Calvary Hot Springs

Exalting Christ Through the Ministry of the Word

Book Review

February Suggested Book of the Month

by

The following book review was provided by Angie Stanley. You can find more of Angie’s reviews and writings at In the Meantime.

Assured, by Greg Gilbert

Struggling with doubts about one’s salvation is quite commonplace among believers. Indeed, if we are honest, I think many of us would agree that we have asked ourselves the question: “Am I truly saved?” 

As a teenager, I had several conversations with my mom about my assurance of salvation. While I don’t remember all the details of those often-late-night conversations, I do remember my mom pointing me back to Scripture and reminding me of what God says. Even now as an adult, there are still occasional moments of doubt.  

Assured: Discover Grace, Let Go of Guilt, and Rest in Your Salvation by Greg Gilbert is a helpful little discussion about how to deal with these moments of doubt. Its goal is to drive us back to Scripture and remind us of what our salvation truly rests on.

Four Sources of Assurance

The majority of the book centers around a discussion of four sources for our assurance: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s promises, the Holy Spirit, and the fruits of obedience in our lives. It is important to note that these sources of assurance fit into different categories concerning how they function. Concerning the gospel and God’s promises, Gilbert categorizes them as driving sources of assurance, the Holy Spirit is a supernatural source of assurance, and the fruits of obedience are a confirming source of assurance. I found this categorization to be a very helpful evaluation.

The chapter covering the gospel of Christ and how that guarantees our assurance of salvation is perhaps the most powerful chapter of the book. Gilbert discusses passages of Scripture such as Hebrews 10:19-22 and Romans 5:1-2, 6-8 to address what exactly Christ’s death on the cross accomplished for us. 
In the same chapter, Gilbert also addresses the question of faith–what if our faith isn’t strong enough or the right kind of faith? This particular question is the very question that has nagged at my heart over the years. I found Gilbert’s practical response to these questions to be helpful in reminding me that my salvation does not depend on what I have done but on what Christ has done! 

If you don’t read anything else in the book, read at least the first two chapters! 

Considerations to keep in mind

After covering these difference sources for our assurance in the first part of the book, the last three chapters discuss some specific considerations to keep in mind: mistakes we make in evaluating our good works, a besetting sin that continues to plague us, and some of the “trees” of the forest that we tend to focus on when we should instead be focusing on the magnificent view of the “forest” of God’s promises and the gospel. 

Who might benefit from this book?I believe several different groups of people will find Assured to be helpful: 

  1. Maybe you’re constantly wondering if you are indeed a Christian. Assured will help you evaluate why you might be having these nagging doubts. 
  2. Perhaps you’re confident and resting in your salvation. Assured will renew your awe and wonder at the extent of what Christ has done to guarantee your salvation until the day you are face to face with Christ Himself!
  3. Perhaps you’re in a ministry where you teach, mentor, or even counsel other believers. I believe Assured could prove to be a helpful resource to have on hand as you serve other believers. 

Assured is a powerful little book that will lift your eyes to the Savior and cause you to rejoice in the marvelous gift of salvation that He has given us! 

January Suggested Book of the Month

by Leave a Comment

All of Grace, by C. H. Spurgeon

C. H. Spurgeon’s subtitle for this book conveys its intended purpose: “An earnest word for those who are seeking salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ.” It was originally published in 1894, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon and republished in 2010 as one of the Moody Classics from Moody Publishers.

Mr. Spurgeon used little subtlety expressing his desire for his readers. He states in the opening chapter, “He who spoke and wrote this message will be greatly disappointed if it does not lead many to the Lord Jesus. It is sent forth in childlike dependence upon the power of God the Holy Spirt, to use it in the conversion of millions, if He so pleases.” One would assume this same approach permeated his life, ministry and preaching as well. It would be a mistake to believe this volume beneficial to the unregenerate alone. Its subject matter explores the glories of the gospel that will refresh the soul of every believer, no matter how long He has been in Christ. It is a must read for every Christian, and then to be read again through the course of life.

