{"id":1043,"date":"2013-03-27T06:35:51","date_gmt":"2013-03-27T12:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/schaeffersghost\/?p=1043"},"modified":"2013-03-27T06:35:51","modified_gmt":"2013-03-27T12:35:51","slug":"doctrine-is-for-living-the-christian-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/schaeffersghost\/2013\/03\/doctrine-is-for-living-the-christian-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctrine is for Living the Christian Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Review of The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction<\/em>\u00a0by Sinclair Ferguson<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sinclair Ferguson\u2019s The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction<\/a>, along with John Murray\u2019s Redemption Accomplished and Applied<\/a>, are my top two picks when recommending an introduction to systematic theology for folks without prior exposure to theology. I\u2019ve read The Christian Life at least five times in the context of using it as a discipleship tool. The underlying argument is that theology is critical to living the Christian life because all theology has practical implications.<\/p>\n

The table of contents will give you a sense of the lay of the land:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Knowing is for living<\/li>\n
  2. God\u2019s broken image<\/li>\n
  3. The plan of grace<\/li>\n
  4. \"\"Called by God<\/li>\n
  5. Conviction of sin<\/li>\n
  6. Born again<\/li>\n
  7. Faith in Christ<\/li>\n
  8. True repentance<\/li>\n
  9. Justification<\/li>\n
  10. Sons of God<\/li>\n
  11. Union with Christ<\/li>\n
  12. Election<\/li>\n
  13. Sin\u2019s dominion ended<\/li>\n
  14. The Christian\u2019s conflicts<\/li>\n
  15. Crucifying sin<\/li>\n
  16. Perseverance<\/li>\n
  17. Asleep in Christ<\/li>\n
  18. Glorification<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Coming in shy of 200 pages and pocketbook size, The Christian Life is extremely accessible and not a very big lift. Even readers with a good background in theology, accustomed to talk of ordo salutis, regeneration, penal substitution, indicatives vs. imperatives, definitive sanctification vs. progressive sanctification, and other categories, will still find Ferguson\u2019s application of the material to be edifying and insightful.<\/p>\n

    The Christian Life is a great book to use for reading with younger Christians because it parses out important nuances in easy terms. What is conviction of sin that leads to life as opposed to conviction of sin that leads to sorrow? What is the relationship between faith and repentance? Does regeneration precede justification or come after it? How should we understand the Christian\u2019s relationship with sin if the Christian is dead to sin, but yet still sins? The reader is treated to a fest of Puritan-like meditation and precision (would we expect any less from Ferguson?) on these questions and more.<\/p>\n

    When you finally close the book, it\u2019s hard to remain unconvinced of the necessity of theology. Ferguson\u2019s book is a good antidote to the anti-theological strain in American evangelicalism that treasures experience over doctrine. B.B. Warfield has a great, appropriate response to such sentiments:<\/p>\n

    \n

    Sometimes we hear it said that ten minutes on your knees will give you a truer, deeper, more operative knowledge of God than ten hours over your books. \u201cWhat!\u201d is the appropriate response, \u201cthan ten hours over your books, on your knees?\u201d Why should you turn from God when you turn to your books, or feel that you must from your books in order to turn to God?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Sinclair Ferguson\u2019s work drives home the same response: theology is for living.<\/p>\n

    <\/strong><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Review of The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction\u00a0by Sinclair Ferguson Sinclair Ferguson\u2019s The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction, along with John Murray\u2019s Redemption Accomplished and Applied, are my top two picks when recommending an introduction to systematic theology for folks without prior exposure to theology. I\u2019ve read The Christian Life at least five times in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1467,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[300],"class_list":["post-1043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-christian","tag-sinclair-ferguson"],"yoast_head":"\nDoctrine is for Living the Christian Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Review of The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction\u00a0by Sinclair Ferguson Sinclair Ferguson\u2019s The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction, along with\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/schaeffersghost\/2013\/03\/doctrine-is-for-living-the-christian-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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