"Five Views on the Gospel presents five different perspectives on the question 'What is the gospel?' Presenting a variety of contemporary and tradition-based perspectives, each contributor answers key questions about the nature of the gospel. Questions contributors address include:
- What is the gospel?
- What is the context for understanding the New Testament teaching about the gospel?
- What are the primary biblical texts that you believe express the gospel and how do you understand them?
- What are people called to do with the gospel and what are the benefits promised by the gospel?
- How can the definition and proclamation of the gospel be contextualized and made relevant today?
- What example of an inadequate gospel and a false gospel can you offer?
- What does it mean to live a life worthy of the gospel?
The CounterPoints format provides a unique opportunity for each contributor to set forth their own understanding of the gospel, to interact with competing perspectives, and for the editors to sum up points of agreement and disagreement and a path forward in the debate.
- Positions and Contributors include:
- Reformation Gospel (Michael Horton)
- King Jesus Gospel (Scot McKnight)
- Wesleyan Gospel (David A. deSilva)
- Asian Pentecostal Gospel (Julie C. Ma)
- Liberation Theology Gospel (Shively T. J. Smith)
The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
Further reading can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download."
"How cultivating a healthy fear of God liberates us from our fear of others, our fear of the future, and even our fear of death itself.
At times the world feels like it's losing its mind. From politics to the pandemic, we live with an ever-increasing uncertainty, and many of us have grown to fear the rapid disintegration of our society and our own lives.
Recovering Our Sanity is not another self-help book about how to beat your daily fears for a better life. It's a book that will show you the gravity and glory of a God who's worthy of our fear. It's a book that will reveal how these two biblical phrases-Fear God and Do Not Be Afraid-are not contradictory but actually one coherent message.
Michael Horton-Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary-shows us that we cannot fight our fears by seeking the absence of fear altogether, but by living with a fear of God that drives out the fear of everything else. Horton will walk you through the case for the fear of God by:
- Developing what it means to fear God, biblically and theologically, and what this kind of fear looks like in practice.
- Categorizing different types of fears-from cultural anxiety to pain and hardship-and what they stem from.
- Focusing on how to confront our earthly fears with our hope in Christ, rooted in the gospel.
- Reminding us that God does not exist for us; we exist for God.
Humbling, thought-provoking, and hope-igniting, Recovering Our Sanity delivers a timely message that will help you shift your focus from a human-centered obsession with self-preservation to a fixation on Christ and his salvation.
Rather than clinging to false securities and promises of immediate gratification, you can gain the lasting joy of knowing the One who has given himself to save us and who says to us, 'Do not be afraid.'"
"John Calvin, a man adored by some and maligned by others, stands as a legendary figure in Christian history. In Calvin on the Christian Life, professor Michael Horton offers us fresh insights into the Reformer's personal piety and practical theology by allowing Calvin to speak in his own words.
Drawing not only from his Institutes and biblical commentaries, but also from lesser-known tracts, treatises, and letters, this book will deepen your understanding of Calvin's theology and ministry by exploring the heart of his spiritual life: confident trust and unwavering joy in the sovereign grace of God."
"For the Spirit, being somewhat forgotten is an occupational hazard. The Holy Spirit is so actively involved in our lives that we can take his presence for granted. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Just as we take breathing for granted, we can take the Holy Spirit for granted simply because we constantly depend on him. Like the cane that soon feels like an extension of the blind man's own body, we too easily begin to think of the Holy Spirit as an extension of ourselves.
Yet the Spirit is at the center of the action in the divine drama from Genesis 1:2 all the way to Revelation 22:17. The Spirit's work is as essential as the Father's and the Son's, yet the Spirit's work is always directed to the person and work of Christ. In fact, the efficacy of the Holy Spirit's mission is measured by the extent to which we are focused on Christ. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who brings the work of the Father, in the Son, to completion. In everything that the Triune God performs, this perfecting work is characteristic of the Spirit.
