Kērussōmen

A Journal of Theology for

the African Church

This journal is intended to aid the work of Central Africa

Baptist University in fulfilling its purpose to train the
next generation of servant leaders in Africa for Great
Commission living. The journal raises issues of
theological importance and practical pastoral concern in
order to cultivate Biblical discussion and to build up
pastors and other leaders in African churches.
 Editors

Billy Sichone, Chopo Mwanza Benjamin P. Straub,

ThD, DrApol, PhD D.Min. Th.M.
Senior Editor Editor Editor

Teri Hall
Mechanics Editor Dickson Mwangi
Mechanics Editor

Copyright
Central Africa Baptist University retains all copyrights to the content of this journal. We
encourage you to download and freely distribute the journal in electronic format. However,
you must seek written permission for any print use of the journal. All use of the journal must
acknowledge the source and not change the content.

Submissions
We welcome submissions to Kērussōmen which are in essential agreement with the beliefs and
distinctives of Central Africa Baptist University. You can read about these at the following
links:
http://cabuniversity.com/about/articles-of-faith/
http://cabuniversity.com/about/distinctives/
Editorials: submissions should be between 1,000 to 2,000 words each, addressing a topic of
practical or pastoral concern.
Articles: submissions should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length and be of substantive
scholarly nature, addressing a topic of practical Christian concern. Article submissions should
demonstrate awareness of and interaction with key resources on the topic at hand and should
follow Turabian format.
Submissions may be emailed to the editors: [email protected]. The editors reserve
the right to refuse publication as well as to require recommended changes as a condition of
publication.
Journal Contact Details

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Kitwe, Zambia +260 977 415011

Acknowledgements
Volumes printed in Zambia by: Imbila Publishers, P.O. Box 21891, Kitwe, Zambia
www.imbilapublishers.com
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references in the journal come from the ESV® (The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 It is a delight for me to write this introduction to
Kērussōmen, a theological journal published by
Central Africa Baptist University.
This Journal will reveal our commitment at
Central Africa Baptist University to the explicit
instructions Paul gave to Timothy to “Preach the
Word.” In the midst of busy schedules and ministry challenges, the preacher
must heed this charge. This Journal will challenge you to think deeply about
doctrine, edify you with Biblical instruction, and encourage you with articles
that nourish your soul.
The journal’s title, Kērussōmen, is a Greek name which means, “Let us
preach!” We place this volume into your hands accompanied by a prayer to
God that it will be a valued and helpful contribution to those across Africa who
are engaged in the noble task of preaching.
We pray that Paul’s exhortation will be reality for every preacher who
reads this Journal:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort,
with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not
endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and
wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the
work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:2–5)

Please accept Kērussōmen as our way of reaching out to you with loving
encouragement as you serve Jesus Christ in gospel ministry.

“Let us preach!”

Philip S. Hunt
Vice Chancellor/President
Central Africa Baptist University
Kitwe, Zambia
i
To the Reader:

We are pleased to present the reader with volume 9/2.

The contents of the volume are largely devoted to the topic of

our glorious salvation. In recent times, the term evangelical has
become a useful descriptor to refer to a person or group who
believes and lives by the gospel as taught in Scripture, that is,
the gospel of human deliverance from God’s just condemnation
of sin made possible through the gracious, glorious
substitutionary death of the sinless Son of God. This gospel is
received by faith alone in God to the exclusion of any efforts to
earn God’s favor through human effort. At the very center of the
gospel lies regeneration, couched in the redemptive work of
Christ. Regeneration results in other benefits that make our
salvation glorious. We hope this volume proves useful in
developing in our readers a biblical appreciation of what a great
salvation we have in Christ!

The editors:

Billy Sichone. Chopo C. Mwanza Benjamin P. Straub

ii
KĒRUSSŌMEN 9/1 (2023) 1–3

TO EVERY NATION

Overview of Nigeria
By Prof. John O. Enyinnaya

Introduction
Nigeria is notable for
many things, including
its large and diverse
population, the
popularity of its national
football teams,
Nollywood (the local
movie industry) and its
music artists recognized
across the continent.

General Information
Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world
and is located in the western part of Africa. While the various
ethnic groups that make up the country have existed for
hundreds of years, the entity called Nigeria came into
existence in 1914 when the British colonial rulers
amalgamated the southern and northern sections to form the
nation. According to the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), Nigeria has over 223 million people1. Nigeria has

1
Source: UNFPA, 2023, accessed on 16th November, 2023 and available
at: https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/NG
1
KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

a rich diversity of about three hundred (300) ethnic groups

and five hundred (500) languages. The three major
languages are Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa2. The official
language is English, but pidgin English is also popular,
especially in urban and semi-urban centres, as an alternative
means of communication.

Religious Distribution
Nigeria has three major religions – Christianity, Islam
and African Traditional Religion. About ninety per cent (90%)
of the population is arguably distributed equally between
Christians and Muslims3, while the remaining ten per cent
(10%) is shared by traditional religion and other fringe
persuasions. The Muslim population is predominantly found
in the northern part of the country, while the southern part is
predominantly Christian.

The Christian population comprises Roman

Catholics, Protestants (including Pentecostals) and African
Initiated churches. The growth spot of the church in Nigeria
today is in the Pentecostal movement. Mega churches of the
Pentecostal persuasion dot various parts of Nigeria’s major
cities. There are also large churches of the Roman Catholic
and the older Protestant denominations such as the Anglican,

2
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2023
3
Different sources claim different things. Some of these unconfirmed
sources (e.g. Igwe Leo) seem to suggest that Muslim population is
slightly higher than Christians while others argue the reverse. An
example is found at: https://humanists.international/blog/2023-census-
omission-of-religion-question-and-suppression-of-irreligion-in-
nigeria/#:~:text=Christianity%20and%20Islam%2C%20introduced%20b
y,about%2040%20percent%20are%20Christians. Accessed on 17th
November, 2023.
2
 TO EVERY NATION: NIGERIA
Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. The
prominent Pentecostal denominations include the
Assemblies of God, Redeemed Christian Church of God,
Living Faith, and Deeper Life Bible Church.

Prayer Concerns
• Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim. There is a
need for a concerted mission effort and a divine
breakthrough in reaching that part of the country.

• The church in Nigeria needs to be reawakened to the

urgency of the task of discipleship. This is necessary
for the gains in membership growth not to be reversed
and to achieve stability.

• Many Christians, especially in northern Nigeria, are

experiencing persecution at the hands of Islamic
fundamentalists and insurgents. Communities are
being attacked at night, with the attendant loss of
lives, homes and livelihoods.

• The Pentecostal movement, which is the segment of

the church that is currently experiencing dynamism
and growth, is largely led by untrained ministers. It is
necessary to capture them under the theological
education umbrella to assist them in their work.

• Nigeria’s economy is weak, causing untold hardship

and suffering for a large portion of its population. The
country needs prayers for political and economic
stability and progress.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

May the Lord help our nation as the church seeks to win it for
Christ.

Prof. John O. Enyinnaya (PhD) is a Professor of Theology

at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso,
Nigeria, a Senior Fellow with the ICETE Academy, and a
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Administration. He has
vast experience in his field, an author and consultant
worldwide.

Bibliography
Falola, Toyin, et al.. ‘Nigeria’ Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023),
available at
https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria/Finance

“Nigeria”. (2023). United Nations Population Fund.

https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/NG

“Nigeria History, Language and Culture”. (2023). World Travel

Guide.
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/nigeria/
history-language-culture/

4
 TO EVERY NATION: NIGERIA
Igwe Leo 2023 Census, Omission of Religion Question and
Suppression of Irreligion in Nigeria, Humanists International
(online), accessed on 17th November, 2023. Available at:
https://humanists.international/blog/2023-census-
omission-of-religion-question-and-suppression-of-irreligion-
in-
nigeria/#:~:text=Christianity%20and%20Islam%2C%20intro
duced%20by,about%2040%20percent%20are%20Christians
.

5
KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

EXPLORING THE NATURE AND

BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE
RANSOM THEORY
By Akinwale Oloyede

Introduction
The teaching of salvation by grace through faith in
Jesus Christ is crucial and central to doctrines in Christian
Theology and practices. One of the reasons why the subject
of salvation is core and indispensable to the Christian faith is
the glorious nature and accompanying benefits of salvation.
The doctrine of salvation, referred to as soteriology in
theological parlance, stems from God’s plan of redemption
for mankind as a loving response to the vulnerability of
human beings, having fallen into total depravity as a result of
sin. In essence, the helplessness of humanity in dealing with
the problem of sin necessitates God’s provision of atoning
sacrifice for man’s redemption from sin and its
consequences.1

In recent times, however, lack of adequate

understanding and misconceptions about the glorious
salvation have led to some excesses and heresies of the

1
Emiola Nihinlola, Theology under the Mango Tree (Ikeja Lagos: Fine
Prints and Manufacturing Ltd, 2013), 93.

6
 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

hyper-grace movement, which, among other things, claims

that the forgiveness received at conversion covers future sins
and downplays the need for believer’s confession and
repentance of sins.2 While this somewhat portrays the
glorious salvation, an examination of the efficacy of the
atoning blood of Jesus Christ for past, present, and future
sins is necessary to avoid promoting liberty for recklessness
in a bid to reject legalism.

The means of the atonement has been described

using different theories since the time of the apostolic fathers.
To assess and explicate the nature and benefits of the great
salvation in this paper, however, the ransom theory of
atonement has been chosen to provide a context of discourse
that is relevant to African Christians and their contemporary
experiences. Hence, this paper presents ransom theory as
its conceptual framework, describes the nature of salvation,
highlights some of the benefits of the glorious salvation, and
discusses their implications for contemporary Christians in
Africa. The paper argues that a biblical understanding of the
theological concept of ransom theory is viable for fostering
the nature and benefits of the glorious redemptive work of
Christ without promoting the extremes and excesses of the
hyper-grace movement but reiterating church responsibility
for doctrinal accuracy, among other implications.

2
Michael L. Brown, Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern
Grace Message (Florida: Charisma House, 2014), 39-68.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Conceptual Framework: Ransom Theory of

Atonement

This conceptual framework for this paper is based on

the presupposition that man needs salvation as a result of
their helplessness in the bondage of sin, self, and Satan. The
saviour and redeemer, Jesus Christ, had to rescue and
deliver them by paying the ransom through his atoning death
and sacrifice on the cross. Hence, the concepts associated
with and the perspective informed by ransom theory of
atonement shall be used as a foundation to explore the
nature and benefits of the great and glorious salvation.

The Concept of Ransom

Ransom is the actual price paid in the account of
redeeming a person or thing. The Hebrew word
kophar/kopher figuratively means “a redemption price” and
was translated in various contexts as bribe, pitch, ransom,
satisfaction, and sum of money.3 It is therefore necessary to
know the actual import of the word in each passage of
context. Ransom is a sum of money demanded or paid for
the release of someone who is held captive.4 However, the

3
Kevin J. Conner, The Foundations of Christian Doctrine (England:
Sovereign World Limited,1980),
238.
4
Oxford Dictionary of Current English, eds. Catherine Soanes, San
Hawker and Julia Eliot, 4th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press,
2006), s.v. “ransom,” 747-748.

8
 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

scripture shows that the ransom motif is beyond the use of

money for freedom or restoration of a slave.

Ransom and Redemption

The Greek words translated as ‘ransom’ and ‘redeem’
are etymologically related.5 This necessitates a brief
overview and comparison of the two terms. “Redemption is
often accomplished by the payment of a price. A slave or a
soldier captured in battle could be redeemed by a ransom.”
Paul referred to Christians in 1 Cor. 6:20 as people who have
been “bought with a price.”6 The blood of Jesus was the price
paid by Jesus Christ in order to ransom (redeem) sinners.
According to Conner, ransom refers to the price actually paid
in the transaction of redemption; it is the price paid to release
a slave.7 Redemption is the act of purchasing a slave from
the slave market or securing his or her freedom from a slave
master. In the Old Testament (OT), redemption expresses
“the action of a relative in setting free a member of his family
or buying back his property” (Lev. 25:25ff).8

The idea of ransom is quite evident in the OT

revelation of redemption. While a half shekel of silver is the
price of an Israelite soul, God said that no amount of money
can really ransom the soul of man (Psalm 49:7, Prov. 6:35).

5
Fisher Humphreys and Philip Wise, A Dictionary of Doctrinal Terms
(Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1983), 94.
6
Ibid.
7
Conner, Foundations, 238.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

A ransom was particularly paid to prevent plagues falling on

Israel when numbering the people (II Sam. 24; I Chron. 21).
In Job 33:24, Job said God himself would provide and be the
ransom. God gave the Egyptians a ransom price to redeem
Israel from bondage (Isaiah 43:3) and ransomed saints from
the power of the grave (Hosea 13:14).8 Both concepts of
ransom and redemption are God’s initiative. He also made
provision for the deliverance of man from the Devil’s bondage
and secured man’s salvation from sin through Jesus Christ,
the ransom and the redeemer.

Ransom Theory of Atonement

It is necessary to briefly describe the concept of
atonement before attempting to show the relevance of
ransom as a theory that explains the means through which
the atoning sacrifice was paid by Jesus Christ, the saviour
and redeemer of mankind. “Atonement is the reconciliation of
sinners with God, especially through the cross, as
communicated through the gospel and the sacraments.”9 The
word is of Anglo-Saxon origin and it means “a making at one,”
that is, “a process of bringing those who are estranged into a
unity.” Although the meaning and effects of the atonement
are known, many theories have arisen in church history to
explain how it was performed.10 These include penal-

8
Ibid.
9
Eugene Teselle, A New Handbook of Christian Theology, eds. Donald
W. Musser and Joseph L. Price, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 42.
10
Theology Program: Soteriology, (Dallas: Biblical Studies Press,
2004), 53-81. Available as The Theology Notebook –Soteriology at
(www.bible.org/soteriology_notebook_1.18.pdf) 53-81. David M.
10
 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

substitution, recapitulation, satisfaction, moral-influence,

governmental, and ransom theories.11

According to Jeffery Hopper, between the 2nd and

11th centuries the images that dominated the thought of the
church with regards to salvation were those of “victory” and
“ransom.” Jesus Christ won the victory over the powers of
darkness and liberated mankind from the bondage of the
Devil through “ransom.” The ransom theory is based on the
notion that the death of Christ constituted a ransom paid to
Satan. Origen was one of the chief advocates of this view; he
was of the opinion that the Devil was deceived in the bargain
because he could not hold on to the ransom paid (as he
presupposed with the death of Christ).12 Based on this
perspective, the theory is sometimes termed the ‘Ransom-to-
Satan theory’13.

The apostolic fathers simply affirmed the fact that God

offered Christ to the Devil as a ransom in exchange for
sinners. The eventual outcome only showed that God was
wiser than the Devil, and they did not worry about the

Williams, Soteriology, 3 (no publication details). Accessed August 2014

from www.ntslibrary.com/soteriology.pdf.

11
David Williams, Soteriology, 3-6.
12
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (USA: Banner of Truth Trust),
384.
13
Louis Berkhof, Theology Program Soteriology (Dallas: Biblical
Studies Press, 2004), 79-81.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

deception view.14 Today, most theologians do not see the

need to ask the questions often posed in the past, “To whom
was the ransom paid?”15 Therefore, ransom should not be
seen from the perspective of what is demanded by Satan but
what is required for the redemption of mankind, graciously
offered by God in and through Christ Jesus. A believer’s
appreciation of the redemptive work will translate to
embracing sanctification rather than indulging in sin under the
pretense or deception of receiving a forgiveness that covers
future sins.

The idea of ransom (redeem) is also linked with the

deliverance of Israel from Egypt and the return of the exiles
(Deut. 7:8; Isa. 35:10). The focus in these two settings “is no
longer the price paid but the deliverance achieved and the
freedom obtained.” The emphasis here is on the saving
activity of God and his power to set his people free. When the
ideas of ransom are linked with salvation, the idea of price is
not present. In the same vein, when the New Testament (NT)
speaks of ransom with reference to the work of Christ, the
notion is not of a transaction through a deal arranged and a

14
L. L. Morris, “Atonement,” in New Dictionary of Theology, eds.
Sinclair B. Ferguson and David F. Wright (Leicester, England:
Intervarsity Press, 1988), 55-56.
15
Humphrey and Wise, 94. R. W. Lyon, “Ransom,” Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Book House, 1984), 908.

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

price paid. The focus, rather, is on the power of the cross to

save (1 Cor. 1:18).16

Ransom as a Model of Soteriology

The doctrine of Soteriology, from an objective
perspective, has to do with salvation bought and salvation
wrought. The former concerns the atoning work of Christ (his
death on the cross), while the latter considers its application
for the salvation of sinners17. Ransom as a theological
concept captures the aspect of salvation bought (and
salvation wrought to some extent), and it is one of the models
of soteriology.

There is considerable textual evidence drawn from

Psalms, Isaiah, and inter-testamental literatures to bear out
the association of propitiatory death with the redemption of
sinners. This is the proper context that gives a holistic
understanding of the ‘ransom’ saying. “The association of the
death of Christ with ransom, sacrifice and redemption was
not only endemic to the thought of [the] post-resurrection
community concerning Christ but also that it had its
inspiration in the mind of Christ. …”18 The use of the ransom

16
R. W. Lyon, “Ransom”, 907.
17
C.E. Bragg, Systematic Theology: Soteriology, accessed August 2014,
www.trinitycolllege.edu/.../ECBRagg/Soteriology.pdf.
18
John McIntyre, The Shape of Soteriology (Edinburgh: T & T Clark,
1992), 29-30.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

metaphor by Jesus himself makes it a viable framework for

explaining the glorious salvation.

The concept of ransom as it presents the work of

salvation can be described using the scriptures, the divinity
and righteousness of Christ, and the universality of salvation.
Jesus spoke of giving his life as a ransom for all (Mark 10:45),
and Paul referred to Christians as those who have been
“bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20).19 Allowing scripture to
interpret scripture, the ransom analogy of Mark 10:45 is
synonymous with the sacrificial death of Christ, the laying
down of his life of his own accord for the sake of those he
wants to redeem so that he can take it up again (John
10:17,18). This is ransom depicting ‘salvation bought.’

The price with which the redeemed (i.e., the

ransomed) were bought is the precious blood of Jesus that
was shed on the cross; his death was also a vicarious
sacrifice for the cleansing of sin and redemption of mankind.
1 Peter 1:18,19 captures this relationship thus:

For you know that it was not with perishable things

such as silver and gold that you were redeemed20 (ransomed,
bought) from the empty way of life handed down to you from
your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or defect. (Emphasis mine).

19
Humphreys and Wise, 94.
20
The Greek word translated ‘redeemed’ is similar to ‘ransom’ used in
Matthew 20:28 which is a parallel passage of Mark 10:45 (‘… to give
his life a ransom for many’, meaning for all).

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

Christ secured a holistic salvation through the

atoning work which leads to ‘salvation wrought’ for
all mankind.
It is appropriate to affirm that the divinity of God the
Son was hidden in the flesh of Jesus Christ, being fully God
and fully man. At his death, the Devil assumed he could
possess his soul like any fallen man. However, “because of
Jesus’ divinity and sinlessness, the Devil had no right to take
him.” The Devil then lost his right to hold other human souls,
‘having overstepped the boundary of his authority.’ These
images were the powerful expressions used by persons who
were ransomed by Christ in the first few centuries of the
Church. Having understood ransom as a model of
soteriology, they effectively portrayed the idea of salvation
being wrought by God through Christ.21

The universal nature of salvation also attests to

ransom as a model of soteriology. Jesus was a ransom for all
(Mark 10:45; Matt 20:28), not just many. The love of God
exemplified in the plan of redemption (John 3:16) is also for
everyone in the whole world. This includes Jews and
Gentiles, born and unborn, as at the time of crucifixion and
resurrection of ‘the ransom’ (Jesus Christ, the lamb of God).

21
Jeffery Hopper, A New Handbook of Christian Theology, eds: Donald
W. Musser and Joseph L. Price (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 452-
456.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Nature and Dimensions of the Glorious Salvation

It cannot be over emphasized that the glorious
salvation is, first and foremost, holistic by nature as it
guarantees rescue, deliverance, and liberation, not only from
sin but also from its consequences, such as sickness,
poverty, family or generational curses, and the likes.

The glorious salvation is both personal and universal.

The atoning work of Christ guarantees individual salvation,
but the ransom paid is potent and unlimited to buy back the
whole of mankind. John 3:16 affirms this personal and
universal nature of the great salvation: God’s love is for the
whole world and whoever believes shall be saved. Salvation
is the work of God rescuing man from his lost estate, and this
estate from which every man is being saved is common to all
mankind. It leads to a renewal and regeneration that makes
every saved person a partaker of the inheritance of the
saints.22 Thus, the extent of atonement accomplished by
Jesus Christ the redeemer is general (individual in essence),
universal, and unlimited in scope.23

The glorious salvation is supernatural and eternal.

The declaration of the saints triumphant in Revelation 7:9-10
that “salvation belongs to our God” attests to the supernatural
and eternal nature of the glorious salvation. God is
supernatural. He is the owner and giver of salvation, not any
human agent or natural phenomenon: this makes salvation a

22
Jones H. Mawerenga, Systematic Theology (Zomba: Kachere Series,
2019), 216.
23
Nihinlola, Mango Tree, 95.

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

supernatural gift of God. Salvation is initiated by grace,

achieved by God’s power (at the resurrection of Christ),
offered on God’s term (faith), accomplished by God’s Son
(the ransom and redeemer), secured by God’s promise, and
guaranteed by God’s sovereignty.24 Each of these acts of
salvation accomplished and secured by attributes of the
Divine–Yahweh, the God our Saviour–is supernatural and
beyond human reasoning or ability.

