Book Review: Glorification

In Glorification, Graham Cole explores the doctrine of glorification and the implications for believers both in this world and in the next. In the first chapter, Cole examines how the term “glory” is used in the Bible especially in relation to God, His character, and His works. In Scripture, God’s glory is often associated with His greatness, honour, majesty, power, and praise. The author surveys both Old and New Testament passages that focus on different elements of God’s glory and how God’s people respond when encountering His glory. From Genesis to Revelation, there are numerous examples of the magnificence of God’s glory and how He wishes to share His glory with us. However, the depraved nature of the human race prevents us from entering His glorious presence unless we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ who came to dwell among us in the flesh. Cole mentions that God’s glory is not one of His attributes but an overarching summary term that describes the vastness and richness of God’s character and attributes. The next chapter highlights how the future glorification of our bodies is made possible through the work of Christ. Cole suggests that the Bible’s storyline follows the pattern of a U-shaped comedy that begins with joy and harmony as Adam and Eve enjoy God’s presence unabated. This initial blessed state is lost as Adam and Eve succumb to Satan’s temptations resulting in banishment from the garden. Yet God chose to save us through the sending of His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that we can be adopted into the family of God. In fact, Jesus’ own incarnation, death, and resurrection is also U-shaped in that He set aside His glory and humbled Himself to receive the suffering and death that we deserve. The gospel then is the story of not only our glorification as co-heirs with Christ but is most importantly, the glorification of God Himself in the person and work of Christ. Cole mentions that our glorification is also vocational in that our role and mission as God’s image bearers has been recovered through Christ. In the third chapter, the author explains the pathway by which glorification takes place in the believer. To begin, Cole first analyzes the role each member of the Trinity plays as being distinct yet indivisible in the glorification of the believer. The Father draws us to Him to share in His glory thus we are to live worthy lives that bring glory to His name. The Son is the One who bring God’s glory to our midst through His incarnation and His sacrifice is the method by which we can experience God’s glory. Lastly, the Spirit applies God’s glory to us by His indwelling and empowering presence that transforms us from the inside. The author states two paradoxes of glory found in the Christian faith that runs against the teachings of the world. Firstly, although we are physically wasting away, our inner selves are being renewed every day as we proceed towards eternal glory. Secondly, before we experience our future glory, we will experience trials and tribulations as followers of the suffering Servant who bore all the guilt and shame of the human race. Thus, true glory is not glamorous or self-promoting but a lifelong call of obedience and sacrificial love. In chapter four, Cole explores our eternal state in detail including how and when we will experience the final resurrection. The author first reviews the stages of Christ’s resurrection as a blueprint of how our resurrection would transpire given that Jesus is the firstfruits of our salvation. Next, Cole considers the different viewpoints on the timing by which believers will receive their resurrected bodies. Regardless of one’s conviction regarding the timing of our glorification, the end result is that glorified believers will be able to perfectly fulfill the creation mandate to rule as kings and queens in the new creation. We will also be honoured and rewarded in varying degrees of glory according to our faithfulness to God during our earthly lives. Lastly, Cole discusses aspects of the new heavens and new earth including its purpose, activity, beauty, cultural wealth, and holiness. As such, we ought not to overly concentrate on details about heaven but fix our eyes on the city of God that will one day descend from heaven onto earth. The final chapter answers the question of who will be included or excluded from glorification. Cole points out that bodily resurrection is clearly taught in the Bible and reiterated throughout the centuries of Christian thought and doctrine. Furthermore, Scripture also reveals to us that there are two books of eternal significance: a book of deeds and a book of life. The former book records all the works committed during one’s earthly life of which each individual will be judged. The latter book contains the names of those who can enter into the new Jerusalem to experience the glory of God forever. On the other hand, those who are not found in the book of life will be subject to the torturous fire of hell and excluded from the divine presence of God permanently. Thus, all who wish to enter into the city of God must first be united to Christ so that by His righteousness, their names will be found written in the book of life.

