Veritas et Lux

What is Reformed Theology?

R.C. Sproul, What is Reformed Theology? Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2016

What is Reformed Theology? originally appeared in 1997. This updated volume has a new cover and new contemporary format. The content, however, remains the same as Dr. Sproul guides readers through the wonders of Reformed Theology.

Part One: Foundations of Reformed Theology

The first half of the book helps readers understand the necessary backdrop of Reformed theology. Of primary importance is its devotion to God. Sproul writes, “Reformed theology is first and foremost theocentric rather than anthropocentric … Reformed theology takes sin seriously because it takes God seriously and because it takes people seriously. Sin offends God and violates human beings. Both of these are serious matters.” The author clarifies that Reformed theology is devoted to more than merely five points. Indeed, Reformed theology is catholic (it embraces the great ecumenical councils and doctrines of church history) and evangelical.

Reformed theology is based on God’s Word alone. The commitment to the sola Scriptura principle is a fundamental aspect of Reformed thought. Therefore, the crucial doctrines of the infallibility, inspiration, authority, and inerrancy of Scripture are at the core of Reformed theology.

Reformed theology embraces the sola fide principle. We agree with Luther who famously said that justification by faith is “the article upon which the church stands or falls.” As such, we repudiate the Roman Catholic doctrine of justification which involves both faith and works.

Finally, the author includes a helpful overview of covenant theology which involves the covenant of redemption, covenant of works, and the covenant of grace.

Part Two: Five Points of Reformed Theology

Part two contains a basic overview of what is traditionally referred to as the five points of Calvinism. Each chapter summarizes the critical elements of the five points, including total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints.

Sproul writes clearly and forcefully. His arguments are biblical and logical and compel readers to embrace these historic biblical doctrines. What is Reformed Theology? is probably the best introduction to the doctrines of grace in print. Other resources include The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Lorraine Boettner, The Joy Project by Tony Reinke, The Doctrines of Grace by James Boice, The Five Points of Calvinism by Edwin H. Palmer, and The Potters Freedom by James Boice.

Highly recommended!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Good and Angry – David Powlison

David Powlison, Good and Angry Greensboro: New Growth Press, 2016, 246 pp. $17.99

Anger is a subject that most people can relate to. Many people battle a problem with chronic anger that lashes out at others and demands that specific needs be met or this high-toxic anger will continue to escalate. David Powlison address the problem of anger in his most recent book, Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness.

Powlison’s primary objective is to teach readers how to more fruitfully and honestly deal with their anger. The book is comprised of four sections, each of which help contribute to the stated objective above.

Section One: Our Experience

The author carefully introduces readers to different kinds of anger that emerge in people. At the end of the day, the descriptions become self-portraits, requiring each reader to examine any anger that may be smoldering in their hearts.

Powlison identifies a wonderful paradox and acknowledges that God blesses people who admit their brokenness and their need for help. The author adds, “Sanity has a deep awareness, I need help. I can’t do life right on my own. Someone outside me must intervene. The sanity of honest humility finds mercy, life, peace, and strength. By contrast, saying we don’t need help keeps us stuck on that hamster wheel of making excuses and blaming others. The end result isn’t life and peace; it’s self-righteousness, self-justification, alienation, and bitterness.”

So like a seasoned surgeon, Powlison identifies areas of need that readers need to acknowledge and confess. This is the first step in the right direction and prepares the humble for section two.

Section Two: What is Anger?

This section uncovers the essence of anger. At its core, anger expresses, “I’m against that.” Anger is seen to be comprehensive in scope. Powlison observes:

Your body operates in agitated mode.
Your emotions operate in the hot displeasure mode.
Your mind operates in judicial mode.
Your actions operate in military mode.
Your motives operate in Godlike mode.

But anger is not what some think it is. Powlison notes that anger is a combination of good and bad: “Your anger is worth brilliant and appalling. The shifting line between good and evil plays out when it comes to your anger, like everywhere else. Your anger is God-like to the degree you treasure justice and fairness and are alert to betrayal and falsehood. Your anger is devil-like to the degree you play god and are petty, merciless, whiny, argumentative, willful, and unfair.”

