P&R – Page 119 – Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing

BOOK HIGHLIGHT – Saved by Grace by Richard D. Phillips

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Kim

Saved by Grace: The Glory of Salvation in Ephesians 2 by Richard D. Phillips

240 pages | Direct Price: ~~$14.99~~ $11.50 | Subject: Biblical Reference, New Testament

Summary: If there’s ever been a time when Christians could benefit from a careful study of the second chapter of Ephesians, that time is now. With its clear and comprehensive exposition of the Bible’s doctrine of salvation, Ephesians 2 is the Rosetta Stone for untangling much of the doctrinal confusion found inour churches today. A careful study of these verses is indispensable to all Christians in clarifying our relationship to God and magnifying his sovereign grace in our minds and hearts.

A companion to Phillips’s Chosen in Christ, on Ephesians 1, this volume thoroughly works through all the doctrines of salvation in Ephesians 2, and examines, in light of current controversies, all aspects of our salvation.

New believers seeking a solid grasp on this issue and pastors seeking to teach with clarity on salvation can hardly find a more useful place to study.

Ephesians 2 also shines gospel light onto the doctrine of justification (answering the questions raised by the so-called “New Perspective on Paul”), the vital matter of union with Christ, the relationship between individual and corporate salvation, and a host of other topics. More than that, a renewed emphasis on Paul’s teaching in this pivotal chapter will greatly serve the cause of gospel vitality in our churches and our lives.

In the words of Philip Ryken, “Ephesians 2 is a celebration of life in Christ after death in sin—not just for us individually, but for the whole new community of the people of God.”

About the Author:

Richard D. Phillips (M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary; D.D., Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary) is the senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville, South Carolina. He is a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and of the Gospel Coalition, chairman of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, and coeditor of the Reformed Expository Commentary series.

Richard Phillips

Endorsements:

“In this careful, complete, and passionate exposition, Richard Phillips has offered us the gift of a whole book on one of the greatest chapters in the entire Bible.”

—Philip Graham Ryken

Why Do You Need a Fighting Faith?

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Admin

By: Aimee Byrd

Bruce Lee isn’t exactly someone we would think of as a Christian role model. He was an atheist. But he said something about the martial arts that reminds me so much of the exhortation to persevere in Hebrews 10:23. Behold Bruce Lee’s wisdom:

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Think about that for a second. Who cares if you’ve practiced 10,000 kicks one time? You’re still an amateur. It is far better to master one thing than to be slipshod at 10,000. To master something you must exercise it over, and over, and over again. Muscle memory develops so that the movement becomes instinctive. Your body just knows it. In the realm of martial arts, an opponent who has practiced one kick 10,000 times really is someone to be feared. He or she has reached a level of fitness and stamina to exercise a particular skill with great strength and perfection.

So, what is the connection with Hebrews’ message of perseverance? I believe the preacher to the Hebrews is saying the same thing as Lee. His sermon-letter was written to exhort the intended first audience of Jewish believers to persevere in the Christian faith and not to turn back to their old-covenant sacrificial system and ceremonies. And yet this message was not only written for a congregation over 2,000 years ago. It is God’s Word to us now.

After studying all the sermon says about who God is and what he has done in Christ, I was captivated by a particular command that the preacher lays out to press the reader to persevere:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

To persevere, we are told to hold fast to the confession of hope that this preacher has already faithfully delivered.

Christian, what do you believe? This is a very important question, because your answer, and your ability to hold tightly to a proper confession, is directly connected to your perseverance in the Christian life. All Christians need to know what they are persevering for, whether they are suffering through great adversity or just trying to make it through ordinary everyday life. We need to rehearse the truths of our faith like a fighter who practices a kick 10,000 times.

Perseverance involves theological fitness—that persistent fight to exercise faith by actively engaging in the gospel truth revealed in God’s Word. We’re motivated in holy living not just by remembering some Bible verses about God but by trusting in his person, work, and promises. This is what we are exhorted to exercise in Hebrews 10:23. (I break it down further in my book Theological Fitness.)

Faith is a gift from God, but faith is a fighting grace. We may never be as tough as Bruce Lee, but Christians are fighters too. Every day we fight to persevere.

