Book Review: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom

The True Bounds of Christian Freedom. By Samuel Bolton. Carlisle: Banner of Truth. Reprint, 2001.

Another edition from the “Puritan Paperbacks,” True Bounds is a well-balanced, biblical approach to the questions concerning the relation of the law with the Gospel. What are the purposes of the Law both before and after conversion? What does it mean to be set free from the Law? What role does obedience play in the life of a believer? Puritan Samuel Bolton provides true biblical counsel for these and other questions in True Bounds.

Bolton states his thesis as “I have endeavored to uphold the law so as to show that it does not take from the liberties of grace, and to establish grace so that the law is not made void, and so that believers are not set free from any duty they owe to God or man” (p. 10). His work is a much needed correction to the errors that can arise from either unnecessary bondage to the law or excessive disregard of the law. We would all do well to work through these issues carefully and prayerfully.

Bolton is working to answer six questions: (1) Whether our being made free by Christ frees us from the law, (2) Whether our being made free by Christ delivers us from all punishments for sin, (3) Whether it is consistent with Christian freedom to be under obligation to perform duties because God has commanded them, (4) Whether Christ’s freemen may come into bondage again through sin, (5) Whether it is consistent with Christian freedom to perform duties out of respect for the recompense of the reward, and (6) Whether the freedom of a Christian frees him from all obedience to men (p. 14). The reader will readily find one or more of these areas interesting, helpful, and probably has wondered about the answer.

Here are a few quotes that I found particularly helpful and encouraging.

“We cry down the law in respect of justification, but we set it up as a rule of sanctification. The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified; and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified” (p. 71).

“The law may chain up the wolf, but it is the Gospel that changes the wolfish nature” (p. 84).

“We can do that for which God may damn us, but we cannot do that for which He may save us” (p. 175).

“And so all is of grace, which can no way be grace, if it be not every way truly grace” (p. 183).

“God brings heaven into the soul before he brings the soul into heaven” (p. 191).

“God Himself fills heaven with glory and makes it infinitely glorious. God in heaven is the glory of heaven” (p. 196).

“Sanctification is glory in the bud; glory is sanctification in the flower” (p. 201).

As you can tell, Bolton is like the rest of the Puritan writers, he has a gift of putting theology into words in such a way that is masterful and lovely!

Redemptive History

In 2002, I wrote a poem called "Redemptive History." It is a seven page overview of God's saving grace through time and into eternity. What give it a different twist is its composition. I gave it to my church family for Christmas this past Sunday evening. I trust it was a blessing for them, and I would like to share it with you as well. You can find it here and click on "eDocs."

Blessings and Merry Christmas!!

Book Review: Institutes of the Christian Religion

Institutes of the Christian Religion. By John Calvin. In “The Library of Christian Classics.” Vols. 20,21. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1960.

I just finished reading through Calvin’s Institutes, all 1521 pages! It took the entire year! I had read large portions before during my theological education, but had yet to read the whole work.

A blog is the not the place to provide a fitting review of this classic work of theology, however I would like to relay a few of my thoughts. First, I believe it is a tragedy that many people only know Calvin to the degree of what they have heard other people say about him! Sad to say, the negative, harsh reaction to the theology that bears his name, Calvinism, is often grounded in emotion and therefore misrepresents not only Calvin but also Calvinism. One may be pleasantly surprised if Calvin were known in his own words - in their own context - and not the hearsay of those who oppose him!

Second, when one considers that the first draft of the Institutes appeared when Calvin was 27, it truly reveals the incredible nature of this work and the keen mind behind it. The Institutes went through several more drafts, growing larger and larger, but the basic theology and starting point was there from the beginning.

Third, you simply cannot read through this work without becoming aware that Calvin had a deep allegiance to the Scripture, a profound knowledge of the Early Church Fathers, and a pastoral heart. He wrote not from a desire to promote a theological system, but rather with a heart to guide people in the truth! It is also helpful to understand the man and this work when one realizes that the first edition was addressed to King Francis I on behalf of the French Protestants who were being heavily persecuted!

The Institutes is divided into four books; The Knowledge of God the Creator, The Knowledge of God the Redeemer, The Way in Which We Receive the Grace of Christ, and The External Means or Aids by Which God Invites Us Into the Society of Christ and Holds Us There. The first three were by far the most encouraging and insightful for me. Book Four is more of a refutation of Catholicism, which is helpful but not very interesting.

All in all however, I enjoyed reading it. I don’t agree with everything Calvin says, especially when it comes to infant baptism! But it is a great resource to study theology because Calvin covers all major doctrines (even the most controversial ones!), constantly provides Scripture for his arguments, counters opposing arguments, and makes the Early Fathers accessible, especially Augustine. It is quite a task to work through, but it is a worthy, profitable read. If you are interested in reading through The Institutes in a year, you can find a plan here.