I recommend this book to all Christians as the doctrine of glorification does not typically receive as much attention as other core doctrines such as justification and sanctification. For many believers, the end goal of salvation is simply getting into heaven but Cole argues that glorification plays a much more central role to the Christian life. Our glorification begins during our earthly lives when we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection so that we are being continually transformed to reflect God’s glory. Moreover, we are called to a lifelong pursuit of obedience, holiness, and faith to persevere in the midst of suffering just as Christ did. In addition, Christians are co-heirs with Christ as they begin fulfilling the creation mandate to spread God’s glory throughout the earth. Most importantly, with our glorified bodies, we can enter into the glory of His eternal presence and enjoy Him forever.

In compliance with Federal Trade Commission regulations, I was provided a review copy of this book from Crossway.

Book Review: From Chaos to Cosmos

In From Chaos to Cosmos, Sidney Greidanus brings readers along a journey through Scripture detailing the theme of chaos-cosmos from Genesis to Revelation. The author first defines the terms “cosmos” and “chaos” with the former being associated with harmony and order while the latter is described as formlessness and disorder. Greidanus argues against the tendency to attribute darkness and evil to chaos as he points out that the pre-creation chaos in Genesis 1 is not evil but disorder. Throughout the book, we learn how the conflicts between chaos and cosmos in different contexts of Scripture all point us to the biblical metanarrative in which chaos turns to cosmos. The main premise of the chaos-cosmos theme is that God creates a world that was cosmos but through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, all of creation is subject to chaos as evil and sin enters the world. From Genesis to Revelation, we find glimpses of cosmos in God’s redemptive actions through events, symbols, and people such as Noah and his family in the flood, Moses in leading the Israelites out of Egypt, and the Holy Spirit empowering the believers at Pentecost. The most decisive breakthrough of cosmos is in the incarnation of Christ who ushers in the kingdom of heaven to bring hope to all who struggle in the chaos of sin and death. Because of the hope that we have, we can look forward to the final consummation of true cosmos in the new heaven and new earth where chaos will no longer exist as we will be in God’s presence forever. The book is broken into four main sections with the first two highlighting occurrences of chaos and cosmos in various genres of the Old Testament while the third section focuses on New Testament examples. The last section is on how to teach the chaos-cosmos theme using different approaches such as redemptive-historical progression and typology. In addition, an appendix with reading assignment suggestions is included which will likely be helpful to those using the book for small groups or Sunday School class.

I recommend this book to both new and old believers as the chaos-cosmos theme is one of the most prominent currents of biblical theology. Greidanus is a masterful teacher in simply bringing the reader’s attention to what the Bible says but allowing the Bible to speak for itself as the Word of God. Moreover, his love for the church is seen in his desire to equip others to teach this subject well. When we familiarize ourselves with this imperative theme, we can identify with the people of God throughout history who have experienced the struggle between cosmos and chaos. Moreover, we can find comfort, joy, and encouragement in the hope that there will be day where cosmos is ultimately restored when Jesus returns. Thus, the Christian life is not a brief interruption that we grudgingly endure while we wait to go home to our Father. Rather, our lives on earth allows us to participate in God’s story in which He is making all things new from chaos to cosmos.

In compliance with Federal Trade Commission regulations, I was provided a review copy of this book from Crossway.

