The God of Promise and the Life of Faith

Simply the best

THE GOD OF PROMISE AND THE LIFE OF FAITH
Understanding the heart of the Bible
By Scott J. Hafemann
Crossway
ISBN 1 58134 261 6

This is quite simply the best book on knowing God that I have read since Jim Packer's book of that title.

It is written by an American theologian for pastors and serious Christians to provide a basic framework for understanding the Scriptures in a way that will stimulate us to take up the Bible for ourselves and to seek all our satisfaction in God. I read it on holiday (twice) and found it enormously helpful on such themes as:

- the unity of the Bible and of the covenant relationships God establishes;
- the place of the law and the demand for obedience which flows from God's unconditional grace and his conditional promises, an essential obedience which expresses faith, hope and love;
- the place of suffering in the lives of God's children;
- and the role of the Spirit in beginning the work of transforming God's children into God's character.

There are some wonderfully detailed footnotes but sadly no bibliography, though he does speak of his indebtedness to Daniel Fuller and his student John Piper.

Alan Black

© Evangelicals Now - March 2004
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Main Articles

• Up goes the new building
  The opening of Grace Baptist Church's new building in Southport in January
• 'Worse than us!'
  Gerard Chrispin explains there are double standards even in prison
• Service out of suffering
  Elisa Beynon talks to a Christian couple involved in fostering
• TxT us to Brazil
  Lise Dawson tells us about God's blessing on her youth group
• Getting the message out
  The substance of Vaughan Roberts's important message at NEAC in Blackpool, September 2003
• Whatever happened to the Brethren?
• Church family?
  Part I on intergenerational tension in the church
• The Third Degree
  Sold out for Christ
• Letter from America
  A tale of two games
• The Music Exchange
  What I used to think...
• Monthly arts column
  Bunyan revisited
• Monthly youth leaders column
  The area youth service?

Other articles

• A case for Amillennialism - Understanding the end times
• The passion of Jesus Christ
• Bryn - Bryn Terfel with the London Symphony Orchestra et al
• Grace - amazing grace - An edited extract
• Cold Mountain
• The God of Promise and the Life of Faith - Understanding the heart of the Bible
• The West, Islam & Islamism
• Christian Hymns
• Lessons in depravity - Sex education & the sexual revolution
• The message of Zechariah
• Holes
• Strategic level spiritual warfare - A modern mythology?
• More than a Methodist - The life and ministry of Donald English
• The road home
• Voices behind the veil
• The voice of God
• Christianity explored - Study guide: leader's guide
• In pursuit of the truth
• The safe place
• Street children
• Exodus: Mission of God
• Moses: Friend of God
• A study guide to the book of Exodus