Basic Teaching

Truth for All Time – a brief outline of the Christian faith by John Calvin, 1537. Translation by John Olyott 1998. Paperback 76 pages

Peter, at the end of his second letter, urges us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It therefore behoves us all to learn more about our faith. Here is an easily accessible and simple summary of the Christian faith by one of the greatest of systematic theologians, John Calvin. He starts by explaining certain basic truths about God and man. He then comments on the Ten Commandments. In discussing faith he takes us through the Apostle's Creed, and in discussing prayer he leads us through the Lord's Prayer. There is then a section on Baptism and Holy Communion before a final short section on church order and her relationship with the state. This is recommended especially for those new to the faith, but will also refresh and be enjoyed by those long in the faith.

All of Grace by C H Spurgeon, c. 1880. Paperback 128 pages.

Spurgeon was the greatest of Victorian preachers both from his pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle at the Elephant and Castle in London, and from his pen. The doctrine of grace (i.e. the unmerited, undeserved favour of God towards us) is a priceless treasure which all need to appreciate. In this unequalled work, the writer wished to compel us by his words to come to Jesus and receive this grace. To set the scene, he begins the book by telling a story:

A minister called upon a poor woman intending to give her help; for he knew that she was very poor. With his money in his hand, he knocked at the door; but she did not answer. He concluded she was not at home and went his way. A little later he met her at the church, and told her that he had remembered her need: 'I called at your house, and knocked several times, and I suppose you were not at home, for I had no answer.' 'At what time did you call, sir?' 'It was about noon.' 'Oh, dear,' she said, 'I heard you, sir, and I am so sorry I did not answer; but I thought it was the man calling for the rent.'

Spurgeon then continued by saying to the reader: 'Now it is my desire to be heard, and therefore I want to say that I am not calling for the rent; indeed, it is not the object of this book to ask anything of you, but to tell you that salvation is ALL OF GRACE, which means, free, gratis, for nothing.'

The Attributes of God by Arthur Pink, 1975. Paperback 92 pages.

Do we appreciate how great our God is? Are we aware of his many wonderful attributes? Do we marvel at them and extol them? Or is our God too small? Arthur Pink was a Nottingham boy. He had an international ministry in USA, Australia and Britain during the first half of the last century. In this book he devotes a separate short chapter (4-5 pages) to each of many of God's attributes such as his power, self-sufficiency, sovereignty, unchangeableness, holiness, faithfulness, patience, mercy, wrath, grace, love and goodness.

Not by Chance – learning to trust a sovereign God by Layton Talbert, 2001. Paperback 236 pages

We sing "He's got the whole world in His hands....". Do we actually believe these words? Do we believe God is sovereign, that He really is in charge? This book shows that the Bible certainly teaches this and also well illustrates the fact in the accounts of Joseph, Moses, Esther, Job, our Lord Jesus Christ and many others. Providence is the term used for the actual outworking of God's sovereignty. It can be divided into preserving providence, by which God continuously preserves and maintains His creation, and governing providence, by which He guides and governs all events, including the free acts of men and their circumstances, and directs all things to achieve their appointed ends. The teaching of God's sovereignty raises questions such as how can we also have free-will, why are we asked to petition God in prayer, and why does God allow suffering? Although an element of mystery remains, the author deals with these topics very helpfully. After reading this book you will view all the events of your life in a different light.

Absolutely Basic by Horatius Bonar and JC Ryle. Paperback 95 pages.

This book consists of the simplified versions of writings by two great Victorian evangelical preachers. Both are classics and together describe the twofold work of God that is needed to make us Christians – the sacrificial death of Jesus in our place and the change that God works in those who trust in Jesus' sacrifice.

The first is Horatius Bonar, well known as a hymn writer. The title of his section is 'Righteous Forever' and the central theme is the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. Bonar explains that, in Jesus, God has provided the only way to deal with the problem of our sin. Jesus lived the life of perfect obedience to God, and was the only person to completely satisfy all the demands of God's holy law. He then died the death that all sinners deserve. Because He was perfect, God accepts his death instead of the death of those who put their trust in Him. Thus, anyone who puts their trust in Him receives a legal pardon from God, and the perfect righteousness of Jesus becomes theirs.

