Here is book that you must read,
preach, and teach. John Frame has produced another outstanding
kingdom-building book. Though the title could be a bit
misleading, true and wonderful as it is, it is more than about
salvation. It is an introduction to systematic theology. Before
you disregard it as just another theology book, remember from
Frame’s other books, he views theology as life and life as
theology. Even though he says that this is a book for beginners
in theology, it will challenge us all to think more biblically.
He says he has written for a college-level audience which I
believe would also include new seminarians.
Salvation Belongs to the Lord is
unique in that it will challenge those engaged in full-time
teaching and preaching, but it is also very readable for others
in the church. He says that this is not a part of his Theology
of Lordship series, but I believe it should be read before the
others in that series. In a readable and understandable style,
Frame gives us the big picture of the Sovereign God and Lordship
over all things, including the church and salvation. I agree
that understanding the big picture of God’s truth and reality
will enable us to handle the details more effectively.
This is also a timely book in
that we are living in a time when studying doctrine, at least in
a systematic way, is not very popular. Systematics is a
pedagogical device to help us understand more of God and his
Word as it relates the parts to the whole and ties the teachings
of the Bible together. Frame is right when he says, “the Bible
is not a miscellaneous collection of ideas but a coherent,
consistent system of truth in which major doctrines depend on
one another.” I believe that is why it is difficult for people
to know how to think biblically, because they cannot always
connect the dots in the Scriptures. This book will enable the
reader and student to do that better and more practically than
many other books that have been written.
The book contains two parts. Part
one lays the foundation for what he writes about in his Lordship
series books. It is about the Sovereign and Triune God, His
Word, His Son, and His Holy Spirit. Part two deals with the ordo
salutis, salvation, thus the title.
In part two he opens up the
doctrines of grace, including the means of grace. He also treats
the topic of the church and kingdom clearly. For example, while
the Reformers listed three marks of the true visible church,
Frame suggests that several others should be part of that list:
love among the brothers and sisters, worship, and the Great
Commission.
He gives good insight into the
government of the church. His conclusion on the “Nature of the
Church” challenges us to remember that “the well-being of the
church has more to do with the work of the Spirit than with the
form of government.” His section on the Church and Kingdom is
also helpful. For example, he says that God’s kingdom is
synonymous with God’s sovereignty. “The church consists of those
who have been conquered by God’s saving power, who are now
enlisted in the warfare of God’s kingdom against the kingdom of
Satan…The church is the headquarters of the kingdom of God, the
base from which God’s dominion extends and expands,” (page 249).
He also uses the term “missional
church” to underscore the church’s task in making kingdom
disciples. He highlights three elements that make up the
missional church--worship, nurture, and witness.
Because of the value of this
book, I would hope that a leader’s or teacher’s guide would be
produced to assist churches in building this into their kingdom
discipleship curriculum. Dr. William Edgar, professor at
Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, made a
descriptive comment on the cover of the book, “We can be
grateful for such a powerful and clear exposition of the whole
range of theology. It is at once vigorously orthodox and sweetly
pastoral.”
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