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If God's grace could talk... Actually, it already has. And is. And does. And here's what it sounds like. It sounds like hope for days when life feels absolutely overwhelming. It sounds like promise that speaks into every relationship, no matter how desperately in need or how dear to your heart. It sounds like sufficiency in all those places where none of us is ever good enough. It sounds like confidence that would make no sense at all except the full weight of God is steadfastly behind it. If God's grace could talk, it would sound exactly like what this book says in every Scripture on every page. And it wouldn't sound nearly as old as it actually is, because it's new every morning and within instant reach at every moment. It would sound like God, talking directly to you. Because He is. And does. And always does it with grace.

If God's grace could talk... Actually, it already has. And is. And does. And here's what it sounds like. It sounds like hope for days when life feels absolutely overwhelming. It sounds like promise that speaks into every relationship, no matter how desperately in need or how dear to your heart. It sounds like sufficiency in all those places where none of us is ever good enough. It sounds like confidence that would make no sense at all except the full weight of God is steadfastly behind it. If God's grace could talk, it would sound exactly like what this book says in every Scripture on every page. And it wouldn't sound nearly as old as it actually is, because it's new every morning and within instant reach at every moment. It would sound like God, talking directly to you. Because He is. And does. And always does it with grace.

If God's grace could talk... Actually, it already has. And is. And does. And here's what it sounds like. It sounds like hope for days when life feels absolutely overwhelming. It sounds like promise that speaks into every relationship, no matter how desperately in need or how dear to your heart. It sounds like sufficiency in all those places where none of us is ever good enough. It sounds like confidence that would make no sense at all except the full weight of God is steadfastly behind it. If God's grace could talk, it would sound exactly like what this book says in every Scripture on every page. And it wouldn't sound nearly as old as it actually is, because it's new every morning and within instant reach at every moment. It would sound like God, talking directly to you. Because He is. And does. And always does it with grace.

If God's grace could talk... Actually, it already has. And is. And does. And here's what it sounds like. It sounds like hope for days when life feels absolutely overwhelming. It sounds like promise that speaks into every relationship, no matter how desperately in need or how dear to your heart. It sounds like sufficiency in all those places where none of us is ever good enough. It sounds like confidence that would make no sense at all except the full weight of God is steadfastly behind it. If God's grace could talk, it would sound exactly like what this book says in every Scripture on every page. And it wouldn't sound nearly as old as it actually is, because it's new every morning and within instant reach at every moment. It would sound like God, talking directly to you. Because He is. And does. And always does it with grace.

If God's grace could talk... Actually, it already has. And is. And does. And here's what it sounds like. It sounds like hope for days when life feels absolutely overwhelming. It sounds like promise that speaks into every relationship, no matter how desperately in need or how dear to your heart. It sounds like sufficiency in all those places where none of us is ever good enough. It sounds like confidence that would make no sense at all except the full weight of God is steadfastly behind it. If God's grace could talk, it would sound exactly like what this book says in every Scripture on every page. And it wouldn't sound nearly as old as it actually is, because it's new every morning and within instant reach at every moment. It would sound like God, talking directly to you. Because He is. And does. And always does it with grace.

Benedictine monastic spirituality has emerged as an antidote to the spiritual and cultural challenges facing people of faith today. In this book, the author focuses specifically on GRACE, and the benevolence of God as it expresses itself in many different ways along our spiritual journey. What is a person likely to experience when beginning to give up him or herself conscientiously to the spiritual journey? In this beautiful guide, gradually, we come to realize that everything that happens in our lives is somehow the gift of our loving Father. Every journey is ultimately individual. As Casey explains, what you hear within your own spirit is more significant than what he can say. But his aim is to help you listen to the voice of God in your heart.

Over 200,000 copies soldYou are never beyond the reach of God's grace—or the need for it.Being a Christian is about more than just accepting salvation—it's about regularly becoming more like Jesus. This is hard work. As we struggle to become more like Christ, we can easily lose sight of grace in favor of the discipline we put ourselves through.It's time to take another look at the role we play—and God plays—in our growth as a Christian. Renowned author Jerry Bridges offers a clear and thorough explanation of the gospel and what it means to the believer. A must-read for Christians wanting to grow in their faith, this book will comfort and challenge you as you learn about the disciplines of:CommitmentConvictionsChoicesAdversityAnd moreEqually challenging and comforting, Bridges uses his relaxed, everyday style alongside hard-hitting truths. Now with an added study guide for personal use or group discussion so you can dive deeper into this staple of Jerry Bridges's classic collection.“The writings of Jerry Bridges are a gift to the church. He addresses a relevant topic with the wisdom of a scholar and the heart of a servant.” —Max Lucado, pastor and bestselling author

