Rethinking the Gospel

"Rethinking the Gospel" is a profoundly challenging exploration of the modern church's proclamation of the gospel. It examines an element of the gospel that has been largely ignored or under-emphasised since the start of the Reformation in the 1500's. In many churches today, this aspect of the gospel is almost entirely missing from public preaching, and its absence has had a significant impact upon the kind of disciples that the modern church is producing. Martin Luther's important rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone and his complete denunciation of good works as a means of self-justification has shaped evangelical preaching to the current day. But in the modern church's fervour to present salvation as a free gift, it has under-emphasised the necessity of repentance and ongoing submission to the Lordship of Christ – a theme that was a central tenet of Jesus' teaching. The kind of faith that Jesus demanded was not the passive, easy-believism of today's preaching but, rather, a robust faith of self-denial, sacrifice and daily obedience to Christ as Lord. It was a faith that resulted in a deeply transformed life. "Rethinking the Gospel" will challenge you to re-examine your understanding of the gospel in the light of Jesus' consistently confronting teaching on the relationship between faith and obedience. One reviewer commented: "Every church pastor, preacher and Christian should read this book! It has transformed my understanding of the gospel." Another reviewer commented: "This is a devastating and eye-opening commentary on the blight that has infiltrated the modern church. It is a wake-up call that desperately needs to be heard."