Section two also contains an excellent treatment on the wrath of God. The author demonstrates the necessity of wrath and shows how wrath is an essential attribute in God. He observes four powerful principles that concern God’s anger:

God’s anger falls on Jesus.
God’s anger disarms the power of sin.
God’s anger delivers us from the pain of others’ sin.
God’s anger protects us from ourselves.

“These realities nourish our hearts,” writes Dr. Powlison. “God’s loving anger resolves the entire problem of evil in a way that brings him inexpressible glory and brings us inexpressible blessing … The truth is that you can’t understand God’s love if you don’t understand his anger.”

Section Three: How to Change

Section three focuses on practical ways to move from sinful anger and lives in ways that promote peace and glorify the Lord. The author includes a very helpful list of eight question that helps readers shift their focus on eternal things. The questions include:

What is my situation?
How do I react?
What are my motives?
What are the consequences?
What is true?
How do I turn to God for help?
What are the consequences of faith and obedience?

Section Four: Tackling the Hard Cases

In section four, the author continues to wrestle with practical cases that readers will resonate with. He makes it clear that God expresses righteous anger. It is at this point that the book drives home the reality of the gospel: “He is angry at all injustice, every betrayal, any time wrongs are done to another … His response to evil is to do the greatest good thing the world has ever seen. He sends his own Son as a man of sorrows who enters and knows our suffering. He sends his own Son as the Lamb of God to die for the sins of his people. God doesn’t want you to ‘just get over it’ or to gloss over what you have suffered as if it didn’t really matter. He wants to help you become good and angry as well. He wants you to become merciful, purposeful, hopeful … It takes courage to face the evil done to you and to then turn toward your God, who suffered unimaginable evil on your behalf.”

Summary

Good and Angry is a terrific book that is forged in the fire and bathed in the Word of God. The gospel runs throughout, urging the followers of Christ to follow his example and treasure him above all things. My prayer is that Powlison’s work will be a blessing to many; that the promises and purposes of God would be clearly revealed and that his people would be served well as a result of this excellent work.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Purchase your copy today at https://www.amazon.com/Good-Angry-Irritation-Complaining-Bitterness/dp/1942572972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473699555&sr=8-1&keywords=good+and+angry

Folly, Grace, and Power: The Mysterious Act of Preaching

John Koessler, Folly, Grace, and Power: The Mysterious Act of Preaching. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 150 pp. $13.10

Most books devoted to exploring the mandate to preach the Word of God focus on homiletical method. They help young preachers craft an introduction and a conclusion. They help young theologians with good exegetical skills. They discuss tone, body language, and eye contact.

John Koessler’s new book, Folly, Grace, and Power: The Mysterious Act of Preaching is different. Koessler’s book is about the theology of preaching. The author explains, “Our preaching has the capacity to mediate the true presence of Christ. We display ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:6). This dignifies preaching. But it does not elevate the preacher beyond measure. The all-surpassing power comes from God, not from us. We are nothing. God is everything.” This mindset permeates the remainder of the book as Koestler sets forth a biblical case for preaching.

Central to the message of this book is the sovereignty of God. The author observes, “We have influence over the dynamics of delivery, but not the ebb and flow of the Holy Spirit. He breathes on whomever he wills, and there are many times when we are unable to sense his presence or easily discern his purpose … A sermon which thunders in one service falls flat in another, and we cannot tell why.”

In an age where propositions have for the most part been relegated to the cemetery, Koessler argues that good preaching includes both propositions as well as story: “God’s Word, of course, includes both proposition and story, employing argument to address reason and narrative to affect the heart. Both exert an important influence on the will. But it is the Spirit, ultimately, who convicts.” Here, the author stands with Jonathan Edwards who essentially argued the same in his magisterial volume, Religious Affections.

