The New Covenant as a Paradigm for Optimal Relations regards the New Covenant primarily as a gracious and merciful redemptive deal, springing from God's unilateral, unconditional, and proactive initiative. The New Covenant is adopted as representing both a salvific and an exemplary paradigm that displays God's gracious and merciful ways toward his children. Ten discrete, yet interwoven principles are extracted from, interpreted, and abstracted from Scriptures pertaining to the promised New Covenant. These principles apply to those who, as dearly beloved children, are invited to imitate God's loving ways. God's manner of love defines the foundational basis from which the author derives and elaborates the propositions that guide the considerations pertaining to thoughts, feelings, motivations, and behaviors that enter into play in relational transactions. In terms of style, an architectural design permeates the content of this book, offering and encompassing a metacognitive view of God's covenantal ways: a top-down perspective that applies to bottom-up endeavors of relational nature. The challenges posed by our cultural, postmodern trends--devoid of absolute principles and lacking a moral compass--are countered and addressed by the author in insightful fashion, offering theologically-based guidelines integrated to sound psychological principles, applicable to psychotherapeutic and counseling endeavors as well as to pastoral care.

God has always dealt with his people through the covenant, yet covenant theology from a Baptist perspective is a teaching that is all too often neglected. Many Baptists don't know why they are Baptist. If questioned they are most likely to respond by alluding to the mode of baptism rather than its underlying theology. This book is easily accessible, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the historical Baptist position. The work points out the errors inherent in the Reformed paedobaptist paradigm, and seeks to show that the only covenant of grace is the new covenant in Christ.

Join us as we explore the historic understanding of Covenant and show how this understanding can be used to build the deepest and most powerful relationship with God. What kind of relationship did Jesus intend when He offered a New Covenant relationship? How is a Covenant relationship different from all others? In our day we have lost this understanding. We view covenant as a kind of contract intended to define --or confine--our behavior. Or, we believe our relationship can be whatever we want it to be. Instead, Covenant is a very specific thing. As we enter a Covenant, our identity changes. We are joined to another in a bond of shared identity. The model for this is the Trinity, three distinct beings joined by a common nature and identity. Covenant does not just connect, it transforms. But building our new, transformed life--now connected to God in the most intimate way--is a process with many steps. Much is required of us in this process. God's plan is detailed in Scripture, but is also inherent in the nature of the relationship itself. Covenant is truly the heart of God's plan for our life, and for all of humanity.

This book provides a thorough study of the sole biblical foundation of marriage as given in the short description of Genesis 2:24: "For this reason a wipfpass

"This is not for the faint of heart, nor for Christians who want to be entertained. This is for hungry Bible students seeking vast, deep answers to a vast, deep subject""the all-important subject of Love. This book could and should be the standalone text for an 8 credit hour college course, mandatory for every accredited Bible student. And, it is a must for every layman who wants to understand the most important teachings of the Bible on a serious level." - Jesse Steele, Moody Bible Institute Alum This book is offered to help you love the Lord with your whole heart and to better know your Creator. It is intended to help clarify some lingering misunderstandings that trace back far into biblical history. The book deals with the righteousness and holiness of God as seen in His laws, but from a New Covenant perspective: love. Showing the distinction between the dispensational Law of Moses and the eternal and unchanging Law of God, the book focuses on love, as love is the focus of both the Law of God and the Law of Moses (Rom. 13:8). It's all about loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself, even loving your enemy. With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. These matters have the greatest bearing on our future reward in the heavenly kingdom and upon the power of our ministry today. With a clearer view of this line in the Bible, it is our prayer that we will all stand more confidently as we await and hasten the return of our Lord. Seek first his kingdom and its righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. The book also covers emerging research regarding the 364-day calendar of the books of 1st Enoch and Jubilees, and how to manage it in a 365-day context. I think you will enjoy studying this with us. Think about it, your Creator wants to have dates with you, on the dates that his feasts have been observed in the heavens since creation. As we journeyed through these things I was humbled to receive seven dreams from the Lord to help shepherd us through, which I document in the appendix. Several in our extended family have also been warned and encouraged in dreams. The arm of Yahweh is not short to also give you dreams and other works of the coming kingdom. But it all begins with desperate searching in his Word. Keep asking, and you will receive. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you!

Does the Bible support the concept of "once saved, always saved," or can a person lose his or her salvation? Among the most hotly debated topics in the history of Christian theology has been the perseverance of the saints. How do the Scriptures portray the complex interplay between grace and free will? These and related questions are explored from different angles in this thought-provoking Counterpoints volume. The contributors each state their case for one of four prominent views on eternal security: Classical Calvinist – presented by Michael S. Horton Moderate Calvinist – presented by Norman L. Geisler Reformed Arminian – presented by Stephen M. Ashby Wesleyan Arminian – presented by J. Steven Harper In keeping with the forum approach of the Counterpoints series, each view is first presented by its proponent, then critiqued and defended. This fair and respectful approach allows you to weigh for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of the different doctrinal stances. By furnishing you with scholarly and thoughtful perspectives on the topic of eternal security, this book helps you sift through opposing views to arrive at your own informed conclusions.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.