Theology

From "The Blood of Sprinkling (part 1)": "If ever there should come a wretched day when all our pulpits shall be full of modern thought, and the old doctrine of a substitutionary sacrifice shall be exploded, then will there remain no word of comfort for the guilty or hope for the despairing. Hushed will be for ever those silver notes which now console the living, and cheer the dying; a dumb spirit will possess this sullen world, and no voice of joy will break the blank silence of despair. The gospel speaks through the propitiation for sin, and if that be denied, it speaketh no more. Those … [Read more...] about Charles Spurgeon on Penal Substitution

John Piper's latest book, The Future of Justification, is finally here. The best price I've seen for it is $11.99. I previously introduced the book. Here's (in a nutshell) what I said: Historically, Protestants have believed that the moment a person placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ (as the God-man who lived and died as a substitute for sinners), that individual received the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This righteousness is "imputed" or transferred to their account. From then on, God looks upon the person as possessing the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. N.T. Wright has … [Read more...] about The Future of Justification – Now Available

David Wells writes in Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral Vision:Can churches really hide their identity without losing their religious character? Can the Church view people as consumers without inevitably forgetting that they are sinners? Can the Church promote the Gospel as a product and not forget that those who buy it must repent? Can the Church market itself and not forget that it does not belong to itself but to Christ? Can the Church pursue success in the marketplace and not lose its biblical faithfulness? Quoted in reThink by Steve Wright. The Foreword by Dr. … [Read more...] about Churches Viewing People As Consumers

The ESV blog provides a roundup on the recently released ESV Literary Study Bible. … [Read more...] about ESV Literary Study Bible Roundup

Wonderfully accessible, The Truth of the Cross is R.C. Sproul at his very best. Each chapter displays a beautiful combination of theological precision and pastoral warmth, unpacking a different aspect of Christ's atoning work. I found it to be a great companion to personal devotions. Sproul's style is at once simple yet not simplistic. Readers are left with a full-orbed picture of the meaning and significance of Christ's death and why it was absolutely necessarily that He live a perfect life and die a perfect death on behalf of His people. Christ's roles as a Substitute, Redeemer, … [Read more...] about The Truth of the Cross – R.C. Sproul

If you live on the western side of the pond, you may have been waiting for Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution. Through November 2, this 384-page work is available for only $15 from WTS books (the previous link). First published in England in response to Steve Chalke (who infamously described penal substitution as "cosmic child abuse"), this book has been widely touted as one of the most clear, compelling, and thorough defenses of penal substitution in our day. Read John Piper's Foreword and the book's first chapter. Here are some of the many … [Read more...] about Pierced for Our Transgressions – Now Available in USA