Excellent book! The author simply and systematically walks through the gospel in clear, easy to read language. There is the thought within, at times, of what a tragedy that we live in a time where we so badly need a book like this. Of course I am rebuked of this thought upon the reading of Scripture as I see how very often Paul reminded Timothy and Titus of the gospel in his letters to them. We never outgrow the gospel and there is a perpetual need to keep our gospel doctrine sharp. I commend this book for achieving that goal - refreshing and sharpening. It is at the top of my list of "must reads."

a book review by Pastor Gary Gilley

This volume is a sequel to Christless Christianity in which Horton admonished the evangelical community for leaving Christ out of, or at least on the fringes of, its ministries and message.  In The Gospel-Driven Life Horton delivers on his promise to show us the way back—and forward.  It was written for those tired of the hype and chasing the latest fad (pp. 13, 17) who simply want “to reorient our faith and practice as Christians and churches toward the gospel: that is, the announcement of God’s victory over sin and death in His Son, Jesus Christ” (p. 11).

I believe Horton accomplished his stated goal, hammering home over and over from every conceivable angle that the essence of Christianity is the good news (p. 20).  The author persistently points the believer to the external facts of Christ and His redemptive work and away from an inner, subjective introspection.  He challenges pragmatism (pp. 24-25, 69, 72) including Rick Warren’sPurpose-Driven Life. Rather than purpose-driven we should be promise-driven (p. 133).  Horton also takes on mysticism with its inward focus and works-based sanctification (pp. 20, 23, 26, 78, 146-149, 156-157).  In particular, he almost too graciously exposes Richard Foster and his stable of Roman Catholic mystics (pp. 146-155).  Concerning the enemies of gospel-centered living Horton summarized, “The greatest threat to Christians is never vigorous intellectual criticism but a creeping senility that transforms truths into feelings, public claims into private experiences, and facts into mere values.  Christianity is either true or false, but it is not irrational” (p. 262).

Of a positive nature, Horton exhorts churches to center their attention and energy on the gospel, the exposition of Scripture and the sacraments, rather than developing endless programs that aim to make us feel better, solve our problems, meet our felt-needs and offer Christians exactly what the world offers but in sanctified wrapping.   The church is to concentrate on giving what no one else can: the gospel, Christ and truth.  “Satan does not care,” Horton claims, “if our churches are full, as long as people are not being clothed with Christ” (p. 198).

Horton’s Covenantal Theology shows up on occasion, even to the point of at least bordering on sacramentalism.  He speaks of believers continuing to pray for salvation (p. 106), the Law serving as our guide in the Christian life (p. 139), baptism making us beneficiaries of God’s commitment (p. 201), Christ giving Himself to us as our food and drink at the Lord’s Table (pp. 202-3), and children of believers being in the covenant (pp. 206-208).  He implies that such children are already regenerate when he writes, “The children of believers are often treated in the church as non-Christians who need to ‘get saved’” (p. 206), and other similar statements (cf. pp 206-208).  Such an understanding does not flow from Scripture, but from the Covenantal Theological system.

Overall The Gospel-Driven Life is a powerful reminder of the centrality of the gospel and of our need to be shaped by the finished work of Christ.  It is the gospel that we are to live and proclaim.

a book review by Pastor Gary E Gilley

This is a handy little volume defending the evangelical doctrine of sola Scriptura. Sproul provides a short history and some of the challenges to sola Scriptura (chapter 1), discusses the formation of the canon (chapter 2), builds a case for inerrancy (chapter 3), devotes chapter 4 to the internal testimony of the Spirit to the authority of Scripture, and then spends the remainder of the book detailing the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. The Chicago Statement was written by a team of more than 200 evangelical scholars in 1978 to “affirm that ‘the authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian church in this and every age’” (p. 121). This has proven to be one of the finest documents on the nature of Scripture ever written, and we should be appreciative of Sproul’s explanation. Scripture Alone is a most helpful volume on the Word. My only criticism is that I would like to have seen more analysis of Scripture and less philosophical reasoning and fewer quotes from Calvin in the defense of this watershed doctrine.

a video review by Pastor Brian Gilley

This video takes you on a bullet paced ride through history - from the first Adam to the last Adam (Christ) in a matter of 15 minutes. The original created harmony and our fall is highlighted as well as the need for a sacrifice for sins. It is of a high production quality and is loaded with Scripture throughout. This video reminds me of the reason I like Answers in Genesis: there goal is not to just talk about 6 days or the flood but to uphold biblical authority. In the vein of video evangelism I have yet to anything that can match up. However, I still believe in the printed page over this any day - a statement I am sure the good folks over at AIG would agree with.