The second is by RC Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool. The title of his section is 'The New Life of the Christian' and explains the necessity, nature and cause of the new birth, and its marks or evidences in the life of a Christian. He concludes by saying:

'I want to address myself to the consciences of everyone, whether young or old, rich or poor, careless or thoughtful. I know that there is nothing popular or agreeable about the teaching of the new birth. It strikes at the root of all compromising half-and-half religion, but still it is true. There are many who would like very much to escape the punishment of sin, but who will not strive to be free from its power; they want to have God's favour, but care little about God's image and likeness in themselves. Their talk is of pardon, but not of purity. They think frequently of God's willingness to forgive, but little about His warning that we need to be renewed. But this is ignoring half the work that Christ has died to perform. He died that we might become holy as well as happy. He purchased grace to sanctify as well as grace to redeem. Forgiveness of sin and change of heart must never be separated. 'What God has joined together, let man not separate' (Matthew 19,6). The foundation of God stands firm: 'If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ' (Romans 8,9).'

This book is readable and provides teaching on two basic aspects of our Christian faith.

Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross by AW Pink. Paperback 153 pages

Although written in 1919, this book by the Nottingham-born teacher and writer is still very fresh and is a classic treatment of what Jesus spoke whilst suffering on the Cross. Much attention is rightly given to the Sermon on the Mount and other addresses given by Jesus during His three year ministry. However, what He spoke on the cross is often overshadowed by the great solemnity, sacredness and significance of the occasion. This is a shame because every word He uttered is of immense significance and is expertly explained in this book. It gives wonderful insight into Jesus' thoughts, concerns and feelings at this critical time and provides much for us to meditate upon. As the author says: 'His words make known to us some of the attendant circumstances of the great tragedy; words which reveal the excellencies of the one who suffered there; words in which is wrapped up the gospel of our salvation; and words which inform us of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings and the sufficiency of the death divine.'

The Suffering of Man and the Sovereignty of God by CH Spurgeon edited by KJ Allen, 2001. Paperback 378 pages

CH Spurgeon was the greatest of Victorian preachers. His sermons are just as valuable today as when first preached. This book contains 25 sermons from the Book of Job. Here is an extract from one of these sermons seeking to explain the validity of two important, apparently contradictory truths – God's Sovereignty and man's responsibility.

Many have failed to understand how everything, from the smallest event to the greatest, can be ordained and fixed, and yet how it can be equally true that man is a responsible being, and that he acts freely, choosing the evil and rejecting the good. Many have tried to reconcile these two things, and various schemes of theology have been formulated with the object of bringing them into harmony. I do not believe that they are two parallel lines, which can never meet; but I believe that, for all practical purposes, they are so nearly parallel that we might regard them as being so. They do meet, but only in the infinite mind of God is there a converging point where they melt into one. As a matter of practical, everyday experience with each one of us, they continually melt into one; but as far as all finite understanding goes, I do not believe that any created intellect can find the meeting-place.

It would be a very simple thing to understand the predestination of God if men were just clay in the hands of the potter. That figure is rightly used in Scripture because it reveals one side of the truth; if it contained the whole truth, the difficulty that puzzles so many would entirely cease. But man is not only clay, he is a great deal more than that, for God has made him an intelligent being, and given him understanding and judgment, and, above all, will. I venture to suggest that it is impossible for us to understand how predestination should come true in every jot and tittle, and fix everything, and yet at the same time there should never be, in the whole history of mankind, a single violation of the will of man, so that he acts, according to his own will, just as if there were no predestination whatever, and yet, at the same time, the will of God is, in all respects, being carried out.

In order to get rid of this difficulty, there are some who deny either the one truth or the other. Some seem to believe in a kind of free agency which virtually dethrones God, while others run to the opposite extreme by believing in a sort of fatalism which practically exonerates man from all blame. Both views are utterly false. We are bound to believe both sides of the truth revealed in the Scriptures.

