The Mortification of Sin
By: John Owen
The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – May, 2017
Banner of Truth Publishers has provided another classic work from the Puritan theologian, John Owen. Edited and abridged by Richard Rushing, The Mortification of Sin, describes the ongoing battle against sin that every Christian is called to fight. Although powerless to win on our own, we are nevertheless given the hope and assurance that victory is achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. I highly recommend this timeless and masterful treatment of a topic that is relevant to all Christians wishing to grow in holiness before the Lord.
For many Christians reading the Old Testament passages that describe the Tabernacle or the Temple can seem as tedious as reading the various genealogies in the Bible. One of the reasons why we might find such passages wearisome is that we are unable to recognize the connection they have with the biblical story of redemption. In his book, The Temple and the Tabernacle J. Daniel Hays describes how both of these structures depict the holiness of God, His relationship to Israel, and the advent of Christ, His person, and His atoning sacrifice. I found the chapter on Christ as the Temple of God in the New Testament to be very helpful in clarifying those prophecies in Ezekiel to which many appeal when insisting on a new temple in a millennial age. I recommend this work as help in finding Christ in the Old Testament and seeing the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ.
Born Slaves is an abridged version of Martin Luther’s classic response to the treatise on free-will by the Roman Catholic humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. Originally titled The Bondage of the Will, this shortened work demonstrates the insufficiency of the prevalent misunderstanding of free-will by offering Scripture proofs that man’s will is actually enslaved to sin and in need of God’s grace before it is free to make a decision for Christ. Although Erasmus’ view was well received by the Roman Church and is also the current position of most evangelicals today, it was not the view of the Reformers. In this short work of 93 pages, Luther offers a good corrective for the faulty view of salvation that actually elevates the will of man and diminishes the grace of God. I recommend this book to those who wish to gain a better understanding of the biblical view of salvation and the reason why God alone receives glory when sinners come to Jesus.
Seasons of Waiting Was recommended to me by a member of our congregation. A good look at how God uses the periods of waiting throughout our lives to bring us closer to Himself, this short read serves to encourage those who might be feeling as though God simply isn’t hearing them. The majority of the book contains various accounts of believers who waited on the Lord throughout difficult circumstances and learned to turn waiting into a time of fellowship with God. Personally, I gained the most from the chapters at the end of the book. These helped me to gain a sense of the God who is there in my trials, as well as underscoring how waiting faithfully on the Lord can be a powerful testimony to unbelievers and an encouragement to the church. I recommend this easy but profound read to those who are enduring the long night of waiting for the morning.
The Triune God is a compilation of essays by some of the better known Reformed writers of today. Rather than approaching their topic in a purely technical manner, the various authors address the work and attributes of each person of the Trinity in a manner that connects with the reader’s heart as well as his/her intellect. I personally found the contribution of Bryan Chapell to be both warm and theologically engaging. I recommend this book as a refreshing study about our glorious Triune God.
While not an in-depth biography of this Scottish reformer, The Mighty Weakness of John Know offers a compelling glimpse into the motivation and spiritual strength of this man of God. Though he was short in stature and often weak in body, Knox was instrumental in bringing the Reformation to Scotland. Fearing God rather than man or monarch, Knox was divinely enabled to withstand persecution, imprisonment and exile while preaching, writing, and praying in order to call Scotland to Christ.