A wonderful book that will stir your heart and ignite your affections for the LORD God. To read it and to remain unmoved draws nigh unto indifference for the person of God Himself. Please read it.

This is perhaps one of the greatest of all Christian classics on God. To read it is a blessing.

a book review by Pastor Gary Gilley

Norman Geisler's disturbing book, Chosen But Free (see our review) sent ripples of anger throughout the Reformed community, not so much for what it said, but for what it claimed to be. In that book, Geisler wants the reader to believe that he is a champion of a moderate form of Calvinism, labeling the usual Calvinistic understanding as "extreme Calvinism." The problem, as anyone who knows the subject at all could attest, is that Geisler it not representing Calvinism at all, but rather four-point Arminianism. That is, he holds to eternal security but strongly rejects all the other doctrines of grace. Had Geisler owned up to his Arminianism and attempted to argue for his position, his book would have largely gone unnoticed. But when he claimed to be a Calvinist, a true Calvinist as opposed to the "extreme" variety, he stepped on some major toes.

The Potter's Freedom is a response to Chosen But Free, but it serves double duty. First, it argues in convincing fashion against the position of Geisler, showing Geisler to be a true Arminian, regardless of his claims. Secondly, and of greater value, White clearly defends the major teachings of Calvinism.

The importance of this book lies in the second purpose. Even if you do not agree with all of his conclusions you will at least have a good understanding of the biblical base upon which Calvinism is founded. This is one of the best resources for this that I have seen.

a book review by Pastor Gary Gilley

The Cross of Christ is surely one of the finest books ever written on this most central theme of the Christian faith.  It provides deep insights and practical guidance at every turn and does so in very readable form.  Not only is this rather large volume theologically sound but the reader will also repeatedly pause to worship the One who has done so much for us.

The book is developed around four parts beginning with an overview of church history and the early foundational role of the cross.  The middle two sections systemize the scriptural teaching concerning the cross, showing both the need for Christ’s death and what it achieved.  The final part applies Christ’s cross-work to our lives as Christians.  What Stott endeavors to show from beginning to end is that Christ’s death was a substitutionary atonement (p. 16).

Part one introduces Stott’s great theme and concludes with this wonderful summary:  the cross reinforces three truths—that our sin must be extremely horrible, that God’s love must be wonderful beyond comprehension and that salvation must be a free gift.

Stott launches section two by dealing head-on with why the cross was necessary for our forgiveness, for “forgiveness is to man the plainest of duties; to God it is the profoundest of problems” (p. 90).  This profound problem, due to our sin and God’s holiness, leads to the necessity of the cross.  But what exactly was the purpose for the cross?  Chapter five stakes out the position that the cross provided satisfaction for sin.  But what did Christ’s blood satisfy?  The devil?  The Law?  God’s honor and justice?  God Himself?  God’s holy love?  While seeing some truth in the first three, Stott believes they each have serious limitation.  It is God Himself who must be satisfied (see pp. 128-129) and, more particularly, it is the only way God’s holiness and God’s love can be simultaneously maintained (p. 131).

In chapter six Stott addresses the consequences for our sin—alienation from God calling for the necessity of a sacrifice.  It is in this chapter that he most thoroughly discusses penal substitution which is under heavy attack today.

Understanding the need for the cross leads naturally into the achievement of the cross, the theme of part three.  Stott sums up the achievements in three words:  salvation, revelation and conquest, devoting a chapter to each.  Chapter seven fleshes out salvation with four biblical images: propitiation, redemption, justification and reconciliation.  This chapter alone is easily worth the price of the book, and is perhaps the finest short explanation of these doctrines that I have ever read.

Stott identifies two other theories of the atonement which compete with the penal substitution view.  Recognizing that there exists biblical truth in both the moral influence theory (pp. 212-222) and the Christus Victor theory (pp. 224-241), Stott carefully points out the inadequacies of these theories that lie at the center of our understanding of soteriology.

The final four chapters attempt to bridge the gap between the individualistic benefits of the cross and the corporate, which of course can never really be separated.  Here such practical issues as love, evil and pain are brought under the scrutiny of the Scripture where rich insight is given.

Stott’s conclusion is no mere wrap up as he considers seven great affirmations about the cross as found in Galatians.  In addition, a very helpful study guide is provided to aid teaching this material.

