Contending for Our All
By John Piper
This is Book four in The Swans are not Silent series. This book contains mini-biographies of 3 of our early church fathers. These 3 are Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Gresham Machen. All of these defended Truth and treasured Christ in their lives.
Athanasius devoted his life to defending the deity of Christ. The great enemy was the Arian heresy. Arianism stated that if Christ was truly the Son of God then He had to have a beginning. Therefore there was a time when Christ did not exist. This controversy divided the Roman Empire under Constantine. Constantine called the Council at Nicea. What came out of this council is what today is known as the Nicene Creed. This creed settled the issue by stating that Christ was one being with the Father. Athanasius lived from 298-373 A.D.
John Owen’s focus was battling Christ belittling errors of the mind and heart. John Owen believed that the deeper you grew in your understanding of Christ the deeper your fellowship with Him. Owen was born in 1616 in England and died in 1683. He was a contemporary of John Bunyan who wrote the “Pilgrims Progress”. Owen’s all encompassing aim was: Holiness – his own and others. He wrote a book titled “Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers”. The cost of public faithfulness for the cause of Christ was criticism. Owen grew in knowledge by obeying what he knew and passionately pursued a personal relationship with God.
J. Gresham Machen lived from 1881-Jan. 1, 1937. Machen spent his life standing for the Truth of the Gospel against the forces of liberalism, which, according to Piper, he saw as another religion. Machen also emphasize that the facts of history are relevant to our times.
I really enjoyed this little book. It makes you aware of the people and thoughts that have shaped Christianity in our day.
Posted: August 1st, 2010 under Book Reviews.
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C.H. Spurgeon once said, “The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father…It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity.” He is right; there is no greater subject to consider than God Himself. To that end, J.I. Packer has written one of the greatest books on the importance of knowing this God, a book which has sold over a million copies. In it, you will be confronted with the glorious realities of the nature of God including His majesty, wisdom, love, grace, wrath, goodness, and jealousy. As a result of immersing yourself in this book, you will find yourself thirsting to know God more intimately and to worship Him more fully. I challenge you to pick this book up this summer and dive into the bottomless well of God’s nature. You will not be the same!
It’s summer. Time for blue jeans, winter coats, and sweaters to go away and shorts, t-shirts, and skirts to come out. Unfortunately, often little thought goes into what we wear except what “looks good” or is “the latest style.” In today’s culture, there are virtually no secrets when it comes to modesty and keeping hidden what should be hidden. Almost anything goes. Attracting the attention of the opposite sex is usually the focus and women frequently use clothing (or lack thereof) to gain the attention of men.
Have you ever wondered what words like propitiation, justification, and other words concerning salvation mean? Have you wondered why Christ had to suffer and die for your sins? John Piper has taken the time to answer these questions and a few more in this wonderful book. Not only does he take these long theological words and put a meaning to them, he also puts them in context to the Scriptures and our lives. Piper gives us 50 reasons why Christ suffered and died and each reason is explained with Scripture, providing a greater meaning to our salvation. If you want to more deeply appreciate the cross and what Jesus actually did there for you, this would make for a great daily devotional with its short, but in-depth, chapters.