The Law and the Christian

Title: The Law and the Christian
Author: Ken Casillas
Publisher: Bob Jones University Press, 2007
Pages: 72
Begun: August 27, 2009
Completed: August 28, 2009

The BJ Seminary has recently undertaken a project to yearly publish a couple of short books by its own faculty. One of the first books published was this one by Ken Casillas, also pastor of Cleveland Park Bible Church, of which I and my family had the blessed privilege of being a part. This brief work is intended to be a survey of the relationship between the Old and New Covenants and how both covenants affect the Christian. This subject can easily take up a compendium of material, but Casillas has well distilled it to its essential elements.

He begins by introducing the competing historical views of the relationship between the Covenants: 1. Reformed Theology, 2. Theonomy, 3. Dispensationalism, and 4. Lutheranism. After evaluating each perspective, he argues through the end of the book that "because all the laws in the Torah are based on timeless truths regarding God's character and will.....we must continue to use the law paradigmatically as we seek to imitate and please God in the New Covenant age." (68) Giving examples in the NT (especially Christ's teaching and Paul's epistles), Casillas shows the connection of both Covenants, yet points out the significant distinctions and the glory of the New Covenant.

Casillas does a fair treatment of a important subject. If one wants to just "get his feet wet" into a study of the covenants, this is a good place to start.

Ministries of Mercy

Title: Ministries of Mercy
Author: Timothy J. Keller
Publisher: P & R Publishing, 1997 (2nd edition)
Pages: 236
Begun: June 23, 2009
Completed: August 27, 2009

Keller begins his work with a brief exposition of Luke 10:25-37, Christ's giving of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He uses this as a launching pad for the primary thrust of his book: the Church must take seriously it's mission to minister mercy (i.e. financial aid, counseling, education, job counseling, etc.) to those inside and outside the Church. Though I in principle agree with Keller's thesis, I was bothered by his strained exegesis of Luke 10 and the applications he drew from it. He came close to "spiritualizing" the Parable and making a big point of every single detail of it and relating it specifically to an action of the Church. This hermeneutic troubled me during the first half of the book. Keller dropped any reference to the Parable and honed in more on methodology and implementation of mercy ministries.

Keller makes some thought-provoking statements, specifically in regards to the general absence of mercy ministries in churches. I appreciated his theological focus throughout in pointing to God as the Model of mercy ministries. Another positive aspect of his thesis is his emphasis on the gospel as the driving force of mercy. The gospel must never be divorced from financial aid to the poor or from counseling a single mom or from helping a husband/father find employment. The gospel and mercy are inextricably linked. The word of mercy and the deed of mercy, states Keller, work synergistically.

The book, especially the second half, reads more like a manual, hence it is difficult to follow at times. A helpful book overall.

The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

Title: The Life and Diary of David Brainerd
Editor: Jonathan Edwards
Publisher: Hendrickson, 2006
Pages: 371
Begun: May 3, 2009
Completed: August 21, 2009

The book is composed of two sections, Brainerd's personal, daily diary and his journal of evangelistic activity among the Indians to whom he ministered. Though only twenty-nine years old when he died of consumption (probably some type of respiratory disease), God worked through this man to make many disciples of Jesus among the Delaware Indians in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. His diary speaks of his passionate love for God and the gospel which he gave his life to. But he also repeatedly writes of his "extreme vileness" (his favorite term to describe himself).

"I thought there was not one creature living so vile as I. Oh, my inward pollution! Oh, my guilt and shame before God! I know not what to do. Oh, I longed ardently to be cleansed and washed from the stains of inward pollution! Oh, to be made like God, or rather to be made fit for God to own!" (130)

This is the one concern that Edwards had for Brainerd as recorded in Edwards' preface to the diary: that Brainerd's low view of himself tended to go to its extremes to severe depression. It is true that many of Brainerd's entries indicate a deep depression that would last sometimes for weeks or months. There were days such as January 6, 1744 where he found relief by relishing in God's mercy:

"Feeling and considering my extreme weakness, and want of grace, the pollution of my soul, and danger of temptations on every side, I set apart this day for fasting and prayer, neither eating nor drinking from evening to evening, beseeching God to have mercy on me. My soul intensely longed, that the dreadful spots and stains of sin might be washed away from it. Saw something of the power and all-sufficiency of God. My soul seemed to rest on his power and grace; longed for resignation to his will, and mortification to all things here below. My mind was greatly fixed on divine things: my resolutions for a life of mortification, continual watchfulness, self-denial, seiousness, and devotion, were strong and fixed; my desires ardent and intense; my conscience tender, and afraid of every appearance of evil." (105-6)

Probably the most engaging section of his diary are the final months in which his life was slowly ebbing away. He was confined to his bed in the home of Jonathan Edwards while Jerusha, Edwards' daughter, cared for him. Brainerd admitted on his deathbed that he was finally able to take his focus off his vileness and to satisfy himself with Christ's righteousness.