What is the relationship between the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the action of grace? John Meinert's The Love of God Poured Out enters into the major positions and debates within Thomism to forge a new synthesis on this topic within the greater body of scholarship existing today. Meinert reads Aquinas's thought on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and grace in an integral and analogous way. Not only does The Love of God Poured Out aid scholars in understanding Aquinas's thought on these two issues, it also once more clarifies the truth that the Holy Spirit and his gifts are neither a devout appendix to moral theology nor a pious nod to tradition. They are the heart and height of the moral life, a life lived subditus Deo.

Everyone loves to receive a gift. And God has given us many, such as his grace—the gift we don't deserve and can never earn. Promises from the One who declares we are already loved, already accepted, already created in his image. The question becomes, will we truly receive that gift? Will the reality of it actually change the way we think and notice and reach out?God's Word will stand forever, in any season of life. These truths prompt us to respond with compassion and courage. Through inspiring devotions, Lucinda Secrest McDowell reveals biblical blessings that remind us that: God's promises give us strength, God's grace can be most evident at our weakest points, a proper response to our abundance of blessings is simply gratitude, and the “more” we are all looking for is the same abundant life that Jesus came to give us.Would you like to receive these gifts of ordinary grace? Join Lucinda in focusing on one word a day through devotional readings and short benedictions for any and every season to explore the many facets of Grace, Strength, Gratitude, and Life. Ordinary Graces is filled with sweet surprises. Lucinda SecretMcDowell presents her readers with one powerful word gift a day. Sheskillfully defines it within a biblical context, and then challenges usto take an action step. This devotional will transform the way you liveeach day. I highly recommend it!—Carol Kent, speaker and author He Holds My Hand AuthorLucinda Secrest McDowell has given us an extraordinary book with hernewest release, Ordinary Graces, Word Gifts for Any Season. Althoughthis wonderful resource is one you'll always want close at hand, it'salso one that you'll find yourself sharing with those you meet who needencouragement and hope. McDowell is an author you'll turn to again andagain when you're looking to connect with our Heavenly Father in adeeper, more intimate way. Truly a book that is a gift to us all.—Edie Melson, Award Winning Author, Blogger, and SpeakerLucindaalways brings me to a place closer to God, deeper in the Word, happierin relationships and more joyful in life with Ordinary Graces.—Pam Farrel, author of 45 books including Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti and 7 Simple Skills for Every WomanWhetherread one day at a time or in a season of refreshing, Ordinary Graces byLucinda Secrest McDowell offers focused reflection on key,attitude-altering words. McDowell's interweaving of quotes from otherthoughtful considerers adds even more depth to the beautifully expressedponderings. —Cynthia Ruchti, author Mornings With Jesus and As My Parents AgeLittledid Lucinda Secrest McDowell know that my ‘life verse'is John 1:16:‘For of His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.'InOrdinary Graces, Lucinda has conveyed the strategic importance oflooking for and finding God's grace in our everyday lives. His gracedoes transform our lives. Gently. Tenderly. Wonderfully. The words shehas chosen are exquisitely real and important to my life—and yours.Indulge in the grace-filled truth she is sharing. Take it for yourself. —Ruth Graham, author In Every Pew Sits a Broken HeartWhata delight to slow down for a few minutes of quiet with this beautifullywritten devotional, Ordinary Graces. In a world of hurry, Lucinda'swords remind us there is grace and strength available if we will juststop to receive. Each day's reading will speak to you from Scriptureand change your life for the better. —Arlene Pellicane, author of Calm, Cool, and Connected: 5 Digital Habits for a More Balanced LifeInthe beginning was the Word... and there were words... and they allhad meaning and they were good for the spirit

Four-session study on the wonder of God's grace.

Four-session study on the wonder of God's grace.

Did you know that your brokenness could be a gift? Be the Gift, by New York Times bestselling author Ann Voskamp, will challenge and encourage you to listen to God and look for opportunities to be His gift to others. Ann Voskamp's Be the Gift will teach you:Even in the depths of your brokenness, God can use you to be a gift to someone elseThat our lives become more abundant by giving forwardHow to put your brokenness into action and bless those around you each day of the yearBe the Gift will be an incredible gift to any loved one. It includes:Beautifully designed quotations and inspirational versesAnn's signature photographyBe the Gift will unpack and chronicle your steps to living in communion--opening ourselves up to givenness in spite of our brokenness.

