Encountering Christ In The Covenants

Encountering Christ in the Covenants has been written for people who are new to covenant theology and want to better understand how the great covenants in Scripture reveal Christ. Readers will be helped by the many references to the Reformed confessions and catechisms which are interspersed throughout the pages of this book. The study questions which follow each chapter are designed so that the book can be used in small group study. "Sometimes we make basic concepts more difficult. 'Covenant' is not only a recurring topic in Scripture, but the way in which the biblical plot is structured. Often it helps when those explaining it have discovered a doctrine rather than inherited it. That is certainly evident in this book. I hope it enjoys a wide readership!" -MICHAEL HORTON, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California. "The revival of interest in the doctrine of the biblical covenants is bearing the fruit of some excellent books on the subject over the past several decades. McManigal has provided a rich coverage of this central doctrine by winsomely presenting his material from a pastoral perspective. The narrative style follows the unfolding biblical story in ten thorough chapters culminating in the new covenant with a surprise ending dealing with the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Finally, its christological focus makes it a standout book. I highly recommend this book as a primer in covenant theology for instruction in the local church, but it will also serve well as an apologia to give to those who are unfamiliar with, or perhaps even disagree with, covenant theology. " -DR. GREGORY EDWARD REYNOLDS is the pastor of Amoskeag Presbyterian Church in Manchester, New Hampshire; author of The Word Is Worth a Thousand Pictures: Preaching in the Electronic Age (2001); and editor of Ordained Servant: A Journal for Church Officers. "Pastor Dan McManigal's Encountering Christ in the Covenants introduces the covenantal structure of the whole Bible's story of redemptive history, showing how each advance in God's covenant bond with his people leads closer and closer to Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant and the focus and fulfillment of all the covenants. Encountering Christ combines clear explanation with theological richness, providing spiritual nurture for mind and soul." -DENNIS E. JOHNSON, Ph.D. Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California. "Dan McManigal has provided the Church with a much-needed book. The book is a rare balance between solid biblical truth and a writing style that is a delight to read. His chapters flow effortlessly and if the reader wants to ignore the footnotes, he or she may--although I strongly advise you to read them, for they are filled with essential works. The reader will also be greatly aided by the fact that the writing is always in conversation with Scripture. In short, this work offers a valuable tool that explains a key to open and understand the warp and woof of the Word of God" -DR. RON GLEASON, Ph.D. is the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Yorba Linda, California and author of Herman Bavinck: Pastor, Churchman, Statesman, and Theologian (2010).

What is the relationship between the nation of Israel, Jesus Christ, and the church? Pastors and theologians come to significantly different conclusions. The reigning systems of evangelical theology, covenant theology, and dispensationalism answer this question by stressing the continuity of the Israel-church relationship (covenant theology) or emphasizing discontinuity (dispensationalism). In more recent times, progressive covenantalism has emerged as a via media between these two theological approaches by providing a different proposal for unpacking the biblical covenants, and by highlighting that to rightly understand the people of God in biblical theology, the person of Jesus Christ must be the focal point. In Christ Jesus, the True Israel, Brent E. Parker presents the case for the importance of typology in this debate, arguing that national Israel is a type, not unlike other Old Testament types (e.g., the sacrificial system, the temple, etc.), that reaches its antitypical fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the Israel-church relationship is also typological, but only through Christ. Parker demonstrates that the progressive covenantal approach is a viable system of theology that seeks to preserve what the whole Bible says regarding the people of God, from Israel to Christ and from Christ to the church.

A fresh look at the earliest Christian movement reveals what made the new faith so compelling...and what we need to change today to make it so again. Once upon a time there was a version of the Christian faith that was practically irresistible. After all, what could be more so than the gospel that Jesus ushered in? Why, then, isn't it the same with Christianity today? Author and pastor Andy Stanley is deeply concerned with the present-day church and its future. He believes that many of the solutions to our issues can be found by investigating our roots. In Irresistible, Andy chronicles what made the early Jesus Movement so compelling, resilient, and irresistible by answering these questions: What did first-century Christians know that we don't—about God's Word, about their lives, about love? What did they do that we're not doing? What makes Christianity so resistible in today's culture? What needs to change in order to repeat the growth our faith had at its beginning? Many people who leave or disparage the faith cite reasons that have less to do with Jesus than with the conduct of his followers. It's time to hit pause and consider the faith modeled by our first-century brothers and sisters who had no official Bible, no status, and little chance of survival. It's time to embrace the version of faith that initiated—against all human odds—a chain of events resulting in the most significant and extensive cultural transformation the world has ever seen. This is a version of Christianity we must remember and re-embrace if we want to be salt and light in an increasingly savorless and dark world.