"My heaven is to please God, and glorify him, and to give all to him, and to be wholly devoted to his glory: that is the heaven I long for; that is my religion, and that is my happiness, and always was ever since I suppose I had any true religion.....There is nothing in the world worth living for, but doing good and finishing God's work, doing the work that Christ did. I see nothing else in the world that can yield any satisfaction, besides living to God, pleasing him, and doing his whole will." (252)

Brainerd requested to Edwards that he be buried in Northampton, Massachusetts where Edwards' in-laws' (the Stoddards) remains lay. His request was honored. It was appropriate that a couple of years later, Jerusha Edwards (who also succumbed to consumption) was laid to rest next to Brainerd's grave. An attachment had developed between them while Brainerd was confined to bed. Brainerd's entries hint at this and Jonathan Edwards confirms this.

An excellent and highly recommended read.

Molly's Surprise by Patience E. Bixby

MOLLY'S SURPRISE
4 Chapters
58 pgs

Molly is nine and has three siblings. A sister named Jill who is fourteen and two brothers: Ricky, who is twelve, and Brad, who is five. And a Mom and Dad too. Molly's Dad is a doctor who takes care of wounded soldiers. One night Molly was writing a letter to her Dad and her Mom said that is was the night before Christmas and Brad ended, "and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse!" Then two days before Christmas Molly & Jill found a package from their dad and they hid it for two days till Christmas. Then on the night before Christmas the two girls put the package under the tree. Then every one was surprised the next day. Mother got a note saying, "Turn on the radio there will be a surprise for all of you." So the turned on the radio and they heard the Dad say, "Merry Christmas too all, but most of all to Molly, Jill, Brad and Ricky but most of all to my wife!"

Book report written by Patience E. Bixby
typed and lightly edited by Mommy

**Editor's note: Molly's Dad is in the army and stationed in England.

The Gospel For Real Life

Title: The Gospel For Real Life
Author: Jerry Bridges
Publisher: NavPress, 2003
Pages: 172
Begun: March 17, 2009
Completed: August 13, 2009

Bridges' primary objectives in this work is to dispel erroneous views of the gospel and to articulate what is the pure gospel. The widely held, but erroneous, understanding of the gospel is what Bridges' calls, "a truncated view of the gospel." This is the view that the gospel is "a door we walk through to become a Christian." In other words, this view says, "the gospel is only for unbelievers." Another unbiblical view of the gospel sees the gospel as what it can do for me. It is the "fire insurance" that protects me from eternal flames and promises me joy in this world. Bridges dubs this the "utilitarian view" of the gospel. Bridges sums up these views:

"We fail to see the gospel as the solution to our greatest problem--our guilt, condemnation, and alientation from God. Beyond that, we fail to see it as the basis of our day-to-day acceptance with Him." (15)

In the following chapters, Bridges presents the gospel in its glory as expounded in the Scriptures: man's totally depraved nature, the curse of sin, God's unmitigated wrath against sin and sinners, the cross, redemption, Christ, reconciliation, adoption, propitiation, sanctification, and glorification. Without plummeting too deep in theological turf, Bridges strikes a fine balance of communicating the essence of theological truth.

The gospel is, then, the power of God to salvation. The gospel is not about man. It's not just a good alternative or the best option out there of many choices. The gospel is about God and His glory. I appreciate this following statement for its biblical focus:

"This Godward focus of Christ's atoning work tells us that it is the integrity of God's moral government and the upholding of His honor and glory that is the primary issue in our salvation. It is true that it is the love of God for sinful people such as you and men that is the wellspring of our salvation, but it is also true that his love could only be shown in such a way that the glory of His holiness and the honor of His Law would be magnified." (89)

An excellent read and a great book to use for Bible studies.