In Secular Grace Dana Freibach-Heifetz addresses the crisis of modernity, proposing an ethic of love based on a new philosophical concept of “secular grace'as intersubjective relations. Anchored in secular humanism as well as within the existentialist tradition, yet recognizing their limitations, Secular Grace seeks to protrude them by means of dialogue with their other: Christianity. Inspired by a variety of intellectual roots from ancient Greece to post modernist thinkers - chiefly the deliberations of Buber and Levinas in the encounter with the other, and notions of gift and friendship – it offers a rich concept of Secular Grace. It furthermore examines the possibilities of grace towards the dead, self-grace and secular salvation.

'It is not the object of this book to ask anything of you, but to tell you that salvation is ALL OF GRACE, which means, free, gratis, for nothing.'All of Grace is a simple and eloquent presentation of basic salvation through grace alone. Spurgeon wants readers only to consume his work and ponder it, he asks nothing in return because he believes in the power of God to bring unbelievers to Him. This classic text brought into contemporary English is both a perfect introduction to salvation and an assurance of it for unbelievers and the saved alike. In the last line, Spurgeon beseeches readers to accept salvation now and'Meet me in heaven.'The Read & Reflect with the Classics edition of All of Grace includes the classic text in an easy to read adaption coupled with personal reflection questions, additional study questions, and prayer prompts for today's Christian reader.

The'right'homeschooling philosophy. The'right'brand of theology. The'right'meal-planning, home-managing, keep-it-all-together parenting. Kendra Fletcher, homeschooling mom of eight, had it all'right,'until it all fell apart. In the course of eighteen months, Kendra found her baby in a coma, ran over her five-year-old, and nearly lost her eight-year-old to a septic ruptured appendix. Lost and Found is the story of how God used those events to transform her family's self-righteous religion into freedom in Christ. Fletcher's debut book is the gripping true story of how God used suffering to save her family from empty religion. As wave after wave of crisis hit, the Fletchers discovered that getting religion'right'wasn't a good substitute for a living relationship with a loving God. Through their suffering, they learned about misplaced identities and false hope, and they threw themselves wholly into the arms of Jesus—where they found the grace they needed. Fletcher, a well-known writer and conference speaker in Christian homeschooling circles, addresses the quiet legalism that so easily infiltrates Christian communities and exposes the dangers of focusing our hopes on the'right'ways of worship, work, and family life. More than a memoir, Lost and Found invites all of us to give up the things that hold us in bondage and find our value, worth, significance, hope, and identity in Christ alone.

Over 300,000 copies soldIsn't it time to stop trying to measure up?Too many of us embrace grace for our salvation but then leave it behind in our everyday lives. We base our relationship with God on our performance rather than on His love for us. But our performance can never earn us the love we so desperately crave. Renowned author Jerry Bridges's Transforming Grace is a fountainhead of inspiration and renewal that will show you just how inexhaustible and generous God's grace really is. Live confidently in God's unfailing love, as you learn about:The sufficiency of graceHoliness as a gift of God's graceWhat it means to appropriate God's graceOur calling to be freeNow with an added study guide for personal use or group discussion so you can dive deeper into this staple of Jerry Bridges's classic collection. Abandon the treadmill of performance and step into a daily life of guilt-free intimacy with our Creator.“An honest, gentle, searching book on a great theme by a wise teacher... I highly recommend it.” —J. I. Packer, author and speaker“Another inspired and powerful work by Jerry Bridges, that brings us face-to-face with a reality we tend to forget—our own constant need for God's grace.” —Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship

According to Thomas Aquinas, the Eucharist is meant to build up the unity of the church. This desired ecclesial unity is, however, not often given adequate treatment. In Speaking with Aquinas, David Farina Turnbloom seeks to describe the relationship between the celebration of the Eucharist and the unity of the church. By examining Aquinas's treatment of grace and virtues, this book allows the reader to understand Aquinas's eucharistic theology within the context of the spiritual life of the church. In the end, Turnbloom retrieves a Thomistic theology of the Eucharist that arises from Aquinas's concern for the virtuous life of the church, rather than a eucharistic theology that too narrowly focuses on theories of transubstantiation.