The nature of salvation is eternal on the premise of at

least three fundamental truths. First, salvation is eternal
because the atoning blood of Jesus that bought the
redeemed by paying the ransom and wrought their liberation
from sin, self, and Satan is of eternal value. It is not the
natural blood of animals which must be shed regularly for the
remission of sins. Second, the life of any human being or
living creature is in the blood. The blood of the redeeming
Christ is not only life, but also life-giving: it is the source of
eternal life, hence the salvation wrought by the blood is
eternal. In Christ was life and the life was the light of men
(John 10:10; 1:3-4) The abundance and fullness of life that
Christ gives, however, is not restricted to living forever after
resurrection or rapture but represents a quality of divine life
(having inherited the divine nature as heir of God’s kingdom)
that is to be enjoyed while on earth before death. Third, the
members of the Trinity are fully involved in the plan of
redemption from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3), its ultimate
accomplishment at the cross (through suffering, death and

24
Chris Wright, Salvation Belongs to our God (Nottingham: Intervarsity
Press, 2008), 37-41.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

resurrection), and its continuous application to everyone who

believes. The three divine persons of the Trinity are co-
equal, co-existent and co-eternal: this implies the eternal
value of the glorious salvation.

The Glorious Salvation is Instantaneous and

Continuous

Salvation is both an event and a process. The work of

redemption was accomplished once and for all at the cross
event, but the atoning blood of sacrifice is still efficacious for
salvation to everyone who believes in the ransom paid for the
glorious salvation. Regarding the administration of the work
of salvation on mankind by the Holy Spirit, believers are
saved at the point of conversion with reference to an
instantaneous event in which confession is made unto
salvation. However, salvation is also continuous–man is
being saved in the process of sanctification (John 17:17;
Rom. 12:1-2) and will ultimately be saved at glorification.

The Glorious Salvation is Practical and

Transformational.

Love is an integral factor in the provision of ransom in

accordance with God's plan of redemption. The love of God
that brought glorious salvation to mankind is practical and
transformational. So also is the result– the salvation
experience. According to Nihinlola, Ephesians 1:4-5 affirmed
the role of God’s love in the plan of redemption. God, in love,
decided and destined every human being who would believe

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SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

the plan to be his sons.25 Salvation is received by believing in

one’s heart and proclaiming the faith; this is essentially a
practical step of confessing that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9-
10). Since love is the motivating factor for redemption (for
God so loved the world that He gave … John 3:16), believers
cannot experience its fullness without comprehending the
fullness of the love of God that caused Him to sacrifice His
one and only begotten Son as a ransom for our sins. The God
of all grace planned the redemption of man in grace and love
to practically reflect His essential nature as love (1 John 4:8)
through Jesus, the love of God and grace of God personified.
This extraordinary agape love also brings about
transformation of any heart that believes, making that one a
new creation ( I Cor. 5:17). According to Charles Ryrie,
“Grace that is received changes one’s life and behaviour.”26
These dimensions of practical and transformational saving
grace perhaps informed Paul’s prayer for believers to be
rooted and grounded in love and to experience the
surpassing magnitude of God’s love (Eph. 3:17-19).

Benefits and Responsibility of the Glorious

Salvation
The benefits of the glorious salvation include, but are
not limited to, the following experience and expressions.

25
Emiola Nihinlola, The Fullness of Redemption (Ibadan: Sceptre Prints,
2014), 22-26.
26
Charles Ryrie, So Great Salvation (United States: Victor Books,
1989), 18.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Shalom: This connotes wholeness, healing,

prosperity and such glorious blessings which accompany the
salvation of souls and the forgiveness of sins that accompany
genuine repentance. The word ‘sozo,’ often translated as
‘save,’ also refers to the idea of wholeness, and healing,
deliverance or rescue from sickness, poverty and other
consequences of sin.

Societal transformation (Matt. 5:14-16): When

believers are saved, they are enabled and empowered to act
as salt of the earth and light of the world, thus bringing about
transformation in the society and in the world at large.

Self-actualization through purpose discovery (Eph.

2:8-10): The verbs energeo and ergazomai, which are related
to the noun ergon, mean to work or accomplish. Paul used
ergon in two primary ways in relation to salvation. He first
denied that works of human effort can accomplish salvation
(Rom. 3:20, 27-28; Gal. 2:16, 3:2). The second usage
affirmed that believers are saved to do and manifest good
works for which they had been prepared from creation to walk
in (Eph. 2:10).27 Such purpose discovery, which is only
possible after salvation experience, is crucial for believers’
great impact in their world, the kind of exploits accomplished
by the disciples and apostles having received great grace
(Acts 4:33-35).

Liberation from Consequences of Sin: The ransom

that Christ paid for mankind is not only viable for deliverance

27
Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Word New Testament (Nashville
Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers, 2008), 272.

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

from the bondage of sin but sufficient for their rescue and
liberation from consequences, such as sickness,
generational curse, poverty, and debt. Christ was made a
curse for mankind in order to redeem humanity from the
curse of the law (Gal. 3:13-14). His redemption gives all
access to the abundant blessings and generational
prosperity given to Abraham.

Implications of the Glorious Salvation and Ransom

Theory for Christians in Africa.

Contextualization of the Gospel for Africans

Appreciating the nature of the glorious salvation and
accessing the great benefits therein makes the
contextualization of the gospel of salvation necessary. This
role lies significantly upon gospel ministers and theological
educators in Africa. “Every contemporary African Christian
Theology must be global and contextual.”28 Nihinlola also
submits that a global theology must be rational, consistent,
and logical in its content and presentation. It should be an
outcome of rigorous intellectual endeavour that is spiritual
and biblical. According to Nicholls, cited by Nihinlola,
contextualization is “a dynamic process of the Church’s
reflection … on the interaction of the text as the Word of God
and the context, a specific human situation.” 29 In order
words, the Word of God is apt and sufficient for every human
predicament, of which sin is the ultimate. It is therefore

28
Nihinlola, Mango Tree, 35.
29
Nihinlola, Mango Tree, 38.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

imperative for the Church to seek the ‘interaction of the text

and the context’ in order to present a theology that is biblical,
context-based, and relevant to people’s need.

The need to contextualize the ‘ransom theory’

theology is pertinent and indispensable in the African setting
where issues of kidnapping, neo-collonialism, insurgency,
injustice, oppression, and all other forms of enslavement are
prevalent. Hence, the masses require a liberation that their
‘political saviours’ cannot and have not been able to provide.
Only the gospel of Christ, preached in simple terms according
to the context of the audience, remains the viable solution.

According to Kirlew, because there is a grave

problem with good in our society, it is imperative to think
about the mission of Jesus Christ as a ministry that redefines
good (God’s will) as that which is of God and for God. “A new
understanding and approach to the ministry of evangelism
calls for us to see this ministry as a ministry of resurrecting
the good.”30 Resurrecting the good is about imparting the life
of people through sharing and transmitting of ideals,
attitudes, and characters of Christ – one who willingly gave
up his life as a ransom for all.

Carrying out the Task of the Great Commission

The early church did not only believe in salvation by
grace through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, but they also
held that individuals need to fulfil certain conditions in order

30
Karen Kirlew, “Holistic Evangelism,” Baptist Preaching: A Global
Anthology, ed. Joel C. Gregory (Texas: Baylor University Press, 2014),
139-140.

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

to actualise the free gift of salvation.31 The contemporary

church in Nigeria must place emphasis on evangelisation and
get involved in the task of the Great Commission with a sense
of urgency and commitment. This is because the
proclamation of salvation is a necessity before man can be
saved. The early Christian society was a preaching
community, and their major concern was witnessing.32 Jesus
gave himself as a ransom for all, hence the message of the
Cross (the Kerygma) must be preached to Africans in
obedience to the Great Commission.

The gospel is the very heart of the ministry of the

Church, and evangelism is a fundamental function of the
Church33. Erickson notes also that the Church must take the
gospel to all people; this includes those we may dislike by
natural standards or those who are unlike us.34 In many
African nations, the Islamic fundamentalists or corrupt
leaders will be top on the list of people who need to be
ransomed through prayer and the gospel as opportunity
affords. The Church, as the body of Christ. and individuals
should employ every possible mission strategy or

31
Samson Adetunji Fatokun, Soteriology: An African Outlook (Ibadan:
End Time Publishing House Ltd, 2010), 45.
32
Ibid., 45-46.
33
Erickson, 1060-1061.
34
Erickson, 1063.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

evangelistic method to reach sinners with the gospel

anywhere in Africa.

Strategizing for Social and Rehabilitation Ministry

The quest for national societal transformation in
Africa is significantly inadequate,35 and the accompanying
social problems or vices are enormous. This work is an
essential aspect of the ministry of the Church and individual
believers who are ‘the salt of the world.’ In the opinion of
Adelekan and Price, there is need for a large-scale Christian
movement that intentionally, pragmatically, and “self-
consciously seeks the restructuring of the socio-political
order in the making of justice, peace and economic
equality.”36

Social concern is a responsibility of the Church

which cuts across various functions of the church. It enables
the church to show love and compassion to both believers
and non-Christians through acts that could relieve them of
suffering.37 The Church in Africa should demonstrate genuine
concern for the fatherless, widows, and sojourners, as well
as internally displaced people who have lost their loved ones
and properties to acts of terrorism, jihad, insurgency, or
kidnapping in parts of Africa. For instance, some people have

35
Tokunboh Adelekan and Andre L. Price, “From the Church to Culture:
Towards a Theology of Public Engagement,” Ogbomoso Journal of
Theology XVI, no. 2 (2011): 141.
36
Ibid.
37
Erickson, 1067.

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

been displaced from the northern part of Nigeria and require

the assistance of the Church family to survive and start life
afresh. Providing relief materials for them is not only a
practical demonstration of the ransom theology but could also
serve as a platform for preaching the gospel to the unsaved
among them. The practical acts of love regarded as true
religion in James 1:27 should be demonstrated by the Church
and her members.

Concentrating on Discipleship of Believers

Preaching has dual purposes, the redemption of
sinners (for evangelism) and nurture of believers (for their
edification).38 Edification of believers through teaching and
preaching is essential for their growth and stability in the
midst of unpleasant circumstances and security challenges.
A vital response of the Church to insecurity in Nigeria should
be pastoral preaching on the problem of sin, the nature of
suffering, and victory over it. This must be done with a view
to emphasize that Christ came to deliver humanity from
suffering, sin, corruption, and death.39 The ransom theory
portrays Christ’s victory over sin, suffering, and death; hence

38
Emiola Nihinlola, ed., “Pastoral Preaching Concerning Suffering,”
Integrating Theology and Pastoral Ministry in Africa (India: Theological
Book Trust, 2012), 185.
39
Ibid., 187-191.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

believers should be grateful to God as beneficiaries of the

ransom paid.40

The ransom theory tends to be satan-ward in its

earlier presentation, with the emphasis that Christ’s death
was a payment demanded by Satan. This over-emphasis on
the authority of the devil over man at the expense of God is
also noticeable in the African church, especially in the kind of
attention and passion given to prayers against evil
experiences. The solution to this anomaly lies in proper
discipleship of believers through sound and balanced
doctrinal formulation (theology). This should also reflect in the
kind of prayers that are being offered in the fellowship of
God’s people. Satan is a defeated foe for those who have
been regenerated; this is an essential truth in the ransom
theory.41 Hence, prayers should not be borne out of fear of
Satan but of faith in God, even in cases of terrorism and
insurgency. Adequate and holistic support involving, but not
limited to, financial, emotional, psychological, medical, and
spiritual resources should be provided to Christians who are
victims of kidnappers and bandits. Ransomed Christians
should have concern and demonstrate their compassion
towards people who are still in the bondage of sin and Satan.
Believers are to think only on true, noble, pure, lovely,
honorable, and excellent things42 that will reflect the Christ-
like nature the atoning work portrays.

40
1 Corinthians 15:55-57.
41
Louis, Soteriology, 81.
42
Philippians 4:6

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Conclusion
This paper has made an attempt to explore the
ransom theory of atonement and use the model to explain the
dimensions, nature, and blessing of the glorious salvation. It
affirms the holistic nature of salvation which is also evident in
the supernatural, eternal, practical, and transformational
blessing of salvation which is both an event and a process.
The implications of the nature and benefits of God’s glorious
salvation have also been explored with recommendations for
believers, gospel ministers, church or denominational
leaders, and theological educators.

Dr. Akinwale Oloyede serves as Lecturer at the Nigerian

Baptist Seminary.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

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Adelekan, Tokunboh and Andre L. Price. “From the Church
to Culture: Towards a Theology of Public Engagement.”
Ogbomoso Journal of Theology XVI, no. 2 (2011): 141.

Berkhof, Louis. Theology Program Soteriology. Dallas:

Biblical Studies Press, 2004.

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. USA: Banner of Truth

Trust.

Blackaby, Henry. Experiencing the Word New Testament,

Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2008.

Bragg, C. E. Systematic Theology: Soteriology. Accessed

August 2014.
www.trinitycolllege.edu/.../ECBRagg/Soteriology.pdf.

Brown, Michael L. Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of

the Modern Grace Message. Florida: Charisma House, 2014.

Conner, Kevin J. The Foundations of Christian Doctrine.

England: Sovereign World Limited,1980.

Fatokun, Samson Adetunji. Soteriology: An African Outlook.

Ibadan: End Time Publishing House Ltd, 2010.

Hopper, Jeffery. A New Handbook of Christian Theology.

Edited by Donald W. Musser and Joseph L. Price. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1992.

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Humphreys and Wise, 94 R. W. Lyon. Evangelical

Dictionary of Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984.

Humphreys, Fisher and Philip Wise. A Dictionary of

Doctrinal Terms. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1983.

Kirlew, Karen. “Holistic Evangelism.” Baptist Preaching: A

Global Anthology, Edited by Joel C. Gregory. Texas: Baylor
University Press, 2014.

Marshall, I. H. New Dictionary of Theology, Eds: Sinclair B .

Ferguson, and David F. Wright, Leicester, England:
Intervarsity Press, 1988.

Mawerenga, Jones H. Systematic Theology. Zomba: Kachere

Series, 2019.

McIntyre, John. The Shape of Soteriology. Edinburgh: T & T

Clark, 1992.

Morris, L. L. New Dictionary of Theology, Edited by Sinclair

B. Ferguson and David F. Wright. Leicester, England:
Intervarsity Press, 1988.

Nihinlola, Emiola, ed. “Pastoral Preaching Concerning

Suffering.” Integrating Theology and Pastoral Ministry in
Africa. India: Theological Book Trust, 2012.

Nihinlola, Emiola. Theology under the Mango Tree. Ikeja

Lagos: Fine Prints and Manufacturing Ltd, 2013.
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Nihinlola, Emiola. The Fullness of Redemption. Ibadan:

Sceptre Prints, 2014.

Oxford Dictionary of Current English. Edited by Catherine

Soanes, San Hawker and Julia Eliot. 4th ed. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2006.

Ryrie, Charles. So Great Salvation. United States: Victor

Books, 1989.

Teselle, Eugene. A New Handbook of Christian Theology,

Eds: Donald W. Musser and Joseph L. Price. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1992.

Theology Program: Soteriology, (Dallas: Biblical Studies

Press, 2004). Available as The Theology Notebook –
Soteriology at
(www.bible.org/soteriology_notebook_1.18.pdf). David M.
Williams, Soteriology, 3 (no publication details). Accessed
August 2014 from www.ntslibrary.com/soteriology.pdf.

Williams, David. Soteriology, 3-6.

Wright, Chris. Salvation Belongs to our God. Nottingham:

Intervarsity Press, 2008.

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 EXPLORING THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF THE GLORIOUS
SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

HOW THE BELIEVER’S UNION

WITH CHRIST GUARANTEES
FINAL SALVATION: JESUS AS
DIVINE COVENANT
REPRESENTATIVE
By John O. Enyinnaya

Introduction
Believers’ union with Christ is an aspect of the
Christian doctrine of salvation, otherwise called soteriology.
Other aspects of this doctrine include, but are not limited to,
effectual calling, regeneration, and conversion, that is, faith
and repentance, justification, adoption, sanctification,
perseverance and glorification. Wayne Grudem adds the
baptism of the Holy Spirit as an aspect of this doctrine.43
Different theologians structure these topics in their unique
ways determined by their norm and theological agenda; most
will touch on each or most of these as components of the
Christian understanding of salvation.44

Salvation is an essential doctrine in Christian

theology. The different facets of the doctrine are sometimes

43
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Leicester, Grand Rapids:
InterVarsity Press, Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 763.
44
e.g. Erickson 2013; Grudem 1994; Frame 2013.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

arranged in a temporal format to describe the past, present,

and future dimensions of the believer’s experience of
salvation.45 Put in this chronological order, salvation is
spoken off as past–what God has already achieved for the
believer through Christ, present–what God is doing now in
the life of the believer through his or her living relationship
with Christ and the Holy Spirit, and future–what God will do
in the eschaton to consummate the believer’s salvation
experience. The doctrine of salvation is thus related to many
other doctrines in Christian theology, such as the doctrines of
God, Christ, Holy Spirit, humanity, Church and eschatology.
In Christian theology, salvation is the intersection where other
doctrines converge, and it is the point at which Christian
theology engages present human experience.

The believer’s union with Christ, mentioned above as

one of the aspects of this vital doctrine, is the main focus of
this piece, but it has not been prominent in soteriological
discussions. Not many will debate the prominence of this
concept in the Bible, however. From the Old Testament to the
New Testament, different words and ideas are used to
convey this truth, especially the popular en Christo passages
in Paul. Biblical theologians, especially Pauline interpreters,
are well aware of this concept. Not many systematic
theologians, however, give prominence to this notion in their
formulations. Writing in 1907, influential Baptist theologian
Augustus H. Strong observed the near-total silence on the
believer’s union with Christ in the extant systematic

45
Refer to A.M. Hunter, Interpreting Paul’s Gospel (Bloomsbury Street:
SCM Press Ltd, 1954), 21-55.

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SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

theologies of his time.46 Since then more theologians have

taken up the challenge to give some attention to the idea of
the believer’s union with Christ, but the neglect persists today
in some sense as noted by Millard Erickson (2013, 877).

The present effort is an attempt to examine the

concept of the believer’s union with Christ in relation to the
controversial topic of perseverance of the saints. The
perseverance of the saints itself is a thorny theological
discussion to broach. It is our conviction that the idea of the
believer’s living union with Christ provides a perspective and
an entry point into the discussion of perseverance that casts
light on the subject. The plan here is to present a brief
overview of perspectives on the perseverance of the saints,
undertake a historical excursion on the theological
appreciation of the notion of believers’ union with Christ, distill
the biblical grounds for claiming believers’ union with Christ,
and then make a doctrinal articulation of the issues. Since the
concept of perseverance forms the context of our discussion,
we shall begin our discussion there.

Theories on the Perseverance of the Saints

There are two major perspectives on the
perseverance of the saints, the Reformed and the Arminian.
The Reformed position is traced to the Swiss Reformer John
Calvin (1509-1564) and the Arminian position to the Dutch
theologian Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). Calvin built his
theology around the idea of God’s sovereignty, and thus his

46
Augustus H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: The Judson
Press, 1907), 795.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

view on perseverance emphasized God’s role in salvation

and in upholding the believer from falling. Arminius, on the
other hand, sought to highlight human role in salvation and
thus concluded that, just as God does not compel humans to
salvation, he does not force them to remain saved against
their will. Roger Olson (1999, 471) affirms that Jacob
Arminius “set out to reform Reformed theology and ended up
creating a different Protestant paradigm altogether.”
Although different theologians line up on either side of this
debate, the Reformed position seems to be more
prominent.47

To be sure, there have been influential Christian

scholars who may be identified as Arminian, such as John
Wesley and C. S. Lewis (“Arminianism,” www.britannica.com
), the majority of systematic theologies available today
subscribe to the Reformed position. For instance, the Dutch
Reformed theologian G. C. Berkouwer published a volume in
1958 on faith and perseverance in which he traces the history
of the Reformed view to the time of the Church Fathers.
According to him, the doctrine of perseverance was present
in some form as early as Augustine before it became a big
topic during the Reformation. During the Reformation, the
doctrine was more fully developed and upheld by Calvin but
opposed by the Arminians within Dutch Protestantism
(Remonstrants) and the Dutch Catholics. The Catholics
opposed the idea because of their insistence that grace can

47
While this is true in many parts of the world, the picture seems to be
different in Nigeria. Whereas we have met many Nigerian Christians
who are Reformed in their theological orientation, it seems to us that a
greater number of Nigerian Christians are Arminian. This will be an
interesting point to research.

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be lost (Berkouwer 1958, 46); the Arminians opposed it

because to them it undermined human freewill.48 The
Lutherans also rejected the idea of perseverance despite
their close agreement with the Calvinists on many issues and
the importance attached to the issue of assurance of
salvation.49 On his part, Berkouwer affirmed the connections
between perseverance and the assurance of faith. The
assurance of continuance in the faith, however, is due to
God’s gracious preservation of the believer, not due to his
efforts or achievement. The perseverance of the believer thus
becomes predicated on God’s preservation of the believer.50

Wayne Grudem takes an extended look at the

Hebrews passages on the perseverance of the saints and
concludes that the passages support the Reformed doctrine.
He formulates the doctrine of perseverance as he
understands it thus: “the born again will be kept by God’s
power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their
lives.”51 The first part of the doctrine is due to God’s
faithfulness and ability to keep the believer; the second part
is the reason for the warning passages in Hebrews and
elsewhere. The exhortation and warning to Christians to

48
G.C Berkouwer, Faith and Perseverance (Grand Rapids: Wm B.
Eerdmans, 1958), 40.
49
Ibid., 55.
50
Ibid., 221.
51
Wayne Grudem, “Perseverance of the Saints: A Case Study from the
Warning Passages in Hebrews,” in Still Sovereign, eds. Thomas R.
Schreiner and Bruce A. Ware (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000), 182.

