Book Review: Everyone's A Theologian

Everyone's A Theologian. R.C. Sproul. 2014. Reformation Trust. 360 pages. [Source: Borrowed from friend]

I would definitely recommend R.C. Sproul's newest book, Everyone's A Theologian. It is a good, solid introduction to the basics of the Christian faith, or, if you prefer, an introduction to systematic theology.

Like his teaching series, Foundation, it is divided into eight sections:

• Introduction to Theology
• Theology Proper
• Anthropology and Creation
• Christology
• Pneumatology
• Soteriology
• Ecclesiology
• Eschatology

Many of the chapter titles line up exactly with the message titles in his teaching series which leads me to believe that at last this wonderful series has been made available in print format. I haven't listened to the series in its entirety, but, I can tell you that what I've listened to in the past matches up with what I've just read.

One of the first things Sproul does is to argue that every believer needs theology. He writes,

Many people believe that theological study holds little value. They say, "I don't need theology; I just need to know Jesus." Yet theology is unavoidable for every Christian. It is our attempt to understand the truth that God has revealed to us--something every Christian does. So it is not a question of whether we are going to engage in theology; it is a question of whether our theology is sound or unsound. It is important to study and learn because God has taken great pains to reveal Himself to His people. He gave us a book, one that is not meant to sit on a shelf pressing dried flowers, but to be read, searched, digested, studied, and chiefly to be understood. (12)

I agree with him, do you?

There is one thing about Everyone's a Theologian that I absolutely love, love, love, and I think YOU will appreciate it as well. This book must have been designed with real readers in mind. Each and every chapter is SHORT. Each chapter is straight-forward and stays on task or on target! There are some authors that I love and appreciate very, very much, but, when I'm being honest, I have to admit that some books stay intimidating--no matter how rich--because of long chapters. Because this book has such short chapters, because reading another never felt undoable, I read this relatively thick nonfiction book in just three days!

Another strength of Everyone's A Theologian is that it is well organized, very planned and structured. I'll just give a brief example of one section:

Part Four: Christology

• The Christ of the Bible
• One Person, Two Natures
• The Names of Christ
• The States of Christ
• The Offices of Christ
• Why Did Christ Die?
• Substitutionary Atonement
• The Extent of the Atonement

This book would be a good choice for anyone who is serious about learning and growing in the faith.

Favorite quotes:

God is never required to be merciful or gracious. The moment we think that God owes us grace or mercy, we are no longer thinking about grace or mercy. Our minds tend to trip there so that we confuse mercy and grace with justice. Justice may be owed, but mercy and grace are always voluntary. (69)

Many people ask me how they can know the will of God for their lives, but rarely does anyone ask me how he can know the law of God. People do not ask because they know how to understand the law of God--they find it in the Bible. They can study the law of God in order to know it. The more difficult question is how we can do the law of God. Some are concerned about that, but not too many. Most people who inquire about the will of God are seeking knowledge of the future, which is closed. If you want to know the will of God in terms of what God authorizes, what God is pleased with, and what God will bless you for, again, the answer is found in His preceptive will, the law, which is clear. (75)

There are many things taught in Scripture that we simply do not want to hear, so we find ways to distort the Bible in order to escape the judgment it brings to our consciences. (110)

The primary difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace is that the former concerns the relationship God had with Adam and Eve before the fall, while the latter concerns the relationship God has with the descendants of Adam after the fall. (123)

We tend to think of redemption as the regaining of the paradise that Adam and Eve lost, but that is a misunderstanding. Redemption is not merely a restoration to where Adam and Eve were before they fell, but a promotion to the state that they would have achieved had they been successful in obeying the covenant terms. (123)

In the New Testament usage of this title, the Son of Man is a heavenly person who descends to earth, and He represents nothing less than the authority of God. He comes to bring judgment to the world because He embodies the divine visitation, the day of the Lord. Therefore, this is an exalted title given uniquely to Jesus in the New Testament. As you read through the Scriptures and come upon this title, look at its context, and you will begin to see that it is a majestic and exalted designation for Jesus. Every name and title given to Jesus in the New Testament has significance. Each one reveals something to us about who He is and what He has done. (142)

Justice and righteousness are distinguished in the Bible, but never separated. Justice is a necessary element of true righteousness, and by extension it is a necessary element of goodness. (157)