In Rediscovering the Holy Spirit, author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton introduces readers to the neglected person of the Holy Spirit, showing that the work of God's Spirit is far more ordinary and common than we realize. Horton argues that we need to take a step back every now and again to focus on the Spirit himself-his person and work-in order to recognize him as someone other than Jesus or ourselves, much less something in creation. Through this contemplation we can gain a fresh dependence on the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives."
"What Do All Christians Believe?
For many people, words like doctrine and theology cause their eyes to glaze over, or they find them difficult to understand and struggle to see how they are relevant to daily life. But theology is far from boring; it is the study of God and should lead to awe and wonder as we better understand who God is and what he has done for us.
In Core Christianity, author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton tackles the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share. What is core to the Christian faith? In addition to unpacking these beliefs in a way that is easy to understand, Horton shows why they matter to our lives today.
This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is a helpful guide by a respected theologian and a popular author, and it includes discussion questions for individual or group use. Core Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening in their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ."
"Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there's a "next-best-thing," if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom-the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be "ordinary."
Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There's nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What's needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it's a renewed appreciation for the commonplace.
Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul-not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it's an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life."
"Pilgrim Theology is a map for Christians seeking to better understand the core beliefs of their faith.
Even though it's the study of God, theology has a reputation for being dry, abstract, and irrelevant for daily living. But theology is a matter of life and death. It affects the way you think, the decisions you make, the way you relate to God and the world.
Reformed theologian and professor Michael Horton wrote Pilgrim Theology as a more accessible companion to his award-winning systematic theology The Christian Faith: widely praised for its thorough treatment of the biblical and historical foundations of Christian doctrine.
In Pilgrim Theology, his focus is in putting the study of theology into the daily drama of discipleship. Each chapter will orient you toward a clear understanding about:
- Who God is.
- What our relationship is to him.
- And what our faith in Jesus Christ means in our daily walk as well as in the context of the narrative of Scripture and the community of the church.
Through accessible chapters on individual doctrines, as well as frequent 'Key Distinction' boxes that succinctly explain the differences between important themes, you'll gain an understanding of doctrines that may have sounded like technical seminary terms to you before: justification, sanctification, glorification, union with Christ, and others.
You have a working theology already-an existing understanding of God. It's the goal of Pilgrim Theology to help you examine that understanding more closely and have it challenged and strengthened."
"In an eloquent defense of Calvinist theology, author and professor Michael Horton invites us to explore the teachings of Calvinism-also commonly known as Reformed theology-by showing how it is biblical and Christ-centered, leading us to live our lives for the glory of God.
The system of theology known as Calvinism has been immensely influential for the past five hundred years, but it's often encountered negatively as a fatalistic belief system that confines human freedom and renders human action and choice irrelevant.
Taking us beyond the caricatures and typical reactions, For Calvinism:
- Explores the historical roots of Reformed thought.
- Delivers the essence of Calvinism, examining its distinctive characteristics, such as election, atonement, effectual calling, and perseverance.
- Encourages us to consider its rich resources for faith and practice in the present age.
As a companion to Roger Olson's Against Calvinism critique and response, readers will be able to compare contrasting perspectives and form their own opinions on the merits and weaknesses of Calvinism."
"In a world of hype, we may buy into the idea that through Jesus, we’ll be healthier and wealthier as well as wiser. So what happens when we become ill, or depressed, or bankrupt? Did we do something wrong? Has God abandoned us? As a child, Michael Horton would run up the down escalator, trying to beat it to the top. As Christians, he notes, we sometimes seek God the same way, believing we can climb to him under our own steam. But we can’t, which is why we are blessed that Jesus descends to us, especially during times of trial. In Too Good to Be True, Horton exposes the pop culture that sells Jesus like a product for health and happiness and reminds us that our lives often lead us on difficult routes we must follow by faith. This book offers a series of powerful readings that demonstrate how, through every type of earthly difficulty, our Father keeps his promises from Scripture and works all things together for our good."