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continue in faith, in sanctification, and Christ-like growth to

the end does not contradict the reality of God’s sovereign
power to keep the believer for eternity: “God’s sovereignty
often works through human means such as warnings and
exhortations. These warnings will often be the very means
God uses to keep his own from turning away.”52 This does
not mean that the believer’s sustenance in the faith is due to
his effort or achievement but rather due to the power of God
at work, “usually in many different internal and external ways,
in the believer’s life.”53

John Frame (2013), just like Gordon R. Lewis and

Bruce A. Demarest (1994, 224-225), argues for the Reformed
position. Frame writes: “Scripture teaches that everyone who
is effectually called, regenerated, converted, justified,
adopted, and sanctified by God will surely persevere to the
end.”54 For him, apostasy is possible and occurs, but genuine
believers are exempted from it.

E. Y. Mullins, writing in 1925, advocated a Reformed

view of salvation but displayed greater sensitivity to Arminian
viewpoints. According to him, those who have been
regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit are preserved by
God’s power and grace. God’s “preservation” is never by
force or compulsion but generates in the believer a
responsive “perseverance” which is a necessary part of

52
Ibid.
53
Ibid.
54
John Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief
(Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P & R Publishers, 2013), 999.

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God’s preserving grace.55 Mullins sees the force of the

several NT passages which warn us of the danger of
apostasy as real: “The possibility of a fall is quite a real one
apart from the grace of God. In vain also is the grace of God
apart from the response of our will. … God does not lift his
children into heaven against their wills. The whole of the
machinery or system of grace, therefore, is designed to make
them willing. Thus do they persevere while at the same time
they are preserved.”56

Mullins’ use of “preservation” and “perseverance”

provides the key for a clearer understanding of the doctrinal
issues involved in the discussion. The topic under discussion
here is sometimes erroneously framed as “eternal security of
the believer” or “once saved, always saved.” These popular
ways of framing the discussion seem to start on the wrong
foot. No one, not even the staunchest Arminian, will contest
the idea that a believer who perseveres to the end will be
saved. The point is that God’s preserving power will enable
every genuine believer to persevere in their faith, not against
their will, but in fulfillment of their most profound and sincere
desires prompted by the Spirit of God at work in their lives.

55
E.Y. Mullins, Baptist Beliefs (Valley Forge, Pasadena: The Judson
Press, 1925), 54.
56
Ibid.

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Overview of Believers’ Union with Christ and

Christ’s Covenantal Role
As noted earlier, the believers’ union with Christ has
been a neglected topic in theology. Augustus Strong pointed
this out in 1907.57 Millard Erickson notes that though this
concept is often neglected and attention focused on other
concepts such as regeneration, justification, and
sanctification, it is a concept that sums up the whole of
salvation.58 Erickson’s comment, coming over a hundred
years after Strong's, is a sign that neglect of this idea persists
in theological scholarship. However, some progress has
been made as a good number of systematic theologies now
include it in their treatment of the doctrine of salvation.59

The identification and treatment of believers’ union

with Christ as an aspect of the doctrine of salvation is a
welcome development. However, only Frame’s Systematic
Theology, out of those mentioned above, makes a
connection between union with Christ and the covenant. To
Frame, union with Christ is the fulfilment of the covenant God
made with his people through Israel: “I will be your God, and
you shall be my people” (Jer. 7:23). Union with Christ is the
goal of the eternal covenant of redemption enacted by God
even before the creation of the world (Eph. 1: 3-4a). So
believers are in Christ before they are actually redeemed.

57
Strong, Systematic Theology, 795.
58
Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic, 2013), 877.
59
Cf. Williams 1990; Reymond, 1998; Grudem 1994; Erickson 2013;
and Frame 2013

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Being in Christ or in union with him subsumes all blessings of

salvation from eternity past to eternity future.60 In a narrower
sense, however, a person is not in Christ until he or she is
justified before God; otherwise, they are still under God’s
condemnation. For the elect who are not yet saved, “they are
‘in Christ’ by the covenant of redemption, yet outside of Christ
so far as justification is concerned.”61

Frame lists the different covenants mentioned in

Scripture, viz., the eternal covenant of redemption (for the
elect, the pactum salutis, Eph 1:4), the universal covenant (of
God’s lordship or kingship over the whole universe (Psalm
74:12-21, 95:3-5; Isaiah 66:1), the Edenic covenant, the
covenant of grace (Gen 3: 14-15), the Noahic covenant, the
Abrahamic covenant, the covenant with Israel under Moses,
the Davidic covenant, and the New covenant. He argues that
whereas most of the covenants mentioned here are time-
bound, three are eternal, namely the covenant of redemption,
the universal covenant, and the New covenant.62 However,
he asserts that all the covenants are fulfilled in Christ: “All
previous revelation, all previous covenants, are all fulfilled in
him. He is the Prophet greater than Moses, the Priest who
replaces the priests of the temple, the King greater than
David. Jesus’ sacrifice took away the sins of his people. It is

60
Frame, Systematic Theology, 914
61
Ibid.
62
Ibid., 81.

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in Jesus’ death that his people have died to sin, and in his
resurrection we, too, have been raised to newness of life.”63

Frame’s Christological interpretation of the covenants

is in keeping with the New Testament’s hermeneutical
approach to the Old Testament, a practice very well
continued in Protestant, especially evangelical,
hermeneutics. The perspective advocated in this paper is
similar to Frame’s, namely that union with Christ is the goal
of God’s creative and redemptive agenda. Whereas this has
both temporal and eternal implications, it is the temporal
dimension this paper seeks to relate to the discussion on the
perseverance of the believer.

Biblical Investigation of Believers’ Union with Christ

and Christ’s Covenantal Role
The preponderance of biblical passages that assert
the believer’s union with Christ compels us to take this aspect
of the Christian doctrine of salvation seriously. These texts
comprise both direct and indirect mentions of this mysterious
but powerful relationship between Christ and the believer,
and paying attention to it helps us understand the source of
the believer’s spiritual vitality and the secret of his or her
sustenance against all the odds. Indirect indications of this
union are found in the figurative linking of a building to its
foundation (Ephesians 2: 20-22), a wife to her husband
(Ephesians 5:31-32), the branches of a vine to the vine itself
(John 15:1-10), and the different parts of the body to the head
(I Corinthians 12). Believers are related to and dependent on
Christ just like a building is related to and depends on its

63
Ibid., 79.

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foundation. The intimacy that exists between a wife and her

husband is used to illustrate that which exists between
believers and their Lord. Believers are helplessly dependent
on Christ as the branches of a vine are helpless apart from
the vine. Believers enjoy a living relationship with their Lord
and Master as the members of the body are connected to the
head. This sort of union between God and humans is not
novel to the New Testament but is a continuation and,
indeed, fulfillment of the divine plan which began in the Old
Testament (James Dunn affirms the idea that the New
covenant has been fulfilled in believers),64 in God’s covenant
with Abraham (Genesis 17:7), and in the prediction of the
New covenant (Jeremiah 30:20; Ezekiel 34:30-31, 36: 28).
The eschatological consummation of this union is found in
Revelation 21:3.

Direct statements of the believer’s union with Christ

abound in the New Testament, over one hundred and sixty-
four times (164) in Pauline writings alone.65 The believer is in
Christ, and Christ is in the believer (John 14:20). (Hindson
and Towns (2013, 457) suggest that this relationship is like
that which exists between a mother and her unborn baby.
The baby is in the mother and yet has a unique personality.)
There is no condemnation for believers because they are in
Christ (Romans 8:1; II Corinthians 5:17). Believers are

64
James Dunn, New Testament Theology: An Introduction (Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 2009), 84.
65
William A. Mueller, “The Mystical Union,” in Basic Christian
Doctrines, ed. Carl F.H. Henry (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston,
1962), 208.

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chosen “in Christ” even before the creation of the world

(Ephesians 1:4). Believers are crucified with Christ
(Galatians 2:20), baptized into Christ, and clothed with Christ
(Galatians 3: 27). The believer is dead to sin and alive in
Christ (Romans 6: 11). It is noteworthy that one of the places
Paul uses this phrase is regarding the believer’s victory over
sin. Such a usage seems to suggest that the believer’s victory
over sin is due to the believer’s union with Christ forensically
and existentially.

There are also Trinitarian presentations of the

believer’s relationship with Christ. The Father and the Son
dwell in the believer (John 14:23), the Holy Spirit indwells the
believer (Romans 8:9), and all believers have become one
with the Father and the Son (John 17:21-23). Although the
Christological presentation of this union is more prevalent in
the New Testament, the Trinitarian outlook is indicative of the
larger picture. John Enyinnaya has written elsewhere about
John 17:21-23: “Jesus expresses here what has always been
the bedrock of God’s redemptive programme, namely, the
restoration to himself of a people among whom he will
dwell.”66 On the other hand, the pneumatological
presentation of this same union, while communicating the
same truth, makes it even more dramatic.67 Emiola Nihinlola
also made this clear when he stated, “If a person does not
have the Holy Spirit (also called the Spirit of Christ or
sonship) he/she is not a Christian. … Indeed, this personal

66
John O. Enyinnaya, God and the Church: Explorations in
Contemporary Ecclesiology (Saarbrucken, Germany: Lambert Academic
Publishing, 2011), 147.
67
Ibid.

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witness of the Spirit is one of the best assurances of our

salvation.”68 The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is,
therefore, a guarantee of the indwelling presence of Christ
and of salvation, as well as a pledge of the believer’s
inheritance in Christ.69

Therefore, we can biblically say that the copious use

of the Christological model of union with Christ is a way the
writers of Scripture convey the most fundamental fulfilment of
the mystery of God’s eternal plan to bring into covenant with
himself a people of his own choosing, redeemed and
restored, a people in whom he will dwell. By his incarnation,
death, resurrection and exaltation, Christ becomes the one
that brings humans into this relationship with the Father, and
today the Holy Spirit initiates, accomplishes, activates, and
sustains this union, ensuring its consummation in the
eschaton.

Union with Christ and the Believer’s Final Salvation:

a Perspective
Most Christians and theologians will concur that the
believer’s position in Christ (or union with Christ) is the basis
of his or her special standing in God’s sight, along with their
spiritual blessings; but not all give prominence to this idea.
For instance, Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest, in

68
Emiola Nihinlola, The Fullness of Redemption: A Study of the
Overflowing Christian Life in Ephesians (Ibadan: Sceptre Prints Ltd,
2004), 65
69
Ibid., 63

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their finely written systematic theology, Integrative Theology

(1994), does not give the concept of union with Christ any
special treatment. This is just as Strong indicated over a
hundred years ago70 and Erickson only recently.71 However,
many theologians have since taken steps to fill this gap by
providing sections on union with Christ in their theologies.

One of the theologians who has done this is Millard

Erickson. Erickson discusses four inadequate ways that
people characterize the believer’s union with Christ.
According to him, people understand the believer’s union with
Christ metaphysically – the believer shares in the divine
essence; mystically – the believer loses his or her own
individuality; psychologically – the believer responds as a
student to a teacher; and sacramentally – the believer obtains
grace by participating in the sacraments.72 These are all
inadequate models because they fail to capture the heart of
the biblical presentation of this truth. Erickson affirms that the
nature of the believer’s union with Christ is judicial – the
believer is now assessed on account of Christ’s own merits;
spiritual – it is a union of spirits effected by the Holy Spirit;
and vital – Christ’s life flows into the believer, renewing and
empowering him (881). This union conveys the believer’s
legal standing in the sight of God as righteous and the reality
of Christ’s strength which sustains the believer. As
commendable as Erickson’s treatment of this teaching is, he
fails to make a connection between it and the believer’s final

70
Strong, Systematic Theology, 795.
71
Erickson, Christian Theology, 877.
72
Ibid., 879-880.

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salvation, just like the American Reformed theologian Lewis

B. Smedes’ 272-page work on Paul’s use of union with Christ
fails to do (Smedes 1970).

On his part, Grudem defines union with Christ as a

“phrase used to summarize several different relationships
between believers and Christ through which Christians
receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships
include the fact that we are in Christ, Christ is in us, we are
like Christ, and we are with Christ.”73 The definition brings out
four different aspects of the believer’s relationship with Christ.
First, the believer is in Christ: the believer is in Christ from
eternity past when God fashioned his salvation plan; during
Christ’s life on earth, God thought of the believer as being in
Christ; presently, the believer is dead and raised with Christ,
possesses new life in Christ, may act in Christ, and belongs
together with all believers as one body in Christ (841-844).
Second, Christ is in the believer: Christ dwells in the believer.
He is the real source of the believer’s strength (845). Third,
the believer is like Christ: the believer can imitate Christ,
sharing in his obedience, suffering and triumph (845). Fourth,
the believer is with Christ: the believer now shares fellowship
with Christ (846).

Strong (1907, 795) presents a more holistic picture of

the biblical notion of union with Christ:

The Scriptures declare that, through the operation of

God, there is constituted a union of the soul with Christ

73
Grudem, Systematic Theology, 840.

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different in kind from God’s natural and providential

concursus with all spirits, as well as from all unions of mere
association or sympathy, moral likeness, or moral influence,
- a union of life, in which the human spirit, while then most
truly possessing its own individuality and personal
distinctness, is interpenetrated and energized by the Spirit of
Christ, is made inscrutably but indissolubly one with him, and
so becomes a member and partaker of that regenerated,
believing, and justified humanity of which he is the head.

Strong’s angle to the discussion is more

comprehensive in that it captures its salvific nature (having to
do with regeneration), its sanctifying nature (interpenetrating
and energizing), its mysterious nature (because it is
relationship between finite and infinite), and its eternal nature
(affecting the believer’s eternal destiny because he is
indissolubly one with Christ).

Similarly, James Dunn highlights the impact of the

believer’s union with Christ on the process of sanctification.
For him, Paul’s use of “in Christ” conjures the picture of
location. It connotes the idea of indwelling and participation.
This is a metaphor, and metaphors by nature are not easy to
express in non-metaphorical language. However, we can say
that the expression depicts the “thought of being within a
sphere of power or force field, or under the formative
influence of the divine power that characterized the mission
of Jesus.”74 This will not be the only meaning, as the idea also
conveys “intimacy, of the intimate relationship between
believers and their Lord, of a dependency for being and for

74
Dunn, New Testament Theology, 91.

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meaningful existence, which is evidently wrapped up in such

imagery” (91). Dunn admits the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit"
is another way Paul writes of the same reality, except that
this alternative term more clearly has power implications, “a
transformative influence working from within, a new and
effective motivation and enabling to do the will of God” (91).

Frame, a Reformed theologian, suggests that union

with Christ is a broad concept that incorporates all the works
of God in the believer’s life such as election, effectual calling,
regeneration, faith, justification, adoption, sanctification,
perseverance, and glorification.75 Robert Reymond also
notes the broad reach of this concept by relating it with
effectual calling and perseverance. To him, the believer’s
relationship with Christ does not begin when the believer
places faith in Christ as Saviour but in the Father’s electing
of the believer in Christ before the foundation of the world.
He, however, disagrees with the sentiment that effectual
calling unites one to Christ and that this union then enables
one to repent and believe in Christ. In his view, and following
the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the Spirit applies to us
the redemption achieved by Christ by working faith in us and
thereby making actual the twin doctrine of effectual calling
and union with Christ.76 Effectual calling does not bring a
person into the full favour of the Father; rather, this is realized
when repentance and faith take place, thus actualizing what
God had planned from all eternity. For Reymond, union with

75
Frame, Systematic Theology, 914.
76
Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian
Faith, 2d ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998), 736.

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Christ is more than a phase in the application of redemption.

Its reality embraces everything about the believer’s salvation
from its ultimate source in the eternal election of the Father
to its actualization in time and its sustenance through
glorification in eternity. “Union with Christ is the fountainhead
from which flows the Christian’s every spiritual blessing –
repentance and faith, pardon, justification, adoption,
sanctification, perseverance, and glorification.”77

Baptist theologian, William A. Mueller writes of the

believer’s union with Christ: “In Christ, thus Paul teaches, we
were chosen, called, foreordained, created unto good works,
have obtained an inheritance, ‘being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will … .’”78 Other benefits accruing to the believer
as a result of union with Christ include justification,
sanctification, crucifixion (being crucified with Christ),
redemption, eternal life, righteousness, wisdom, liberty,
spiritual blessings, as well as union with other believers, thus
bridging the gap among different groups of humanity (209).
Mueller adds that this union is indissoluble; nothing shall be
able to separate the believer from Christ. However, the
believer needs to sustain this relationship: “It is finally an
indissoluble union, which the believer sustains to Jesus
Christ his head. For we have the promise that we shall never
perish, provided we endure to the end” (209).

Pentecostal theologian Rodman Williams (1990, 121)

argues that the believer’s union with Christ “is a strong basis

77
Ibid., 739.
78
Mueller, “The Mystical Union,” 209.

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for the continuing of salvation.” However, he observes that

God’s work in preserving the believer does not preclude
certain human conditions: “Although God’s grace is
unconditional, there is no unconditional persistence in
salvation” (123). He critiqued some theologians’ insistence
on the irresistibility of God’s grace in perseverance, pointing
out some human conditions that need to be present for
perseverance to be realized: the believer’s abiding in Christ,
remaining steadfast in the faith, endurance in the Christian
race, firmness in the faith, and faithfulness (122-127).

Williams exemplifies the usual Pentecostal

uncertainty about the idea of the perseverance of the saints.
To get an idea of this uncertainty, let us relate his position on
perseverance with his views on sanctification. He asserts the
necessity for the involvement of both God and humans in
sanctification, but he doesn’t divide the work half and half
between God and man; instead, he creatively presents it as
“God all the way through man all the way.”79 His position is
similar to that of Lewis and Demarest who see sanctification
from the perspective of a “divine-human synergism.”
Following J. I. Packer, Lewis and Demarest describe
sanctification as a “Spirit-prompted (or Spirit initiated)
activity” rather than a “Spirit-prompted passivity.” It is not
cooperation between the Spirit and the human as Pelagians
and Arminians would say. It is initiated and accomplished in
the human who is yielded to the Spirit’s work, just like the
writers of Scripture were not passive but yielded for the

79
J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology (Grand Rapids: Academic
Books, 1990), 102.

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Spirit’s use.80 This conclusion is relatable to Williams’

position, given his analysis of what constitutes the human
task in sanctification–dying to sins and living for
righteousness, that is, obeying God’s word, looking to Christ,
and walking by the Spirit.81 A proper view of the perseverance
of the saints will not preclude these conditions raised by
Williams. His articulation of the work of sanctification as “God
all the way through man all the way” provides grounds for a
positive outlook on the doctrine of perseverance. While he
thought to puncture the notion of perseverance by describing
dying to sins and living for righteousness as human roles, it
is obvious no human can accomplish these on their own.

Union with Christ makes sanctification actual in the

believer’s life and, by the same token, makes perseverance
assured. It seems that many reject the idea of perseverance,
not because they think the teaching is unbiblical but because
of the way it is usually presented. Calling this doctrine
“eternal security” or “once saved always saved” as we
sometimes do, seems to suggest that when a person places
his faith in Christ, he can go ahead and live however he
wishes and still be acceptable to God. Some have accused
those who teach perseverance of the saints as teaching that
God will drag the saved screaming and shouting to heaven
against their wishes. That charge arises partly because of the
way this doctrine is usually stated. For instance, the

80
Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest, Integrative Theology. Vol.
3 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 214.
81
Williams, Renewal Theology, 102-117.

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Westminster Confession of Faith states the following, in part,

on the perseverance of the saints:

This perseverance of the saints depends not upon

their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of
election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God
the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of
Jesus Christ; the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God
within them; and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all
which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of

Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption
remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their
preservation, fall into grievous sins; and for a time continue
therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve his
Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some measure of their
graces and comforts; have their hearts hardened, and their
consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others and bring
temporal judgments upon themselves (1939, 27).

The Westminster Confession is not the only

document that states the doctrine this way. The Beliefs,
Policies and Practices of the Nigerian Baptist Convention
2015, also use similar words and concepts (n.d., 6).

Two problems are readily observable in the manner

this doctrine is stated. First, it appears to suggest that
election and human freedom contradict each other. Granted,
election is unconditional. Humans do nothing to contribute to
it. Nevertheless, after a person is saved, does salvation not
have any impact on the human will? Does salvation leave the

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saved in the same situation of disinterest and rejection of that

which God lovingly wills for him? Philippians 2:13 appears to
suggest otherwise: “For it is God who works in you, both to
will and to work for his good pleasure” (ESV). Sanctification
helps a believer align his will with God’s and begin to desire
what God desires. Second, the way the doctrine is stated
above is negative and seems to anticipate a believer falling
“into grievous sins” and “continuing in them.”

That definitely is not what perseverance means. It is

not that when a person comes to Christ, his eternal destiny is
automatically guaranteed irrespective of what he does, but
that the working of God’s power and grace will help the
believer to continue in grace until the end, his sanctification.
Final salvation is only possible when a person continues in
relationship with Christ till the end. What the Bible teaches is
that God has made all the provision to enable every believer
to continue in faith and relationship with Christ until the end.
This provision is by means of the indwelling presence of
Christ and the Holy Spirit, both of which accomplish the same
purpose, although distinct in themselves. While the Holy
Spirit regenerates to make the believer loathe sin and
ungodliness, energizes to enable him to live a new life in
Christ, and sustains to make it possible for every believer to
continue in faith to the end, these are possible only because
the believer is “in Christ.” Perseverance is thus a human
activity achieved by the working of God’s power and grace
(divine preservation). Stating the doctrine from the
perspective of God’s preservation is more positive than from
the angle of the possibility of human failings. Thus, it is God’s
preservation that generates perseverance in the believer.
This is the perspective that the believer’s union with Christ
gives to the doctrine of perseverance.
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SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

Conclusion
This paper has tried to justify the claim that the
concept of the believer’s union with Christ captures the
breadth of the Christian doctrine of salvation from election in
eternity past to glorification in the eschaton. The discussion
gave attention to the issues of sanctification and
perseverance because the believer’s final salvation is the
context of our discussion. We have argued that the
problematic topic of perseverance of the saints becomes
easier to approach when presented in the light of the
believer’s union with Christ and all the benefits accruing
therefrom to the believer. By his position “in Christ” the
believer is saved, empowered for Christian life and service,
and sustained to the end of his life. It is not that God takes
the believer to heaven against his wish but that the believer,
having experienced God’s gracious redemption, now
entrusts his life and eternal safety to the Lord and is thus kept
by the divine power until the time appointed. The believer is
able then to confess with Keith Getty and Stuart Townend:

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my

strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground, Firm through the
fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace, When
fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I
stand

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There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by

darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave
He rose again
And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its
grip on me
For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious
blood of Christ.

