"The Knox Theological Seminary Colloquium on the Federal Vision. Have you noticed people nearly paralyzed in their Christian lives because, try as they might, they get no assurance of their salvation? Or, at the opposite extreme, are you troubled by the rampant antinomianism in contemporary Christianity? Prominent Christian Leaders present ideas about covenant theology, the objectivity of the covenant, the sacraments, and the relationship of faith and obedience that they believe will address both errors afflicting the presumptuous and comforting the afflicted."--Back cover.

As a theologian in the Reformed tradition, covenant theology was for Jonathan Edwards the internal scaffolding that gave shape to the biblical story of redemption. The establishment of the eternal rule of righteousness as the basis of the believer’s communion with God and eternal happiness is a central theme beginning with the Covenant of Works, grounded in the eternal Covenant of Redemption, and culminating in the Covenant of Grace. It is the basis for the law-gospel distinction in Edwards and the early architects of federal theology. For the “God intoxicated” New England Puritan preacher, this was no dry academic exercise. Rather, it was a joyous and affectionate discovery and embrace of what God had ordained in eternity, what Christ accomplished in history on the cross, and what the Holy Spirit is doing and will complete in the church. This study grew out of current discussions in Reformed scholarship questioning aspects of traditional covenant theology. As a key transitional figure in the history of Reformed theology, Edwards’s thinking is still relevant. The richness and depth of Edwards’s vision of redemptive history provides a clear and comprehensive understanding of his Reformed soteriology and the role of evangelical obedience in justification.

The Reformation swept across Europe with a God-glorifying gospel of grace. Now the doctrine of grace cherished and proclaimed by the Reformers is under renewed assault from an unexpected place—the evangelical church itself. With the help of several theologians, Gary L. W. Johnson and Guy P. Waters trace the background and development of two seemingly disparate movements that have surfaced within the contemporary church-the New Perspective(s) on Paul and the Federal Vision-and how they corrupt the truth of salvation by faith alone. By regaining a focus on the doctrine of grace, pastors, seminarians, and future leaders can regain the cohesion, coherence, and direction to truly build the church to withstand the attacks of false and empty doctrines.

McGowan reviews challenges to and disagreements over Reformed covenant theology and proposes that its strengths can best be retained by separating the two key ideas of union with Adam/Christ and God’s covenantal dealings with his people.

The Sabbath-Lord's Day controversy exists because of a lack of faithful hermeneutics and attempts to validate denominational traditions with Scripture. Terrence O'Hare has studied this topic for a decade and presents his findings with the hope of attaining a consensus among professing Christians. The Sabbath Complete is thoroughly researched and comprehensive in its scope. In a readable and instructional manner O'Hare analyzes the full range of biblical texts on this topic, two millennia of church history, and literature from Jewish, Catholic, and many Protestant varieties, thus providing a comprehensive and unique answer that should appeal to a wide range of interested readers.

Is it possible for a true believer in Christ to apostatize? If so, how? Also, how can professing believers know if they are truly born again? What assurance can they have that they will never renounce their faith? These questions have been asked for centuries as Christians have wrestled with what Scripture says about these matters. The search for answers has instilled strong disagreements among Christian traditions. In this book, we navigate the terrain of this debate by examining the pertinent biblical data, surveying the history of major views that have been advocated by various denominations, and offering a synthesis of all this material in the hopes that readers can see how Scripture assures believers of their security in Christ.

For more than two millennia believers have struggled with the antinomy of God's absolute sovereignty over and man's ultimate responsibility in justification and sanctification. Theologians have used some version of the terms »active justification« and »definitive sanctification« in an attempt to illuminate this mystery. However, in the past decade scholars have begun to criticize these concepts, saying that they are unsupported in Scripture, lead to theological confusion, and are of no practical benefit to believers.Through the work of theologians from the broader Dutch Reformed tradition, especially Herman Bavinck, Alexander Comrie, Herman Witsius, and Abraham Kuyper. Jae-Eun Park demonstrates that the terms »active justification« and »definitive sanctification« are derived from Scripture and serve to clarify, not obscure the doctrines of justification and sanctification. In addition, the book shows that neglect, misuse, or misunderstanding of the terms have resulted in contemporary criticisms that are unconvincing and unfounded.Writings of the aforementioned theologians define and expound four characteristics held in common between active justification and definitive sanctification, i.e., inseparability, objectivity and decisiveness, Christ-centeredness, and God's absolute sovereignty – concepts of the mentioned theologians. All four characteristics of active justification and definitive sanctification emphasize the »God-driven« nature of salvation.Jae-Eun Park explains how – when properly defined and presented – the two terms are important theologically, bringing clarity to the issue of the perfect balance between God's sovereignty and human responsibility in salvation. He also shows how active justification and definitive sanctification offers practical assurance of their perseverance unto glory to true believers, and provides pastors with an invaluable tool for exhorting parishioners who may have lapsed into either triumphalism or defeatism.