Book Review: Foundations of Grace - Steve J. Lawson

 

Book Review: Foundations of Grace - Steve J. Lawson



This is a book I have been looking at for a while. I have heard the name Steven Lawson around many Reformed web sites but have never read a book authored by him. At the same time I started my blog, I saw that Ligonier's website asked for book reviews. You could receive a free book for reviewing purposes. I jumped at the chance. I respect anything that comes out of Reformation Trust / Ligonier. My first exposure to the Reformed faith was from R.C. Sproul. Ligonier has always been a blessing to me. I have purchased many of their books over the years.

"Foundations" is volume one in a planned series of five volumes. Each volume is a travel through time showing the men who preached the Reformed faith. This volume moves from Genesis to Revelations to show what the Biblical authors wrote concerning God's grace and our salvation. The forward by John MacArthur is worth the price of admission. It reminds me of some of the great forwards like Packer's "Death of Death". And don't forget Sproul's afterword - 2 for the price of one.

MacArthur shows how Calvinism is a theology that glorifies God above all else. We are saved to glorify God. Everything in history is for God's glory. The thought that every leaf that falls from a tree, every bird that fly's through the air, and even greater, every person saved by the blood of Christ, brings glory to our Great God.

Lawson begins each chapter with a quote from a great man of God like Spurgeon and BB Warfield. There are also questions at the end of each chapter for discussion or just to recap the chapter.

In the preface Dr Lawson gives an overview of where he is going. He will move through the Bible showing passages that prove the five points of Calvinism (Doctrines of Grace).

He uses a very good analogy, the Continental Divide. Just as water from one side of the country flows to the Pacific and the other side to the Atlantic, Calvinism and Arminianism flow in opposite directions. Calvinism places the emphasis on the Sovereignty of God, while Arminianism places it on man's free will.

Chapter one moves from Biblical days to the present. It lists the many men in history who taught grace and sovereignty. Some may even surprise you.

After that, he systematically moves through the whole Bible showing the "Five points of Calvinism" are in every corner of the word.

I will not summarize the whole book, but this will be a book I will revisit over and over. I am looking forward to the other four volumes. I love Church History and am excited about the series. The series looks like it will be in the same vein as the series of 75 lectures - The History and Theology of Calvinism by Curt Daniel.

I highly recommend this book.

*Reformed Trust made this book available for free for review purposes.

God Bless,
Pudgyboy

Review: Andy Stanley - When Work and Family Collide

Can we do everything we should in life?

Can we work a full week, spend time with our families, work with a charity, get involved in church, visit our extended family, mow the grass, change the oil, take the dog (or cat) for a walk, get eight hours of sleep, read our bibles, pray, etc? Andy Stanley’s book says no. I agree. To accomplish all these things and more (we could add a million things), we would have to live on Red bull and Starbucks.

We can not do it all. In, “When work and family Collide”, Andy Stanley says we have to spend time with our families we need to CHEAT. What? A Christian cheat? He’s not talking about being unfaithful to our wife or husband. He says to spend time with our families; someone is not going to be happy. When we spend time with our spouse and children, we are not spending time elsewhere - i.e. work, hobbies, etc. We have to cheat someone or something.

If we spend 70 hours at work, we will never see our families. Even the most understanding spouse will break down sooner or later.

Which is more important, a large nest egg or a great relationship with our spouse and children? We can work 20 years of overtime and be sitting great financially, but if we lose our family, what is it worth?

When I saw this book, I thought there was nothing in it that could relate to me. I am home every night. I spend time with my son and wife. What benefit could I have in reading a book like this?

Much!!!

This book taught me not to feel guilty when I can’t please everyone. Normally, if I can not do everything people need, I feel as if I had betrayed them, myself, and the Lord. Am I not a Christian? Am I not called to help others? Yes, but not at the expense of my family. The bible says how can you run the Church if you can’t run your own household (my paraphrase).

Stanley has packed this book full of illustrations.

I really enjoyed this book. If there is a negative, it would be that it was short and contained very little exegesis. Short or not, Stanley gets his point across. As far as the exegesis, I don’t think he was trying to lay down a Biblical doctrine as much as a Biblical principle.

Now - Stop reading this and go love on your spouse and kids!!

* This book was freely provided by WaterBrook Multnomah for the purpose of an honest review.

Review: The Corruptible: A Ray Quinn Mystery by Mark Mynheir

 

A Very impressive police/private detective novel.

This is my first novel from Mark Mynheir, but it certainly will not be my last. Mynheir is an investigator in real life and it shows in his writing. His style gives you the feeling of watching a blockbuster movie. The writing is in the same vein as the early James Patterson/Alex Cross books, minus the foul language. The chapters are short, pushing you forward to read just one more chapter before putting it down (if you can put it down).

The Corruptible is the second book in the Ray Quinn series. Unfortunately, I had not read the first in the series, The Night Watchman. The second book only gives away a minimum of spoilers. So I am excited for the chance to go back to the first novel after finishing this one.

Ray Quinn is a broken hero, literally. His first adventure left him handicapped and walking with a cane. The story starts with a corrupt police officer, Logan Ramsey, found murdered. The novel takes many twists and turns as Quinn searches for the killer and a client’s stolen information. Being a private investigator and a consultant for the police department, Quinn has the resources and freedom to investigate the way he likes. Sometimes he crosses a line or two, but it is all in solving the crime. Another added bonus is his sidekick, Crevis – watch out for that taser!

There are a few side-stories to give this novel a feel of realism, but never too much to pull you way from the main plot. Both thrilling and funny, I enjoyed this read immensely. I have now added a new author to my favorites list.

* This book was freely provided by WaterBrook Multnomah for the purpose of an honest review.

The Theology of Infant Salvation by R. A. Webb - Chapter 4 - The sinlessness of Infants

 

The Theology of Infant Salvation by R. A. Webb - Chapter 4 - The Sinlessness of Infants


We now come to chapter 4 concerning "the sinlessness of infants. If the bible says we are born in sin, are infants not sinless? If infants are sinful, how will they go to heaven when they die?


We know infants go to heaven but how do we get around the fact that even they are born in sin? How can they be considered born in sin, if they have not actually committed a single sin?


These are the questions Dr Webb will try to answer in this chapter. He starts by discussing  Pelagianism.

Pelagianism believes that Man is neither sinful nor holy. He is born a clean slate. The fall of Adam only damaged himself. There was no lasting effect on his offspring. Every infant is born "a blank sheet of paper" There is no original sin. The infant has no inclination toward good or evil. Good or evil comes totally from self-will. The argument is an infant is savable because it is not damnable. They are a moral negative - neither holy or evil.

Webb then gives 6 reasons why infants are not moral negatives:

1. If they were they could never be anything else. In physics a body at rest can not put itself in motion. A non moral being can not make itself moral.An animal is non-moral. They can not develop a conscience.
2. All moral beings are either good or bad. There is no middle ground. Infants must be born morally good or morally bad.
3. Pelagianism says all infants are born non-moral but have the potential of developing into a moral creature. But if moral is always good or bad the original potential must be good of bad. There must be a bend in one direction or the other. In the end the outcome of all adults is more or less wicked.
4. The Bible says a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree bad fruit, but neither can product the opposite of their nature. If an infant is a moral negative they would grow up to be an adult moral negative.
5. Adam was created in God's image - a moral good but he was mutable. He was under probation, he had the ability to sin of not to sin. By his sin he changed himself into a positive evil. If Adam is the head of the race all of his posterity could not be moral negitives but would be positive evil
6. If infants are moral negatives why do all of them sin as they grow older? All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

He now takes up the question - Is Calvinism true when it says that all men sin?

1. The bible says there is none righteous
2. If men wee not sinners there would be no need of atonement
3. There would have been no need of priests or sacrifice
4. Our own conscience tells us we have sinned
5. Even our own sayings show we all sin - "no one is perfect", "I am only human", etc.
6. There was only one sinless person in history - Jesus
7. Infants die - Sin causes death - if there is no sin there is no death.
8. Scripture says we are born in iniquity

This chapter proves that men are born in sin and are in need of a Savior. Infants need salvation just like Adults. Infants are save by the grace of God, just like adults.



Next Blog: Chapter 5: Infants Incapable




Check back next time when we study a new chapter

God Bless,
Pudgyboy