Prof. John O. Enyinnaya (PhD) is a professor of Theology

at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso,
Nigeria, a senior Fellow with ICETE Academy, and a Fellow
of the Chartered Institute of Administration. He has vast
experience in his filed, an author and consultant worldwide.

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SALVATION THROUGH THE RANSOM THEORY

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9th Oct 2019.

Beliefs, Policies and Practices of the Nigerian Baptist

Convention 2015. (n.d). Ibadan: Baptist Press.

Berkouwer, G. C. Faith and Perseverance. Grand Rapids:

Wm B. Eerdmans, 1958.

Dunn, James D.G. New Testament Theology: an

Introduction. Nashville: Abingdon Press. 2009.

Enyinnaya, John O. God and the Church: Explorations in

Contemporary Ecclesiology. Saarbrucken, Germany: LAP Lambert
Academic Publishing. 2011.

Erickson, Millard. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids:

Baker Academic. 2013.

Frame, John M. Systematic Theology: an Introduction to

Christian Belief. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishers. 2013.

Getty, Keith and Townend, Stuart. (2001). “In Christ

Alone.” https://www.gettymusic.com/in-christ-alone.
Accessed 9th October 2019.

Grudem, Wayne. “Perseverance of the Saints: A Case

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

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Hindson, Ed and Towns, Elmer L. Illustrated Bible Survey:

An Introduction. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group. 2013.

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Mueller, William A. “The Mystical Union.” Basic

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Judson Press. 1925.

Nihinlola, Emiola. The Fullness of Redemption: A study of

the Overflowing Christan Life in Ephesians. Ibadan: Sceptre Prints
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Olson, Roger E. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty

Centuries of Tradition and Reform. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.
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Reymond, Robert L. A New Systematic Theology of the

Christian Faith, 2d. ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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Smedes, Lewis B. All Things Made New. Grand Rapids:

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Strong, Augustus H. Systematic Theology. Complete

Volume. Philadelphia: The Judson Press. 1907.

“Westminster Confession of Faith.”. Bible Presbyterian

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KĒRUSSŌMEN 9/2 (2023)

SHOULD WE DIVORCE GOOD

WORKS FROM FAITH?
By Joseph Sheyvali

Introduction
In their letters written under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16), the Apostles Paul and James, the servant
of Christ Jesus, give us a thorough exposition concerning the
subject of faith and works. Today, many of us are failing to
harmonize Ephesians and James. The main issue that has
emerged is based on the question of how believers should live
out their lives in light of Paul’s emphasis on salvation by faith
alone: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9, NKJV); and James'
emphasis on faith and works: “You see then that a man is
justified by works, and not by faith only” (Jam. 2:24). I must
rightly confess that I am neither advocating for salvation by
works as some teach, nor am I advocating for faith without
fruit. My emphasis is that true faith is always accompanied by
good works. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689,
published by Chapel Library (2016), states, "These good
works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the
fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith…"1. This article,

1
The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, Chapel Library, p 23
58
 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

therefore, intends to give a biblical and balanced view on the

subject of faith in the light of good works.

The Two Extremes on the Subject of Faith and Good

Works

The subject of faith and good works has caused

controversies within the Christian community today. The
following are the two extremes pertaining to this subject:

A. Hyper-grace view:
This view advocates for justification by faith alone,
which is true. But the result of it is that we may live in any
manner we want to, for grace will abound. This is
antinomianism. Sproul (2019) points out, "Some people want
to make

it sound like once you have experienced grace, then

basically you can live however you want–free from the law,
blessed condition, I can sin all I want and still have
remission”2.

B. Meritorious salvation view:

This view teaches that salvation is by faith plus works.
Roman Catholics are one of the proponents of this view:

In the forgiveness of sins, both priests and

sacraments are instruments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the

2
RC Sproul, “How Should We Respond to the Hyper-Grace Movement.”
Paragraph 3 accessible at: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/how-should-
we-respond-to-the-hyper-grace-movement
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

only author and liberal giver of salvation, wills to use in order

to efface our sins and give us the grace of justification3.

The Importance of Considering the Subject of Faith

and Good Works
We are living in a world in which Christianity has
lost its balance. Within the Christian community there has
been an increase of churches on the one hand but
ungodliness on the other. We have many professors of faith.
Observing from a distance, you may wrongly conclude that the
kingdom of God is expanding, but the reality is not so. Our
Christian communities today reflect on the times of the judges
in Israel, during which everyone did as he pleased in his own
eyes (Judges 21:25). This has resulted in a misunderstanding
of the Christian faith. Let us take Zambia as an example.
According to the Zambian Constitution’s preamble, Zambia
was declared a Christian Nation in 1996. But this declaration
does not match the way of life in Zambia per se. Njuka (2015)
states, “But the rising numbers of divorce among Christians is
a call for deep reflection” (para. 2). The Zambia Daily Mail
Limited (2023) also affirms it by saying, “The increase in
divorce cases in Zambia from 22,000 in 2021 to over 31,000
last year poses a threat to the institution of marriage”4.

Other cases include the following: the Namibian New

Era Newspaper (2022) reports that Self-proclaimed prophet
and founder of the House of Joy Ministries Jackson Babi was
sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Friday for rhino
poaching. On Friday, Gobabis magistrate Eden Iyambo

3
Roman Catholic Church [RCC] 1997, p 257
4
paragraph 1
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 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

sentenced Babi when he found him guilty on 19 charges

related to illegally hunting protected animals5.

The Namibian New Era Newspaper (2016) reports that

This came following the submission by the Oukwanyama
Traditional Authority that recently tried five pastors for
impregnating six congregants who are learners at Okelemba.
The five pastors are said to be members of Jesus Christ
Ministries belonging to Pastor Vilho Paulus, who allegedly
impregnated dozens of congregants, including married
women. Paulus claims he is Jesus Christ – and has allegedly
sired children out of wedlock with followers he calls his
angels6.

This gives us reasonable ground to conclude that

Christianity is misunderstood. The unbiblical ways of living
cited in the examples above have given ground to opponents
of Christianity to attack the faith. There is truth in their
argument, for they usually say that Christianity is just a scam
because it teaches what it does not practice. Although their
reasoning may be apparently correct, their claim is utterly
wrong since, rightly understood, ‘Christianity’ is both the true
profession of faith and righteous practice. A scandalous
individual’s way of life, though he claims to be a Christian, is
not what defines Christianity.

The Substance of the Subject of Faith and Good

Works
It must be clearly state from the onset that faith
and good works are inseparable. We cannot talk about faith

5
paragraph 1-2
6
paragraph 1
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

without works in salvation. Salvation manifests itself in good

works. In fact, the ultimate purpose of our salvation is to
perform good works (Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14). What are we
learning from Paul and James? These two contemporaries
were not contradicting each other, but rather they were
addressing the subject of faith and good works from different
angles.

The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2 was arguing the

case on how one stands right with God. We are saved by faith
alone, the channel by which God’s salvation is mediated to us.
Paul was refuting the idea of justification by works. Instead,
he declared an acquittal for all those found guilty under the
law because Christ died for us. There is nothing man can do
to attain God’s favor (Gal. 2:16). In justification, the
righteousness of Christ through His passive7 and active
obedience8 is imputed or credited to the account of those who
believe in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

James is saying, “Now that you are justified by faith

alone, let that be seen in how you live out your lives” (Jam.
2:14-17). How will one’s faith be vindicated in this world? Only
through one’s good works will it be. James was writing to Jews
who had a dead faith but thought they were saved. He
compared them to demons who had assumed faith in God but
still lived devilishly (Jam. 2:18-20). He focused more on the
subject of progressive purification or sanctification through
good works, whilst Paul focused on initial sanctification when

7
Passive obedience- refers to Christ’s perfect submission and obedience
to God’s law on behalf of sinners who have
broken it in Adam (Rom. 5:19).
8
Active obedience- refers to Christ voluntarily paying for the penalty of
sinners’ sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).
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 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

one is set apart at the moment of conversion. Conversion is

usually a turning away from sin towards God through
repentance and faith. Therefore, there is no contradiction
between Paul and James. True faith and good works
demonstrate the genuineness of our salvation and our level of
maturity, not intellectualism.

We see the example of a practical faith applied by

believers in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1:8-10). Historically, the
Puritans were known to be men and women who strove to
pursue this truth. As Beeke (2010) puts it, “Puritanism grew
out of three needs: (1) the need for biblical preaching and the
teaching of sound Reformed doctrine; (2) the need for biblical,
personal piety that stressed the work of the Holy Spirit in the
faith and life of the believer; and (3) the need to restore biblical
simplicity in liturgy…”9. The Lord demands pursuit of both
doctrine and life practice (Luke 11:28). It is shameful when we
hear and see cases of scandalous men and women who teach
one thing and live the other. The question is, “Is your life right
with God?” If one’s life is right with God, then one must live
right with God.

Surprisingly, we have many people who boast in the

doctrines of grace but live contrary to them (Phil. 3:18; 2 Tim.
3:5). In biblical terms, orthodoxy (biblical theology) leads to
orthopraxy (biblical living). The doctrines of grace ought to
bring humility in true regenerate hearts rather than pride as in
unregenerate hearts. We have many people who seem to be
'reformed' theoretically but who are deformed in practice,
living like fools as if there is no God in the world (Ps. 14:1).

9
paragraph 7
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Let us take an example: I believe that Judas Iscariot

would have heard the biblical teaching of salvation because
he sat under Jesus’ teachings. (These, of course, would line
up with the doctrine of grace if we were to make a
contemporary evaluation.) It could be that Judas himself had
an assurance of salvation, but which was built on sinking
sand. Where is Judas today (John 17:12)? Was he not active
during the ministry of Christ? Yes, he was. Was he not part of
the commissioned ones (Matt. 10:5-15)? Yes, he was, though
his heart was still in darkness (John 12:6). Now we see how
theory and practice must marry each other.

Implications
1. We are saved by faith alone which is a free gift from
God (Eph. 2:8-9), and we are saved for good works (Eph.
2:10; John 15:12-17). For God is not pleased with a faith
without obedience.

2. Good works are a mark of true salvation and of the

life of God in a believer.

3. Faith without works is dead (Jam. 2:17), and God

cannot give such a dead faith.

4. We must practice what we believe. Our faith should

not be mere words. We are what our actions demonstrate.

5. False professions of faith do not nullify the

authenticity of Christianity. While there may be many self-
proclaiming Christians, the power of the cross is always
demonstrated in the lives of true Christians.

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 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

6. If this doctrine brings pride and carelessness with

sin in our lives, then we have embraced it to our own
condemnation.

7. A balanced pulpit must emphasize these true

aspects of the faith, namely, belief and life.

8. Lastly, right theology should always lead to right

practice.

Conclusion
Dear readers, faith and good works are the true
definition of our salvation. These two define who a child of God
is. A person who is truly born again will not keep on sinning (1
John 3:8-10). A true regenerate heart will delight in the law of
the Lord and will produce good fruit (Ps.1:2; 119:9-16). A
saved person will love the Lord both theoretically and
practically. Although good works are not a means to
justification, they are a demonstration of justification resulting
from regeneration (Titus 3:8). This is how we know God’s
children–by their lively faith which is divorced from habitual
sins. Love of sin is Christophobic–the hatred of Christ.
Beloved, God has bestowed His love upon us through His Son
Jesus Christ. We ought not to take this for granted. The grace
of God must be embraced and enjoyed in faith and holiness.
Let us pursue what is godly and cast out what is ungodly.

Joseph Sheyvali is a student at CABU completing his

Bachelor’s degree (Bible: Missions focus) in 2023. He hails
from Namibia and intends to engage in pastoral and missions
work in his native country.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Bibliography
Beeke, Joel. “Why You Should Read the Puritans.”
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ why-you-should-read-
puritans., 2010.

Chapel Library. The London Baptist Confession of

Faith of 1689: With Original Preface, Baptist Catechism, and
Appendix on Baptism. Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library. 2016.

Namibian New Era Newspaper. “Pentecostal churches

in north need to get the okay.”
https://kundana.com.na/posts/pentecostal-churches-north.
2016

Namibian New Era Newspaper. “‘Prophet’ jailed for

rhino poaching.” https://neweralive.na/posts/prophet-jailed-
for-rhino-poaching. 2022.

Njuka, D. “Marriages Under Siege.” http://www.daily-

mail.co.zm/marriages-siege/. 2015.

Roman Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic

Church (2nd ed). Washington, WA: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
1997.

Sproul, R.C. “How Should We Respond to the Hyper-

Grace Movement.” https://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/how-
should-we-respond-to-the-hyper-grace-movement, 2019

Zambia Daily Mail Limited. “Divorce Cases

Alarming.” http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/divorce-cases-
alarming/. 2023.

66
 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION

BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND
CONTROL
By Chewe Kambole

Introduction
Life has a way of triggering different reactions, one of
them being what we become, treasure, discard, keep or wish
to control. This short paper explores some reflective thoughts
that this author has mused about over the years as he makes
his pilgrimage in this world. These thoughts are not strictly
logically arranged but represent key points contemporary
Christians ought to be reflecting over. This submission makes
no claim to being definitive or exhaustive but aims at triggering
discussion.

There is an interesting tension between control and

obedience in the life of a Christian. This tension is one that he
or she has to deal with pretty much throughout his or her faith
walk. When I thought about control, one name that
immediately came to mind was “the mighty Thanos”. Let me
give some context. In 2019 the whole world anticipated the
release of a movie, ‘The Avengers: Endgame’. In the prequel
to this movie, ‘Thanos, the villain’, decimates half the planet
so that the other half might thrive and prosper. He does this
by acquiring what are called infinity stones and becomes the
most powerful being in the universe. Thanos’ agenda is based
on control and power.
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Much like Thanos, we tend to view our walk of faith as

something we are in control of and thus, we find ourselves
behaving like him and espousing the same characteristics that
he had. For us, we would rather assume control from God but
then still want His ‘stamp of approval’ over the things we do.
However, we quickly realize that this works to our detriment.

‘My Version of God’

For the modern-day Christian, we have become
accustomed to various depictions of Jesus. There is a lot more
affinity towards those depictions that are somewhat of benefit
to us whilst the depictions, or attributes, that do not sit quite
well with us are not taken into consideration or plainly not even
talked about. To put it differently, there seems to be a growing
appreciation and acknowledgement of what I would call the
benevolent side of God10.

Be it a WhatsApp status update, Facebook post or

Instagram caption, the focus is almost always on what God is
able to, and sometimes should, do for ‘me’. Yes, we affirm and
know that God is loving, He is a great God who owns the cattle
on a thousand hills, He fights our battles for us and in Him we
have the victory; God is indeed good! God has done all these
things for us, and will do even much more for us.

However, all this is said seemingly without bearing in

mind that we have to be an obedient people (more on this a
little later). Not only do we do this, we also find ourselves

10
An example would be the work of Kathryn A. Johnson, Morris A.
Okun, and Adam B. Cohen, ‘The Mind of the Lord: Measuring
Authoritarian and Benevolent God Representations’ Psychology of
Religion and Spirituality, Vol 7 # 3 2015; p 227-238, among others.
68
 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

picking and choosing bible verses that ‘speak into our

situation’ and in most cases not taking into account what the
whole section or chapter is talking about; we miss the actual
message that is intended to be derived from a particular bible
text. Granted, the particular verses might help us in varying
situations but this has become more of a norm as opposed to
trying to read God's word in its fullness.

The longer we live out our Christian lives this way, the
more ‘spiritually malnourished’ we become. God’s attributes
are meant to be appreciated in totality and not in part. , Our
love for God should not be based on what He can do for me,
it must be based on who He is!

The Idol of Self

Christianity seems to be more of a trend these days (in
Zambia) than something that actually defines who we are.
More and more we see the focus on self which has led to
Christianity becoming a religion that is much more focused on
‘me’ than on ‘Him’. We ask for blessings, dare I say demand
for them, because we have pledged our allegiance to this God.
We have been accustomed to quotes such as “by the end of
the year I’m going to have everything I prayed for manifest”11.
How sure are you that will happen? What about God’s
sovereignty? Why have you assumed the place of God? Such
is the narcissistic mindset that we as 21st century Christians
have.

Because of this, what has ensued is the view that this

is some kind of give and take arrangement where I say I am a

11
See Scott McDonald, ‘Spiritual powers’, p53 ff in Barnes et al (ed). The
Abandoned Gospel, Maiden Publishing House, 2021.
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Christian, and I try to live a not-so-bad-good-person-go-to-

church life and in return, these blessings have to ‘rain down
on me’. Scripture tells us that we are to Love the Lord our God
with our everything, soul, mind, heart and strength (Matt
22:37-38), but it seems that we love ourselves more than we
love God; we have replaced God with the idol of self. We tend
to blame God for not coming through for us and yet we are
living disobedient lives!

We are living in a time where we are constantly

encouraged and implored to focus on self; it is all about what
I what, when I want and how I want it. The interesting fact is
that the more self-absorbed we become, the less fulfilled we
are as a people. We have a higher view of self and a lower
view of God. This has thus translated into how we approach
God, what we think of Him and ultimately how we worship
Him.

One more thought before I transition. The Christian

that is self-centered about his faith, one who wants God to do
things for him, is more likely to be one that some may describe
as a ‘fence-rider’. They are neither here nor there; they want
the best of both worlds. The bible describes this kind of
Christian as lukewarm. The speaks about a people that were
neither hot or cold, but lukewarm. God said he would spit them
out. They were inactive. They were not devoted. Christianity
demands that the Christian gives their all; their allegiance
must be to Christ and Him only.

Obedience
We now come to the heart of the issue at hand. The
imperative to be obedient believers is one that is scarcely
mentioned, especially with most contemporary preachers,
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 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

because we are the focus, God is not. We must realize that

we are a people who were saved for God; to worship Him. The
Westminster Shorter Catechism will tell us that the chief end
of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever12.

And so, our piety stops being about us and becomes

about God; it becomes focused and centered on God. When
Jesus came to this earth, one constant theme that we see Him
talking about, primarily in the gospels, is that of ‘God’s
Kingdom’; Jesus came to establish God’s rule on the earth.
Therefore, those who become children of God through
salvation are not only reconciled back to God and saved from
the penalty of sin, they now enjoy a relationship with Him and
make an unwavering commitment to follow God’s rule in their
lives; they live their lives in total submission and surrender to
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Life stops being about us and becomes about God. Let

me put this differently; when we become children of God, the
Holy Spirit sanctifies us and starts to transform us and make
us Christ-like. This happens primarily through prayer, reading
Gods Word and obeying it. It is further happens through
fellowship with Gods people as we serve and worship him as
a community of God’s people. We cannot expect to be
transformed into something that we do not know about.
Furthermore, the purpose of this transformation is to know
God’s will, that we might worship God aright.

The struggle that we have, particularly as young

Christians, is that we cannot see what is up ahead in our lives,

12
Refer to the Westminster shorter catechism available at:
https://prts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Shorter_Catechism.pdf,
accessed on 19th November, 2023, p 1.
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

and that’s when the desire to control comes in. When we are
travelling by road to any particular destination, many times we
see how the road meanders and turns. But you will realize that
you can only see up to a certain point and not further than that.
This can be said of our lives in that we don’t see much ahead
in our lives even though we plan and have dreams.

But God sees our lives from start to finish. In more

colloquial terms, God is our ‘google map’. He is the only one
who has adequate information on how to navigate our lives.
How quickly we forget that God knew us since before we were
born and formed us in our mother’s womb! Ultimately our
obedience to God and what He says in His word will show us
just how much we love Him.

A proposed Posture
In most cases we want to be Thanos; we want control
over our lives. We want to have the power to create and
manipulate; we do not only want to steer the ship of our lives;
we want to determine how and when the winds blow for our
sails. We want to determine what doors should open and what
doors should close. But in another sense, there is the
realization that we are limited and finite beings.

Our posture, henceforth, in the first place, must begin

with realizing who we are and whose we are. When we do not
have an accurate understanding of God and ourselves, we do
not worship him aright. Thereafter, ours is to seek Gods will
for our lives at each and every step of the way.

Sometimes we doubt what God can do in our lives as

a result of our obedience to him. Other times the challenge is
not so much that we doubt God, it is that we become impatient
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 THE CHRISTIANS’ TENSION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND CONTROL

and would rather prefer that Gods works according to our

timelines and wishes. We must always remember that God is
sovereign and that he does as He so pleases. Our duty is to
serve Him in humble obedience, knowing and trusting that He
holds our lives in His very capable hands.

Chewe Kambole is graduate of Evangelical University

(Ndola) and now pursuing his MA at CABU. He is called to
vocational Ministry currently interning at Faith Baptist
Riverside and teaches part time at CABU.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Bibliography
Johnson Kathryn A., Okun Morris A., and Cohen
Adam B., ‘The Mind of the Lord: Measuring Authoritarian
and Benevolent God Representations’, Psychology of
Religion and Spirituality, Volume 7 # 3, 2015, 227-238,
available at:
file:///C:/Users/sichoneb/Downloads/141_Mindofthelord.pdf.
pdf, accessed on 19th November, 2023.

Scott MacDonald, ‘Spiritual Powers’, in Barnes et al.

The Abandoned Gospel, Lusaka: Maiden Publishing House,
2021.