Grace is the heart of the Christian gospel. It's a doctrine that touches the very depths of human existence and makes Christianity such an essential alternative to the dissolution and nihilism of modern culture. Grace Alone guides you into a better doctrinal understanding of the issue and gives you a more glorious vision of an active and saving God. The language of grace fills the Bible so much that to say'grace alone'may not evoke much reflection. Unlike'faith alone,'there's no theological controversy among expressions of Christianity. Reviving one of the five great declarations of the Reformation (and one of the more overlooked)—sola Gratia—professor and church historian Carl Trueman: Provides a thorough definition of grace as it's found in the Bible and an overview of biblical references to, and teaching on, grace.Tracks the doctrine of grace as it's been articulated throughout church history, with discussions of Augustine, Pelagius, Thomas Aquinas, and ending with the Reformation and theologies of Luther and Calvin.Looks at the relationship between the means of grace and the modern church, defining the practical implications of the Reformation's understanding of grace.Explanations throughout on the relationship of grace to sin, salvation and glorification, God's sovereignty, the sacraments, and the controversies regarding freewill and predestination. Grace Alone is a beautiful and much-needed revival of this foundational doctrine and the assurance of salvation.—THE FIVE SOLAS—Historians and theologians have long recognized that at the heart of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation were five declarations, often referred to as the'solas.'These five statements summarize much of what the Reformation was about, and they distinguish Protestantism from other expressions of the Christian faith: that they place ultimate and final authority in the Scriptures, acknowledge the work of Christ alone as sufficient for redemption, recognize that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and seek to do all things for God's glory.The Five Solas Series is more than a simple rehashing of these statements, but instead expounds upon the biblical reasoning behind them, leading to a more profound theological vision of our lives and callings as Christians and churches.

The world is fractured. Tensions are high, patience is low, and goodwill is hard to come by. In The Genius of One, author and pastor Greg Holder reminds us of the high value Jesus and his early followers placed on community and offers guidance for how to see and relate to one another in emotionally and spiritually healthy ways so that we, the church, can fulfill Jesus'prayer for us and model a better way of loving one another in a fractured world.Tracing back to a prayer Jesus prayed on the worst night of his life, “That they”—that we—“would be one,” Holder takes his readers on a winding journey from that glorious prayer to the practical realities of everyday life. For those who cling to the hope that God is still at work, this book will both stir a deeper longing for a better way and provide practical steps toward that way.

Geordie W. Ziegler offers an exploration of the concept of'grace'in the thought of T. F. Torrance, and what it means for understanding the Christian life as'participation'in Christ's ongoing humanity. He clarifies Torrance's claim that Christ's vicarious humanity intensifies, rather than lessens, the necessity of human response to God in sacrificial and Christ-like service. Specifically, Ziegler demonstrates the centrality of Torrance's concept of grace across the dogmatic spectrum and argues that grace, for Torrance, is a downward, twofold movement from and to the Father, through the Son in the Spirit. This understanding of grace distinctly defines the Christian life as the gift of sharing in the Son's relation with the Father through the Spirit. This project is distinct in that it articulates a Trinitarian approach to grace which spans the entire dogmatic spectrum. Part One considers grace as a movement of the Trinity, expressed in the economy of salvation. Part Two applies this understanding of grace to the human person. It traces the way in which human beings, through the Holy Spirit, participate in Christ's Sonship within the three concentric levels of anthropology, ecclesiology, and personal formation in Christ.

Some say there were two thieves crucified on Golgotha, but I believe there were Three.“Gutsy. Unexpected. Refreshing. Chris Durso explains the story of saving Grace in a language that both the world and the Church, sinners and so-called saints, can understand. The Heist walks us down the road with the prodigal son, inviting us to come home to the One who has a grace-party waiting. Fresh and accessible, I believe this book will help many live fully and freely in Jesus.”—Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church, founder of Passion Conferences, author of Goliath Must Fall In the ultimate act of sacrifice, Jesus robbed the Enemy of every claim he ever had on our lives. He stole all our shame and guilt, and gave us back our lives so that we could live in true freedom. The real scandal of Jesus'work on the cross is found not only in what it gives but also in what it steals. The Grace of God robs the enemy of his ability to shame us. It robs death of its sting. And it robs sin of its power to destroy. We've all felt the weight of shame and brokenness. Like the prodigal son, we've pursued our own path only to find ourselves far from home and out of options. We long for a fresh start, but what we need most is the ability to see ourselves through God's eyes of grace. New York City pastor Chris Durso believes grace is the central message of all Scripture. While there have been some daring heists and cunning capers throughout history, this book is about the greatest heist the world has ever seen…a daring raid where God's son took back what the enemy had stolen, freeing us from the power of shame, sin, and Satan. Through a fresh take on the parable of the prodigal son, and the fascinating account of a true modern day diamond heist, The Heist offers a bold invitation into God's boundless grace.