The sovereignty of the Spirit of God is emphasized as well: “He (the Holy Spirit) works in the preacher to ‘give’ words and boldness and then through what is preached to produce faith in those who hear … God’s Spirt also uses the sermon to stir the heart. The Word of God gains entry by the gate of the mind, but its ultimate target is the heart, where faith is exercised (Rom. 10:10).” This affection-oriented theme permeates the volume and makes it especially appealing to anyone convinced by the preaching methodology of Jonathan Edwards and the New England Puritans.

The author explores the importance of authority in preaching, a subject that causes postmodern sympathizers to cringe. Koessler warns, “Preaching with divine authority does not guarantee a smooth path. We would like to think that God-given authority gives us leverage … But the same Bible that gives us our authority also offers ample proof of the congregation’s capacity for discounting that authority.” Preaching with authority will, however, be costly. Thomas Long adds, “If the word comes from God in the biblical text, the preacher remains true to that word, regardless of the reaction or the cost.”

There is much to commend in this thoughtful volume. Preachers, young and old alike should devour this work and find encouragement in John Koessler’s fresh approach to preaching.

God Took Me By the Hand

Jerry Bridges. God Took Me by the Hand. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014. 192 pp. $12.60

When Jerry Bridges went to be with the Lord in March, 2106 I set out to write a tribute. Bridges played a key role in shaping the theological foundations of my early Christian life. After writing several pages, words simply could not capture the influence of Bridges on my life.

Jerry Bridges fine work, God Took Me by the Hand sums up in many ways what I originally meant to write in my tribute. This autobiographical account of Bridges’ life summarizes the important details that characterize the man so many have grown to love over the years.

The highlight of the book is nicely captured in the subtitle: A Story of God’s Unusual Providence. Most biographies capture the essence of one’s life, and rightly so. But this biography reads like a divinely inspired tapestry as the author refers over and over again to the invisible hand of God’s providence. He surveys the good, the bad, and the ugly – but in the final analysis, all the events which unfold in his life prove to be good (Rom. 8:38; Gen. 50:20).

If Jerry Bridges has influenced you or encouraged your Christian life, I commend God Took Me by the Hand. The book is packed with biblical wisdom and will no doubt, encourage many.

Embracing Followership

Allen Hamlin Jr, Embracing Followership: How to Thrive in a Leader-Centric Culture. Bellingham: Kirkdale Press, 2016, 237 pp. $14.99

True leaders will always have followers. At the heart of leadership is the assumption that a certain group of people is committed to following a given leader. Most books that address leadership focus on role of the leader, exclusively. Allen Hamlin’s new book, Embracing Followership: How to Thrive in a Leader-Centric Culture takes a different approach.

Hamlin tackles the opposite end of the leadership spectrum by focusing on what it means to follow. The goal of the book, then, is to “determine how we can engage in our followership role with excellence.”

Embracing Followership is organized into six parts. Each part examines a different facet of what it means to “follow” with integrity and excellence. The parts are outlined below:

Part One: Misconceptions and Realities of Followership

Part Two: The Opportunities of Followership

Part Three: Obstacles and How to Overcome Them

Part Four: Followership in Relationship with Leaders

Part Five: Followership in Relationship with Other Followers

Part Six: Followership in Relationship as a Leader

Uses

Followers from a wide variety of backgrounds will benefit from Hamlin’s work. Pastors serving in associate roles will find this material especially useful. As one who served as an associate pastor for twenty years, I can testify that this role in particular will define the true nature of followership. Associate pastors have a choice: They can tuck under the authority of their superior by supporting, defending, and complementing them. Or they can subtly undercut and marginalize senior leadership. The former option is the only path to success.

Followers are in a strategic position where they can enhance a given leader’s ability to succeed. Hamlin observes, “When I am behind and alongside my leader, I have the opportunity to contribute where my leader is lacking.”

The theme of embracing followership is an empowering concept that every person needs to build into the fabric of their lives. It is a an important theme that is underemphasized in leadership circles. Hamlin’s work is a needed corrective to a misunderstood and neglected subject.