Westminster Shorter catechism, available at:

https://prts.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2016/12/Shorter_Catechism.pdf, accessed on
19th November, 2023, p 1.

74
KĒRUSSŌMEN 9/1 (2023) 79–92

THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF

ASCETICISM IN
CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN
CHRISTIANITY
By Dr GoodFriday NwaChuku Aghawenu

Introduction
Ascetic lifestyle cannot be disengaged from Christian
worship just like life cannot be detached from breathing. The
Holy Spirit leads believers to exercise spiritual discipline.
While God’s righteousness is a gift (Rom. 5:17), ascetic
exercises are called the believer’s righteousness (Matt. 6:1).
A Christian seeks to be found right with God and walk in
obedience with him (Phil. 3:9; Rom. 6:16). Ascetic exercises
are the Christian’s activities in sowing to the Spirit (Gal. 6:8).
They are not in themselves spiritual harvest, which is Christ’s
life being brought as fruit (Gal. 5:22); but they replicate the
right settings for believer’s growth in Christ1. Thus, Martin
(1964:65) sees asceticism as a Christian “disciplinary course
of conduct pursued as a means of drawing closer to God”.
This study asserts that asceticism is a loving spiritual
exercise for believers in Africa, and that it is not outdated
practice for contemporary Christians. It posits that there is an

1
R T. Forster, “Discipline, Spiritual” in D. J. Atkinson Ed. New
Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester:
InterVarsity, 1995, p 313
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

intrinsic value in a healthy Christian asceticism to

contemporary Christian worship in Africa.

What is Asceticism?
Asceticism is derived from the Greek word askesis
which means exercise, practice, and training. Formally,
askesis was used in reference to Greek athlete or soldier who
subjected himself or herself to systematic exercise or training
in order to attain the desired goal of physical fitness. But the
word recently has assumed philosophical, spiritual and
ethical overturns2. Ascetic practice is not only for physical
fitness, but also for a systematic and vigorous exercise, and
training of the will, the mind and the soul in order “to attain a
more virtuous life of a higher spiritual state”3. In religious and
ethical contexts, asceticism refers to “self-preparation for a
virtuous course of conduct, the zealous practice of acts of
devotion and morality”4. To him, this practice of virtue, in the
narrower and stricter sense, is an exercise of an inward life,
such as prayer of the heart, conscious examination; or an
outward life of self-discipline such as self-mortification by
fasting, voluntary poverty, etc.

Implying a non-forced nature of asceticism, Walter

O. Kaelber defined asceticism “as a voluntary, sustained and
self-denial in which immediate, sensual or profane
gratifications are renounced in order to attain a higher

2
Dallas Willard. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God
changes lives, New York: HarperCollins, 1991 p, 19, 135-37.
3
Walter, O Kaelber. “Asceticism” Encyclopaedia of Religion and
Ethics, vol. 1, 2.1987. p 441
4
O Zockler. “Asceticism” Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 1,
2., 1987, p 73.
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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

spiritual state or a mere thorough absorption in the sacred5.

While asceticism transcends fasting, and prayer, in this
study, asceticism will be restricted to fasting and prayer.
Fasting is an abstinence from food for some periods of time
in order to subject the body so that the spirit can commune
with God adequately. It is also the act of abstaining from
anything that may disturb or hinder one’s communion with
God for some time. Just as Emma Ekpunobi (1989:5) rightly
said that:

Many things that we eat, drink, see and

hear hinder our communion with God. When we fast, we push
these things to the background so that they may not weigh
us down or distract our attention as we pray. Fasting is
pushing all distractions aside so that we can communicate
effectively with God

Therefore, fasting is a weapon of spiritual strength

which when combined with prayer moves the mountains that
hinder one’s progress6. It elevates the practitioner to an
intrinsic value or level of spiritual maturity. We will now
examine some biblical examples of asceticism (Fasting and
Prayer) and its values for Christian living or worship.

5
Walter, O Kaelber. “Asceticism” Encyclopaedia of Religion and
Ethics, vol. 1, 2.1987. p 441
6
Francis Wale Oke. Go Forward. Ibadan: Victory Literature Crusader,
1993 p 55
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

The Biblical Basis for Asceticism

Biblical basis for asceticism shall be discussed under

two subheadings, namely: Old Testament Asceticism; and
New Testament Asceticism.

Old Testament Asceticism

The practice of asceticism is obvious in the Old
Testament. According to Zockler (nd. p 73), “This consists in
the urgent demand for an earnest combating of sin and a
complete resignation to the Holy will of God”. Fasting is
prescribed in the Old Testament as a ritual legislation and
sometimes a very strict obligation for a nation. For instance,
in the days of atonement, the Israelites are commanded:
“You must deny yourselves and not do any work” (Lev.
16:29). The strictness is clearly stated in Leviticus 23:26-29.

The Lord said to Moses, ‘The tenth day of

this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred
assembly and deny yourselves, and present offering made to
the Lord by fire. Do not work on that Day, because it is the
Day of Atonement . . . anyone who does not deny himself on
that day must be cut off from his people . . .” (NIV).

The phrase “deny yourselves” literally means humble

(or afflict) yourselves, an expression used to mean fasting
(see Psalm 35:13). It is noted that “the day of atonement was
the only regular fast day stipulated in the Old Testament”7.

7
Kenneth Ed Barker. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1985, p 168.
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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

Old Testament asceticism is sometimes optional

and situational, especially in times of calamity (cf. Judges
20:26; Joel 1:14; Jer. 36:9; 1 Sam. 7:6). Some priests or
prophets were commanded to abstain from the use of wine
all their lifetimes (cf. 1 Samuel 1L1cff; Judges 13L14)8. A man
or woman could make a special vow of separation unto the
Lord as a Nazirite (cf. Numbers 6:1ff). This involves
separation or consecration for a period or for life. It is not just
a vow of self-discipline but an act of total devotion to the Lord.
During the period of a Nazirite’s vow, three areas of his (or
her) life are to be governed; these are diet, appearance and
associations. Every Israelite was regulated in these areas,
but for the Nazirite each regulation was heightened9. Thus,
the Old Testament permits a place for the right kind of
asceticism. Hence, Israel was to abstain from marital
intercourse before the giving of the law (Exodus 19:15). Elijah
fasted for forty days on his journey to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8),
and fasting mostly played a vital role in penitential humiliation
before the King of Glory (Joel 2:15ff) (Kelly, 1988:68). From
the foregoing, it could be noted that asceticism is
necessitated and commanded in the Old Testament as
means for enhancing personal, and communal discipline.

New Testament Asceticism

Asceticism was also transported to the New
Testament; however, this was without its legalistic nature (cf.
Col. 2:16, 25; 1 Tim. 4:1-5). Thus, fasting with prayer was
common in the New Testament. For example, prophetess

8
O Zockler. “Asceticism” Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 1,
2., 1987, p 73.
9
Kenneth Ed Baker. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1985, p 198.
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Anna-having lost her husband-dedicated herself to the

service of God. She spent her waking hours attending and
worshipping in the temple both day and night, fasting and
praying (cf. Luke 2:36-37). More so, in Acts 13:1-3, a group
of five men, who were prophets and teachers, met together
in Antioch Church ‘worshipping the Lord and fasting’10. The
climax of Christian asceticism in New Testament is to be
found even higher in the exemplary life of Jesus Christ. He
fasted and prayed for forty (40) days and forty (40) nights (cf.
Matt. 4:1-2). “He was both humanist and ascetic, who ‘come
eating and drinking’ (Luke 7:34) but called on his followers to
deny themselves and take up the cross after him (Mark
8:34).”11

Fasting and prayer are parts of the acts of

righteousness Jesus taught his followers not to misuse (Matt.
6:1-18). Throughout Jesus’ teaching, there runs a thread of
teaching which urges the disciple to deny himself of any
activity or pleasure which might hinder his “seeking first the
Kingdom of God.” On one occasion, Jesus made reference
to fasting in such a way as to indicate that he looked upon
moderate asceticism as a proper aid to devotion12. From the
foregoing, while asceticism lost was without legalization in
the New Testament, the practice was modelled by Jesus in

10
D.L Okholm. “Asceticism” in D. J. Atkinson Ed. New Dictionary of
Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester: InterVarsity. 1995 p
173
11
E.R Hardy, “Asceticism” A New Dictionary of Christian Ethics.
London: SCM Press, 1986, p 44.
12
William Martin. The Longman’s Bible Encyclopaedia. Nashville: The
South-western Company, 1964, p 65.
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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

his ministerial devotion; and was practiced by several

practitioners as means for personal devotion, and discipline.

The Intrinsic Value of Christian Asceticism

The Bible consistently emphasizes an asceticism that
is impressive. However, three points need to be carefully
noted. First, there is no suggestion of anything intrinsically
evil in that which is foregone, such as food, marriage,
prosperity or ordinary relationships. Asceticism is quite
different from Gnosticism which has been a continuing
suspicion that the physical is essentially evil and therefore
should be renounced in order to attain a true sanctification
and full obedience to Christ.

Second, there is no universal or even permanent

rule of biblical asceticism in the majority of cases. Attempts
have been made to impose definite rules of asceticism as an
indissoluble obligation, as in the Roman insistence upon
celibate clergy or the permanent character of monastic vows.

Third, biblical asceticism is not an end in itself but is

undertaken with a view to achieve something positive such
as repentance, hearing God’s word, or more particularly,
service. It is presumed that there is a merit in asceticism as
such, the ascetic attaining to a higher level of Christian life
and acquiring merit in the bid to escape purgatory.

The evils of dualism, legalism and ecclesiasticism

have perverted asceticism, avenging themselves either in a
reversion to moral laxity on the one side – that is what Kelly
(1988) calls clerical concubinage – or a self-centered
Pharisaic on the other side (Luke 18:11-14). Unfortunately,
the general tendency of the contemporary church has been
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to lose sight of the three distinctive and indispensable

characteristics of genuine biblical asceticism. However, the
best antidote to perverted asceticism is the biblical and
evangelical view. It rests on the fact that salvation is in Christ
alone. There is no superior merit or virtue in asceticism as
such; neither does it regards the physical as intrinsically evil;
and cannot accept a binding or permanent rule of abnegation.
Hence, the intrinsic value of Christian asceticism cannot be
overemphasized13.

The ascetic life is valuable because the children of

God are in constant war against their three major enemies:
(1) the flesh, which is the sinful nature and selfish desire of
humankind as opposed to the righteousness of God; (2) the
world and her sinful attraction; and (3) the devil, which is the
accuser of the brethren14. A healthy Christian ascetic life
would enable one to overcome these great enemies of the
soul. This is possible when asceticism is seen as a response
to God’s call and an anticipation of his enabling grace to live
a victorious life in Christ. It makes the ascetic person to
acknowledge his sharing life with ‘the author and perfecter of
our faith’ (Heb. 12:2; Mark 8:34)15.

Another intrinsic value of asceticism is that it is a

part of the process of sanctification, a struggle to bring under
control the self-centered desire. It is a discipline that leads to

13
William Kelly. “Asceticism” in E. F. Harrison Ed. Baker’s Dictionary
of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988 p 68-69.
14
Francis Wale Oke. Victory in Spiritual Warfare. Ibadan: Victory
Literature Crusader, 1986 p 1-2.
15
D.L Okholm. “Asceticism” in D. J. Atkinson Ed. New Dictionary of
Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester: InterVarsity, 1995, p
173-174.
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true freedom at the end and also result to church’s edification

and devoting service to God and humankind (cf. Rom. 8:19-
23; 1 Cor. 7;29-31; Phil. 2:1-13). Asceticism is a ‘moral
gymnastic (Zockler, 174) exercise to overcome sin and
perform good works, just as Okholm rightly observed that “A
holistic emphasis will see that ascetic practices help one in
the struggle to achieve mastery over natural powers and
process, habituating one’s nature to do God’s will and
opening up clogged channels in one’s life through which
God’s grace can be experienced”16.

The Ascetic Life of Prayer and Fasting

Prayer and fasting are important elements of the
ascetic life; they are Christian’s activities in sowing to the
Spirit (Gal. 6:8). Ascetic life is a Christian spiritual discipline.
It was common saying among the Christians of the primitive
church that the soul and the body make a human but the spirit
and discipline make a Christian. This implies that none could
be real Christian without the practice of Christian discipline.
But if this be so, is it any wonder that we find so few
Christians, for where is Christian discipline? Prayer and
fasting are central to experiential Christianity. Jesus accepts
giving, prayer and fasting as three most important disciplines
of Judaism (Matt. 6:2, 5 and 16), and purifies them from self-
display and self-righteous Pharisaism17.

16
D.L Okholm. “Asceticism” in D. J. Atkinson Ed. New Dictionary of
Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester: InterVarsity, 1995, p
174.
17
R.T Forster. “Discipline, Spiritual” in D. J. Atkinson Ed. New
Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester:
InterVarsity, 1995, p 311.
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The Bible affirms at least sixteen ascetic activities or

disciplines; these also appear throughout the history of the
church. There are individual disciplines such as meditation,
study, simplicity, frugality, sacrifice, solitude, silence, secrecy
and chastity; and the corporate disciplines such as service,
celebration, worship, fellowship, submission, confession and
guidance. These are not, as sometimes has been
misunderstood, meritorious works; neither are they acts of
penance to pay for the soul’s misdoing, but rather a means
for hungering after God (Ps. 42:1). Deep within a soul is a
thirst for God. Even as one experiences His presence he/she
will continue to crave more, until finally he/she abides with
Him forever18.

In the contemporary society everyone thinks of

changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself or
herself. The aim of all ascetic activities is that we might
succeed in guarding our heart, ‘the wellspring of life’ (Prov.
4:23), so that from it might flow a pure, unadulterated stream
of God’s life (John 7:38). This is valid regardless of how we
classify asceticism, whether as inward and outward,
individual and corporate or whether we see them as
abstaining from certain things and engaging in others19. Life
transformation is impossible apart from the work of the Holy
Spirit. We have no remedy for sin and we have no antidote
for evil. Yet God is delighted in doing what is impossible for
us to do as we come to Him in humanity and in simplicity.

18
Richard Blackaby. The Blackaby Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas
Nelson, 2006, p 663
19
Thomas Akempis. The Imitation of Christ, Charlotte: Commission
Press, nd. p 7
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However, the focus of this study is on prayer and fasting

which we now pay attention.

Ascetic Life of Prayer

Humankind is created in the image of God and for this
reason, human’s spirit responds spontaneously to God’s
Spirit. “Prayer is precisely this response of spirit to the
Spirit”20. Prayer is a relationship between the mortals and the
immortal. It is not a monologue but a dialogue, a two way
communication between human and God whereby one is
given the privilege to speak to God and express one’s needs
or desires before Him and God speaks to such person in
return21. Through the revelation of Christ Jesus, human
being was able to discover ones deep and inexhaustible
narratives related to and destined for God himself. The
human impulse to pray itself is an expression of one’s desire
towards some kind of end or fulfilment22. It is an expression
towards something or someone beyond human that can grant
one a sense of purpose or security.

The Christian understanding is that a man or a

woman is basically drawn towards God. All human desires,
longing, whether misguided or corrupt, point to this one end.
This end in the Christian tradition, according to Hosmer and
Jones (1979:109), is called the Summum bonum (the

20
Rachel Hosmer and Alan Jones. Living in the Spirit. New York: The
Seabury Press, 1979, p 108.
21
Olungbenga Olagunju. “The Dilemma of Imprecatory Prayers in the
Contemporary Church in Nigeria” in Worshiping God in Spirit and in
Truth Volume 1. Ibadan: Baptist Press, 2014 p 58.
22
Rachel Hosmer and Alan Jones (1979) Living in the Spirit. New York:
The Seabury Press Hosmer, 1979, p 108.
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

greatest good), the visiodei point to a human love affair with

the God Almighty that defies description. Though, this love
affair is only possible through Jesus Christ. Prayer is the
nexus of a human love affair with his Creator, an intrinsic
relationship that transcended all other human relationship.

The life of prayer is the life of praise and adoration,

a discipline worship experience that enables one to cultivate
a patient watchfulness in order to see the Creator Being
Himself. The hierarchy of prayer is that it opens one to
transcendence. In other words, the life of prayer is always
opening up new areas in human heart that is otherwise
unknown to be in existence. It is a channel in which a
Christian always discover himself or herself anew23. This new
discovery will enable a believer to function as he or she ought
to in other human relationship or duty. Therefore, prayer is an
infinite duty which has higher value than finite duty. Thus,
every child of God must cultivate a regular ascetic life of
prayer for a healthy and glorious lifestyle.

Ascetic Life of Fasting

Humanity is confronted with increased demonic
activities in the world today which are beyond human power.
The spiritual attack of individuals, homes, communities,
churches or institutions, is at alarming rate, causing incurable
diseases, broken of marriages and homes, insanity and
malady, disunity and rebellion, anarchy and lawlessness,
violation of human right and injustice24. A mere prayer cannot

23
Rachel Hosmer and Alan Jones (1979) Living in the Spirit. New York:
The Seabury Press Hosmer, 1979, p 109.
24
Francis Wale Oke, The Weapons of our Warfare. Guidford: Highland,
1994 p 110-111
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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

withstand these forces. In order to defeat the devil and

destroy its activities, and advance the Kingdom of God
effectively and fruitfully, fasting is very imperative. When the
disciples were confronted with a demon-possessed boy, they
could not deliver him, but Christ came and cast out the
demon at ease and with full confidence.

The disciple inquired why they could not deliver the

boy, Jesus answered, “This kind can come forth by nothing,
but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29 AV). There are many of
‘this kinds’ in our world today which ordinary prayer cannot
be adequate to deal with25. Fasting and prayer is a spiritual
weapon God has given His children to bring under control the
demonic activities. God ordained fasting for the community of
faith to practice as a spiritual worship, a personal preparation
for spiritual service, as well as means of dealing with spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (cf. Eph. 6:12).

Fasting is a well-established spiritual discipline

occurring in Old Testament and New Testament as well as
other religious books. In the Old Testament, it is used to
express repentance (Joel 2;12-13; Jonah 3:5-9) or a
desperate plea for God’s intervention when faced with peril
(Ester 4:1-4). There are various types of fasts: supernatural
fasts which are sustained by God since no human can live
without water for more than three days (e.g. Moses and
Elijah, Exod. 34:28 and 1 Kings 19:8). Absolute fasts – no
food and water for a maximum of three days (Esther 4:16,
Acts 9:9), normal fasts – including water, either long (forty
days, e.g. Jesus, Luke 4:1-2) or short (one day, e.g. Lev.

25
Francis Wale Oke, Go Forward. Ibadan: Victory Literature Crusader,
1993
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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

23:12-14). And partial fasts (1 Kings 17:6; Duet. 1:12-16;

10:2-3). Moses, Elijah and Jesus, each fasted for forty days,
introduced the law, the prophets and kingdom respectively
(cf. Luke 16:16)26.

Fasting is letting God know that one is serious and

desperate and that one is seeking Him with all diligence from
the bottom of heart (cf. Jer. 29:13; Heb. 11:6). The intrinsic
value of fasting is obvious; it is a higher calling, a divine
mandate that transcends all other duties. Fasting is a divine
duty binding on the Christians; an infinite duty is more
valuable than finite duty. It is appropriate that on occasion,
such as during a time of spiritual death, churches and
individuals should choose to seek the restoring of God’s
favour by fasting.

Conclusion
This paper discussed the asceticism of fasting and
prayer to contemporary African Christianity. African
Christianity is the revelation of summons to full humanity.
Part of what it means to be fully human is to rest in God in an
attitude of complete trust. An ascetic life of prayer and fasting
facilitates such trust and as well boosts our glorious salvation
in Christ Jesus. Therefore, Christians ought to fast and pray
for their own sake as beings created in God’s images; for
their own sakes as fallen creatures; and for God’s sake
because God love them and has provided redemption for
them through Christ. It is a loving thing to do and it is not out
dated. A healthy ascetic life must be seen as a response to

26
R.T Forster. “Discipline, Spiritual” in D. J. Atkinson Ed. New
Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester:
InterVarsity 1995 p 377
88
 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

God’s call and God’s offer of enabling grace to live the

Christian life. As a step of faith in obedient submissions to
God’s will, it conversely involves a renunciation of the self-
the daily exercise of bearing one’s cross. Christian asceticism
is one of watchfulness and vigilance for Christ’s coming and
it is timely in an age of consumerism, consumption,
gratification of evenly desire and additions.

Dr. GoodFriday NwaChuku Aghawenu is an Associate

Professor of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Counselling, and
President Emeritus at Baptist Theological Seminary Eku,
Delta State Nigeria.

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Bibliography

A Kempis, Thomas. Of the Imitation of Christ,

Charlotte: Commission Press Inc, nd.

Babalola, J. Ayo. Great Power in Fasting and Prayer.

Translated by D. K. Adesina. Ibadan: C. A. C. 1945.

Baker, Kenneth Ed. The NIV Study Bible. Grand

Rapids: Zondervan 1985.

Blackaby, Richard. The Blackaby Study Bible.

Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2006.

Ekpunobi, Emman. The Joy of Fasting. Ibadan:

Scripture Union. 1989.

Forster, R. T. “Discipline, Spiritual” in D. J. Atkinson

Ed. New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral
Theology. Leicester: InterVarsity. 1985.

Hardy, E. R. “Asceticism” A New Dictionary of

Christian Ethics. London: SCM Press. 1986.

Hosmer, Rachel and Alan Jones. Living in the Spirit.

New York: The Seabury Press. 1979.

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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

Kaelber, Walter O. “Asceticism” Encyclopaedia of

Religion and Ethics, vol. 1, 2. 1987.

Kelly, William. “Asceticism” in E. F. Harrison Ed.

Baker’s Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House. 1988.

Lewis, P. H. “Discretions, Spiritual” in D. J. Atkinson

Ed. New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral
Theology. Leicester: InterVarsity. 1999.

Martin, William. The Longman’s Bible

Encyclopaedia. Nashville: The South-western Company.
1964.

