Tuesday 5 November 2019

In Christ Alone – Sinclair B. Ferguson

Endorsements for In Christ Alone by Sinclair B. Ferguson
“The title In Christ Alone is enough to make hearts brave and souls stand at attention. And Sinclair Ferguson, the consummate teacher, takes great pains to explain the supreme sufficiency of Jesus Christ and why He is ‘enough.’” — Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder, Joni and Friends International Disability Center
“In Christ Alone is a basic systematic theology in the form of a very readable book. Whether you are a new Christian looking for basic Christian doctrine or a more mature one wanting a refresher, this book will both instruct you and delight you. I warmly commend it to all Christians who want to grow in their faith.” — Jerry Bridges Bible Teacher and Author of The Pursuit of Holiness and other titles
“Sinclair Ferguson is one of my favorite authors, and he’s done all of us a great favor by pulling together these writings penned over a long, faithful, and fruitful ministry (may it continue for many years!). This book is a feast that will satisfy both mind and heart, sharpening your thinking and deepening your devotion to Christ Alone.” — C. J. Mahaney President, Sovereign Grace Ministries
——
This is a book about “Living the Gospel-Centred Life.”
Here’s what Alistair Begg (Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio) says about it in his “Foreword.”
“It is hard to conceal the sense of pleasure and privilege that accompanies the opportunity to write this foreword. Along with so many, I have found. Sinclair Ferguson’s writing to be profoundly helpful. It is hard to believe that twenty-seven years have elapsed since I first read The Christian Life. I remember as a young pastor being sorely tempted to preach my way through that introduction to Christian doctrine because not only was it comprehensive, it was so wonderfully clear. As I read this manuscript, I found myself employing Ronald Reagan’s memorable line in debating Jimmy Carter in 1980: “There you go again!” Sinclair has done it again! Here is rich theological content distilled with pastoral care and attention so as to make it accessible to every reader. How else could we explain a chapter on Christian liberty that bears the title “Eating Black Pudding”? As you benefit from each of these fifty short chapters, you may feel as if you have enjoyed the privilege of looking over the professor’s shoulder at a thumbnail sketch of his lecture notes. Or, better still, that you have sat with your pastor as he has encouraged you to see that, in the words quoted from John Calvin, “salvation whole, its every single part is found in Christ” (p. 7). It is this emphasis that makes the book so timely. One of the signs of aging is the temptation to view all our yesterdays as the good old days and to find in the present more causes for alarm and disappointment than are justified. As Christians, we are not exempt, and some might argue that we are more prone than others to this perspective. In light of that, I now proceed with caution. Is it wrong to suggest that earlier generations were more thoroughly grounded in the gospel, better versed in the Scriptures, and more convinced that a new life in Christ is lived on the pathway of joyful obedience? How can we possibly tell? First of all, listen to the present generation talk. I thoroughly enjoy the privilege of addressing students at Christian colleges throughout the country. Their enthusiasm and creativity spur me on, but an accompanying uncertainty and lack of definition in basic Christian doctrine are causes for genuine concern. Some cannot, for example, explain why Mormonism is not Christian because they are unsure of the doctrine of the Trinity. Many appear to be uncertain about the exclusive claims of Jesus, and with the prevailing emphasis on ecology and poverty, many would be hard-pressed to agree with George Smeaton that “to convert one sinner from his way, is an event of greater importance, than the deliverance of a whole kingdom from temporal evil.” Second, consider what is being read by this generation. If the best sellers tell the story, we are preoccupied with imaginative descriptions of end-time phenomena while searching for ways to live up to our human potential. Books on self-improvement and “how-to” texts on all matters earthly sell in abundance. We are reading about our bodies to the neglect of our souls as we measure success by achievement in the “here and now,” having lost sight of the “then and there.” Third, hear our loss of focus on the gospel in our songs. This is no comment on musical styles and tastes, but simply an observation about the lyrical content of much that is being sung in churches today. In many cases, congregations unwittingly have begun to sing about themselves and how they are feeling rather than about God and His glory. What, then, is the antidote to theological vagueness in our students, our books, and our songs? We need to learn to preach the gospel to ourselves because it is the A to Z of Christianity. We need, as chapter 28 makes clear, to be reminded of the three tenses of salvation. All this and more is accomplished by Dr. Ferguson as he consistently turns our gaze to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. We are helped in the process by the work of gospel-saturated hymn writers. Over the centuries, Isaac Watts, John Newton, William Cowper, and many others provided the church with biblical theology in memorable melodic form. Today, men such as Keith Getty and Stuart Townend are doing the same with compositions such as their contemporary hymn that shares its title with this book: “In Christ Alone.” We should be encouraged by the fact that “In Christ Alone” has become something of an anthem for the church in the first decade of this century. As Alex Motyer has rightly observed, “When truth gets into a hymnbook, it becomes the confident possession of the whole church.” Perhaps all that is necessary to expose the shallowness of our songs and to cause us to praise God as we ought is for pastors and poets and musicians to drink from the same fountain. Then biblical exposition will issue in song and our hymns will be full of the gospel. It is a double joy to count the author of this book and the writers of this song as my friends, and I can commend both the book and the hymn with gratitude and enthusiasm.
—–
Here are the words with which the author concludes the book.
Truly to live in Christ alone is God’s way of life for us. My prayer is that these reflections on that life may be a help and an encouragement to you, too, to live In Christ Alone.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured post

More Than A Morning Prayer: Psalm 5

“Morning by morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation” (v. 3). These ...