WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GOSPEL OF GRACE? Rediscovering the Doctrines That Shook the World by James Montgomery Boice is a must read. The publisher’s forward summarizes by saying: “Jim Boice has given us a three-fold message, calling us as Christians: 1) to repent of our worldliness; 2) to recover the great salvation doctrines of the Bible as the Reformers did five hundred years ago; and 3) to live a life transformed by the essential truths of the gospel.”
The first section of the book Dr. Boice shows how evangelical Christians have been thoroughly compromised by worldliness. Evangelicals have “embraced the world’s wisdom, the world’s theology, the world’s agenda, and the world’s methods.” Part one talks about our dying culture by discussing issues such as pragmatism, i.e. doing what works. Also the issues of secularism, humanism, relativism, materialism, and last but not least the issue of mindlessness: “amusing ourselves to death.”
Pat two goes on to cover the “doctrines that shook the world.” These are “Scripture alone” and the whole issue of inerrancy and sufficiency of the scriptures. Doctrine number two is “Christ alone” and the necessity and sufficiency of the cross in our salvation. Doctrine three is “Grace alone”. This covers mans inability and God’s sovereignty in our salvation. Doctrine four is “Faith alone”. This saving faith has 3 elements: “knowledge, belief, and trust”. The last doctrine is “Glory to God Alone”.
The last part of the book talks about our response and how viewing and living out theses doctrines will reform our worship and our lives.
I highly recommend this book and the emphasis it sets forth on the importance of scripture and the part that plays in transforming our mind and bringing it in line with Christ.