Authority by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1958. Paperback 94 pages.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones was perhaps the most influential preacher of the mid-20th century from his pulpit at Westminster Chapel in London. Many of his sermons and addresses have been published. This book consists of three addresses given in Canada on the subjects of The Authority of Jesus Christ, The Authority of the Scriptures and The Authority of the Holy Spirit. He felt that, at a time when many deny that truth is absolute and can be defined, it was timely to remind Christians that we can know the truth as revealed in Scripture and rely on the Authority of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Here is a quote from the chapter on the The Authority of Scripture:

The authority of the Scriptures is not a matter to be defended, so much as to be asserted. I am reminded of what the great Spurgeon once said in this connection: 'Thee is no need for you to defend a lion when he is being attacked. All you need to do is to open the gate and let him out.' We need to remind ourselves frequently that it is the preaching and exposition of the Bible that really establishes its truth and authority. I believe that this is more true today, perhaps, than it has ever been for the last two centuries. There is nothing that really explains the whole world situation as it is today, except the Bible.

Every Word Counts by Tom Barnes, 2010. Paperback 164 pages.

Many Christians today pay only lip service to the Bible being the word of God; often they are not sure what it means. This book explains both what it means and how vitally important it is to accept the Bible as the very word of God. It is written for the person who wants to find out how they should view the Bible and whether it should be treasured and trusted. It explains that:

'The Holy Spirit moved men to write the Scriptures. He allowed them to use their own style, culture, gifts and character, to use the results of their own study and research, to write of their own experiences and to express what was in their mind. At the same time, the Holy Spirit did not allow error to influence their writings; He overruled in the expression and thought and in their choice of words. Thus they recorded accurately all that God wanted them to say and exactly how He wanted them to say it, in their own character, style and language'.

And again that:

'Our ultimate conviction that the words of the Bible are God's words comes only when the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the words of the Bible to our hearts and gives us an inner assurance that these are the words of our Creator speaking to us.'

The author gives much evidence for accepting that the Bible is the very word of God, and rightly concludes that since God cannot lie, the Bible is without error (as originally given). To believe or disbelieve the Bible is to believe or disbelieve God.

Where is God when things go wrong? by John Blanchard

We live in what has been called 'a world with ragged edges'. Earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, fires, famine and other natural disasters kill millions of people and injure countless others, sometimes wiping out huge numbers within a few hours. Every day, accidents claim an untold number of victims. Planes crash, trains are derailed, road vehicles collide, ships are lost at sea, buildings collapse, bridges give way, trees fall, machinery malfunctions. To make matters worse, disease cuts relentless swathes through humankind, causing immeasurable weakness, pain and fear, while 'man's inhumanity to man' brings a terrible toll of suffering. Yet the Bible claims that God is in sole and sovereign control of everything that happens in the entire universe, that he 'works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will' and that he is 'compassionate and gracious' and 'abounding in love'. Is there any way in which all of this can hold together? The answer may surprise you. Read this book.

Where do we go from here? by John Blanchard

This book may become more widely used than anything John Blanchard has written since Ultimate Questions, which now has over fifteen million copies in print in fifty languages. The reason is obvious. Where do we go from here? is the final question all humanity faces, and this booklet tackles it head-on. Exactly what does happen to us when we die? The immediate future of the body is fairly obvious, but what about the spirit or soul? Is it annihilated or reincarnated? Is it conscious or unconscious? Do we face endless pain or endless pleasure? Is there a 'second chance' to put things right? Do we have to wait until after we die to find out? This booklet answers these and other questions biblically, clearly and in a user-friendly way. Here is an ideal resource to share with people who have no grasp of the Christian message.

The Purposes of the Lord's Supper by Peter Masters, 2008. Paperback 24 pages

We regularly celebrate Holy Communion once or twice a month and there is a tendency to take it for granted without reminding ourselves what it's all about. And yet Paul stresses the importance of taking it seriously – 'Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.' (1 Corinthians 11,27). This small booklet shows us the important symbolism of the Lord's Supper and that its chief purpose is to remind us of the centrality to the Christian faith of Jesus' atoning sacrificial death on the cross. It helps us to prepare ourselves for Communion and provides a rich basis for thought and prayer at the Communion Table and will thus enrich our participation.