Have fun!

So What Will I Do?

This is the perfect morning...to go deer hunting! If you are not a deer hunter, you will not understand “where” I am coming from, but read anyway because you will understand “what” I am saying.

I have been on the hunt for a nice 8 point buck all season. Last Saturday, I finally saw him, but could not get a shot at him with my bow before he jolted away! This morning I woke up to the perfect conditions to go bag that buck! There’s several inches of snow on the ground! That means that he will be moving around today, and he will for sure come and check on the food plot. Plus, I love hunting in the snow because it is such a wondrous sight to behold nature covered with a white blanket!

So why am I writing this blog instead of heading to the deer stand? That is a very simple question to answer. I have two small children still sound asleep who will be ecstatic when they wake up and look outside! RIght after breakfast there is no doubt what they will be dying to do - play in the snow! I don’t have the option of hunting this morning and playing with them this afternoon because we have other obligations later today.

So what will I do? The truth is I would trade 1,000 bucks in a 1,000 hunting seasons for one opportunity to have a blast with my kids! It was an easy choice for me today.

We have hundreds of choices like this in daily life and particularly in the spiritual realm. We have to choose between options constantly. How do you weigh the options and land on the most profitable one? I believe that a deep appreciation for relationships could be our greatest tool for maneuvering through these waters. If I go hunting, I spend the morning by myself. If I play with my kids... The same guide can help us in spiritual decisions and choices. When we are faced with options, we should ask which one will deepen our relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ, and more importantly, our relationship with Christ! As David says, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps 84:10). Simply put, the better choice is when we move from self to others and from self to God! The surprise to us is that when we do so, we find far more joy than we ever imagined!

So what will we do?

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns. By Khaled Hosseini. New York: Riverhead, 2007.

Once again, Hosseini slams you in the face with reality through the means of a novel! A native Afghan himself, Hosseini takes the reader on a journey through the tumultuous history of Afghanistan, beginning with the Communist rule, to the infighting of warlords, to the Taliban takeover, to the present struggling democracy. The story is unfolds around the lives of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila.

However, this is not just about coming to an understanding of the tragedy that is the Afghan’s way of life, it is also about seeing from the inside the horrors and oppressions of women who live under Islamic rule, and particularly Sharia law. The gifting of Hosseini as a writer is that he brings the stories we have heard on the news and thrusts them into our hearts! A news report about the sufferings of women under the Taliban regime cause us to be unsettled. When you read Hosseini’s description, after getting to know these two women, personally it seems, you do not feel unsettled - you weep and gasp! At every point along the path of Laila and Mariam’s lives, disappointment, deception, and heartache meet them! Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, they actually wind up married to the same guy. He eventually abuses them emotionally and physically. Exhausted to their end, they end up killing him in self-defense. Of course, there is no such thing for women in a Taliban world! You’ll have to read it to find out what happens next! As Mariam was told early by her mother, “Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have” (p. 19). Their stories of endurance is absolutely brutal and heart-wrenching! You will stop somewhere along the pages of this novel and thank God for the life you have in America!!!!!!

This is one of the most eye-opening novels I have ever encountered, and every westerner should read it. We have no way of understanding the culture, mindset, and life of those of the eastern world. As a Christian, I should have an interest in them. As Americans, we should have interest in understanding the part of the world where we are trying to stop the advancement of terror! Hosseini’s book goes a long way in helping us to step into their world!

As a westerner, Splendid Suns helped me to see that there are those in the Muslim world who do not want war, are tired of war, and just wish to live in peace with no intrusion of American soldiers into their streets. There are some Muslims who do desire to find a happy existence where women can live as humans and neighbors can solve their differences through dialogue. Unfortunately, their historical roots are against them. The point is, not every one wants war, wants America destroyed, or is consumed with world domination. The sad truth, however, is that just enough people in that part of the world do want those things!

As a believer, Splendid Suns caused me to rejoice in the assurance that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord and to ache for the multitudes of Muslims. First, their faith and eternity are in the hands of a god that they can never be totally assured will save them because salvation ultimately resides in their performance and in however they find Allah to be when they meet him (p. 371). Second, the comforting words of the Koran are rooted in their poetic nature not in a divine nature (p. 17). Third, the deception of Islam is that it attributes some qualities of Jehovah to Allah, such as his sovereign control over creation (p. 38).

In the end, one of the women actually finds somewhat of a peaceful, fulfilling life. It’s a great way to end a novel, but still a tragic way to end a life! Namely, finally finding some kind of tranquility for this existence, but never coming to the only source of tranquility in the life to come!

Splendid Suns allows the reader to enter the Muslim world and the Taliban world. If we are ever to see the Gospel advanced into those domains through prayer, outreach, and missions, we have to enter those worlds somehow. This is a good place to start.