This eBook includes the full text of the book plus an exclusive Overcoming Overwhelm ebook not found in the hardcover!I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection. As a busy wife, new mother, business owner, and designer, Emily Ley came to a point when she suddenly realized she couldn't do it all. She needed to simplify her life, organize her days, and prioritize the priorities. She decided to hold herself to a standard of grace rather than perfection. This mantra led to the creation of her bestselling Simplified Planner®, a favorite among busy women everywhere—from mamas to executives and everywhere in between.Grace, Not Perfection takes this message from a daily planner to an inspirational book that encourages women to simplify and prioritize. Designed with Emily Ley's signature aesthetic, this book gives women tangible ways to simplify their lives to give space to what matters most. With a focus on faith, Emily reminds readers that God abundantly pours out grace on us—and that surely we can extend grace to ourselves. Have you been told you can have it all, only to end up exhausted and occasionally out of sorts with the people you love? Are you ready for a new way of seeing your time? Learn to live a little more simply. Hold yourself and those you love to a more life-giving standard in Grace Not Perfection,and allow that grace to seep into into your days, your family, and your heart.Ideas include:List Making 101—tips to create effective to-do lists and get through them one step at a timeSimplify your life by simplifying the three major areas: your space, your time, and your mindStrategies to center your day around an intentionally slower rhythm of life

Jonathan Edwards'theologically sophisticated psychology of grace remains one of the deepest and most fertile theological psychologies in the Protestant tradition. The heart of his account lies in his foundational doctrine of spiritual perception where he locates the psychological core of the engraced Christian life. This work revisits Edwards'doctrine from the perspective of recent work in the philosophy of emotions and other related philosophical sub-disciplines. The aim is to recover this often neglected theme in contemporary theology and renew it by bringing Edwards'theological insights into conversation with various spheres of contemporary philosophical discussion. The account of spiritual perception that emerges from this interdisciplinary dialogue is one that seeks to revise, update and deepen Edwards'own thinking on the matter in five major ways. The book concludes by arguing that the capacity for spiritual and emotional perception of the supreme good is grounded upon a wisdom-like seminal virtue centred upon the incarnate Christ (i.e., Christocentric wisdom). Such wisdom, on the renewed account, is considered the psychological core of transforming grace and the foundational basis upon which all other Christian virtues are formed.

Recognizing the Gift puts twentieth-century Catholic theological conversations on nature and grace, particularly those of Henri de Lubac and Karl Rahner, into dialogue with Continental philosophy, notably the thought of Jean-Luc Marion and Paul Ricoeur. It argues that a renewed theology of nature and grace must build on the accomplishments of the recent past while acknowledging that an engagement with the political is unavoidable for theology. Ultimately, the aim is to revive and broaden discussion of nature and grace by drawing together the insights of contemporary theologians and Continental philosophers. Too often these areas of inquiry remain quite separate, in part due to differing priorities. This work tries to open that conversation, in part by critically pointing out, in dialogue with Ricoeur, the need in Marion's work for an acknowledgment of recognition, reciprocity, and the political. It thus argues for a theology of nature and grace in terms of recognition of the gift, drawing out the reciprocal and political nature of gift and givenness in opposition to those, including Marion, who would seek to avoid politics and reciprocity as a proper avenue of inquiry for theology.

Offering a fresh approach to one significant aspect of the soteriology of Thomas Aquinas, God's Grace and Human Action brings new scholarship and insights to the issue of merit in Aquinas's theology. Through a careful historical analysis, Joseph P. Wawrykow delineates the precise function of merit in Aquinas's account of salvation. Wawrykow accounts for the changes in Thomas's teaching on merit from the early Scriptum on the Sentences of Peter Lombard to the later Summa theologiae in two ways. First, he demonstrates how the teaching of the Summa theologiae discloses the impact of Thomas's profound encounter with the later writings of Augustine on predestination and grace. Second, Wawrykow notes the implications of Thomas's mature theological judgment that merit is best understood in the context of the plan of divine wisdom. The portrayal of merit in sapiential terms in the Summa permits Thomas to insist that the attainment of salvation through merit testifies not only to the dignity of the human person but even more to the goodness of God.