Justice is something that is earned or merited by our works… In contrast, grace is undeserved; that is, it is not earned or merited. Rather, grace is given freely by God. He is not obligated or required to give it… Grace is always a divine prerogative, never a requirement. It is critical that we understand this, because we are prone to thinking that God owes us something. We often believe that if God were really good, He would give us a better life in some way, but if we think that God owes us something, we are actually thinking about justice, because grace is never owed. God is not obligated to give grace to anyone. (216)

When Paul introduces the ideas of predestination and election in this passage [Eph. 1:3-6], he speaks of our being blessed. Paul did not see divine predestination in a negative light; rather, it evoked within him a sense of exaltation and gratitude, and it moved him to glorify God. In other words, the Apostle saw the doctrine of predestination as a blessing. It is indeed a blessing that should evoke in us also a sense of profound gratitude and praise.
When Reformed theologians talk about the doctrine of predestination, the discussion includes what we call "the doctrines of grace." With the doctrine of predestination, perhaps more than any other doctrine, we are confronted with the depths and riches of the mercy and grace of an almighty God. If we separate our thinking about predestination from the context of that blessedness, we will struggle endlessly with this doctrine. (221)

If we are going to be biblical in our theology, we must have some doctrine of predestination, because the Bible--not Augustine, Luther, or Calvin--clearly introduces the concept. There is nothing in Calvin's doctrine of predestination that was not first in Luther's, and there is nothing in Luther's doctrine of predestination that was not first in Augustine's, and I think it is safe to say that there is nothing in Augustine's doctrine of predestination that was not first in Paul's. This doctrine has its roots not in theologians of church history but in the Bible, which sets it forth explicitly. (222)

The fallen human will is always and everywhere opposed to God, so the only way anyone will ever choose Christ willingly is if God intervenes to make him willing by re-creating his soul. He raises people from spiritual death and gives them spiritual life so that they not only can and will choose Christ, but also do it willingly. Underlying the regeneration is the change of heart whereby the unwilling are made willing by the Spirit of God. In regeneration, those who have hated the things of God are given a whole new disposition, a new heart. That is exactly what Jesus said--unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, let alone enter it (John 3:1-5). (229)

The basic difference between Reformed theology and non-Reformed theology is the order of salvation with respect to faith and regeneration. The vast majority of professing evangelicals believe that faith comes before regeneration. In other words, in order to be born again, one has to believe. One has to choose Christ before rebirth can occur. If that were the case, we would have absolutely no hope of salvation, because a spiritually dead person at enmity with God cannot choose Christ. We cannot change others' hearts through evangelism, either. We can preach the gospel; we can argue for it and try to be convincing. Yet only God can change the heart. Since only God has the power to change the nature of a human soul, we must say that regeneration precedes faith. That is the essence of Reformed theology. The Holy Spirit changes the disposition of the soul before someone comes to faith. Does that mean, when we come to believe, that God believes through us? No, we are the ones doing the believing. Do we choose Christ? Yes, we choose Christ. We respond. Our wills are changed so that what we once hated, we now love, and we rush to the Son. God gives us the desire for Him in our souls. (229)

The great myth of popular culture, which has penetrated the church, is that people can earn the favor of God, even though Scripture states clearly that by the works of the law no one shall be justified (Gal. 2:16). We are debtors who cannot pay our debt. That is why the gospel is called "good news." (232)

For Protestants, the ground of justification remains exclusively the righteousness of Christ--not the righteousness of Christ in us but the righteousness of Christ for us, the righteousness that Christ achieved in His perfect obedience to the law of God. This righteousness, the first part of the ground of justification, is applied to all who put their trust in Christ. (235)

This means we are saved not only by the death of Jesus but also by His life. A double transfer takes place, a double imputation. As the Lamb of God, Christ went to the cross and suffered the wrath of God, but not for any sin God found in Him. He voluntarily took upon Himself our sins. He became the sin bearer when God the Father transferred or reckoned our sins to Him. That is what imputation is--a legal transfer. Christ assumed our guilt in His own person; our guilt was imputed to Him. The other transfer occurs when God imputes Christ's righteousness to us. (235)

We cannot have affection for Christ until we recognize and acknowledge that we are sinners and that we desperately need His work on our behalf. Repentance includes a hatred for our sin, which comes with the new affection we are given for God. (239)

Hell is separation from God in a certain sense but not in an absolute sense. It is separation from the grace, care, and love of God, but not from from God Himself. The biggest problem for those in hell is not the devil; it is God. God is in hell, actively punishing the wicked. When we are saved, we are saved from God. We are saved from exposure to His fierce wrath and punishment. (329)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon (2012)

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon. Steven J. Lawson. 2012. Reformation Publishers. 145 pages.