One critique may be in order. While Hamlin is clear about his Christian commitment, the book appears to target a broader audience, which is understandable. However, whenever Christian presuppositions are minimized, the force of the content lacks the authoritative punch that readers need. This criticism aside, I recommend Embracing Followership and hope this work receives a wide reading.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Folly, Grace, and Power: The Mysterious Act of Preaching

John Koessler, Folly, Grace, and Power: The Mysterious Act of Preaching. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 150 pp. $13.10

There is much to commend in this thoughtful volume. Preachers, young and old alike should devour this work and find encouragement in John Koessler’s fresh approach to preaching.

Hello Bicycle

Anna Brones, Hello Bicycle: An Inspired Guide To the Two-Wheeled Life. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 185 pp. $11.40

I got my first bicycle when I was six years old. It’s been over forty years since I learned how to ride a bike. These days, taking a long ride is one of the most enjoyable things I do.

Hello Bicycle: An Inspired Guide to the Two-Wheeled Life, by Anna Brones explores the many-faceted world of cycling. The first thing that readers will notice is the extraordinary layout of the book. The book not only has a nice feel; it is loaded with creative artwork that only adds to the content.

Second, this is a practical book. Beginning, intermediate and advanced cyclists will benefit from Brone’s cycling wisdom. A quick glance at the table of contents provides a good overview of the author’s strategy:

Why Bicycles?
What Do I Need to Know to Ride?
Taking Care of Your Bicycle
Biking For All Activities
Essential Provisions
More Than Just a Ride

Much of the material is very basic, so beginning riders will profit the most from this work. However, the author also includes some excellent ideas for nutrition and even adds some favorites recipes that all riders will benefit from.

Hello Bicycle is a fun read that should be devoured by anyone who spends time in a saddle. Good work, Anna Brones!

The Temple and the Tabernacle – J. Daniel Hays

J. Daniel Hays, The Temple and the Tabernacle: A Study of God’s Dwelling Places From Genesis to Revelation Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2016, 208 pp. $11.89

A good book review will help readers determine the good, the bad, and the ugly in a given title. There is nothing bad or ugly in J. Daniel Hays’ new work, The Temple and the Tabernacle. In fact, describing the contents of this book as “good” would be a massive understatement. Dr. Hays sets out to explore the majesty and importance of the dwelling places of God. Beginning in the Old Testament, the author works he way to the culmination of Redemptive history where we find the people of God gathered before his throne, worshipping him in the new heavens and the new earth.

A Brief Synopsis

Six features make The Temple and the Tabernacle especially noteworthy.

First, this is an absolutely beautiful book. The pages are high quality and high-quality photographs and artwork are seen throughout, illustrating different facets of the temple and the tabernacle.

Second, this work is written with different learning levels in mind. Everyone from first year Bible students to seasoned pastors will benefit from the clear writing, throughout.

Third, this work adheres to the testimony of Scripture. The author is careful to cling to the biblical record as he unpacks the various aspects of the temple and the tabernacle.

Fourth, this work explains the big picture, without discounting the details. Hays notes, “Remember that the whole point of building the tabernacle is to create a proper place for the presence of God to dwell in the midst of his people and to travel with them.”

Fifth, this work is Christ-centered. In a book like this, it would be easy to get caught up in the minutia by focusing on the finer elements of the temple and tabernacle. The author does spend a considerable amount of time helping readers understand these things. But as he observes at the beginning of the book, “We want to move beyond the ‘stones’ to grasp the eternal theological truths being revealed to us about God through his presence in the temple/tabernacle.”

The author clearly describes the distinction between an Old Testament economy and the beauty of the new covenant:

“The system of encountering the presence of God that Christ inaugurates is superior to the old tabernacle system at every point. His one perfect sacrifice eliminates the need for any more blood sacrifices, and through this sacrifice Christ provides perfect cleansing for his people, declaring them to be completely ‘holy’ before God … Thus the sacrifice of Christ and the new covenant that he inaugurated enable Christians today to encounter the presence of God in worship and service in a direct manner. He dwells inside each of us.”