There is no doubt a few statements and thoughts found in The Cross of Christ in which biblically astute readers might take exception—but they would be very few.  This is surely one of the best books ever written on Christ’s cross-work.

a book review by Pastor Gary Gilley

Debate concerning Christ’s cross work has become intense of late.  The traditional view, often termed penal substitutionary atonement, has been accepted and taught by the evangelical church throughout the ages but is now under open attack.  The doctrine of penal substitution states that “God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin” (p. 21).  Certainly there is nothing new about this.  One only has to note higher-critical attacks which poured out of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (forming “old” liberalism) to see a parallel.  For “old” liberalism to be successful penal substitution had to be jettisoned.  As any student of church history knows, as liberalism won the theological and denomination battles, new movements, denominations, churches and organizations were created which maintained fundamental doctrinal stances.  Those taking their stand on the fundamentals, including penal substitution, ultimately became known as either fundamentalists or evangelicals, depending on how far one wanted to push separation from unbiblical theology and other corrupting influences.  It is this group of conservative Christians that is now being challenged by a new wave of liberalism.  On a theological level this attack is being mounted heavily by movements such as the New Perspective on Paul (NPP).  At the grassroots level it is the Emergent church which is leading the charge.  While the NPP is not synonymous with Emergent, they intercept at the cross—more precisely, at the meaning of the cross.  In order for either the NPP or Emergent to be a strong influence in evangelical/fundamental thought and practice it is necessary for penal substitution to be severely minimized if not eliminated altogether.  As long as conservative Christians are convinced that Christ went to the cross primarily to save us from our sins by propitiating the wrath of God, dying in our place, and taking our sins upon Himself, even becoming sin for us, the NPP and Emergent have no significant voice.  By necessity, penal substitution must be rendered impotent.  Hence, the evangelical/ fundamental universe has been flooded of late with wave upon wave of attack on penal substitution and this often from those who claim to be within the conservative camp.  Of course this comes as no surprise since the apostle Paul warned of the same in Acts 20:28-30.

With this backdrop it is with open arms that we should welcome Pierced for Our Transgressions.  The authors acknowledge that there are other good books dealing with the subject (pp. 26-30), but these works tend to be on a popular level or else highly scholarly, with little in between.  The authors wanted to write a book which would bring into one volume all the key biblical passages and provide a detailed yet readable defense against the latest affronts to penal substitution.  In all of this I believe they have been successful.

In regard to this latest challenge, the authors know the issues and are up on the latest debates.  However, it is in this area that I would offer one minor criticism.  The authors are all from England and are most familiar with contemporary British opponents of penal substitution.  Thus, there are just three passing comments about Brian McLaren, the leading figure of Emergent, but major encounters with the teachings of Steve Chalke, McLaren’s English counterpart.  While the teachings of the two men are in lock-step, few in America have ever heard of Chalke.  And if McLaren is glossed over, Rob Bell, Tony Jones and a host of other Emergent leaders are nonexistent.  It would have been most helpful to engage these American Emergent leaders.  The authors also hold to a limited atonement view (pp. 268-278) which will be bothersome to some.

With these issues aside, Pierced for Our Transgressions is a highly valuable, extremely powerful polemic for penal substitution.  In the first part of the book the authors build their front line defenses with a thorough survey of pertinent passages of Scripture.  This is followed by explaining the theological framework which makes penal substitution necessary.  Next, they guard their flanks by clearly demonstrating that penal substitution has been taught throughout church history and is by no means a modern Western creation as some would propose.  All of this is accomplished in Part One, which takes up most of 200 pages.   When the authors are done, their opponents have been crushed, in my opinion.

In Part Two the authors answer the critics who are left standing.  Even though the biblical, theological and historical evidence is overwhelming there are some who refuse to lay down their arms.  Unfortunately, these few are vocal, articulate and find the current generation of biblically illiterate people easy to confuse and manipulate.  The authors therefore address some of the most popular attempts by critics to undermine the true meaning of the cross.  They deal with other models of the atonement, accusations that penal substitution is a human product, promotes violence, is unjust, offers a distorted view of God and fails to address cosmic evil.  When the authors are done, all reasonable (and unreasonable) objections to penal substitution have been exposed and demolished.

I highly recommend this book for anyone encountering challenges to penal substitution.  Every pastor should read and digest Pierced for Our Transgressions, for in one form or another he will be confronted with this issue.

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This excellent volume written by The Master’s College and Seminary faculty, deals with the need to recover a Christian worldview. Chapters deal with authority of Scripture, creation, postmodernism, music, gender roles, education, science, economics and much more. I found the book thought provoking and full of helpful insight. It would be a useful read for any Christian leader or thinker.