We want a healthy spiritual life just as we want physical health. But we have a problem: the flesh is always working against us in our fight to be healthy, whether we are pursuing physical fitness or making a vigorous effort to know God. John Owen explains that the command in Hebrews to hold fast insinuates an opposing force, a “great danger” even. “To ‘hold fast’ implies the putting forth our utmost strength and endeavors in the defense of our profession, and a constant perseverance in so doing.”¹

One thing is for sure—you cannot hold fast to a confession of hope that you know little about. To see how your knowledge of the person and work of Christ helps you to fight to endure, try partaking in a little theological fitness training with me. I hope to both motivate and equip you to practice your kick another 9,999 times. And some more times after that.

About the Author

Aimee Byrd is just an ordinary mom of three who has also been a martial arts student, coffee shop owner, and Bible study teacher. Author of Housewife Theologian and Theological Fitness, she now blogs about theology and the Christian life and cohosts The Mortification of Spin podcast.

About the Book

Your spiritual life should be a battle! The writer of Hebrews tells us to “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering” (10:23 ESV). Learn about the “fighting grace” God has given us, and discover how we are equipped to live lives of obedience even amidst the suffering and irritations of ordinary life.

“Wonderfully practical and readable . . . grounded in good theology.” –Thomas R. Schreiner, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Biggest Road Block to Compassion

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Admin

If you are going to feel correctly about others, you have to think correctly about yourself.

Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to think correctly about yourself when you are trying to help someone else. When someone has a problem you may be tempted to use what’s happening to her as an excuse for feeling better about yourself.

We are so intent on exalting ourselves over others that we will even use their sin to do so.

How sad! Unfortunately, this becomes especially tempting when other people are struggling with different sins than you do. When whatever is tempting them isn’t a temptation for you, you can easily start thinking of yourself as being a little better than they are. And if you are thinking like that, you are setting yourself up for a big fall because, though you may be a different kind of sinner than they are, you are still a sinner like they are.

There is a direct relationship between humility and compassion

This passion for self-exaltation is part of what makes genuine compassion such a rare thing. There is a direct relationship between humility and compassion, and between pride and a lack of it. Thoughts and feelings of self-importance based on self-ignorance are a major hindrance to compassionate relationships. So mark it down. Apart from Christ, we are nothing spiritually.

Spiritual life is as much of a gift as Physical life!

Imagine standing in a cemetery surrounded by hundreds of gravestones and shouting, “Look at me, I am so much better than you, I am alive!” No, physical life is a gift. So is spiritual life. Instead of being proud when you are around unbelievers, you should be overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s grace. And really, the same is true when you are with those who know Christ. If you have moved ahead spiritually or know more than they do, it is only because of help you have received from Christ. Every spiritual gift is a result of grace. How can anyone become proud of himself for that (1 Cor. 4:7)? If you have more gifts than someone else it is only because you have been shown more mercy (Rom. 12:3), which means that you, of everyone, have the most reason to be humble because you have received more grace.

If you are going to feel compassion for others, you need to show no compassion toward pride.

When someone comes to you with a problem, you can assume pride is going to come as well. Pride often uses occasions to show compassion as opportunities to promote itself instead. Suppose there is a needy person who is asking for your help. (Or maybe she is not asking for your help, but you think, really, she should.) If God in His grace has given you the wisdom you need to help such a troubled person, give thanks to Him and use your gifts to serve her. But watch out that you don’t start taking yourself too seriously. If you have the answer someone else needs, it is very tempting to start believing you are the answer that is needed. This is very dangerous because, once you start thinking of yourself as the Messiah, you stop acting very much like Him.

How to fight pride

One way you can begin to fight this war on pride is by seeing other people’s problems as your opportunities. Their problems are opportunities for you to do something even more important than give them the answer they need. Their problems are opportunities for you to pursue the humility you need. Before you begin to look for a solution to somebody else’s problem, slow down and make sure you intentionally deal with your most significant problem, and that is pride. Commit yourself to doing something bigger than just saying the right thing. Commit yourself to feeling the right way for that person.

About the Author:

josh Joshua Mack (MA in biblical counseling, The Master’s College; MDiv, The Master’s Seminary; DMin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is pastor-teacher of Living Hope Church in Pretoria, South Africa, and executive director of 1Hope Ministries International. He and his wife Marda have five daughters as well as two boys and one girl in permanent foster care. He is the author of Compassion: Seeing with Jesus’ Eyes.

About the Book:

Compassion is the emotion most frequently attributed to Jesus in the Gospels. But compassion is more than an emotion—it is a God-centered, God-inspired way of looking at the world.

