One of Desiring God's Top 15 Books of 2015 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) Genesis 1:26-27 has served as the locus of most theological anthropologies in the central Christian tradition. However, Richard Lints observes that too rarely have these verses been understood as conceptually interwoven with the whole of the prologue materials of Genesis 1. The construction of the cosmic temple strongly hints that the "image of God" language serves liturgical functions. Lints argues that "idol" language in the...

Just as the Old Testament book of Genesis begins with creation, where humans live in the presence of their Lord, so the New Testament book of Revelation ends with an even more glorious new creation where all of the redeemed dwell with the Lord and his Christ. The historical development between the beginning and the end is crucial, for the journey from Eden to the new Jerusalem proceeds through the land promised to Abraham. The Promised Land is the place where God's people will once again live under his lordship and experience his blessed presence. In this stimulating study from the New...

"Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you," (Zech 1:3 ESV). Repentance concerns the repair of a relationship with God disrupted by human sin. All the major phases of church history have seen diversity and controversy over the doctrine. The first of Luther's famous ninety-five theses nailed to the church door in Wittenburg in 1517 stated that 'the entire life of believers should be one of repentance'. In recent times, two divisive debates within evangelicalism over 'lordship salvation" and "hypergrace" have had repentance at their core. The theme of repentance is evident...

Reformation 21's 2015 End of Year Review of Books "Who shall ascend the mountain of the LORD?" --Psalm 24:3 In many ways, this is the fundamental question of Old Testament Israel's cult--and, indeed, of life itself. How can creatures made from dust become members of God's household "forever"? The question of ascending God's mountain to his house was likely recited by pilgrims on approaching the temple on Mount Zion during the annual festivals. This entrance liturgy runs as an undercurrent throughout the Pentateuch and is at the heart of its central book, Leviticus. Its dominating concern, as...

"At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD" (Genesis 4:26 ESV). From this first mention of prayer in the Bible, right through to the end, when the church prays "Come, Lord Jesus " (Revelation 22:20), prayer is intimately linked with the gospel--God's promised and provided solution to the problem of human rebellion against him and its consequences. After defining prayer simply as "calling on the name of the Lord," Gary Millar follows the contours of the Bible's teaching on prayer. His conviction is that even careful readers can often overlook significant material because it...

The book of Isaiah has nourished the church throughout the centuries. However, its massive size can be intimidating; its historical setting can seem distant, opaque, varied; its organization and composition can seem disjointed and fragmented; its abundance of terse, poetic language can make its message seem veiled--and where are those explicit prophecies about Christ? These are typical experiences for many who try to read, let alone teach or preach, through Isaiah. Andrew Abernethy's conviction is that thematic points of reference can be of great help in encountering Isaiah and its rich...

Many Christians share the assumption that preaching the word of God is at the heart of God's plans for the gospel in our age, that it is vital for the church's health, and that it is the central task of the pastor-teacher. Many helpful books on preaching are available. The vast majority are concerned with "how-to," but relatively few focus primarily on the character and theology of preaching according to Scripture. Two key, interrelated questions need to be addressed. First, is there such a thing as "preaching" that is mandated in the post-apostolic context--and, if there is, how is it...