The Book of Covenants is a fresh perspective on the story of redemption as found within the covers of the Christian Bible. God did not choose religion to accomplish His goals, but instead, He carried out His masterful plan of salvation through a series of covenants. Biblical covenants offer great insight into the nature, character, and faithfulness of Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. These relational covenants give us assurance of Gods blessings and promises while establishing a clear path to eternal life in Jesus Christ. Knowing the terms of these covenants will help the believer live a life pleasing to God with peace and confidence through understanding their expectations of being in a covenant relationship with God.

Have you ever wondered why the Law of Moses was given To The children of Israel, especially if true salvation could only come through Christ? Have you ever been confused regarding the status of the Old Testament laws in the new covenant? If God's law commands that an adulteress be stoned, why did Jesus not condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery? These are only a few of the questions that haunt Christians that attempt to rectify the old covenant with the new. Jesus himself proclaimed that he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Follow Kurt, a seeker for truth, who finds himself immersed in a conversation with the Law of Moses in A Chance Encounter with the Law. Kurt is anxious to ask the toughest questions, pointing out seeming inconsistencies within the Scriptures. However, with faith that all Scripture is inspired, Kurt is answered with patience, insight, and wisdom. Join along in this intense dialog where Kurt gleans an in-depth understanding from the Scriptures concerning: Salvation the details of the new and old covenants the true purpose of the law the blessings promised to believers that seek the truth Common misconceptions in doctrines like the new birth, The indwelling of the Spirit, and much more... Kurt Hedstrom received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1977, and he worked in that field For The next twenty-six years. After giving his life To The Lord in 1988, he began to passionately pursue scriptural truth. In 2003, he left the workforce for a period of time to devote himself solely To The study of God's Word. From 2003 to 2010, he worked with tireless diligence on the fruit that would become this book. He and his wife, Joan, live in Lakeland, Florida, with their four boys.

You are beginning to realize that your Christian life has become stale. Church, while good, does not seem to be hitting the mark. You pray and read your Bible. You try your best to be a good person and obey the commandments. You do all this as a good Christian should, but you feel empty. Where is God? You wonder, “Why doesn’t He answer my prayers?” Many Christians feel this way, and many of the ones who don’t feel this way, should. In Revelation 2:4 Jesus tells the Church of Ephesus: “you have left your first love”. How about you, have you left your first love? Would you like to return to Jesus, your first Love? Well, this book has something to say about that! It would be great if I could say to you, “just love Jesus more”, and that would solve your problems. I think you know that there is more to this story than that. We have a new Covenant with God through the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Would you like to know what that Covenant is about? It is about a life of Faith in God. A life of Love, love of God first, and a love of others. It is a life lived with, of, and through God’s Holy Spirit who is within us. Do you want to know how to live this life? When you read this book you will find how God defines these terms: Faith, Love, and Spirit. Also you will discover the pattern of how God has provided His covenants, all pointing to our new covenant in Christ. You are being called to repent and to walk with God, a walk as He has created it to be! God is talking to you! Will you listen?

Central to the mission of the church with each passing generation is the elucidation of the gospel of Christ, which is the heart of the Christian message. Witness to God’s saving word in Scripture comes in response to discussions and debates arising over the course of church history. Our study highlights some of the unity and disunity found within the Reformed tradition, Reformation and modern. Beginning with the subject of the development of doctrine over the course of church history, we take up the foundational issue of biblical hermeneutics (the question of how we are to interpret the Bible). The year 2017 marks the Protestant Church’s 500th anniversary (October 31). We consider, secondly, Protestantism’s two leading theological principles—the formal (the doctrine of Scripture) and the material (the doctrine of justification by faith alone). In the final section, we critique departures from the teaching of historic federalism found within contemporary Reformed orthodoxy, which strikes at the very heart of what it means to be “Reformed” in theology. Crucial in this long-standing and ongoing dispute is the interpretation of the Mosaic Covenant as in some sense a “republication” of the original Covenant of Works with Adam at creation. Covenant and justification are the focal doctrines under study.