“One of my very favorite books.” – Heath Lambert, Executive Director, The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

BOOK HIGHLIGHT – Maximum Impact by Wayne A. Mack

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Kim

Maximum Impact: Living and Loving for God’s Glory by Wayne A. Mack

336 pages | Direct Price: ~~$15.99~~ $12.00 | Published: 2010 | Sample Chapter

Summary: Do you wonder how you can . . . increase the impact you have on others? Strengthen your love for those around you? Make a powerful difference for Christ?

If so, this helpful book by Wayne Mack is especially for you. Maximum Impact will tell you exactly how to make an impact for Christ in a way that is simple, yet profound. Drawn from Dr. Mack’s lifetime of loving, compassionate ministry, this book will help you increase your effectiveness in every aspect of life.

With a special emphasis on 1 Corinthians 13, Maximum Impact will help you approach this “love chapter” with a newfound appreciation. Very practical and well illustrated, it includes application, study, and discussion questions so that you can put into practice what you have learned . . . and learn you will! Your friends, family, and colleagues will notice the change in you as you become more filled with love and more effective in your ministry every day.

So read and learn how to live and love for God’s glory. Spiritual fruit has never been sweeter.

About the Author:

Wayne Mack lives in Pretoria, South Africa, where he serves as a pastor-elder with his son-in-law and teaches biblical counseling at Strengthening Ministries Training Institute to pastors and aspiring pastors in the region. He also spends about six weeks in the USA teaching at various churches. He and his wife, Carol, have four adult children and numerous grandchildren.

Endorsements:

“A powerful tool in identifying areas of necessary change in order to have a maximum impact for Christ. I highly recommend this book to any Christian who wishes to change and grow in Christlikeness.”

—John D. Street, Chair, MABC Graduate Program, The Master’s College and Seminary

“Full of practical stories, clear practical application, and most importantly of all, Scriptures explained in their context.”

—Martha Peace, Biblical Counselor, Author of Damsels in Distress

“If every Christian read this book and put it into practice, the church would truly be salt and light of the world.”

—Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

7 Ways to Be More Compassionate

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Admin

This article is a guest post by Joshua Mack, author of Compassion.

Some people think of compassion as a personality trait.

“Look, I am kind of a tough guy, so don’t expect me to be compassionate.”

I don’t buy it.

I could prove the importance of compassion in a number of different ways but for the sake of time, let’s just say this. As believers, we are all commanded to put it on. Ephesians 4:32. Put on compassion. In other words, not being compassionate is sin. A heart that does not break over the pain of others is a heart that is broken. Bottom line. As my sister always used to say to me when she wanted to shut me up, end of sentence.

The fact though that Paul tells us to put it on means it may take some effort to become more biblically compassionate towards the pain and hurts of others.

Here are seven specific steps you can take to become a more tender hearted person.

Fight against selfish ambition. The more selfishly ambitious you are the less compassionate will be. Just check out the disciples in the gospels.

Put off a self-righteous spirit. In Luke 18, Jesus talked about those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. The two go together.

Love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, take the way you show compassion to yourself and use it as a model for the way you should show compassion to others. A simple way to begin is to slow down and actually try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and view life from their eyes.

Spend time meditating on the law of God and not just on your own little rules. We like our own little rules because we can keep them and when we can keep them and others can’t, we feel like we are better than they are and have a hard time showing compassion. A good long study of the actual law of God won’t let us do that. It will break us and show us how desperately needy we are for the compassion of God ourselves.

Set God apart in your heart. One of the reasons we don’t show compassion to others is because we have ourselves at the center of our world. But we are really not the center of the world. God is. And He is up to something much bigger than simply exalting us. He is interested in more than just us. That other person, yeah, the one you don’t even notice, He is actually interested in them. He created them after all. They are made in His image, and you can’t start thinking you are so important that you don’t at least respect that.

Believe in God. Fear often keeps us from showing compassion. But what if there was a God who was in control and was actively seeking our good and was able to administer justice perfectly at the end of time, how would you act then? Well, that’s exactly the way the universe is. There is a God who in control and all that, so believe it and prove it, by acting towards others not on the basis of fear but faith.

Pray that God Himself will break you. It is a lot more difficult to be haughty towards others when God Himself has brought you to your knees.

About the Author:

About the Book:

Compassion is the emotion most frequently attributed to Jesus in the Gospels. But compassion is more than an emotion—it is a God-centered, God-inspired way of looking at the world.

“One of my very favorite books.” – Heath Lambert, Executive Director, The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors