficient Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

GOD’S PASSION FOR HIS GLORY – John Piper (1998)

Some books are worth reading again and again.  John Piper’s excellent work is such a book.  God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards is composed of two parts.  Part One is a Personal Encounter with Jonathan Edwards.  Part Two is a republication of Jonathan Edwards magisterial work, The End for Which God Created the World.

The Personal Encounter with Edwards includes the rationale behind Piper’s book, a brief but powerful biography of the Puritan divine, a survey of Edwards’s inner life as it relates the life of the mind, and the relationship between Edwards and culture.

Central to the thought of Part One is the Piper’s assertion (that he credits to the hard work of Edwards) is this: “the exhibition of God’s glory and the deepest joy of human souls are one thing.”  Or to state it another way, “God’s passion for his own glory and his passion for my joy are not at odds.”  Piper builds on this reality by presenting fifteen critical implications that he has drawn for Edwards’s life and writing.  The final Edwardsean insight is in reality that thesis of Part Two, namely – that “God created the world to exhibit the fullness of his glory in the God-centered joy of his people.”

Part Two, then, is the complete text from Edwards book, The End for Which God Created the World.  The complex argument may be summarized in one critical sentence: “Hence it will follow, that the moral rectitude of the disposition, inclination, or affection of God CHIEFLY consists in a regard to HIMSELF, infinitely above his regard to all other beings; in other words, his holiness consists in this.”  Readers should struggle through the text to see the weight of biblical evidence that Edwards provides.  It is a humbling, earth-shattering, Christ-exalting stick of dynamite.  I first read this tremendous book over fifteen years ago in seminary at Starbucks – in one sitting.  It continues to affect me the same way it did so many years ago.  Readers will be struck with the depth of insight that emerges from the pen of the Puritan divine.  But readers will mostly be in awe at the glory which belongs to God and God alone!

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36, ESV)

WHAT IS THE TRINITY – David F. Wells (2012)

What is the Trinity by David F. Wells is an outstanding addition to the Basics of the Faith series by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.

Wells introduces readers to this vital subject matter in a mere 37 pages.  Readers should be aware that the author does not intend to fully unpack the doctrine of the Trinity.  Rather, he merely gives readers of taste of this critical area of theology.  He begins with the unity of God and proceeds to explain the three persons of the godhead.

The author alerts readers to some of the battles that have surrounded the doctrine of the Trinity in church history.  He also makes practical applications that flow out of the doctrine.  Highly recommended for beginning theology students.
“There is so much more than we now know about God’s glorious being and his triune nature.  We stand at the edge of a vast ocean and see just its shoreline.  We cannot see beyond the horizon, though we can be entirely confident that what we cannot know about God is fully consistent with what we do know because of his self-revelation to us.” – David F. Wells

SOLI DEO GLORIA – TO THE GLORY OF GOD ALONE!

The truth of 1 Corinthians 10:31 has echoed from all eternity and will echo into eternity future: “Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory the glory of God” (ESV).  Contemporary culture appears to have more in common with Romans 1:23-25 than 1 Corinthians 10:31.  The apostle Paul writes, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to  him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:21–25, ESV)  The glaring omission of “God” in the orignal draft of the 2012 Democratic platform is only a small example of how America is slowly turning away from God.

The flickering flame appears to be at the “end of the wick” in this country.  However,  God will  always have men and women in the halls of church history who will demonstrate faithfulness and have the courage to live according to the Word of God for the glory of God.  Jonathan Edwards writes, “The great end of God’s works, which is so variously expressed in Scripture, is indeed but ONE; and this one end is most properly and comprehensively called, THE GLORY OF GOD.”  How then, shall we who honor God above all live to the glory of God?

Three specific goals emerge in Scripture:

WE MUST RECOGNIZE THE GLORY OF GOD

Recognizing the glory of God is a matter of the mind.  As such, we must recognize the glory of God in at least seven specific areas.  First, we must recognize the glory of God in nature.  The Psalmist makes a mind-blowing discovery, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1, ESV).   Calvin depicts the creation of God as a theater of God’s glory.

We recognize God’s glory in the church.  Paul writes, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).

Additionally, we must recognize God’s glory in the gospel.  2 Thessalonians 2:14 says, “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The gospel message is a glorious message.  Therefore, we must recognize the glory of God in the gospel.

When we recognize the glory of God in the gospel, this leads us to recognize the glory of God in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Scriptures proclaim that Christ is indeed glorious!  “He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his [God the Father’s] nature, and he [Jesus] upholds the universe by the word of his power.  After making purification for sins, he [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty [God the Father] on high” (Heb. 1:3, ESV).

We recognize the glory of God in the Word of God.  The Psalmist recognizes the glory of God in special revelation: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;” (Psalm 19:7–8, ESV)

We recognize the glory of God in the works of God: “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works” (Ps. 73:28, ESV).