Finally, this work exalts God in his majestic holiness. Readers will immediately be struck with awe as they encounter the Old Testament portrait of God, learn of his absence due to Israel’s apostasy, and filled with wonder as they come face-to-face with Jesus in his return to the temple. The author notes, “When the second temple is built, first during the time of Haggai and then by King Herod the Great, there is no mention of the return of the presence of God to dwell in the temple. The presence of God does not return to the temple until Jesus Christ walks through its gates.”

The Temple and the Tabernacle is a book I’ve waited for since my days as a Bible College student. The scholarship is impeccable, and the high points of the Christian worldview appear throughout. Readers will be encouraged as they are reminded of the great reality of the temple and tabernacle. But more than this, they will be motivated to worship God in all his holiness.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Release the Prisoners!

Andy Farmer, Trapped Greensboro: New Growth Press, 2016, 180 pp. $17.99

Thousands of Americans flock to Alcatraz, the penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Of course, this intimidating fortress has since closed its doors to violent criminals and lawbreakers. Brave guests may choose to stand for a few moments in one of the tiny cells and imagine what it would be like to be locked up for years and possibly even serve a life sentence.

Imagine being incarcerated for a moment. Your freedoms would be severely curtailed. Your abilities would be stifled. Your options would be limited. Such is the life of an inmate.

While some may imagine the horror of being detained for an indefinite period of time, thousands of people experience this every day. A multitude of people live in a self-imposed prison – in bondage to eating disorders, pornography addiction, substance abuse and a host of other activities that leave them hopeless and discouraged.

Andy Farmer addresses the real problem of addiction in his new book, Trapped. The subtitle, Getting Free From People, Patterns, and Problems accurately describes the heart of this author as he offers hope and freedom to people who would otherwise continue to live in a prison house of sin and shame. Indeed, the purpose of the book is to point readers to a redemption story that can set them free.

The author presents several real life examples of people who face a self-imposed prison. He argues that redemption is possible; that hope is possible as people turn to Christ for deliverance.

Real redemption, Farmer suggests is:

Freedom from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13).
Freedom from slavery to sin (John 8:34).
Freedom from the sentence of death (Rom. 7:4-6).
Freedom from the guilt of our trespasses and sins (Eph. 1:7).
Freedom from the oppression of Satan (Heb. 2:15).
Freedom from the deceptive snares of the world (2 Peter 2:18-21).

Redemption, according to Farmer is “a holy freedom.” He adds, “The Bible gives us the wonderful news that we weren’t simply redeemed from sin, we were redeemed for God. We have been brought out of sin into the gracious and loving reign of our Redeemer King.” So true freedom is not a commitment to autonomy; rather true freedom delights in living for God and glorifying God!

This God-glorifying approach to life runs counter to the therapeutic model and secular approaches to counseling. The God-glorifying model in this book encourages weary travelers to embrace the grace of their freedom, embrace the identity in their freedom, and embrace their calling in their freedom.

Ultimately, the author seeks to lead imprisoned people out of their traps. The topic of addiction is addressed from a biblical perspective. Addiction is presented as a “full-bodied worship of an idol that controls and defines its subject.” Farmer shows how the “gospel of redemption is the only treatment that brings the power, change, and hope that can transform broken addicts into whole-hearted worshippers of God.”

Summary

There is much to commend here. At least three features make the book a necessary tool on every pastor’s shelf and every biblical counselor’s desk:

First, the book presents a realistic look at addiction from a seasoned pastor. Farmer acknowledges the pain of addiction, the guilt of addiction, and the bondage of addiction.

Second, the book includes a robust treatment that is Bible-saturated and gospel-centered from start to finish. When so many are rushing to the local counselor or therapist for worldly advice, Trapped offers real help that is grounded in godly wisdom.