Book Review: The City of God and the Goal of Creation

In The City of God and the Goal of Creation, T. Desmond Alexander maps out the trajectory from Eden to the New Jerusalem to show how God is establishing a city in which His people will dwell with Him forever. The author highlights important clues beginning in the creation story where God creates a garden with the expectation that mankind will be fruitful and multiply over the entire earth. However, due to sin, all of creation becomes cursed and the first couple is banned from Eden. The first mention of city is found in the tower of Babel in which the God-given ability to construct cities is mired by the sin of pride and treachery. Instead of upholding the rule of God, the people gather together to build a city using their own wisdom to challenge God’s authority. Next, the biblical narrative shifts to the center upon the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of whom God chooses to continue His plan to bless the whole earth. As the Israelite nation takes form, Eden is brought into their midst through the tabernacle and later the temple in its design and construction. Moreover, God establishes Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and David as the holy city, mountain, and dynasty in which all nations and peoples can come to recognize the God of Israel as being the one true God. Nevertheless, the kings after David disobey God resulting in the kingdom being destroyed by pagan nations with emphasis on Babylon as being the prime archenemy against God’s people. Despite this, the prophets declare that God’s divine plan to create a holy city continues in the exiled people with the eventual rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem. However, the rebuilt entities are diminished shadows of the original structures and as the New Testament begins, we see that God no longer dwells in physical buildings but in the church through the Holy Spirit. Jesus, as the Son of God, takes on flesh and dwells among His people pointing repeatedly to the heavenly city that will be brought down to earth when He returns to establish His kingdom. Finally, in Revelation, the apostle John describe the vision he sees of the New Jerusalem which is much grander than any earthly city could ever be that will house all those saved by the blood of the Lamb.

I gladly recommend this book to all Christians as it offers an intriguing perspective of how God’s redemptive plan revolves around the concept of city. In our current culture, there seems to be somewhat of a disdain for urban living which is often characterized by crime, stress, and congestion. However, Alexander points out however that God has always intended to transform the world from a garden to a great city where all who put their faith in Jesus can live with God forever. The author states that our current mission as pilgrims heading home is to diligently build up His kingdom through His church as we prepare to enter the New Jerusalem when Christ returns.

In compliance with Federal Trade Commission regulations, I was provided a review copy of this book from Crossway.

 

Book Review: Work and Our Labour in the Lord

In Work and Our Labour in the Lord, James Hamilton Jr. constructs a biblical theology on work by focusing on what God has created us to do in the past, present, and future. Hamilton guides readers through the redemptive historical storyline of the Bible to highlight God’s commission for work beginning from the dawn of creation to the future new heaven and new earth. In Genesis, Adam was tasked to be God’s representative to have dominion over creation starting from the Garden of Eden and spreading to the ends of the Earth. However, as a consequence of the Fall, creation was subjected to futility resulting in hard labour and pain for all creatures. In God’s grace, Christ came as the second Adam to perfectly fulfill what the first Adam failed to do thereby restoring hope of a future in which His redeemed people will fully realize God’s calling for work. So in the meantime, how are we to work as we await our King’s return? To answer this, Hamilton draws from the four biblical examples of Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ruth to exemplify what faithful and steadfast work ethic should look like. Moreover, the author draws from references in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs to illustrate what God-glorifying behaviour and actions should be in our workplaces. Hamilton also summarizes various New Testament commands and exhortations to offer practical guidelines of how Christians are to display the image of God in their vocations and reject the ways of the world in business dealings, office conversations, and customer interactions. As a whole, Hamilton aims to establish a biblical worldview that connects our present work to the original intent in Genesis and the eschatological reality of what we will do in heaven as described in Revelation.

I would recommend this brief book to all Christians but especially to young adults preparing to enter the workforce. Our society places emphasis on results, efficiency, and personal satisfaction so that work becomes an idol that we worship instead of a means of grace by which we reflect God as His image bearers. God has called us to be priest-kings to tend and care for His creation faithfully while we yearn for the day when we assume our final roles as those who will reign with Christ in eternity. As long as we continue to display God’s image and likeness in whatever jobs He may bless us with, we are living out God’s intended purpose for work. Viewed in this way, work is not futile or wearisome but part of embracing God’s original design since creation and participating in the renewal process of the whole earth waiting to be fully transformed when Jesus returns.

In compliance with Federal Trade Commission regulations, I was provided a review copy of this book from Crossway.