Gospel and Kingdom and New Covenant coherent Theological system, Church and Public praxis, inclusive of the theological discussion and application of the 6th Sola of the Unfinished Reformation, viz: Justice by Grace Alone WITHOUT the ongoing Retributive, (or partially Retributive, Purgatorial, Expiational, or non-Redemptive Church and State atoning) Punishments of the Law, whether of God or man. This breaks major new ground for the advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth in the here and now!

Bound to Be Free uses Scripture to recalibrate our hearts so we can walk in the freedom Christ has provided from sin and from the encumbrances that weigh us down.There's nothing more heartbreaking than to see saints who are bound by performance, not realizing there is freedom through Christ. In the midst of performance, we try to please everyone, to do what we think makes God happy, to live a “good” life... and we don't realize that the walls are closing in around us. There are four walls in the trap of performance: our trajectory, our relationships, our affirmation, and our peers. Each of these speaks deeply to our souls as something we need in order to have a “good life”—but we enslave ourselves to something that will never be enough.Instead, God invites us into the trap of grace, which frees us. The life-giving walls of this trap are trust in God, reconciliation with God, affection from God, and partnership with our brothers and sisters in Christ. As we acknowledge how we are bound by performance, we can—with God's help—flee into the captivity of grace and rest in God's unfailing love.

White-knuckling can never get you where you want to go. But grace can.You already know because you've tried: repeated attempts to earn God's love and approval get you nowhere and leave you exhausted. When performance taints our relationship with him, the Christian life can turn into an unholy hustle. It was never meant to be like this.In Saving the Saved, Pastor Bryan Loritts reveals the astonishing truth that God doesn't want your spiritual scorekeeping. He simply wants your surrender. The punchline of the gospel of Matthew is just that—a message of grace and performance-free love to do-good, try-harder Jews who thought they had to earn their way into God's favor. It's an ancient message, yet it can be a lifeline to us today as we live in a world of performance metrics. Just as Matthew wrote to the Jews in his gospel, we were never meant to flounder under the pressures and anxieties of show Christianity. Make no mistake: we are called to live in obedience, but Jesus wants us to save us from the illusion that our actions can ever earn God's acceptance of us.In Pastor Bryan's relevant, uncompromising style, Saving the Saved proclaims the good news that once the pressure is off to perform, we are free to abide. Beyond the man-made rules and the red tape, there is a God who knows you by name. Come and meet him as you've never known him before.

Tich was a South African sports star who lost it all to alcohol. Joan had recently lost her husband. Their lives were at rock bottom when grace showed up and inspired these two middle class South Africans to move past the racial prejudices of the Apartheid era and launch a ministry together.The result was Lungisisa Indlela village (LIV), the legendary residential facility that rescues children, restores lives, and raises young leaders in South Africa. This is the story of transformed lives—both theirs and the orphans—as a country begins to embrace grace and love others as Christ loves the church.

Die Autorin stellt bedeutsame gabetheoretische Entwürfe aus Sozialwissenschaft und Philosophie vor. Sie legt dar, was die systematische Theologie durch eine gabetheologische Betrachtungsweise gewinnt. Als besonders vielversprechende Problemfelder bearbeitet sie dabei die Themen Rechtfertigung, Opfer, Eucharistie und den Zusammenhang zwischen Gottes- und Nächstenliebe und hebt abschließend die pneumatologische Dimension der Überlegungen ans Licht.

Must the gospel message include a call for people to repent of their sins?'No,'say Free Grace advocates. Is evidence of a changed life an important indication of whether a person is truly born again?'No, again,'these advocates say. But in this book, Wayne Grudem shows how the Bible answers'Yes'to both of these questions, arguing that the Free Grace movement contradicts both historic Protestant teaching and the New Testament itself. This important book explains the true nature of the Christian gospel and answers the question asked by so many people:'How can I know that I'm saved?'