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon made me giddy. It did. I absolutely LOVED it. It was so RICH in Spurgeon quotes. I think that is what I probably loved the very most about it. Not only do readers get a biography of Charles Spurgeon, readers are treated to some wonderful excerpts from his sermons and writings. Spurgeon's theology is also explained quite well. The book may serve as an introduction for some into the glorious doctrine of sovereign grace. And what a lovely introduction it would be!

The idea of a Calvinist being a passionate evangelist, someone zealous to reach the lost and proclaim the gospel, was not new to me. (I LOVED J.I. Packer's great book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.) But it might be new to some readers. And it might make quite a pleasant surprise.

The first chapter gives readers a brief biography of Charles Spurgeon. The remaining chapters focus on his ministry, his theology, his message. The second chapter, for example, focuses on the Bible. The sixth chapter focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit. Readers learn not only about one man and his ministry, but rich, gospel truths as found in the Word of God. It is an excellent presentation of basic gospel truths.

From the preface:

This gifted preacher, perhaps the greatest since the Apostle Paul, was, by his own admission, a Calvinist--Reformed to the core, deeply committed to the doctrines of grace. But at the same time, he was an evangelist. How could these seemingly opposite realities fit together? How could one be both staunchly Calvinistic and passionately evangelistic? Spurgeon showed me. In one hand, he firmly held the sovereignty of God in man's salvation. With the other hand, he extended the free offer of the gospel to all. He preached straightforward Calvinistic doctrine, then, in the same sermon, fervently urged lost sinners to call on the name of the Lord. Having expounded the truths of predestination, he then warned his listeners that if they refused Christ, their blood would be on their own hands. In sermon after sermon, this prolific preacher expounded God's sovereign grace with unmistakable precision. Yet, he did it with a genuine passion for the lost. (xix)

From chapter one:

Throughout his prolific ministry, Spurgeon was consumed with a gospel zeal. He made it his practice to isolate one or a few verses as a springboard to proclaim the gospel. He asserted, "I take my text and make a beeline to the cross." Every time Spurgeon stepped into the pulpit, he set his gaze intently on the salvation of sinners through the proclamation of the saving message of Jesus Christ. (2)

From chapter two:

Throughout his ministry, Charles Spurgeon's preaching rested squarely on this impregnable rock--that the Bible is exactly what it claims to be, the inspired Word of the living God. As he stepped into the pulpit, he spoke with confidence in the infallible purity and saving power of God's Word. For Spurgeon, when the Bible speaks, God speaks. Spurgeon's strong belief in the doctrines of grace was firmly rooted and grounded in this truth. He did not proclaim the doctrines of sovereign grace simply because the Reformers or Puritans affirmed them. Rather, he believed them because he found them clearly stated in the Bible. (19, 20)

If we want revivals, we must revive our reverence for the Word of God. If we want conversions, we must put more of God's Word into our sermons. (22) ~ Charles Spurgeon

From chapter three:

There is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified unless we preach what is nowadays called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the Gospel and nothing else. I do not believe that we preach the Gospel unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah, nor do I think we can preach the Gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend the Gospel which allows saints to fall away after they are called. (38, 39) ~ Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon never whispered anything, and certainly not his allegiance to the doctrines of grace. (39)

For Spurgeon, the gospel never shines brighter than through the lens of the doctrines of grace. (39)

From chapter four:

Spurgeon relentlessly preached the gospel with bold proclamations. He never murmured the message of salvation but declared it forcefully. He said, "I always feel that I have not done my duty as a preacher of the gospel if I go out of this pulpit without having clearly set before sinners the way of salvation." No matter what his text, he felt that his sermon must include a proclamation of the gospel. (64)

It is virtually impossible to find any Spurgeon sermon that does not have some loving appeal to the unconverted. (69)

From chapter five:

For Spurgeon, no subject was more captivating, no truth more satisfying, and no name more powerful than Jesus'. He declared, "Preach Christ, that is the magnet; He will draw His own to Himself...If we want to see conversions there must be more constant preaching of Christ; Christ must be in every sermon and He must be top and bottom of all the theology that is preached." (89)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible