Here are this Wednesday’s Book Reviews for 3.14.18
The Whole Christ, Legalism, Antinomianism & Gospel Assurance – Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters
By: Sinclair B Ferguson
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 approach to evangelism, our pursuit of sanctification, and even our understanding of God himself.
Ferguson shows us that the antidote to the poison of legalism on the one hand and antinomianism on the other is one and the same: the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, in whom we are simultaneously justified by faith, freed for good works, and assured of salvation.
Faith Alone, The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification
By R.C. Sproul
Luther said that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is “the article upon which the church stands or falls.” R. C. Sproul follows Luther’s lead in his concise and compelling work, now repackaged and republished. Justified by Faith Alone surveys the main tenets of the doctrine of justification in Roman Catholicism and evangelicalism. Sproul is careful to accurately represent Catholic beliefs and observes that while both traditions agree that faith is necessary for justification, the difference lies in whether faith alone is sufficient. He explores problems with the Catholic doctrine and champions the sole sufficiency of Christ for our salvation.
Effective and engaging, Sproul does not shy away from difficult theological terms and ideas, but capably guides readers through this famous doctrinal dispute. To those who decry the doctrines of imputation and justification by faith alone as “legal fiction,” Sproul warns that nothing less than the central message of the gospel is at stake.
Rescuing The Gospel, The Story and Significance of the Reformation
By: Erwin W. Lutzer
The story of the Reformation is one that begins with the Catholic Church and its desperate need for reform is contains elements of courage and cowardice, betrayal and faith. It unfolded in the cathedrals and town squares across Europe—in Wittenberg, Worms, Rome, Geneva, and Zurich. The dramatic events that followed are traced from John Wycliffe in England, to the burning of John Hus at the stake at the Council of Constance, to the rampant sale of indulgences in the cities and towns of Germany, to Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in 1517, to John Calvin’s reform of Geneva.
In captivating and informative prose, Erwin Lutzer captures the people, places, and big ideas that fueled the Reformation. In Rescuing the Gospel He explains the lasting influence this revolutionary movement has had on both the church and Western civilization. And, perhaps most importantly, he shows why the actions of passionate believers five hundred years ago still matter today.