The Extent of the Atonement


Book Description

The extent of Christ’s atoning work on the cross is one of the most divisive issues in evangelical Christianity. In The Extent of the Atonement: A Historical and Critical Review, David L. Allen makes a biblical, historical, theological, and practical case for a universal atonement. Through a comprehensive historical survey, Allen contends that universal atonement has always been the majority view of Christians, and that even among Calvinist theologians there is a considerable range of views. Marshalling evidence from Scripture and history, and critiquing arguments for a limited atonement, Allen affirms that an unlimited atonement is the best understanding of Christ’s saving work. He concludes by showing that an unlimited atonement provides the best foundation for evangelism, missions, and preaching.




God's Wrath is Good News


Book Description

Romans 1:18 states, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." When you read this, does it arouse fear or faith in you? I've heard it said that seventy-five percent of those who claim to be Christians became Christians because they were afraid of God's punishment. Is being afraid of God's punishment a good building block for faith? Is the gospel good news, bad news, or a combination of both? What does the Bible say about God's wrath? Is the Old Testament law the definitive word on God's wrath? If so, what do we do with the gospel (good news) of the New Testament? God's Wrath Is Good News gives the reader a new appreciation for God's holiness. Theology affirms that God set himself apart to redeem sinners. He did so because there was no other that could redeem them. Therefore, redemption is the epitome of a holy act. But if redemption is not God's primary focus and concern, then God's claim to holiness is put in doubt. It is the cross of Christ and God's provision of redemption that sets the revelation of God's wrath apart as being uniquely holy.




Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God


Book Description

Pastor Brian Zahnd began "to question the theology of a wrathful God who delights in punishing sinners, and has started to explore the real nature of Jesus and His Father. The book isn’t only an interesting look at the context of some modern theological ideas; it’s also offers some profound insight into God’s love and eternal plan." —Relevant Magazine (Named one of the Top 10 Books of 2017) God is wrath? Or God is Love? In his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Puritan revivalist Jonathan Edwards shaped predominating American theology with a vision of God as angry, violent, and retributive. Three centuries later, Brian Zahnd was both mesmerized and terrified by Edwards’s wrathful God. Haunted by fear that crippled his relationship with God, Zahnd spent years praying for a divine experience of hell. What Zahnd experienced instead was the Father’s love—revealed perfectly through Jesus Christ—for all prodigal sons and daughters. In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd asks important questions like: Is seeing God primarily as wrathful towards sinners true or biblical? Is fearing God a normal expected behavior? And where might the natural implications of this theological framework lead us? Thoughtfully wrestling with subjects like Old Testament genocide, the crucifixion of Jesus, eternal punishment in hell, and the final judgment in Revelation, Zanhd maintains that the summit of divine revelation for sinners is not God is wrath, but God is love.




The Atonement


Book Description

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 lost?” This book will be a go-to resource for all those who wish to understand what Christ accomplished on the cross by his death.




The Death of Death in the Death of Christ


Book Description

Owen was a renowned theologian in his day and this work is a piece of theological brilliance in the reformed and protestant tradition. The death of Christ had a wide range of implications on the fate of humanity and the cause of redemption that Christ came to give to us all. This work goes over all the arguments that have been set up against the reality of Christ's death and Owen brilliantly rebukes these arguments and settles it all.




The Gospel According to John


Book Description

This commentary seeks above all to explain the text of John's Gospel to those whose privilege and responsibility it is to minister the Word of God to others, to preach and to lead Bible studies. I have tried to include the kind of information they need to know, but to do so in such a way that the informed layperson could also use the work in personal study of the Bible, exclusively for purposes of personal growth in edification and understanding. In particular, I have attempted: (1) To make clear the flow of the text. (2) To engage a small but representative part of the massive secondary literature on John. (3) To draw a few lines towards establishing how the Fourth Gospel contributes to biblical and systematic theology. (4) To offer a consistent exposition of John's Gospel as an evangelistic Gospel. - Preface.




Did God Kill Jesus?


Book Description

The popular Patheos blogger wants to restore the cross as primarily a symbol of God’s overwhelming love for us and to rescue Christians from the shame and guilt from seeing our situation as “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” which was an invention of the medieval church and became enshrined as orthodox Christianity. Many Christians believe that God the Father demanded his only Son die a cruel, gruesome death to appease His wrath, since humanity is so irredeemably sinful and therefore repugnant to God. Tony Jones, popular progressive Christian blogger, author, and scholar, argues that this understanding is actually a medieval invention and not what the Bible really teaches. He looks beyond medieval convictions and liberates how we see Jesus’s death on the cross from this restrictive paradigm. Christians today must transcend the shame and guilt that have shaped conceptions of the human soul and made us fearful of God, and replace them with love, grace, and joyfulness, which better expresses what the cross is really about. How we understand the cross reflects directly what kind of God we worship. By letting go of the wrathful God who cannot stand to be in our presence unless he pretends to see Jesus in our place, we discover the biblical God who reaches out to love and embrace us while “we were yet sinners.” Jones offers a positive, loving, inclusive interpretation of the faith that is both challenging and inspiring. Did God Kill Jesus? is essential reading for modern Christians.




Gospelbound


Book Description

A profound exploration of how to hold on to hope when our unchanging faith collides with a changing culture, from two respected Christian storytellers and thought leaders. “Offers neither spin control nor image maintenance for the evangelical tribe, but genuine hope.”—Russell Moore, president of ERLC As the pressures of health warnings, economic turmoil, and partisan politics continue to rise, the influence of gospel-focused Christians seems to be waning. In the public square and popular opinion, we are losing our voice right when it’s needed most for Christ’s glory and the common good. But there’s another story unfolding too—if you know where to look. In Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra counter these growing fears with a robust message of resolute hope for anyone hungry for good news. Join them in exploring profound stories of Christians who are quietly changing the world in the name of Jesus—from the wild world of digital media to the stories of ancient saints and unsung contemporary activists on the frontiers of justice and mercy. Discover how, in these dark times, the light of Jesus shines even brighter. You haven’t heard the whole story. And that’s good news.




You've Already Got It!


Book Description

God can do anything, but did you know He has already done everything? Instead of asking the Lord to do something for you - revive you, heal you, bless you, prosper you - accept what He has already done for you through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has left you precious promises in His Word and those promises belong to...