And we recognize the glory of God in the salvation he grants his elect.  While many believers are quick to question the doctrine of election, Paul the apostle delights in this doctrine.  His recognition of the glory of God in salvation leads him to pen these words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV)

Many Americans fail to recognize the glory of God.  This is one reason the Democratic Convention omitted God from their original platform.  And while recognizing the glory of God is a crucial part of what it means to glorify him, mere recognition does not go far enough.  This would be something akin to recognizing a beautiful dinner that my wife made but walking callously past the dinner table to the television set to munch on a piece of beef jerky and watch a football game.  When one recognizes the glory of God but fails to rejoice in the glory of God, one fails to glorify God.  We must not only recognize the glory of God; we must rejoice in the glory of God!

WE MUST REJOICE IN THE GLORY OF GOD

While recognizing the glory of God is a matter of the mind, rejoicing in the glory of God is a matter of the affections.  Jonathan Edwards understood this reality which led him to the following argument: “God is glorified not only by His glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in.”  Psalm 119:74 says, “Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.”  And Paul adds, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1–2, ESV)

But here is the mind-blowing reality.  John Piper says, “God’s passion for his own glory and his passion for my joy in him are not at odds … the exhibition of God’s glory and the deepest joy of human souls are one thing.”  Instead of being mutually exclusive, we find that God’s glory and the joy of the creature are one and the same!  Therefore, when we experience joy in the birth of a child, the accomplishment of a loved one, or simply stand amazed at a beautiful sunset, we should give thanks and glory to God and realize as Piper argues, that “the exhibition of God’s glory and the deepest joy of human souls are one thing.”

WE MUST REFLECT THE GLORY OF GOD

So how do we live to the glory of God?  We recognize the glory of God (which is an act of the mind) and we rejoice in the glory of God (which is an act of the heart).  But we also must reflect the glory of God.  Here we find that reflecting the glory of God is an act of the will.  This is where “the rubber meets the road.”  Somewhere along the way, we grew accustomed to making a distinction between the sacred and the secular.  One prominent individual articulated this split when he told a group of college students, “When matters of public policy are debated, no religions should have a seat at the table.”  Taking this advice to heart is tantamount to cosmic treason.

So let us go public with the glory of God.  Our call is to reflect the glory of God in the classroom and in the boardroom.  God is calling lawyers to reflect the glory of God in the courtroom.  He’s calling dentists to reflect the glory of God in the dental office.  God is calling parents to raise their children to the glory of God.  God is calling coaches to coach for the glory of God.  He’s calling baseball players to swing to the glory of God.  He’s calling basketball players to shoot for the glory of God and football players to hit to the glory of God.

May Christians everywhere renew their commitment to recognizing the glory of God, rejoicing in the glory of God, and reflecting the glory of God.  May we live soli Deo gloria – to the glory of God alone!

WHAT IS THE TRINITY? R.C. Sproul (2011)

R.C. Sproul has an uncanny ability to make complex truths come alive.  He continues to share his gift with the church in book number 10 in the Crucial Questions Series.

What is the Trinity? Sproul covers “acres” of theological ground in 63 pages.  His explanation for the Trinity is rooted in a discussion of monotheism: “The idea that there is one God was firmly established in the religion of Israel from the earliest pages of the Old Testament.”  While the doctrine of the Trinity it not explicitly taught in the Old Testament, the strong teaching of monotheism is a crucial starting point.

Sproul continues by demonstrating how Scripture reveals the Trinity in the New Testament.  The Father is distinguished from the Son and the Son is distinguished from the Holy Spirit.  Yet we learned that he member of the Trinity is God.  And when the Bible affirms the deity of the Father, Son, and Spirit, the Trinitarian formulation becomes clear.

The author provides a helpful section that concerns the Christological controversies of the 4th, 5th, 19th, and 20th centuries.  The heresies and the key proponents are articulated and roundly refuted.

The author, in what may be the most helpful chapter of the book vividly distinguishes between “essence” and “person.”  God is one in essence yet reveals himself in three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit: “The distinctions within the Godhead are, if you will, sub-distinctions within the essence of God.  He is one essence, three subsistencies.”  Sproul demonstrates how the doctrine of the Trinity is not only biblical but never violates the laws of logic.  This is where Dr. Sproul is at his best: explaining theological truth and bolstering biblical reality with good philosophical foundations.

This work is short but packs a powerful punch.  What is the Trinity? is an introductory resource that Christians need to read.

RUDY: MY STORY – Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger (2012)

I’ll never forget the first time I saw the movie, Rudy in 1993.  It stands among my favorite sports movies alongside Hoosiers, Miracle, The Rookie, and Rocky.