Oke, Francis Wale. Go Forward. Ibadan: Victory

Literature Crusader. 1993.

___________.Victory in Spiritual Warfare. Ibadan:

Victory Literature Crusader. 1986.

___________. The Weapons of our Warfare.

Guidford: Highland. 1994.

Okholm, D. L. “Asceticism” in D. J. Atkinson Ed.

New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology.
Leicester: InterVarsity. 1995.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Olagunju, Olugbenga. “The Dilemma of Imprecatory

Prayers in the Contemporary Church in Nigeria” in
Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth Volume 1. Ibadan:
Baptist Press. 2014.

Willard Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines:

Understanding How God Changes Lives, New York:
HarperCollins, 1991.

Zockler, O. “Asceticism” Encyclopaedia of Religion

and Ethics, vol. 1, 2. n.d.

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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ALIGNING

MISSION PHILOSOPHY WITH
GLORIOUS SALVATION
By Mulenga Chileshe

Introduction
In the pursuit of organizational excellence and meaning,
aligning our mission philosophy with the concept of glorious
salvation not only provides a clear sense of purpose but also
enables us to transcend worldly objectives, fostering a deeper
commitment to our mission and the greater good. This profound
endeavour involves the integration of organizational goals,
values, and actions with the higher purpose of salvation. It serves
as a transformative force that harmonizes our approach to goals,
enhancing our sense of meaning and dedication within our
mission. This alignment is not only a catalyst for strengthening
our sense of purpose but also a means to serve a higher,
transcendent good that goes beyond conventional worldly
objectives. This study delves into the profound significance of
aligning mission philosophy with glorious salvation within the
context of the local church, highlighting the interconnectedness
of mission, evangelism, and discipleship, all converging toward
the ultimate goal of nurturing worshipful relationships with God. It
commences with a scriptural exploration, emphasizing the
enduring objectives and planned actions that define the concept

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

of mission, rooted in Genesis 1:28-29 and the divine commission

entrusted to humanity.

The Concept of Evangelism, Discipleship, and Missions

The significance of aligning mission philosophy with

glorious salvation becomes apparent when we examine the
concept of Mission. Mission is not merely a short-term endeavour
but rather a long-term goal, realized through carefully set
objectives and planned actions123. Within this context, the
philosophy of personal and global evangelism takes root, drawing
its authority from the Bible. A biblical foundation for this alignment
is found in Genesis 1:28-29, where God commissions humanity
to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”124 The command
encompasses a divine blessing and an entrusted responsibility to
cultivate the Earth, including having dominion over its creatures
and partaking in the nourishment of plants and trees. This
passage not only designates the recipients of this divine
instruction but also hints at the idea of entrusting the
advancement of the Gospel to those who may initially be
unfamiliar with it.

Mission holds immense significance in Scripture as it

encompasses the realization of God's glory.125 It is intrinsically
tied to soteriology, the divine act of salvation granted by God
through Jesus Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit, as evident in
passages such as Genesis 3:15 and 21, in conjunction with John

123
Andy Johnson, Missions, Ekklesia Afrika, p 21.
124
Unless otherwise stated, all Scriptures are quoted in ESV.
125
1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17; Psa. 3:8; 19:1–6; Isa. 48:11; Eph. 2:8–10.

94
 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

3:16–17 and Ephesians 2:4–10, 13–22. Furthermore, it has a

clear focus on fallen humanity, as emphasized in Romans 3:23,
5:1–21, alongside Genesis 3: and 6:23, and Ephesians 2:1–3. It
is from this mission that the command to evangelize emerges.
The New Testament serves as the fullest expression of Christ's
soteriological work and His delegation of responsibility to reach
the fallen masses with the good news of His redemptive work.
The famous directive, "Go Ye therefore and make disciples of all
nations…" (Matthew 28:19), not only instructs believers to
proclaim Christ but also commands them to disciple those they
reach, nurturing them to become more like Christ and share in
the mission of advancing the Gospel to others, ultimately
reuniting all of God's children into His fold (Matthew 11:28–30,
18:12, John 21:15–18, 2 Timothy 2:1–2).

Theological Depth and Mission

Mission involves realizing God's glory and centres on
soteriology—the salvation from God through Jesus Christ and the
Holy Spirit's application (Gen. 3:15, 21; John 3:16–17; Eph. 2:4–
10, 13–22). It targets fallen humanity (Rom. 3:23; 5:1–21; Eph.
2:1–3). The command to evangelize originates from mission. The
New Testament reflects Christ's work in soteriology and the
responsibility to share the Gospel (Matt. 28:19)126.

126
D.A. Carson and Kathleen Nielson, His Mission: Jesus in the Gospel of
Luke, Crossway.

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KĒRUSSŌMEN: A JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Casting Light on the Soteriological Role of the Local

Church in Missions
The local church assumes the vital role of safeguarding
God's truth, entrusted with the sacred responsibility of preserving
the Gospel for future generations (2 Timothy 1:14; 2:2–7; 4:1–
2)127. Its duty extends to dispatching individuals into the mission
field, mirroring Christ's commissioning of His apostles (John
17:18). Furthermore, the church plays a pivotal role in equipping
both men and women to become effective preachers of the
Gospel, resulting in the establishment of additional local
churches (Matthew 28:19-20). This mission transcends
superficial professions of faith; it revolves around the profound
transformation of hearts, guiding individuals towards sincere
worship of the Father in truth, obedience, and adoration. This
transformation acknowledges the fallen state of humanity before
God, recognizing that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory
of God" (Romans 3:23) and the profound need for a Savior whose
heart beats for them (John 17:6–11). Thus, the church's mandate
encompasses the proclamation of the wisdom of God (Romans
10:14–15) through Christ Jesus, the reconciler of sinners
(Ephesians 3:10–11; 3:21). Ultimately, the church's role also
involves heralding the message of repentance to the world, the
primary target of mission (Colossians 1:13–14).

The role of the local church in missions takes on profound

significance when viewed through a soteriological lens.
Soteriology, the study of salvation, underscores the central

127
Andy Johnson, Missions: How the local Church goes global, Ekklesia
Afrika, p 21 & 37.

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 THE GLORIOUS SALVATION

purpose of missions, which is to bring the message of God's

salvation to a fallen world. In this context, the local church serves
as the primary vessel through which the redemptive message of
Christ is proclaimed and lived out.

Soteriological Concerns: The Lack of Evangelism,

Discipleship, and Missions Emphasis in the Local
Church
Regrettably, many contemporary churches have
transformed, shifting their focus towards programs, numbers, and
entertainment, inadvertently stunting spiritual growth and
severing the vital connection between believers and the
transformative power of the Gospel. This paradigm shift is
accompanied by a misinterpretation of evangelism, which has led
to a skewed emphasis on social events rather than the core
message of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:23; 2:2).

Recognizing that the mission is God's divine activity,

where His grace awakens individuals to Himself, transforming
them into new creations destined to glorify Him eternally (2
Corinthians 5.11-19, 10.31; Ephesians 2.1-10), the church is
called to practice mission by fervently proclaiming the Gospel
(Matthew 28.16-20; 2 Corinthians 5:20–21). However,
contemporary churches appear to have veered off course,
becoming program-centric, entertainment-driven, and overly
focused on numerical growth, at the expense of spiritual
formation and growth. In this shift, the church has lost sight of its
mission to embody the life of Christ, both to the world shrouded
in darkness and within its congregations. The repercussions are
evident in hindered spiritual growth and a dearth of true growth,

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as disobedience to God deprives individuals of the abundant life

He offers.

The misinterpretation of evangelism is another issue

plaguing churches today. Instead of centring on Christ and His
crucifixion (1 Corinthians 1:23; 2:2), evangelism has been
reduced to social gatherings, social responsibility initiatives, and
superficial interactions. This deviation from the core purpose of
evangelism is often rooted in uncertainty about how to effectively
carry it out. Consequently, the church has shifted from its divine
calling of infusing Christ's life into spiritually hungry souls to
adopting a program-oriented approach obsessed with numbers.
This departure from evangelism as a lifestyle has resulted in the
growth of nominal churchgoers who view the church merely as a
place for ceremonies and assistance in times of need128. Acts
8:20 vividly illustrates the danger of seeking to purchase God's
gift with material wealth, while Acts 5:1–11 highlights instances
of unchristian behaviour within the church.

Drawing inspiration from the early Christians, who

diligently fulfilled the Great Commission by establishing small
house group churches dedicated to learning Christ's teachings
through the apostles and upholding His truth (Acts 2:42–47), the

128
Mark Dever, in his book "The Gospel and Personal Evangelism," sheds
light on a concerning trend within the church. He laments that those who
possess the most significant message in the world often find themselves
making excuses instead of sharing it. In lieu of obeying the Great
Commission, they rationalize their inaction using five primary excuses: "I
don't know their language, it is illegal, it could cause problems at work, I
have other more urgent things, I don't know non-Christians, and what will
they think about me" (Mark Dever, "The Gospel & Personal Evangelism,"
Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007, pp. 20–21, 53).

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contemporary church can find a path forward. Acts 8:4 further

exemplifies the commitment of those who, scattered due to
persecution, carried the Word of God and planted small house
group churches along their journey. These early practices
recorded in the book of Acts serve as a compelling model for the
church today to embrace the mission wholeheartedly.

However, a significant concern persists—the lack of

discipleship. Scripture clearly defines discipleship as the process
of moulding individuals to become more Christ-like (Galatians
4:19). It entails presenting one's entire self as a living sacrifice
before God (Romans 12.1), with the ultimate aim of equipping
others to faithfully observe and uphold the Scriptures (Matthew
28.16-20). Sadly, the contemporary church has often neglected
this critical responsibility, either due to the perceived cost it
entails or the absence of a robust emphasis on mission within
local church gatherings. Consequently, discipleship has been
relegated to a mere program, typically consisting of a brief 10-
week training for new believers, after which it is often abandoned.
While some churches engage in evangelism, they frequently fail
to provide adequate follow-up and discipleship for those they
initially reached. This oversight perpetuates a shallowness in
spiritual growth and leaves new believers without the necessary
guidance to mature in their faith.

Soteriological Imperatives: The Church's Vital

Emphasis on Evangelism, Discipleship, and Missions
Conversely, churches should understand that missions
call for evangelism, and evangelism calls for discipleship. All
these have one objective truth: the preaching of the Gospel to

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every kindred and tribe, with the ultimate goal being to bring
humanity into the worship of God. In doing so, a church becomes
spiritually healthy, immune to the allure of worldly pleasures, and
becomes a beacon redirecting others toward the right worship of
God. These efforts also foster vital relationships crucial for
advancing the cause of Christ, as Colossians 4:3–4 emphasizes:
“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a
door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of
which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I
ought to speak.”129

Churches should recognize the importance of discipleship

as a lifelong, life-on-life process of learning from those in right
standing with God (Philippians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 4:14-17; 1
Thessalonians 1:4-7). The ideal candidates for discipleship are
believers who are faithful, available, and teachable (2 Timothy
2:2). Discipleship begins in the pulpit, with preaching aimed at
training and equipping the congregation for maturity. Believers
within the church should actively engage in discipling one another
(Titus 2:4). Informal training should be ongoing, possibly leading
to well-structured programs.

Churches should also recognize that through discipleship,

biblical leadership is developed. Our churches need to ensure
that we not only understand the good news but can also express
it clearly. We should work to train one another to lead lives and
have a clear understanding that helps us share the gospel.130 The

129
Cf. 1 Sam. 7:8; Col. 4:3; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1; 2 Cor. 1:11; Heb.
13:18; Rom. 15:30; Phil. 1:19.
130
ver, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, 53

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ultimate function of biblical leadership is to govern and

administrate the church, as seen in 1 Timothy 5:17 and Acts 6. In
Acts 6, the division of labour is evident, with leaders focusing on
prayer and teaching God's Word. These aspects extend to
decision-making, defending the faith by adhering to the faithful
word, and disciplining those who fall into doctrinal error. 131

Moreover, churches must grasp that obedience to the

Great Commission is, in essence, an act of worship directed
toward God. Continuous reminders regarding evangelism,
discipleship, and missions, alongside the accurate teaching and
practical application of truth, foster sound doctrine that in turn
encourages genuine worship. Sound theology serves as the
foundation that shapes, nourishes, informs, and motivates our
worship, akin to fuel for a fire or a script for a play. This alignment
with soteriological principles reflects the life that the church
should embody. It is thus evident that the Church should hold a
soteriological concern regarding evangelism, discipleship, and
missions emphasis for several compelling reasons:

Salvation of Souls: Evangelism, discipleship, and

missions are intricately tied to the salvation of souls. The
Church's primary mission is to bring the message of God's
salvation through Jesus Christ to a fallen world.

Obedience to Christ's Great Commission: The Great

Commission involves bringing the message of salvation to all

131
John MacArthur, The master plan for the church (Chicago, IL: Moody
Publishers, 1991)85-86

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people, reflecting the Church's commitment to the salvation of

humanity.

Fulfillment of God's Redemptive Plan: The Church plays

a pivotal role in God's plan by proclaiming the message of
salvation and discipling believers to live out their faith.

Transformation of Lives: Discipleship is essential for

individuals to experience the fullness of salvation, resist sin, and
bear spiritual fruit.

Preservation of the Gospel: The Church is entrusted with

the sacred duty of preserving the Gospel message for future
generations.

Global Missions Mandate: The Church's mission's

emphasis extends the offer of salvation to people from all
backgrounds.

Glorification of God: Salvation ultimately brings glory to

God, and evangelism, discipleship, and missions are means
through which the Church participates in God's glory.

With these, a soteriological concern about evangelism,

discipleship, and missions emphasis aligns with the central
purpose of the Church: the salvation of souls. It reflects
obedience to Christ's command, participation in God's
redemptive plan, and the transformation of lives to reflect God's
glory. It ensures the preservation of the Gospel and extends the
offer of salvation to all people, ultimately bringing glory to God
through the proclamation of His saving grace.

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Helpful Insights from Dever and Ripken

The valuable insights gained from readings by Dever and
Ripken emphasize the importance of understanding the essence
of evangelism and its message to overcome common excuses
related to evangelism. It is highlighted that a profound
understanding of Christ empowers individuals to confidently
share His message with others. Recognizing their role as saved
individuals, they bear the responsibility to evangelize Christ to
those around them, as Dever emphasizes, “God calls all
Christians to share the good news.”132 Dever's practical guidance
stresses the need for honesty and balance in evangelism,
encouraging transparency and completeness in sharing the
message, even if certain aspects may appear challenging.

Ripken's addition, emphasizing the pursuit of evangelism

and discipleship despite facing persecution, underscores the
significance of obedience in all circumstances. This insight
serves as a reminder that dedication to spreading the Gospel
should persist regardless of challenges.133 This perspective also
highlights the foundational role of love for Jesus in ministry,
emphasizing that all aspects of ministry flow from this love. This
perspective calls for the embodiment of Christ's life and example,
reshaping worldviews and life philosophies to place Jesus Christ
at the core rather than the self.

132
Dever, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, 53, 55.
133
Nik Ripken, The Insanity of Obedience: Walking with Jesus in Tough
Places (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2014).

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The insights gleaned from Dever and Ripken offer

valuable guidance for effective evangelism, thoughtful
engagement with differing viewpoints, and the central role of
Christ's love in ministry. To structure evangelism, discipleship,
and missions, the article suggests a focus on reading and
reflecting on God's Word, forming discipleship groups, and
encouraging informal training. The pulpit should prioritize Gospel-
centered preaching, and the church should look outward to
propagate the Gospel, fostering a culture of evangelism and
discipleship within the church, enabling believers to share the
Gospel in their daily lives and workplaces while also addressing
humanitarian needs.

Conclusion
In conclusion, aligning the mission philosophy of the
church with the concept of glorious salvation is indeed at the
heart of its mission. Through faithful adherence to God's
commands in His Word, the church not only fulfils its divine calling
but also fosters spiritual growth and the worship of God. The
recognition that the goal of missions is centred on making
disciples and spreading the Gospel should guide every aspect of
ministry within the church. Ultimately, success in ministry is
measured by faithfulness to God's commands and the fulfilment
of the Great Commission. By diligently pursuing the task of
disciple-making and Gospel proclamation, the church fulfils its
mission and purpose by following God's divine plan.

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Mulenga Chileshe is a graduate of CABU (BA Bible) and

currently pursuing an MDiv. He is a part-time lecturer and
teaching assistant within the Bible school. Chileshe enjoys
theological thought, writing and serving in the local Church.

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Bibliography
D.A, Carson and Kathleen, Nielson (ed). His Mission:
Jesus in The Gospel of Luke, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015.

Dever, Mark. The Gospel & Personal Evangelism.

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007.

Johnson, Andy. Missions: How the Local Church goes

Global, Ekklesia Afrika, 2017.

MacArthur, J. The Master Plan for the Church.

Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991.

Ripken, Nik. The Insanity of Obedience: Walking with

Jesus in Tough Places. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing
Group, 2014.

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 BOOK REVIEW 1: TACTICS
Koukl, Gregory. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your
Christian Convictions, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.

By Chileshe Mulenga

Gregory Koukl's book, “Tactics: A Game Plan for

Discussing Your Christian Convictions,” serves as a valuable
guide for discussing Christian beliefs in a world that often
questions faith. It equips readers with essential skills to
express their convictions thoughtfully and compassionately,
preparing them to navigate discussions about Christianity
confidently amidst diverse opinions and inquiries. Beyond a
mere book, “Tactics” aims to empower Christians,
emphasizing the importance of enlightening conversations
over conflicts and offering strategies for meaningful
exchanges with individuals of differing beliefs or worldviews.
Koukl stresses the need for wisdom in conversation tactics,
introducing the concept of “columbo,” which involves using
carefully crafted questions to foster constructive dialogues.
This aligns with Paul's counsel in Colossians 4:6,
emphasizing grace-infused speech effectively to engage with
others.

This book “Tactics”, also serves as a remarkable

guide for Christians seeking to navigate conversations about
their faith with grace and wisdom. Koukl underscores the
significance of infusing grace into our speech while defending
Christian beliefs. He urges readers to respond thoughtfully to
individuals attempting to discredit Christianity, aiming to

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prompt reconsideration of their intentions. Exploring this

book, readers uncover Koukl's ideas that enable them to turn
potentially controversial chats into chances for shared
understanding and personal development. Collectively, they
find out approaches to ask relevant questions, address
misunderstandings, and gently lead others towards a deeper
grasp of their Christian beliefs.

The book is split into two main parts - “The Strategy”

and “Spotting the Issues” - with chapters developing tactical
principles for sharing Christian beliefs, and chapters that
progressively strengthen these tactical principles. Further,
the book shows how to share beliefs in persuasive yet
pleasant ways. Koukl focuses on listening well, being
humble, asking good questions, finding common ground, and
keeping Jesus central. With his advice, Christians can turn
tricky faith talks into chances to understand each other.
Instead of arguments that divide, there can be dialogues that
unite. It also gives step-by-step guidance for improving
spiritual conversations. He slowly builds the skills with
practical examples. He covers important points like using
thoughtful questions, recognizing inconsistent thinking, and
training in explaining beliefs. By breaking it down chapter by
chapter, he helps readers steadily improve their discussion
abilities. While useful for everyday talks, “Tactics” prepares
Christians to discuss their deepest beliefs intelligently yet
gently. With his coaching, Christians gain confidence for
truthful, thoughtful and caring conversations about their faith.
This book provides excellent guidance for talking about
Christianity in convincing and kind ways.

In Chapter One, Koukl introduces the idea of handling

questions and defending faith with diplomacy. He
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emphasizes understanding apologetics and explains that the

defence aims to counter false ideas challenging faith. Koukl
highlights the main goal of guiding seekers towards God's
truth rather than solely focusing on winning arguments.
Moving on to Chapter Two, he explores the concerns many
Christians have when discussing their convictions. Koukl
addresses the fear of disagreements and stresses the
importance of maintaining respectful conversations, even
amid differing viewpoints. He encourages promoting civil
disagreements and avoiding taking opposition personally.
Additionally, practical advice is given on dealing with various
reservations and concerns. Overall, these early chapters
establish diplomacy, truth-focused approaches, and
overcoming hesitations as fundamental aspects of Koukl's
strategy in Christian conversation tactics. Key ideas involve
the role of apologetics as spiritual guidance, prioritizing truth
over winning debates, maintaining grace during
disagreements, and addressing reservations constructively.

Chapter Three presents the tactic of “putting

someone in a tight spot,” where quick responses are needed
in tricky chats. Koukl proposes replying with questions that
encourage the other person to expand on their views, leading
to a more thoughtful exchange. This tactic helps ensure we
grasp the person's perspective and avoid misrepresenting
their meaning. Overall, the chapter introduces the
importance of using clarifying questions when faced with
complex or contentious viewpoints. Key concepts include
avoiding assumptions, inviting elaboration, and aiming for
mutual understanding in difficult dialogues. Koukl
emphasises thoughtful exchanges over hasty reactions.

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In Chapter Four, Koukl explores the concept of the

“burden of proof” and how to reverse it effectively in
conversations. He highlights the importance of requiring
evidence and reasons for one's beliefs, emphasising the
need for clear and convincing argumentation. Overall, the
chapter introduces the idea of placing the burden of proof on
the person making the claim. Key concepts include asking for
justification of beliefs, presenting persuasive reasoning, and
aiming for clarity in discussions. Koukl focuses on the
significance of sound argumentation in productive dialogues.

Chapters Five and Six of the book delve into the art
of utilising questions to steer discussions effectively. Koukl
underscores the significance of formulating questions that
challenge opposing viewpoints, unveil flaws in reasoning,
and maintain a clear focus on the subject. He places
emphasis on the virtues of attentive listening and seeking
clarification before presenting one's own viewpoints.
Moreover, he offers practical advice on adeptly employing the
"columbo" tactic by anticipating potential conversational
hurdles. Koukl encourages Christians to prepare ahead,
ready to ask questions that challenge misconceptions or
illuminate misunderstandings. These chapters principally
introduce adept questioning as a vital tactic, highlighting the
importance of attentive listening, seeking clarification, and
steering discussions through thoughtful inquiries. Koukl
furnishes strategies to refine this pivotal conversational skill.

