Making Sense of

With a strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine-what the whole Bible teaches us today about a particular topic; clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum; and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of the Bible is required reading for understanding the relevant passages of Scripture. Topics include Canon of Scripture: the list of all books that belong in the Bible; Authority of Scripture: all words in Scripture are God's words because that is what the Bible claims for itself; Clarity of Scripture: the Bible is written so that its teachings are able to be understood by all who read it; Necessity of Scripture: the Bible is necessary for knowledge of the gospel; and Sufficiency of Scripture: Scripture contains all the words of God he intended his people to have. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of the Bible helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.

With clear writing and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of the Future explores the fulfillment of Scripture-the bodily return of Christ. Topics include but are not limited to the primary views of the Millennium (thousand years): Amillennialism-the reign of Christ is now being fulfilled; Postamillennialism-Christ will return after the millennium; Premillennialism-Christ will come back after the millennium. Whichever view the reader subscribes to, the end result is clear: there will be a sudden, personal, visible, bodily return of Christ. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of the Church helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.

With clear writing-technical terms kept to a minimum-and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of Salvation explores God's common grace to redeem those who will be saved, and to demonstrate his goodness, mercy, justice, and glory. Topics include but are not limited to the order of salvation-from God's choice of people to be saved to the chosen people receiving a resurrection body; effective calling-the act of God the father speaking through the human proclamation of the gospel to summons people to himself in saving faith; regeneration-a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us; and glorification-when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of Salvation helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.

With clear writing-technical terms kept to a minimum-and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of Christ and the Spirit explores Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man in one person. Topics include: The Person of Christ: including the virgin birth-uniting full deity and humanity in one person while enabling Christ's humanity to be without inherited sin-and the incarnation-the act of God the Son whereby he took himself a human nature; The Doctrine of the Atonement: the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation; and Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension: affirming the goodness of God's original creation of man as a creature with a physical body that was "very good", and his rightful place in glory and honor that had not been his before as the God-man. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of Christ and the Spirit helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.

With clear writing and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of the Church explores the community of all true believers for all time-the church. Topics include but are not limited to the invisible church-the church as God sees it; the visible church-the church as Christians on earth see it; the purity of church-the degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct; the primary purpose of the church-ministry to God, believers, and the world; the power of the church-its God-given authority to carry on spiritual warfare, proclaim the gospel, and exercise church discipline; and spiritual gifts-abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of the Church helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.

With clear writing-technical terms kept to a minimum-and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of Who God is explores the existence of God through inner knowledge and evidence found in Scripture and in nature. Topics include but are not limited to Traditional "Proofs" for God's Existence: covering cosmological, teleological, ontological, and moral evidence of the Creator; The Trinity: the three distinct persons each equal to the whole being of God; Creation: including the assertion that, when all the facts are understood, there will be "no final conflicts" between Scripture and natural science; and God's Providence: the Creator's continued involvement with all created things and human actions that make a difference within God's providence. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of Who God is helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.

With clear writing-technical terms kept to a minimum-and a contemporary approach, emphasizing how each doctrine should be understood and applied by present-day Christians, Making Sense of Man and Sin explores how mankind is distorted, but not lost, through sin and is renewed through redemption in Christ. Topics include but are not limited to the creation of male and female, including harmonious personal relationships, equality in personhood and importance, and difference in role and authority; equality and differences in the Trinity; the essential nature of man; and our inherited guilt and corruption because of Adam's sin. Written in a friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect, Making Sense of Man and Sin helps readers overcome wrong ideas, make better decisions on new questions, and grow as Christians.