Rudy: My Story by Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is the real life story behind the film.  Ruettiger tells the tale that a two-hour movie could never tell.  He includes the heartbreaking stories of teachers who belittled him and businessmen who betrayed him.  Most important, the author chronicles the details that led him to the final twenty-seven second on the famed field in South Bend, Illinois.

The book is filled with inspiring stories and will undoubtedly lead many readers to new heights and the achievement of new goals.   As one might expect, Ruettiger’s work is loaded with antidotes that motivate and encourage.  But an unexpected twist occurs nears the end of this book.  The author is candid about his failures which occurs many years after his success on the football field.  The surprise ending is actually the most important part of the book.  Ruettiger not only spurs readers to achieve their dreams; he encourages them to persevere even in the face of failure.

It has been well over thirty years since Rudy sacked the quarterback in the final seconds of his senior year.  But readers who listen carefully, can hear the roar of the crowd, “Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy!”

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. 

ERASING HELL – Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

The biblical doctrine of eternal punishment is part of the warp and woof of historic Christianity.  Prominent theologians from Augustine to Calvin and Wesley have boldly taught this doctrine.  Luther remarked, “The fiery oven is ignited merely by the unbearable appearance of God and endures eternally.  For the Day of Judgment will not last for a moment only but will stand throughout eternity and will thereafter never come to an end. Constantly the damned will be judged, constantly they will suffer pain, and constantly they will be a fiery oven, that is, they will be tortured within by supreme distress and tribulation.”  Despite the widespread support for this crucial doctrine, several writers in recent years have either discounted the doctrine of hell or denied it outright.

After the release of Rob Bell’s Love Wins (see my review), there was a huge chasm between Bell’s work and people in the pew.  The net result is a large audience who either affirmed or were sympathetic to Bell’s compromised position.  Thankfully, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle stepped up to the plate and not only offered a response to Bell; they also affirmed the biblical doctrine of eternal conscious punishment.

Chan and Sprinkle serve up an impressive number of arguments that bolster the case for hell and provide a rational, biblical defense of this important doctrine.  While Erasing Hell is written with the laymen in mind, it is not simplistic.  Nor is it compromised in any way.  The authors do not claim to have all this answers, which may appeal to younger readers more inclined to postmodern literature.  Rather, they merely spell out the basics of the biblical doctrine.

4 stars

JOHN KNOX AND THE REFORMATION – Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Iain Murray

Buried deep in the catacombs of church history lie heroes that deserved to be revived from time to time.  John Knox stands among several men who faithfully raised the banner of the gospel and defended the truths of the Protestant Reformation.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Iain Murray guide readers through the life and legacy of the great reformer, John Knox.

Chapter one is an overview of the Protestant Reformation with an emphasis on the Scottish Reformation.  A few themes that are developed include the sovereignty of God over all things, the substitutionary atonement of Christ, and justification by faith alone.  Lloyd-Jones reminds readers that “John Knox and other men risked their lives, day after day” in order to promote the aforementioned realities. The author also stresses the reformers were men of prayer and men who we faithful in the pulpit.  “Such a man was John Knox, ” writes Lloyd-Jones, “with the fire of God in his bones and in his belly!  He preached as they all preached, with fire and power, alarming sermons, convicting sermons, humbling sermons, converting sermons, and in the face of Scotland was changed …”

Chapter two is Lloyd-Jones attempt to credit John Knox as the founder of Puritanism.  The author points to several noteworthy qualities in the Scottish reformer – ability, energy, shrewdness, wisdom, originality, and courage.  But his preaching stands out: “His great characteristic as a preacher was vehemency.  Great preachers are generally vehement; and we should all be vehement.  This is not the result of nature only; it arises from the feeling of the power of the gospel.  Vehemence is, of course, characterized by power; and John Knox was a most powerful preacher, with the result that he was a most influential preacher.”  Lloyd-Jones continues, “When the Lords and others were alarmed, and frightened, and all ready to give in, Knox would go up into a pulpit and preach a sermon; and the entire situation was transformed.  One man ‘more influential than the blustering of five hundred trumpets in our ears.'”  The reader is left to determine whether or not Lloyd-Jones is successful in defending his thesis.

Iain Murray concludes with biographical overview of John Knox.  Several themes emerge including the fervent prayer life of Knox and his commitment to Reformed theology.  Murray, like Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the preaching ministry of Knox: “His authority came from the conviction that preaching is God’s work, the message is his word, and he was sure the Holy Spirit would honor it.  This was the certainty which possessed him.”  Indeed, such a certainty should possess every preacher of God’s Word.

John Knox and the Reformation is a powerful look at a potent preacher.  It is an important reminder of the need for courage in the face of adversity and faithfulness in a faithless generation.  John Knox stands as an inspiration for Christ-followers and is an exemplar for pastors who make it their aim to faithfully feed, lead, and protect the flock of God.

4 stars