In Chapters Nine to Fourteen, Koukl examines

various scenarios where arguments can collapse or present
logical inconsistencies. He addresses the challenge of
dealing with arguments that contradict each other and the
importance of pointing out such inconsistencies respectfully.
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His conclusion is made to emphasize the need for rigorous

apologetics training. Further, readers are reminded on the
importance of preparation and practice for effective
engagement in conviction conversations. Koukl's book
equips Christians with valuable tools for defending their faith
with grace, clarity and wisdom.

While “Tactics” offers practical insights for faith

discussions, some may find it lacks context for addressing
specific cultural and moral issues like LGBTQ+ topics.
Nevertheless, Koukl's emphasis on thoughtful questioning
and gracious demeanour is a valuable resource for equipping
Christians to explain their faith respectfully. Overall, the
concluding chapters focus on identifying logical flaws and
inconsistencies in reasoning, while emphasising thorough
apologetics preparation. Koukl provides tactical skills for
discussion, albeit with certain contextual limitations. Core
concepts include respectful dialogue, rigorous training and
grace-filled conviction conversations.

In conclusion, “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing

Your Christian Convictions” by Gregory Koukl serves as a
guide for Christians to engage in more effective discussions
about their beliefs. Koukl adopts a strategic approach,
emphasizing skilful questioning to enhance conversations
about faith. His focus on tactical questioning provides
valuable insights for believers seeking to articulate their
Christian convictions with grace and wisdom. The book's
primary objective is to cultivate conversational skills that
enlighten rather than provoke disagreements. Koukl
introduces key principles such as diplomacy, clarity, and the
importance of overcoming reservations through apologetics
training and tactical questioning. Although the book has some
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contextual limitations, “Tactics” equips Christians with

principled tools for engaging in truth-focused and respectful
dialogue regarding their deeply held beliefs.

Mulenga Chileshe is a graduate of CABU (BA Bible) and

currently pursuing an MDiv. He is a part-time lecturer and
teaching assistant within the Bible school. Chileshe enjoys
theological thought, writing and serving in the local Church.

Bibliography
Koukl, Gregory. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing

Your Christian Convictions, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,

2009.

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BOOK REVIEW 2:
REDEEMING SCIENCE
Poythress, Vern S. 2006. Redeeming Science: A God-
Centered Approach.Crossway Books.

By Doc. Billy Sichone

Introduction
In reviewing the book Redeeming Science by Dr.
Vern S. Poythress, one cannot fail to note the author’s
sincerity and his love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is
abundantly clear that the book author possesses an authentic
reverence for God and His word while seeking to reason from
the Bible, offering valuable insights from it as relates to the
world around us. While others outright reject the Bible as the
word of God, this author expresses himself from a biblical
worldview. Commencing from the sacred page, Poythress
argues that God has indeed created the world as we see it
today and hardly needs any proof outside the inspired page
to authenticate the veracity of the Bible.

Although Poythress acknowledges that creation can

give evidence for the existence of God, Yahweh is to be
accepted by faith since humanistic scientific empirical
evidence cannot be used to prove His being or existence.
Empirical science cannot “cage” the almighty (Hebrews 11:3,
6). He stands alone in a class of His own, the inscrutable one
(Romans 11:33ff). That said, man is nonetheless encouraged
to diligently explore creation seeking answers to puzzling
questions bugging humans. Creation actually points to God,

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including those cutting edge novel discoveries which have

hitherto remained hidden to the human eye. While science
changes with time as more information becomes available1,
God’s word and His nature do not. Therefore, in whatever
man does, he must begin and end with God. Any other
approach leads to certain errors in the interpretation of
scripture and nature around us. Given his mathematical and
theological backgrounds, Poythress assumes an objective
approach to his argument and investigation. To achieve his
objectives, the author breaks down his book into 23 chapters
composed of 375 pages. Among the issues handled include
the person, nature of God and the origin and end of the world
around us. In the ensuing sections of this paper, a chapter-
by-chapter synthesis is presented with a few added notes to
make the subject matter review more intelligible. Having
adopted Poythress’ framework, we commence this
excursion.

Why Scientists Must Believe in God: Divine

Attributes of Scientific Law
According to Poythress and others, scientists ought
to believe in God because they use His laws which, in effect,
attest to His existence. The scientist wrongly trusts in
predictable and stable laws instead of trusting in the God who
has instituted these same laws (Romans 1:21-22). Those
things which scientists discover in the natural world follow
and obey the laws God has placed in nature to do His bidding.
These selfsame laws are said to be constant, eternal and

1
Thomas S. Kuhn, The structure of Scientific Revolutions, 3e, Chicago,
IL: University of Chicago Press, 1996, p 6-7.

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rational, demonstrating that they exist, are responsive to and

point to God. It may be concluded that all human beings are
aware of the existence of God though they may try in some
instances to suppress this fact (Romans 1:18-21).

The Role of the Bible

The Bible points to God and, in the process, alludes
to some scientific facts. While nature points to the existence
of God in creation, the Bible points to the hidden things of
God through special revelation (Psalm 8:19). Anyone that
ventures to appropriate this special revelation from the word
of God will eventually come to a right understanding of the
world around him. This is so because the Bible provides the
correct worldview the child of God is supposed to have. From
that standpoint, correctly interpreting the world becomes a
reality not prior to. True authentic science is a mere
commentary on creation through God’s general revelation.

Knowledge from Whose Authority?

Today, the world is awash in secularist thinking. Most
public higher institutions of learning have been pervasively
invaded2. Any dissenting view is swiftly quashed, as

2
Refer to William Lane Craig Resaonable Faith, Crossway, 2008; David
S. Dockery & Gregory Alan Thornbury, Shaping a Christian World
View: The foundations of Christian Higher Education, Broadman & Hall
Academic, 2002).

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Swamidass has recently confirmed3. From whose authority

should people operate, God’s or man’s?

Creation
God created the world ex-nihilo; that is to say, Elohim
created by fiat without using any pre-existing material. This is
what all authentic Bible believing saints hold. Elohim created
the world in six literal consecutive days and in a logical
fashion, crowning it with the creation of man on the sixth day
(Gen 1 & 2). Having concluded all His creating process, God
looked back to review His work and was exceedingly pleased
(Gen. 1:31). Elohim then rested on the seventh day and
hallowed it. This ‘rest’ is a set principle and remembered
across scripture by different practices, signs, events and
ordinances of sorts. While creating, the triune God was
involved from start to finish, ensuring that everything was
perfect. It is a tragic reality that at some point, man was
deceived, and sin entered the world to mar everything God
had made good and perfect in its pristine estate (Gen. 3; Rom
5:12ff). Poythress does an excellent job in unveiling this fact
before highlighting perceived problems in the first few
chapters of Genesis.

3
Rabecca Randall, ‘What If We Don’t Have to Choose Between
Evolution and Adam and Eve?’ Christianity Today (online), January
30th, 2020, available at:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/january-web-
only/genealogical-adam-eve-evolution-joshua-swamidass.html,
Accessed on 17th November, 2023.
2020

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Perceived Issues in Genesis 1 and Science

One of the challenges Poythress highlights revolves
around the creation order, its duration and what exactly
happens between Genesis 1:1-3. Several theories have been
held by different saints and theologians in general, all hoping
to remain true to the word of God. Others, especially
scientists, dismiss the entire Genesis 1 account as a mere
work of fiction or, at best, a collection of mystical poetic
writings compiled by some ancient Hebrews. This cohort
denies the Bible’s inspiration and order of events, preferring
to subscribe to the theory of evolution as an option (i.e.
theistic Intelligent Design and evolutionists like S. Joshua
Swamidass [computational Biologist exploiting AI] and Hugh
Ross). Dr. Vern Poythress wrestles with and reasons through
a host of arguments, demonstrating that Genesis 1 is verily
the very historical literal word of God and in harmony with
science, contrary to what skeptics assert. While some details
may be at variance here and there, the overall truth of the
Bible agrees with science. Or is it that science agrees with
the Bible?

The Teaching of Genesis 1

Poythress proceeds to demonstrate that, despite all
other interpretations of Genesis 1, this chapter and book (i.e.
Genesis) actually does teach what is historically true and
correct. One point is clear–Genesis is not written to state or
prove any scientific facts but to declare who God is, His being
or nature. The Bible states that God did indeed create the

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world from nothing.4 The Genesis 1 account is therefore

historical, reliably accurate and authentic. With respect to the
order of creation and time frame, Poythress equally asserts
that the Bible narrates what actually happened from the
beginning and that creation took place in a chronological
order and time frame.

Evaluating Modern Science on the Age of the Earth

In this chapter Poythress enters realms which abound
with many controversies, such as the dating methods and
ideas submitted by science today with respect to the origin
and age of the earth. One school teaches that the universe5
is many billions of years old, originating from the Big Bang.6
As the universe cooled,7 the stars and planets eventually
formed. From scientists’ postulation, Earth is several billion
years old, given the extant dating methods (i.e. carbon
dating), while human beings appeared on the earth through
evolution several million years ago. The six- to ten-thousand-
year time frame offered by some creationists is rejected and
hurled out the window.8 It is important to note that scientists

4
i.e. i.e. without using any pre-existing material but by His mere word.
Creation was fiat in nature.
5
While others suggest a multiplicity of universes, MUniverse,
essentially derived from Hindu Theology.
6
Pundits claim some 14.6 Billion years ago or so.

7
and coalesced
8
Young Earth Creationists claim that the world is not more than 10,000
years old, though creation has a sense of age embedded within its fabric.
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themselves are in different camps, holding different views as

to the age of the earth. We will examine some of these
theories on offer.

Evaluating Theories on the Age of the Earth

Poythress brings to the table various theories
advanced on the age of the earth. It should be said that these
theories are put forward by some well-meaning Christians
and religious people. While we will not delve into the details
or mention names, these theories are listed here at length,
yielded from various helpful sources:

Religious Only Theory: This holds that the Bible

addresses ONLY matters of religion, not scientific fact. This
view runs away from any accusation of science or the
controversies it potentially generates. It holds that Genesis 1-
3 focuses on a big picture view of things rather than the
minute details. The details are left for science to fill in. In
effect, this view creates a dichotomy between science and
religion.

Local Creation Theory: This view holds that the

account described in Genesis 1-3 relates to a local scenario,
a part of the entire world. It argues for a limited creation
surrounding the Garden of Eden only and thus cannot be a
blanket for the entire world’s creation.

The Gap Theory: This teaches that between Genesis

1:1 and 2, a lot of things happened. The view posits that God

This accounts for the so-called “billions of years old" claimed by

evolutionists.

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recreates in verse 1, destroys in verse 2 and recreates as we

move to verse 3. The apparent “chaos” in verse 2 is caused
by the fall of Satan to the earth due to his sin, resulting in the
ruin of the earth and the extinction of species, including the
dinosaurs. Stated differently, the theory attempts to squeeze
in some chaos in verse 2 so as to account for issues raised
by science, such as the dinosaur extinction, among others.

Intermittent Day Theory: This view holds that the days

of creation are indeed six, but the casual reader would
wrongly conclude they are presented in chronological or
successive order. The argument is that Genesis does not
explicitly declare the days follow each other in the given
sequence.

The Revelatory Day Theory: This holds that the days

mentioned in Genesis are actually six days during which God
revealed the facts to Moses rather than the actual creation
days.

These theories fall by the wayside because they falter

at some points. Other theories dubbed “more attractive
views” are advanced below:

The Day-Age Theory: This theory suggests that each

“day” mentioned in Genesis could actually translate to
millions of years rather than a 24-hour day. Thus, the six days
of creation could span millions of years and be consistent
with the claim that, to the Lord, a day is like a thousand years
and vice versa.

The 24-Hour-Day and Mature Day Creation views:

Both views hold that God created the world in six days, each

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being a twenty-four period. The first view holds that God

created the world using the literal 24-hour cycle. The second
view suggests that the Lord indeed created the world in 24-
hour cycles, but that the earth only appears old when, in fact,
it is not. Age is embedded in nature because the fall may
have affected creation, making it look older than expected.

Analogical Day Theory and the Framework view: The first

theory states that the creation account given in the Bible may
not necessarily refer to a 24-hour creation cycle but give
identity to man to work creation rather than being idle. It
considers the Sabbath to be pivotal to the work cycle. The
Framework view is similar to the Analogical but states that
God’s work days should be analogous to human’s work days
and cycle. In other words, Genesis gives a framework in
which humans are to work in a successive fashion. Poythress
finally settles for the analogical view because:

• It is free of the “24-hour” day assumption, and

• It does not conflict with empirical scientific evidence.

The Role of Mankind in Science

Having tabulated various views, Poythress focuses
on the role of man in science. The writer first states that man
is special and created in the image of God, though tainted by
sin in the fall. It is nonetheless important that humans engage
in scientific exploration but from a correct view and motive
that begins with God. Any discoveries point to God and His
marvelous, purposeful design. If not properly held or
understood, science leads to idolatry.

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The Role of Christ as Redeemer in Science

This rather short chapter demonstrates that all
creation belongs to Christ and, thus, all scientific endeavors
must give glory to Him (Psalm 8; 19). In God we live, move
and have our being. Human pride tends to make us forget
this fact, man preferring to honor created things rather than
the creator who is forever praised, amen (Acts 17:28;
Romans 11:36)!

The Word of God in Science

The word of God is abundantly written on the page of
Science. Science, by its nature, sets out to discover and
unveil the hidden secrets of God’s creation. If we are to see
or perceive these things correctly, we must begin with Him
and end with Him, for any deviation leads to disastrous views
and consequences. This relatively short chapter
demonstrates the glory of God in the Son who is the wisdom
of God.

Truth in Science and in Life

God rules comprehensively for He is absolutely
sovereign over all creation. For this reason, all scientific
inquiry should relate to God as the author and source of all
wisdom and truth. Without Him, no real tangible truth may be
truly known, though man may possess or discover aspects of
the truth. The problem comes with the interpretation of reality,
hence the need to have this source of all life and truth on our
side. God is the standard of all truth, and it is absolute.
Postmodernism runs away from such a view and, in essence,
detests God for “intruding into their lives.” But humans must
act responsibly and seek to discover what God has for His

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children in creation. Briefly, we may conclude that (1) all truth

is divine; (2) all truth is from God; (3) God is in absolute
control; (4) He ordains even our salvation; and (5) humans
are responsible for their choices, nonetheless.

Debates About What is Real: The Character of

Scientific Knowledge
The debates about what is real or false take many
twists and turns. This drives us into the epistemic and
metaphysical realms. We do not go in that direction, although
we must state that the rationalistic empirical scientist insists
that only what can be felt and verified through the five senses
is true, while anything else is not true but rather a mere
figment of imagination9. The realist claims that the world is
tangibly real because it can be discovered through science
while the theist uses no tangible proofs or evidence. This
thinking is flawed because not everything can be proved
empirically. It is not possible to determine the existence of
phenomena by a single method but in collaboration with
others, including alternative approaches. Other tests and
evidences must be adduced to arrive at the truth. This
chapter lists different schools of thought:

9
Granted, this may appear a clever argument, but one wonders what they
would say about, for example, high-pitched sounds beyond human
sensory comprehension? What about invisible forces or waves not
discernible by the human mind, intellect or technology? Does that imply
they do not exist? This could, at best, be an argument from silence or, at
worst, not a fair claim in the absence of definitive evidence for such
claims.

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• Realism

• Idealism (Kant supported this view)

• Empiricism

• Pragmatism

• Postmodern relativism

All these views advance themselves in the theory

market, seeking to prove that they hold “the truth” more than
any other. These varied views partly explain why people react
differently to the world around them. If things are to work well,
however, these views must be brought to the coherent reality
found in the Christian worldview. That result comes by
imbibing the gospel.

Ordinary Experience of the World in Relation to

Scientific Theory
Poythress demonstrates that the Bible was written in
plain everyday language which people of their time and
context could resonate with, unlike the complex scientific
language and jargon the postmodern mind seeks to impose
on the Bible. Further, the Bible’s primary goal is to reveal God
and not to prove some scientific fact, although it may do so
in the process of describing something. The Bible thus
explains things from a human eye’s point of view by exploiting
anthropomorphic language.

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The Relationship Between Creation and Re-Creation

This chapter addresses the issue of sin, not science.
It talks more about the remedy to sin found in Christ as He
creates anew by the agency and power of the Holy Spirit. The
salient points in this chapter are these: (1) all things in
creation image God, and (2) created things are different from
the uncreated, e.g., light. In the first creation, God creates
everything pure, new and uncorrupted. In re-creation God
renews fallen man with the consequent result of a corruption-
free world once redemption is fully complete in eternity
(Romans 8).

The Mystery of Life

Life is a mystery from its genesis to its end. A man
may observe what happens in a cell, explain it well, only to
discover what exactly or why things occurred is inscrutable to
the human mind at the moment. But even if man were to
decipher and explain the intricacies of nature, life would still
remain mysterious. This chapter highlights some important
points, such as (1) the origin of life; (2) how science or other
views (e.g. theistic evolution) should be viewed and handled;
(3) how life began; (4) whether or not life has a purpose; (5)
regeneration by God, as in ruach-God the Spirit; (6)
replication; and (7) imaging God. This rather long chapter
touches on many pertinent issues on God’s work in the soul
as relates to creation and science.

Origin of New Kinds of Life: Intelligent Design

This is a relatively new area of inquiry (although very

old in some sense) but has its many adherents who support

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it strongly.10 This chapter considers aspects of intelligent

design by God using the concept of irreducible complexity. It
delves into the details of DNA structures of basic life forms
as relates to what we know, questioning where the
information in DNA comes from and how well it is packaged.
This marathon chapter seeks to (1) explore the origins of life;
(2) determine how these things came about; (3) consider how
views ought to be broadened rather than suppressed; (4)
investigate how intelligent design threatens existing theories;
(5) express that the supernatural view has equal potency and
should be included as a possible view of origins in scientific
study (unlike what presently obtains); and (6) suggest that
anomalies should be treated as “normal” rather than blown
out of proportion.

God and Physical Displays

This shorter chapter addresses the following:

• The cycles of bodies have an effect on the planet, cycles

and counting. The body responds to these rhythms.
• God has ordered all motion and events. Nothing is
strange.
• Reproduction and imaging ordinarily do not refer to non-
living things.
• In short, God has ordered all things to follow a certain
cycle and remain in control.

A Christian Approach to Physics and Chemistry

10
William Dembski, Michael Behe and Philip Johnson, among others.

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Science points to God. Consider the remarkable

order and structure of things. He is most worthy to be praised.
The more we study these things, the more they should evoke
our awe and wonder (Psalm 8). Christians are urged to
diligently explore and study creation, interpreting what is
observed according as God has granted regenerated minds
to His children.

A Christian Approach to Mathematics

Although many of us dread mathematics, it is
nonetheless a beautiful foundational science with remarkable
ability to communicate concepts of God. With mathematics
we can calculate probabilities with some reasonable degree
of accuracy. Used well, mathematics is a powerful tool to
reveal God.

Conclusion: Serving God

Having successfully demonstrated that every scientist
should acknowledge God as the creator of the world and that
all human discoveries are merely revealing what God
designed and put in place, they should bow the knee and
worship God. Christians should be greatly encouraged to
enjoy God through His creation. God has yet to reveal more
things in His creation as time moves on. This is a booster to
the timid saint. Finally, this book encourages saints to take
up the challenge of studying God’s grand design. The more
they study, the more wonder and awe this should evoke in
their hearts! Creation definitely declares the glory of God,
whether or not we acknowledge, know, or appreciate it. His
glory is evidenced around us. If we are to rightly understand
and interpret His world, we must begin with Him and His
word. Anything short of that leads us in the wrong direction
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and conclusions. This mammoth book ends with appendices,

a bibliography, and general and scripture indexes.

Additional Thoughts, Lessons, Suggestions and

Recommendations
Having perused the book, it is clear that Dr. Vern
Poythress has thoroughly done his homework, especially on
the origins of life and creation. This is admittedly a very thorny
issue now and has been in the past. His occasional use of
the Greek and Hebrew text in his quest to explain issues is
most applauded and demonstrates mastery and genuine
concern to communicate truth. The author also retains a
personal touch throughout the volume, which very few
authors successfully do. Christians need to take up the
challenge to explore the world, be socially intelligent, engage
with the times, and give a reasonable response for the hope
they profess. We need theological giants in all spheres of life,
where the rubber meets the road, as some would say.
Though I do not agree with Poythress’ choice of the
analogical view, I have no reason to dismiss this
courageously groundbreaking work, in my opinion.

I therefore strongly recommend this book to those of

serious well-trained theological eyes to repeatedly review this
volume, given its refreshing golden nuggets. I dare say that
every personal library worth its salt must have this book on
its shelf.

Dr. Billy Sichone serves as Deputy Vice Chancellor for

Academic and Research Affairs. He holds several credentials
and interested in Apologetics, Theology, and Education. He
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is author of several papers and books in Business, Program

Management, Theology and Online Education.

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Bibliography
Burge, Ted. 2005. Science and The Bible: Evidence Based
Christian Belief. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Templeton
Foundation Press.

Craig, William Lane. 2008. Reasonable Faith: Christian

Truth and Apologetics. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Dockery, David S., and Gregory Alan Thornbury. 2002.

Shaping a Christian Worldview: The Foundations of
Christian Higher Education. Nashville, TN: Broadman &
Holman Publishing.

Engelbert, Phillis, and Diane L. Dupuis. 2006. Astronomy &

Space (GK Book). Mumbai, India: Jaico Publishing House.

Gitt, Werner 2006. Stars and Their Purpose: Understanding

the Origin of Earth’s “Night Light.” Green Forest, AR:
Master Books.