Jesus was quite clear that we must lose our life before we find it. This book gives a hopeful and realistic look at what losing our life entails, articulating how “growth” in the Christian life is not our ascent to God but the process by which our eyes are opened to the beauty God has already given to us. It is a book about descending into God, and into our own inner depths, about the deep waters of the Christian faith. “Put out into the deep and let your nets down for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) We live in a world that values productivity and success, and we vainly imagine that God expects us to be spiritually productive and successful, too. It doesn't matter how much we talk about grace, our conversation is often narrowly focused on what we need to do for God—so much so that we often block the work God longs to do in us. This book does not articulate God's work as a process by which we become spiritually strong, but rather as the process by which we embrace our weakness as the place where we most fully experience God's perfect strength (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Right now you are probably feeling guilty about one thing or another—what you said to your spouse last night, those unrelenting thoughts, something you did years ago and regret, actual lying and cheating, the places where you are struggling right now. What do you do with this guilt? Do you try to ignore it? Bury it? Would you like to know how to handle it for good, how to find true and lasting forgiveness? Steve Brown shares that real guilt is the compass God uses to lead us back to Christ where we can be reminded that his death paid the debt for all our sins. There is no more punishment left. We are forgiven, and if we're forgiven there's no reason to be swallowed up by guilt. When you know Jesus, there is no longer any need to avoid or be afraid of guilt. If you stray there is always the opportunity for honest confession and repentance, and reorienting your heart to the love of God in Christ.

The postmodern human condition and relationship to God were forged in response to Auschwitz. Christian theology must now address the challenge posed by the Shoah. Grace in Auschwitz offers a constructive theology of grace that enables twenty-first-century Westerners to relate meaningfully to the Christian tradition in the wake of the Holocaust and unprecedented evil. Through narrative theological testimonial history, the first part articulates the human condition and relationship to God experienced by concentration camp inmates. The second part draws from the lives and works of Simone Weil, Dorothee Solle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Alfred Delp, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Sergei Bulgakov to propose and apply a coherent kenotic model enabling the transposition of the Christian doctrine of grace into categories strongly correlating with the experience of Auschwitz survivors. This model centers on the vulnerable Jesus Christ, a God who takes on the burden of the human condition and freely suffers alongside and for human beings. In and through the person of Jesus, God is made present and active in the midst of spiritual desolation and destitution, providing humanity and solace to others.

Theologinnen und Theologen aus verschiedenen Teilen der Welt denken über das Thema'Befreit durch Gottes Gnade'und drei Unterthemen (Erlösung – Menschen – Schöpfung) nach. Leitend ist dabei die Einsicht, dass weder die Erlösung noch der Mensch und die Schöpfung insgesamt durch menschliches Vermögen zu erwerben sind. Schon gar nicht sind Gott, Mensch und Welt für Geld zu haben. Anlass für diese Vergewisserung eines Grundanliegens der lutherischen Kirchen weltweit ist die Vorbereitung auf die Feiern des Lutherischen Weltbundes zum 500. Reformationsjubiläum. Die Beiträge ermöglichen Einblicke in die wichtigen Themen und Herausforderungen, vor denen die Mitglieder der weltweiten Kirchengemeinschaft in den verschiedenen Kontexten jeden Tag stehen. Das theologische Konzept der Rechtfertigung durch Gottes Gnade und dessen Folgen für die verschiedenen Aspekte des Lebens waren die wichtigsten Leitprinzipien für die Texte, von denen jeder einzelne drei Fragen enthält, die zu weitergehender Reflexion und Diskussion im eigenen Kontext einladen. Das Werk erscheint in vier, in einem Schuber zusammengefassten Heften und kann nur vollständig erworben werden. Heft 1: Befreit durch Gottes Gnade – 500 Jahre Reformation Heft 2: Erlösung – Für Geld nicht zu haben Heft 3: Menschen – Für Geld nicht zu haben Heft 4: Schöpfung – Für Geld nicht zu haben [Liberated by God´s Grace. 2017 – 500 Years of Reformation] In these four booklets, theologians from all parts of the world reflect on the main theme and three sub-themes (Liberated by God's Grace: Salvation – Not for Sale; Human Beings – Not for Sale; Creation –Not for Sale) of the Lutheran World Federation's commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. This collection of essays provides profound insights into the crucial issues and challenges daily faced by the members of the worldwide Lutheran communion in very diverse contexts. The theological concept of justification by God's grace and its consequences for different dimensions of life serve as the main guiding principles for the essays, each one of which is accompanied by three questions that invite to further contextual reflection on the subject.

