The Doctrine of Repentance
By: Thomas Watson
The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – September, 2018
The word “repent” or “repentance” is one of those theological terms that seems antiquated, old-fashioned, or foreign to many Christians today. It’s not uncommon to hear someone articulate a gospel message that is void of any reference to this teaching. Although many assume that this is simply characteristic of the 21st century state of the Church, Thomas Watson’s classic work on this topic reminds us that Christians are constantly in need of studying and applying this doctrine regardless of the age in which they live.
Although written in 1668, this short book (122 pages) is easy to read and filled with valuable insights. In a very pastoral manner, Watson looks at the nature of, rationale for, and hindrances to repentance before showing the reader how to repent. I highly recommend this work to all Christians since, by nature of God’s work in our hearts, we are all repenting people.
I found myself driven to my knees while reading The Living Church by John Stott. Very few books have had this effect on me. Written shortly before his death, this book is a reflection on the Church and lessons learned over 60 plus years of ministry. However, the author does not begin by looking back on what was and longing for the good old days. Rather, Stott takes note of where we are in the 21st century and reflects on what the Church can be.
Both warm and theologically sound, The Heidelberg Catechism stands as one of the most significant creeds of the Protestant Reformation. Used to
Here is a book I recommend simply because it was a joy to read.
As many of us can attest, we often come into the Reformed Faith because of compelling theological reasons only to discover that there is much more to Reformed theology than the five points of Calvinism or the five solas of the Reformation. Sometimes we are surprised to discover that a major emphases of the Reformation was the nature and practice of worship. Reformed worship in particular can be a little puzzling to folks that have grown up with a broad evangelical background. In the book With Reverence and Awe the authors offer a study on the foundational principles of worship in a Reformed context. This short work challenges the reader to seriously consider a biblical perspective on the worship of God, thereby upholding what is known as the Regulative Principle. Although it is not an exhaustive study on the subject, it does turn our attention away from the common man-centered approach to a God-centered focus on what the Church does as it gathers together on the Lord’s day. I highly recommend this concise work to anyone wishing to understand the Reformed perspective of worship.
Besides containing the hymns normally sung by our congregation on Sunday morning, the Trinity Hymnal is a treasure of worship material. Included in the back are responsive readings in the psalms, The Apostles and Nicene creeds, and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Shorter Catechism. Familiarizing ourselves with the great hymns of the Faith, not only enables us to worship more robustly on Sunday mornings, but connects us with the worship of the Church throughout the ages, and serves as an aid in adding music to our personal and family devotions. Therefore, I recommend this work to all those at Grace & Peace Presbyterian Church.
As we begin a new year many folks look for a devotional book that can be used for either personal or family time. In The Songs of Jesus, Tim and Kathy Keller offer a day by day look through the Psalms. Beginning with the Scripture text, the author gives a brief commentary followed by a prayer focusing on the passage. The writer’s design is to bring you closer to the Lord as you walk through every situation of life, finding guidance, comfort, and strength through the songbook of the people of God. Renee and I are finding choice morsels of wisdom as we read through this work together. I recommend it, not so much for deep theological reflection, but as a window into the heart of Jesus and His care for His sheep.
I recently came across this interesting work that I’ve found valuable for my own personal devotions. Translated into modern English this volume includes various sermons of Augustine, bishop of Hippo, that deals with both theology and practical Christian living. Although as a Protestant, I find some of Augustine’s views untenable, such as his views on marriage and celibacy, his personal appeals to his congregation and profound insights make his preaching come alive to the reader. The bishop’s Christ-centered approach to scripture and church topics is refreshing, and his propensity of calling his people to holy living is quite challenging. I especially enjoyed those sermons on the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer. Toward the end of the book the editors included a few sermons delivered on the feast days of various martyrs. I began reading them with caution, fearing that these might lead to a form of adoration of “saints”. However, working through these sermons, I found most of them constantly bringing the reader back to a focus on the work of Christ to strengthen the faith of His people.
To what extent should the Christian in America embrace the separation of Church and state? This hot button topic is often discussed from a perspective that equates the existence of the United States with that of God’s covenant relationship to ancient Israel. In A Secular Faith, Darryl Hart argues that America was never founded as a Christian nation. Furthermore, when religious people attempt to find a universal Judaeo-Christian foundation for the political life of the country, they run the risk of watering down Christianity to the point where the gospel is no longer evident and we are merely left with a set of morals and ethics. The end result is that Christianity is redefined and presented, not as the message of redemption through Christ and the hope of the coming kingdom of God, but as moral standards that preserve the nation from ruin.