Finally, the book is grace-enabled. The author is quick to point readers to the all-sufficient grace of God: “God promises that as you walk that way, he will give grace for change, light for the path, and mercy for stumbles along the way.”

My prayer is that Trapped will be an encouragement to many people; that they will experience the life-transforming effects of the gospel. May many prisoners find their freedom in Christ and be delivered from their bondage forever. So release the prisoners! “For freedom Christ has set us free …” (Gal. 5:1a).

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

Resting in Free Grace – Resisting the Free Grace Movement

Wayne Grudem, Free Grace Theology: How Free Grace Diminishes the Gospel. Wheaton: Crossway, 2016, 160 pp. $11.42

Theological disputes have a tendency of generating more heat than light. The controversy surrounding the so-called Free Grace movement is no exception. Ever since the landmark book by John MacArthur was published, The Gospel According to Jesus, competing camps have vigorously fought to maintain their ground. Indeed, both positions including the Free Grace view and the so-called Lordship position have fought as if their lives depended upon it.

But the debate did not find its genesis in the musings of John MacArthur. The debate is as old as the Protestant Reformation itself. The age-old questions remain: How does a sinful person stand in the presence of a holy God? On what basis is this sinner justified? What role (if any) do works play at the moment of justification? Is sanctification a necessary component of the Christian life? And, are works a necessary result of justification?

Disheartened, discouraged, and dismayed. These three terms do not adequately describe my thoughts about the initial reviews of Wayne Grudem’s new book, Free Grace Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel. One review observes, “Wayne Grudem is a Reformed Calvinist, so his views are skewed through Calvinist lenses.” The initial reviews fail to show any degree of constructive interaction with the book. One wonders if these early reviewers even bothered to read the book.

The Free Grace movement, whose primary tenets are found in Zane Hodges book, Absolutely Free. In that book, Hodges maintains,

… Lordship thought abandons the straightforward meaning of the word ‘believe’ and fills the concept of saving faith with illegitimate complications. The result is that the saving transaction is made much more complex than it actually is. But salvation really is simple and, in that sense, it is easy. After all, what could be simpler than to ‘take the water of life freely.’

The primary tenets of the Free Grace movement include:

A two-tiered discipleship, or two classes of believers, those who believe but do not follow Christ and those who believe and cast all their hope and future on Christ.
No calls to repentance in evangelism.
Giving assurance to people who are backslidden or have denounced the Christian faith.
Rejecting the notion that good works accompany justifying grace.

Dr. Grudem’s primary contention is that the New Testament clearly teaches two principles which stand in opposition to the Free Grace movement:

Repentance from sin (in the sense of remorse for sin and an internal resolve to forsake it) is necessary for saving faith.
Good works and continuing to believe necessarily follow from saving faith.

Grudem’s arguments against the Free Grace movement are summarized below:

First, the Free Grace movement misunderstands the doctrine of justification by faith alone and as a result, fails to truly teach the doctrine that Luther said, “is the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls.”

Second, the Free Grace movement undermines the gospel by refusing to require repentance in the proclamation of the gospel.

Third, the Free Grace movement offers false assurance to people who make a profession of faith, but may in the final analysis not possess saving faith.

Fourth, the Free Grace movement fails to emphasize the fiducia component of faith, that is, a personal trust or adherence to Christ.

Fifth, the Free Grace movement embraces interpretations that are highly unlikely.

These arguments against the Free Grace movement are further explained in the five chapters of the book. My own view is that Dr. Grudem has succeeded in successfully refuting this movement. He should be commended for the gracious tone throughout this work. He does engage in rigorous polemic but does so without caricaturing his opponents. While he argues strenuously against the Free Grace movement, he admits it is not a false gospel. However, it is a diminished gospel.

Some may argue that the so-called Lordship controversy (a term that Grudem dislikes) is over. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The Free Grace movement continues to influence people and diminish the gospel. Wayne Grudem’s excellent work is a needed corrective and a gracious response to a troubling trend.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.