The problem of nature and grace lies at the heart of Christian theology. No dimension of divine revelation can be addressed without implicitly drawing reference to this issue.Analogies of Transcendence focuses on the central role that the analogies of being and faith play in developing a solution to the problem. These link God, as self-manifesting transcendence, to the human person as both fallen and justified, and to the material cosmos. Although the proposed solution draws on the work of Maréchal, de Lubac, Balthasar, and Rahner, it criticizes their approach for its underdeveloped analogies that diminish nature in grace's engagement with it. In redressing this weakness, Fr. Fields adapts its solution to the intellectual struggle of our time. This volume examines the origins and structure of modernity, which, it asserts, has not been superseded and is therefore critical of'‘postmodernism,'as well as of some ambiguous legacies of Thomism.

The songwriter got it right—God's grace is truly amazing. But the beauty of this gift is getting lost amid misinformation and outright error. In The Grace Controversy, Michael L. Brown, PhD, reveals the truth about God's grace, separating the facts from the extreme message of the modern “grace revolution.” Brown explains:Why the law is goodHow to break free of legalismHow to be victorious over sinHow to enter into God's rest—and run with perseveranceAt a time when the church needs a fresh encounter with Jesus, the hyper-grace message is lulling many to sleep. The Grace Controversy carefully presents what the Bible says about grace, sin, and sanctification, and empowers readers to avoid compromise and live holy, victorious lives in Christ.

Few topics in theology are as complex and multifaceted as grace: over the course of centuries, many seemingly arbitrary distinctions and arcane debates have arisen around it. Edward Oakes, however, argues that all of these distinctions and debates are ultimately motivated by one central question: What are God'sintentions for the world? In A Theology of Grace in Six Controversies Oakes examines issues relating to grace and points them back to that central question, illuminating and explaining what is really at stake in these debates. Maintaining that controversies clarify issues, especially those as convoluted as that of grace, Oakes works through six central debates on the topic, including sin and justification, evolution and original sin, and free will and predestination.

The triune God of grace, James B. Torrance tirelessly insisted, is the true agent to transform worship, mission, and society. Unfortunately, the church often lapses into moralism and legalism, or exhortations and condemnations, rather than witnessing to the sole-sufficient grace of God in Christ. When we neglect the Trinity, a de facto unitarianism throws the church back onto its own existence and resources. In Christ, however, the church participates through the Spirit in union with Christ's communion with the Father. By so doing, it also participates in Christ's mission to the world. The essays of this volume articulate and extend Torrance's evangelical theology, which draws attention away from ourselves and toward the triune God who is for us and for the world.

In Common Grace Abraham Kuyper presents to the church a vision for cultural engagement rooted in the humanity Christians share with the rest of the world. Kuyper fills a gap in the development of Reformed teaching on divine grace, and he articulates a Reformed understanding of God's gifts that are common to all people after the fall into sin. This first volume contains Kuyper's demonstration of the biblical basis for common grace and how it works. This new translation of Common Grace, created in partnership with the Kuyper Translation Society and the Acton Institute, is part of a major series of new translations of Kuyper's most important writings. The Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology marks a historic moment in Kuyper studies, aimed at deepening and enriching the church's development of public theology.

How God's Unlimited Grace Leads Us to Heartfelt Obedience What if obeying God is not just dreary duty—going through the motions to avoid God's wrath or earn his favor? What if following Christ is pure joy—living in loving response to a grace so profound that it changes all our motivations and affections? Far from encouraging sin, this biblical understanding of grace fuels and empowers the obedience that God commands. Explaining why grace is important and giving us tools to discover it in all of Scripture, Unlimited Grace helps us to see how gospel joy transforms our hearts and makes us passionate for Christ's purposes. Experienced pastor and author Bryan Chapell takes insights from a lifetime of relishing God's grace and pours them into this highly accessible and engaging book, helping readers see how God's grace shines through all of Scripture, for all of life.

Foreword Reviews'2016 INDIES Book of the Year Award, Silver Winner in Self-HelpIn many ways society teaches us to try to have everything under our control. If we are honest, we tend to think that this can be true even of our spiritual lives. But Mark Yaconelli eloquently expresses the reality of our situation:'We are small, sensitive creatures with short lifespans, in a world that is often chaotic, capricious, mysterious, terrible and wonderful all at the same time. Failure, disappointment, loss and other difficult experiences call us to accept our humanity, feel grateful for what has been given, receive the care of others and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit.'Using extraordinary stories from his own life and the lives of others, Yaconelli offers a narrative journey through ways in which disappointments have turned into gifts. In these pages are a wealth of spiritual practices that will carry us deeper into the grace we find in unexpected places.