The atonement of Christ is the heart of Christianity. Christians are not only a people of the Book, but a people of the cross. In this accessible resource, author David L. Allen carefully summarizes the doctrine of the atonement, with definitions of key terms, discussion of key Old and New Testament texts, and a survey of the historical theories of the atonement. Addressing topics like the atonement's necessity, nature, intent, extent, and application, The Atonement answers questions such as, "is the atonement actual or potential?" and "is the blood of Christ wasted on those who are eternally... View More...
This newest contribution to the 40 Questions series continues the tradition of excellent research presented in clear, user-friendly writing. 40 Questions About Salvation makes sense of one of Christianity's most disputed doctrines, covering the most common and difficult questions about election, the order of salvation, and perseverance of the saints. This volume will help pastors, college and seminary students, and all Christians who want to grow in their understanding of what the Bible teaches about salvation. Each chapter is succinct and readable, with a bibliography of additional resources ... View More...
Many factors contributed to the Protestant Reformation, but one of the most significant was the debate over the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In fact, Martin Luther argued that justification is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. This comprehensive volume of 26 essays from a host of scholars explores the doctrine of justification from the lenses of history, the Bible, theology, and pastoral practice--revealing the enduring significance of this pillar of Protestant theology.
"I welcome Chris Bruno's readable and thoroughly biblical exploration of faith and works. He sets the matter in both its wider biblical context at the same time as he makes clear its relevance and importance to faithful Christian living today." -Douglas J. Moo from the ForewordEverything you never knew about the men behind the controversy.Put James and Paul next to each other and some tough-to-answer questions come up. Paul says we're saved by faith alone, not works--and James seems to say the opposite. If you've been around the church for a while, you probably know enough to say "the right th... View More...
The battle of the Protestant Reformation was waged over this primary question: How does a sinful person get right with a just God? At the heart of it, the Reformers contended that sinners are justified (declared righteous) by God through faith alone in Jesus Christ. While Martin Luther is often credited with re-discovering the doctrine of justification, it was Calvin who more fully explored the depths of this doctrine, giving it a thorough treatment in his magisterial work, Institutes of the Christian Religion. In this volume, Nate Pickowicz has selected out and edited Calvin's treatment on ju... View More...
No one word in all the Bible more fully describes God's plans and purposes than grace, and no one work more fully expounds the multi-faceted nature of God's grace than Lewis Sperry Chafer's Grace. Emphasizing the dispensational distinctions between law and grace, Chafer deals systematically and thoroughly with the relevant biblical doctrines on the topic of grace. The text is extensively indexed by subject and Scripture reference, making it a handy reference tool for Bible study. View More...
No one word in all the Bible more fully describes God's plans and purposes than grace, and no one work more fully expounds the multi-faceted nature of God's grace than Lewis Sperry Chafer's Grace. Emphasizing the dispensational distinctions between law and grace, Chafer deals systematically and thoroughly with the relevant biblical doctrines on the topic of grace. The text is extensively indexed by subject and Scripture reference, making it a handy reference tool for Bible study. View More...
The atonement is at the heart of Christian doctrine. But how does it relate to the life of the church? And what difference does it make for worship and liturgy? Highly respected theologian Oliver Crisp sets out a new, comprehensive account of the nature of the atonement, exploring how this doctrine affects our participation in the life of God and in the shared life of the Christian community. Crisp builds on key insights from other historic substitutionary models of Christ's work while avoiding the problems plaguing penal substitution. View More...
Is there hope for Calvinism beyond TULIP? For many, Calvinism evokes the idea of a harsh God who saves a select few and condemns others to eternal torment. Others find comfort in the Five Points of TULIP with its emphasis on the sovereignty of God's grace. Oliver Crisp thinks both sides have too small a picture of the Reformed tradition. There are ample resources for developing a more expansive Calvinism. Reformed Christians have inherited a vast mansion, but many of them only live in two rooms, reading John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards on repeat, while the rest of the house lies waiting for so... View More...
The proceedings of the third annual Los Angeles Theology Conference seek to identify the place of the doctrine of atonement in systematic theology. Locating Atonement: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics intentionally excludes discussion of theories of atonement, typologies of those theories, and contests among various theories. Instead, it undertakes the question: What else is there to do in atonement theology besides rehashing types and theories?
The idea of Christ's substitutionary atonement for sinners is central in both the Old and New Testaments--from the Passover to the prophets to the words of Jesus and the apostles. In It Is Well, pastors Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence demonstrate how the atonement is clearly taught throughout Scripture. Starting with Exodus 12 and moving through other key Old Testament passages into the Gospels and the epistles of Paul and Peter, the authors offer careful expositions on fourteen crucial texts. As they speak to important issues such as what happens when there is no substitute for sin, why God f... View More...
"DeYoung brings an event from four hundred years ago right back into the present needs of the church and of theology." --Herman Selderhuis, Professor of Church History, Theological University Apeldoorn; Director, Refo500 Grace Is Too Precious a Doctrine to Settle for Vague Generalities Grace--a doctrine central to the gospel--ought to be clearly defined so it can be celebrated, relished, and consistently defended. In this book, Kevin DeYoung leads us back to the Canons of Dort, a seventeenth-century document originally written to precisely and faithfully define this precious doctrine. The Ca... View More...
Since the days of the early church, Christians have wrestled with the relationship between law and gospel. If, as the apostle Paul says, salvation is by grace and the law cannot save, what relevance does the law have for Christians today? By revisiting the Marrow Controversy--a famous but largely forgotten eighteenth-century debate related to the proper relationship between God's grace and our works--Sinclair B. Ferguson sheds light on this central issue and why it still matters today. In doing so, he explains how our understanding of the relationship between law and gospel determines our appr... View More...
Over 250,000 Copies Sold What is the gospel? It seems like a simple question, yet it has been known to incite some heated responses, even in the church. How are we to formulate a clear, biblical understanding of the gospel? Tradition, reason, and experience all leave us ultimately disappointed. If we want answers, we must turn to the Word of God. Greg Gilbert does so in What Is the Gospel? Beginning with Paul's systematic presentation of the gospel in Romans and moving through the sermons in Acts, Gilbert argues that the central structure of the gospel consists of four main subjects: God, man,... View More...
Something wonderful is happening in Western Evangelicalism. A resurgence of Calvinism is changing lives, transforming churches, and spreading the gospel. The books are great, the sermons are life-changing, the music is inspirational, and the conferences are astonishing. Will this continue or will we, who are part of it all, end up destroying it? That depends on how we live the message. As "insiders" of the Calvinist resurgence, there are at least eight ways we can mess everything up. -By loving calvinism as an end in itself -By becoming theologians instead of disciples -By loving God's soverei... View More...
The system of theology known as Calvinism has been immensely influential for the past five hundred years, but it is often encountered negatively as a fatalistic belief system that confines human freedom and renders human action and choice irrelevant. Taking us beyond the caricatures, Michael Horton invites us to explore the teachings of Calvinism, also commonly known as Reformed theology, by showing us how it is biblical and God-centered, leading us to live our lives for the glory of God.Horton explores the historical roots of Calvinism, walking readers through the distinctive known as the "Fi... View More...
"He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world . . ." Among the traditional tenets of the Christian faith is the belief that God chooses or elects people for salvation. For some Christians, such an affirmation is an indication of God's sovereign and perfect will. For others, such a notion is troubling for it seems to downplay the significance of human agency and choice. Throughout the church's history, Christians have sought to understand the meaning of relevant biblical texts and debated this theological conundrum. With care and insight, theologian Mark Lindsay surveys the developm... View More...