The first five chapters unfold the wonders of God’s provision for mankind to be justified by faith. To the reader who recognizes his vacant soul, Spurgeon begins, “This book does not come to make a demand upon you, but to bring you something. We are not going to talk about law and duty and punishment, but about love and goodness and forgiveness and mercy and eternal life.” He explains, “He [God] makes those just who are unjust, forgives those who deserve no favor. Did you think that salvation was for the good and that God’s grace was for the pure and holy who are free from sin?… all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and, therefore, the Lord Jesus did not come into the world to look after goodness and righteousness with him, but to bestow them upon persons who have none of them.” From personal experience he states, “I came to understand that salvation was possible through vicarious sacrifice, and that provision had been made in the first constitution and arrangement of things for such a substitution.” “The Law of God was more vindicated by the death of Christ than it would have been had all transgressors been sent to hell.”

Beginning in chapter seven, the author addresses the whole of Christian living. He addresses the believer’s deliverance from sinning and the implications of living by grace through faith. Throughout, Mr. Spurgeon points the reader away from self to the person and work of our Savior, Jesus Christ. “Our life is found in ‘looking unto Jesus’ (Hebrews 12:2), not in looking to our own faith. By faith all things become possible to us, yet the power is not in the faith but in the God upon whom faith relies.” In these chapters, Spurgeon takes precious opportunity to explain the function of faith in the believer’s life explaining that “it enables a man both to live and to die without fear; it prepares both for action and for suffering. Hence, the Lord selects it as a most convenient medium for conveying grace to us and thereby securing us for glory.”

Finally, in the closing chapters, Spurgeon addresses the perseverance of the saints, assuring the believer that God’s work in justifying the saint by faith establishes the foundation upon which the Christian rests for his eternal destiny. “If you are indeed a believer,” he writes, “you are one with Jesus, and therefore you are secure… Christ and the believing sinner are in the same boat; unless Jesus sinks, the believer will never drown.”

C. H. Spurgeon’s book, “All of Grace,” is a wonderful document that shows the beauty and glory of God’s gospel in Christ Jesus. Every person seeking salvation and every person already redeemed should read it on a regular basis for the encouragement and assurance attained only through the rehearsal of the gospel.

The best retail price we found for “All of Grace,” by C. H. Spurgeon (Moody Publishers) is from Christian Book Distributers for $6.99. However, it is FREELY available in various forms from multiple online resources. Here are a few you might consider: Monergism.com, Christian Classics Ethereal Library and YouTube. You may also pick up a copy for purchase from our book shelf at Calvary.

March Suggested Book of the Month

by

SUGGESTED BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Gospel-Centered Life

by Robert Thune and Will Walker

The Gospel-Centered Life is an interactive workbook that considers the practical affects of the gospel being the primary thrust of the Christians life. The authors argue that the gospel is not merely a gateway into heaven but the very means by which and through which the Christian life is to be lived. They then answer the question, “What does the gospel-centered life actually look like.

Throughout this workbook the authors answer three primary questions: First, “What is the gospel?,” Second, “What does the gospel do in us?,” and Third, “How does the gospel work through us?”

This is a wonderful resource for all believers, newly saved or seasoned saint; it is also a wonderful resource for those who are searching for the realties of the gospel and the difference it makes in your life.

A must read for all who are followers or seekers of Christ.

Here is the link to purchase through Christian Books, The Gospel-Centered Life

Reviewed by Matthew Lim

February Suggested Book of the Month

by

SUGGESTED BOOK OF THE MONTH

Addictions, A Banquet in the Grave

by Edward Welch

Edward Welch’s book Addictions is a wonderful resource for those who are wrestling with addictions or are helping someone who is. Published by Resources for Changing Lives, this resource approaches the problem of addiction from a biblical perspective. Mr Welch does not dismiss the physical, emotional, social and environmental factors that come into play with a persons addictions, but he consistently addresses the matters of the heart. This is a book dominated by the hope of the gospel and provides biblical and practical counsel in the practical outworking of God’s divine power granting the believer all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

The back cover of the book reads:

“Scripture reveals addicts’ true condition: like guests at a banquet thrown by ‘the woman Folly,’ they are already in the grave. (Prov. 9:13-18)

“Can we not escape our addictions? Following Jesus, we have ‘immense hope that can give power so that we are no long mastered by the addiction.’”

