The Authority Of The Word

This book examines scriptural authority and its textual and visual instruments, asking how words and images interacted to represent and by representing to constitute authority, both sacred and secular, in Northern Europe between 1400 and 1700.

Psychologists have long known that every person has two great longings and inward needs. The first is to be loved, and the second is to love. But when pressures and heartaches come into our lives, many give up any hope of ever finding love. The tragedy is that we often look in the wrong places to fill this deep need and longing. Some substitute lust for love. Others pursue material things or superficial relationships--all in the futile attempt to fill a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart. But there is good news! There is a love worth finding and a love worth sharing. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). On the cross of Christ, God's mighty love was revealed and offered unconditionally to all who would be saved. Do you long to know this mighty love? Then I need to ask you the most important question you'll ever be asked: Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves you, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are saved and on your way to heaven? The great news is, you can know! Let me share with you how to discover the greatest love worth finding. Admit Your Sin. First, you must admit that you are a sinner. The Bible says, "None is righteous, no, not one. . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10, 23). It is our sin that separates us from God and from fulfilling our deepest needs and longings. Sin is an offense against God that carries a serious penalty. According to Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death [eternal separation from the love and mercy of God]." Abandon Your Efforts. Second, you must abandon any efforts to save yourself. If we could save ourselves, Jesus's death would have been unnecessary! Even "getting religion" cannot get you to heaven. The Bible says it is "not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy" that we are saved (Titus 3:5). Salvation is by God's grace, "not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Acknowledge Christ's Payment. What you cannot do for yourself, Jesus Christ has done for you! "But God shows his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He died on the cross for you and then rose from the dead to prove that his payment was acceptable to God. But you must acknowledge and believe this fact. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Accept Christ as your Savior. Salvation is God's gift to you. "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When someone offers you a priceless gift, the wisest thing you can do is accept it! This very moment, you can receive Christ's gift of salvation by sincerely praying this simple prayer from your heart: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that you love me and want to save me. Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, who died on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe God raised you from the dead. I now turn from my sin and, by faith, receive you as my personal Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sins, and save me, Lord Jesus. In your name I pray. Amen.

Sick of religion? So was Jesus. In this expanded edition of the bestselling The End of Religion, Bruxy Cavey asks: Has Christianity missed the point? Was Jesus setting up a new religion or abolishing the entire concept? Have Christians gotten faith in Jesus pretty much right—or all wrong? Thoroughly revised and updated, The End of Religion now includes five entirely new chapters by the author, a new preface, and updates throughout. Join Bruxy Cavey in a dynamic, breath-taking investigation into what Jesus was all about. Find out how twenty-first-century people can live into the subversive spirituality of Jesus. Jesus lived a scandalous life. Shouldn’t we?

Scholar and pastor Matthew Barrett retraces the historical and biblical roots of the doctrine that Scripture alone is the final and decisive authority for God's people. God's Word Alone is a decisive defense of the Bible as the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Revitalizing one of the five great declarations of the Reformation—sola Scriptura—Barrett: Analyzes what the idea of sola Scriptura is and what it entails, clarifying why the doctrine is truth and why it's so essential to Christianity. Surveys the development of this theme in the Reformation and traces the crisis that followed resulting in a shift away from the authority of Scripture. Shows that we need to recover a robust doctrine of Scripture's authority in the face of today's challenges and why a solid doctrinal foundation built on God's Word is the best hope for the future of the church. This book is an exploration of the past in order to better understand our present and the importance of reviving this indispensable doctrine for the Christian faith and church today. —THE FIVE SOLAS— Historians and theologians have long recognized that at the heart of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation were five declarations, often referred to as the "solas." These five statements summarize much of what the Reformation was about, and they distinguish Protestantism from other expressions of the Christian faith: that they place ultimate and final authority in the Scriptures, acknowledge the work of Christ alone as sufficient for redemption, recognize that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and seek to do all things for God’s glory. The Five Solas Series is more than a simple rehashing of these statements, but instead expounds upon the biblical reasoning behind them, leading to a more profound theological vision of our lives and callings as Christians and churches.

Jesus is King. Standing as a central theme of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus's kingly authority has profound implications for how we live in the world and interact with those around us. In this reader-friendly commentary, seasoned pastor Doug O'Donnell leads us through the first book of the New Testament, highlighting key themes and offering helpful illustrations for preaching. Drawing on years of pastoral experience, O'Donnell shows how Matthew's various emphases—including Jesus's messianic titles, fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, teaching on the kingdom of heaven, and present and future role as judge—all relate to Christ's kingship. Designed to help pastors faithfully preach God's Word, this commentary ultimately highlights Matthew's call to all people to worship and obey Jesus, our humble King and gracious Savior. Part of the Preaching the Word series.