Here is the link to purchase through Amazon, Addictions, A Banquet in the Grave

Reviewed by Matthew Lim

January Suggested Book of the Month

by

SUGGESTED BOOK OF THE MONTH

Stop Behaving: A Gospel-Centered Devotional for Men

by Jerrad Lopes

Jerrad Lopes is the founder of the ministry/podcast “Dad Tired”. Dad Tired is a gospel-centered outreach to husbands and fathers meant to encourage and challenge men to faithfully follow hard after Christ, in all of our short comings and failures.

Jerrad Lopes recently authored Stop Behaving, a daily devotional book that is split into four one-week sections. In this devotional, Jerrad practically applies the Gospel to everyday life on every page. He makes the point that, as men, so much seems to be focused on behavior management. We are told that we are to be This and be doing That in order to be a good husband or a good father. We are hounded by these pressures from just about every angle. Stop Behaving points out that scripturally, we as husbands and fathers don’t require changed behavior, but require a changed heart that only Jesus can provide. From there, we read how the Gospel changes the way that we serve and love our wife, the way that we relate to our children and view their behavior, and the way that we view our job and where we find our worth in an increasingly performance driven world.

This devotional has been a great encouragement and challenge to me, as I am reminded of my insufficiency and general unworthiness in my roles as a husband and father and am driven to the throne of grace in order that Christ be made known.

Here is the link to Jerrad Lopes website, Dad Tired where you can purchase the book and listen to his podcast. The above image was obtained from the Dad Tired website.

Reviewed by Matt Tramp

December Suggested Book of the Month

by

SUGGESTED BOOK OF THE MONTH
I Am a Church Member
by Thom Rainer

This short, quick read of a book packs a lot truth for the body of Christ to consider. Thom Rainer’s book, “I Am a Church Member” challenges the church to consider what it means to be the church and to be committed to its life and ministry. In six short chapters Thom explains what it means to be a functioning, unifying, serving, praying, leading and treasuring church member.

This is book encourages you to examine your own life based upon the biblical principles of church membership and provides opportunity to make a personal commitment to being a healthy member of the local church. It is a MUST READ for all who are called saints… for all who are the church.

Reviewed by Matthew Lim

November Suggested Book of the Month

by

SUGGESTED BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Attributes of God
by A. W. Pink

There are myriads of things we can pursue in our lives. Some things we might look back on as a waste of time and energy, other things we can look back at and see that our pursuit was worthwhile. For the Christian, our pursuit of God will never be wasted time. It is never a futile activity for us to seek to know God more. A.W. Pink in his book, The Attributes of God helps us grow in our knowledge and love of God.
Pink seeks helps us think more deeply about our God and his many and varied attributes. This however is not just an exercise of the mind, but is a spiritual exercise. Pink says in his preface that we need, “more than a theoretical knowledge of God…God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to him, submit to his authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by his holy precepts and commandments.”

This book is not just theoretical pontification about God, but the attributes the author highlights are rooted in scripture. We know God best as he has revealed himself in his Word, and this little book helps us see God more clearly as he has revealed himself in his Word. Some of the attributes we are helped to think through are, the solitariness of God, the supremacy of God, the power of God, the goodness of God, the wrath of God and the love of God.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued, investigation of the great subject of the Deity.” So, grow your mind and your heart and commit to study the greatness of our God.

We found a good price for this book here.

Reviewed by Graham Parker

October Suggested Book of the Month

by

SUGGESTED BOOK OF THE MONTH
What is the Mission of the Church?
by Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert

First off, this book is an excellent piece of missiology. It does a wonderful job of defining the terminology used by the church to describe both its role and mission on the earth and, while the book itself is topical, it takes a definite exegetical approach in its arguments. It beautifully differentiates the difference between the role the church is to play in the world and what the mission of the church is (there is a difference-I’ll let the book explain the difference or you’ll be reading for a while). The book seems a little reactionary, maybe even a bit abrasive, in it’s opening chapters as it builds itself a foundation for why the authors had to define the actual mission itself that Jesus, by the authority of the Father, gifted to His church. It deals with the illusive meaning of cultural ideals, such as social justice, and reveals the effect that culture has had on the church through both spoken and unspoken expectations, resulting in a clouded understanding of what the mission of the church is in its most fundamental meaning. I’ll leave you with a teaser quote, “The alleviation of poverty is simply not the main story line of Scripture; the biblical narrative is chiefly concerned with how a holy God can dwell with an unholy people.”
Reviewed by Andrew Johnson