Griswold, Ferrel. “Evolution 1, 2 & 3.” Berean Tape Ministry,

Audio.

Ham, Ken. “Genesis and Origin of Races.” Audio CD.

Kuhn, Thomas S. 1996. The Structure of Scientific

Revolutions, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago
Press.

Morey, Robert. 1989. Introduction to Defending the Faith.

New York, NY: Crowne Publications.

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Morris, Henry M. 1990. Many Infallible Proofs: Evidences

for the Christian Faith. Green Forest, AR: Master Books.

Poythress, Vern S. 2006. Redeeming Science: A God-

Centered Approach. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
https://frame-poythress.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/08/PoythressVernRedeemingScience.
pdf.

Randall, Rabecca. “What If We Don’t Have to Choose

Between Evolution and Adam and Eve?” Christianity
Today, January, 2020.

Silverside, David. “Da Vinci Code.” Audio CD.

Wright, John. 1994. Designer Universe. Rock Rapids, IA:

Monarch.

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BOOK REVIEW 3: THE

ABANDONED GOSPEL
Philip W. Barnes. The Abandoned Gospel: Confronting the Neo-
Pentecostalism and the prosperity Gospel in sub-Saharan Africa.
Lusaka, Zambia: Maiden Publishing House, 2021 pp 308.

By Martin Mwamba

Introduction and back ground:

This article reviews a book authored by several
authors addressing the need to recover the lost gospel. This
evaluation traces the historical biblical events that have
shown the gospel under attack. The review further highlights
the roots of the prosperity gospel and its ramifications.

The Gospel is about the person and work of Christ on

the cross to redeem sinners, it is the basis of true Christianity.
We understand that the glorious message of Gospel is that
Jesus Christ died for sin, was buried and resurrected (1
Corinthians 15:1-5). By that token, the Gospel is the
foundation of Christianity. However, this message has
always come under internal and external attacks or
compromised by imposters. The counterfeit gospels are
troubling because they obscure the True Gospel that is
valuable, being the power God unto salvation (Romans 1:14).
From the apostolic era onwards, the Gospel has been under
constant attack and abandoned by some professing
believers that should have known better. This scenario
prompted the Apostle Paul to pen a letter to the church at

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Galatia to defend and to clarify the Gospel message against

individuals that were deserting the Gospel to follow the
teachings of Judaism. These Judaizers were also suggesting
insufficiency of the Gospel to which they felt they needed to
add something; the gospel plus the law.

The act of abandoning the Gospel prompted the

Apostle Paul to warn against perverters of the Gospel
(Galatians 1:6-10). Historically, The Galatians were probably
known nationally as an impulsive, changeable, and
inconsistent lot. This could be evidenced in their paradoxical
desire to worship Paul at one moment and to stone him in the
next (Acts 14:11-19). An additional element could be seen in
their quickness to receive the Gospel and then abandon it
(1:6).

Paul then marvelled at their spiritual gullibility in that

they were so easily influenced by the Judaizers (1:6). These
mortals troubled and confused the young converts with their
impressive teaching of the law, and perverted the real Gospel
in the process. They actually preached another gospel (II
Corinthians 11:4). They preached another (i.e. different kind)
gospel which was not really another (another of the same
kind). The difference between the message of Paul and that
of the Judaizers was not in the presentation or emphasis, but
in its essence. The false teaching that both faith and works
are necessary to gain justification actually redefines the
concept of faith as used by Paul. Paul then pronounced an
anathema (a curse) upon any who would preach another
gospel than that which was preached by Paul and received
originally by the Galatians.

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Similarly, just as is the case of the Galatians, the

church today is confronted with the problem of abandoning
the Gospel. In fact, most of the churches are either
abandoning the true Gospel to embracing the prosperity
gospel or standing to proclaim and defend it. Therefore, this
book ‘The Abandoned Gospel’- Confronting the Neo-
Pentecostalism and the prosperity Gospel in sub-Saharan
Africa compiled by Philip W. Barnes is cardinal and timely.
The prosperity Gospel and Neo Pentecostalism is the cancer
or virus like Covid-19 that is spreading fast and demanding
churches. The contributors to this book were on the firm
ground to sound a rallying call to defend the authentic
evangel and reclaim the abandoned gospel. In the words of
Chuck Lawless in the foreword about this, he captures the
main thrust that The Abandoned Gospel “is about preventing
another kind of virus, a theological virus, that is spreading
around the world. The growth of Neo-Pentecostalism and the
prosperity gospel has influenced much of the world” (ix). This
book is reminding churches and church leaders to cling to the
true Gospel. The aim is for a clear Gospel focus that prevents
the spread of the false teachings. At length is the summary
of the content of the book.

The Content of the Book:

This book has several contributors, and what is of
interest is that every contributor calls Africa his or her home.
Majority of them are native-born Africans while others are
missionaries that have made Africa their home or have
resided in Africa for many years. They all share a passion for
Africa and wish to contribute to the advance of the authentic
gospel. The Abandoned Gospel book is divided into three
sections. Each section has a different set of authors handling

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a specific topic in relation to the broader theme. The reader

will find that in the first section, the emphasis is placed on
understanding and dealing with the history and development
of Neo-Pentecostalism and the prosperity gospel. I will give
more details of this section later. Further, in the second
section the authors seek to give biblical responses to various
Neo-Pentecostal and prosperity gospel practices. This
section in my view, has a lot of important issues and
problems to prove that the Gospel is under attack and the
ramification of abandoning the gospel. Then, the last section
gives the recommendations of the foundation of church
planting and church development. In these three sections,
lies a call for the evangelical church in Africa to return to the
gospel for it to be a “useful tool in her Master’s hands. By so
doing they contend for the faith that was delivered to the
saints once for all”11.

In part one of the book, while dealing with history and

development, Matthew A. OJo from Nigeria gives the
historical movement of Christianity into Africa in the third
century from Palestine and Asia Minor. He shows later that
due to Muslim Arabs military conquest in the seventh century,
Christian faith was also wiped out with only the Coptic church
in Egypt remaining as minority religion. However, later
between fifteenth and eighteenth centuries was the coming
of evangelical missionary activities that resulted in the
planting of Christianity in Africa. In view of this, Matthew gives
an overview of the history of Neo- Pentecostalism in Africa
by showing that from early 1970s, a new form of Christianity
emerged with the rise of Pentecostal and Charismatic

11
Philip W Barnes et al (ed). The Abandoned Gospel, Lusaka: Maiden
Publishing House, 2021, p. 10
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movements. A Charismatic renewal swept among the

churches and has seen the growth of this movement with its
features.

Matthew further shows how the prosperity gospel

among Neo-Pentecostal affected the church. He
demonstrates that by 1980s, the prosperity gospel had
become one of the major doctrinal emphases of
contemporary Christianity in Africa. It is evident that this
brand of Christianity was copied from the American Word of
Faith movement and Pentecostal televangelists.
Pentecostalism has responded to the popular demands of
Christianity for economic relevance in the African Society by
advancing the ‘prosperity gospel’. The continuing of the
popularity of the prosperity gospel among Neo-Pentecostals
and African Christians arose from new interpretations of
Biblical metaphors in rapidly changing socio-economic
situations.

The first part of this volume ends with chapter 3 in

which Rev. Mamitiana Nirintsoa from Madagascar shows the
challenges of Neo-Pentecostalism in Africa, which are the
abuse and misuse of scriptures and the missing of pure
gospel. He claims and asserts that what is lost in the Neo-
Pentecostalism is the gospel. For they have replaced the
message of the gospel with a different message. The
message is solely about deliverance from pain and suffering
which is unbiblical. Therefore, there is call to come back to
the supremacy of scriptures. He says that “how the Bible is
viewed in some parts of Africa is wrong. Promises are taken
out of the context of the Bible in order to match the African
context…. This is warning for all African churches. Instead of
preaching the gospel and driving out the darkness, this Neo-
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Pentecostal movement has opened a significant door at the

back of the church and has let in the African traditional
religions”12. In addition, he argues that Neo-Pentecostal
movement is a form of African Traditional Religion (ATR).
This entire section traces the history and develop of this
problem to its current state.

The second part highlights responses to the problem

of Neo-Pentecostalism and charismatic movement and its
effect on Gospel. Scott Macdonald from Zambia, opens
chapter 4 and deals with “Spiritual Powers” by giving his
experience in a church where the worshippers were shouting
declarations and exorcising demons. As worshippers prayed,
Scott observed that no one was praying for the lost. No one
was praying for the salvation of the nations, the exposition of
scriptures, or the perseverance to endure under trial. It was
all about casting out the demon of poverty and binding the
spirit of sickness and even the choice of music was fitting as
they sung about Satan where the name of Satan was
evidently prominent in the majority of the songs. Scott
narrates that in music and in prayer, the theme was set:
“Christians are at constant war with spiritual forces, and our
tumultuous services revolve around the conflict through
declarations and exorcisms.

As Scott narrates his experience, he opines that at

this rate, it would not be surprising if this commotion
described a typical Pentecostal church in Africa, but
surprising thing is that it was actually a Baptist church in
Lusaka, Zambia, where Baptists are proud to be known as

12
Philip W Barnes et al (ed). The Abandoned Gospel, Lusaka: Maiden
Publishing House, 2021, p. 48-49
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‘People of the Book.’ Scott questioned the above incidence

whether ‘this was the worship by the Book? Or was this
demonology by the book? Do Christian Christians meet
together to repel evil spirits with declarations and exorcisms
each week?’ Of course, Scott is using his Western
evangelical lenses that may be influenced by his default
culture but that is what he saw and interpreted. Additionally,
Scott shows that the confusion is evident throughout Africa
and it is fueled by African Neo-Pentecostalism and its
animistic beliefs about spiritual powers. Therefore, he goes
on to show African neo-Pentecostalism beliefs about the
demonic as the hostile forces that bear the primary blame for
human suffering, poverty, and problem. Therefore, victory
over demons is secured primarily through regular spiritual
declarations to bind and cast them out. Spiritual warfare is a
real spiritual declaration to bind and cast them out. Hence
the continuous weekly church services and deliverance by
prophets and “men of God” or visiting of an ATR practitioner)
until deliverance is achieved. Finally, Scott provides
scriptural position on the demons and how one ought to
engage against demons the biblical way.

In chapter Five, Rev. Mischeck Zulu from Zambia also

deals with the subject of dreams and visions, by first defining
and demonstrating their (dreams and visions) place in the
Bible. He further explains the role of dreams and visions in
churches of Africa and the influence of Neo-Pentecostalism
and it abuse of the dreams and visions. Zulu concludes with
the call for the Christian to get guidance through from the
truth of the Bible which is an objective truth than the
subjective experience of men through visions and dreams.

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In chapter six, Conrad Mbewe deals with illnesses,

curses, and afflictions. Mbewe claims that in the African mind,
curses are the main causes of illnesses and afflictions from
human mystical powers from spiritual underworld casting
spells and other issues. Mbewe then proceeds to show God’s
curse as the cause of illness and afflictions resulting from the
fall, showing why it is extremely important to believe in God’s
curse. His emphasis is that Biblical counselling and correct
teaching must be prioritized rather than rushing to the now
popular ‘prayers of deliverance’. In chapter Seven, Rev.
Basil Bhasera from Zimbabwe tackles the subject of speaking
in tongues, showing how the Neo-Pentecostals handle the
gift of tongues and how the gift of tongues was understood in
the New Testament church and then concludes with Baptism
of the spirit in relations with what the Bible really teaches.
Basil argues that Neo-Pentecostals have largely abandoned
the clear biblical teachings of tongues in the Bible, and
therefore warns us to be careful in discerning today’s tongues
being spoken by these groups in their churches.

In Chapter Eight, Julius D. Twongyeirwe from Uganda

deals with Prophecy where he shows the differences
between prophecy in the Bible and the modern day self-
proclaimed prophets. The author argues that the church’s
capacity for spiritual examination of false teachers is a
needed protection against deviations from spiritual health, as
believers test before they trust. The call is to go back to the
Scriptures, as such the church must turn away from false
prophecy by embracing expository preaching.

The second part concludes with chapter nine, where

Ken Mbugua from Kenya hits a nail’s head on the subject of
miracles, healing and deliverance. Mbugua shows that there
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is a need for a theologically mature and strong church to

withstand the pressure. The Church needs not be tossed to
and fro by every wind of doctrine and the hope is that the
church in Africa will be equipped with God’s truth as it resists
the strong gales of false doctrine. Mbugua argues that the
teaching of healing and deliverance in the Neo-Pentecostal
movement have syncretic shadows of both truth and error
corrupted by unbiblical views. Before addressing Neo-
Pentecostal distortions, Mbugua examines the role of
miracles of healing and deliverance play in the narrative of
Scriptures. He looks at the biblical theology of the goodness
of God’s physical creation, then the fall and miracles of
healing and deliverance in scriptures. This is seen with the
entrance of death and the curse of death which reminds us
that all things are broken in this world. He shows the
development of miracles as the hope of deliverance, then
miracles and Neo-Pentecostalism by stating that the cry for
miracles and deliverance is genuine in the broken world, but
the solution that Neo-Pentecostalism offers to those who are
hurting is an unbiblical one. For the miracles we see in
Scriptures were only meant to point us to the Messiah who
will usher in the new creation. Therefore, there is need for
counselling, discipling and shepherding that provides hope to
the hurting. However, he presses a reminder that churches
are not called to peddle deliverance services, but they are
called to proclaim the deliverer’s sacrifice.

In the third part, comprised of fourteen chapters,

primarily focuses on church planting and church
development. Various authors contribute several thoughts in
relation to the planting of healthy churches and admits Neo-
Pentecostalism challenges. So the reader will find
discussions around Holistic Gospel ministry as a way of
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presenting the message of cosmic redemption as a response

to the prosperity Gospel, spirit -power people, biblical
responses to Neo-Pentecostal prayer practices. In addition to
the above, there is a discussion on critical contextualization
and the abandoned Gospel, and the call to establish scripture
as the final authority, to insist on viable Hermeneutics which
is a call to return to Christocentric interpretation in Africa and
the emphasis on the Christ of Scripture. The discussion goes
on to deal with the nature of sin and the need to present
salvation as reconciliation. In order to explain more about
church planting and its development, other contributors have
explained the need to instill the victory of the cross, instill an
Evangelical DNA in the church through developing balanced
church leaders, creating a vibrant church body, constructing
an appropriate church polity and lastly sensitizing the church
to Neo- Pentecostalism and its negative impact on the
Gospel. The book concludes with the call to turn to the
gospel. The call to proclaiming the Gospel faithfully and living
the gospel life is the urgent need of the hour in Africa.

Critical Evaluation and Conclusion:

In the Abandoned Gospel, we observe that various
contributors come together to call and urge the evangelical
church in Africa to rise up and reject faiths and false churches
that threaten the true meaning of Christianity and attack the
Gospel message. This being critical means that it is relevant
to our churches in Zambia. We have witnessed the dangers
in churches of moving away from the spiritual foundation of
the churches by embracing new doctrines and teachings.
Some Baptist churches becoming ‘Bapticostal’ (A Baptist
church that adopts Pentecost tenets) by embracing Neo-
Pentecostal theology and proclaiming prosperity gospel

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which is not the true Gospel at all. This book is a demand

against numerous counterfeit movements and groups under
the umbrella of Prosperity “Gospel” and Neo-Pentecostalism
which represents religions as argued by Philip W. Barnes that
“has abandoned the gospel and is now preaching a gospel
that is not gospel at all. This message has been stripped of
its power to save, its power to transform, and its power to
reconcile. Only by returning to the gospel can the church in
Africa be a useful tool in her Master’s hands”13. Therefore, it’s
my conviction that the preoccupation of the church must be
the proper understanding and the proclamation of the
revealed truth of the Gospel in scriptures. The church in
Africa should proclaim the revealed truth of the Gospel with
conviction, courage and confidence because it is the truth
from God, and it is worth it. The church in Africa needs to
show commitment to the theological truth with depth,
faithfulness in proclaiming the gospel, and living a life worthy
of the gospel. For the Gospel is the power of God unto
salvation (Rom. 1:14-16), to abandon the Gospel for the
prosperity “gospel” is risking the life and eternal destiny of
many Africans. Hence, my contention is that the Gospel is
the message we have been called to believe, obey, proclaim,
defend, and it is worth dying for. We are to reclaim the
abandoned Gospel for the glory of God and the good of the
healthy evangelical church in Africa and beyond. Not only
should we reclaim this Gospel, but also advance it by sending
and supporting missionaries to plant healthy, Christ-centred
and Gospel-centred local churches until Christ returns or
calls us home!

13
Philip W Barnes et al. (ed). The Abandoned Gospel, Lusaka: Maiden
Publishing House, 2021, p 10
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Martin Mwamba holds an MA in Christian studies (Piedmont

University), a graduate of CABU (Bachelors in Bible) and is
currently Radio station Manager at CABU’s Faith Radio. A thought
leader, Martin attends Nkana East Chapel and enjoys theological
discourses.

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BOOK REVIEW 4: STUDIES

ON SAVING FAITH
Arthur W. Pink. Studies on Saving Faith. Bottom of the Hill,
September 1, 2011. (153 pp).

By Albert Chisanga

Introduction
Having been handed a book called ‘Studies on Saving
Faith’ at our Church, I thought that it would be a great title
especially in our African context where there is so much
counterfeits about the topic. The so-called ‘Pastors’ or
‘Evangelists’ or church leaders are ignorant of the true
meaning of saving faith who think that Jesus is savior but not
Lord. I love the way Pink explores the subject on salvation in
his book with the first chapter talking about what he calls
‘counterfeit faith.’

Pink states something to the effect that “[The] book is

a Biblical response to easy-believism and antinomianism,
both of which are rampant in our day in the modern church”.
The book has four parts; part I – signs of the Times
(Introduction), Part II – Saving Faith, Part III – Coming to
Christ, and Part IV – Assurance, the book is composed of
eighteen chapters and ends with four dialogues which
summarize the content of the parts of the book. Pink
approaches the topic in a systematic study of biblical
passages and theological analysis. The author demonstrates
a careful examination and interpretation of scripture to show
his understanding of saving faith. The methodology used in

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this work involves thorough exegesis, which means

extracting the meaning from biblical texts, as well as drawing
upon the insights of other theologians and scholars. Pink
provides scriptural evidence to support his teachings. Pink
evidently had a desire to clarify and deepen the
understanding of this important topic. Also he may have
observed misconceptions or misunderstanding regarding
saving faith and sought to address them. His motive was
likely to edify and equip readers with a solid understanding of
saving faith in a biblical and theological perspective. Which
would enable them to grow in their faith and relationship with
God. The targeted audience are Christians who are
interested in deepening their understanding of the nature and
significance of saving faith. This includes pastors,
theologians, and other Christian leaders who wish to gain a
deeper understanding of the theological basis of saving faith,
as well as lay people who want to grow in their faith and
knowledge of God. The book is also for anyone who may be
struggling with doubts or questions about the nature of saving
faith, as Pink's thorough analysis of biblical teachings on this
topic can provide clarity and insight. This book evaluates this
grand subject of saving faith with the hope of enlightening
readers on the need to pay attention to what biblical saving
faith is or not. We commence a review of this book.

In chapter 1, Pink explores various forms of false or

counterfeit faith that may appear to be genuine, but are in fact
not. Pink identifies several forms of counterfeit faith, such as
historical faith (a mere intellectual assent to certain facts),
temporary faith (a superficial or emotional faith that does not
endure), and presumptuous faith (a false confidence in one's
own salvation without evidence of a transformed life). Pink
emphasizes that true saving faith is marked by certain
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evidence and fruits, such as repentance, obedience, and love

for God and others. He warns against relying on false or
counterfeit forms of faith, which can lead to spiritual
deception and ultimately, eternal separation from God.

Overall, the chapter on "Counterfeit Faith" serves as

a warning to Christians to be discerning in their
understanding of faith and to avoid false or counterfeit forms
of faith that may appear to be genuine but are not.

Then in the second chapter Pink explains what true

saving faith is. But before he explains, Pink says that the
teaching which we have been brought up under which
teaches that there are only two classes of people in this
world, believers and unbelievers, is misleading, and is utterly
erroneous. Pink argues that God’s word divides earth’s
inhabitants into three classes. The first were the “gentile” or
heathen nations, second, there was the nation of Israel which
has to be subdivided into two groups. Thirdly, Pink asserts
that there were the spiritual remnant of Israel, who's calling,
hope and inheritance were heavenly; corresponding to them
this day are the genuine Christian, God’s “little flock” (Luke
12:32). Pink (p 14) defines saving faith as “a yielding to the
authority of God, submitting of myself to his rule.” What I
found interesting is the way he also explains what it means
to come to Christ quoting C. H. Spurgeon, Pink (p 29) says,
“to come to Christ signifies to turn from sin and to trust Him.
Coming to Christ is a leaving of all false confidence, a
renouncing of all love to sin and a looking to Jesus as the
solitary pillar of our confidence and hope”.

Studies on Saving Faith is a book that everyone

interested in Christianity should consider reading. It helps you

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understand what faith means in a straightforward way.

Whether you have been a Christian for a long time or you are
just starting, this book explains how to trust in God and why
it is important.

This book is special because it's based on the Bible

and is easy to understand. It does not just talk about faith in
a theoretical way, but it shows how faith can help you in your
everyday life. It talks about how faith helps you make good
choices and gives you strength when things are tough.

‘Studies on Saving Faith’ is written in a way that

makes it easy for anyone to learn more about their faith.
Whether you are a pastor, a student, or just someone looking
to grow spiritually, this book is a great choice. It helps one
think one’s your faith, question what one knows, and in the
process get closer to God. So, if you want to strengthen your
faith and feel closer to God, this book is a good place to start.
Moreover, I highly recommend Pink's work because of its
biblical grounding and theological accuracy. His thorough
examination of scriptural passages and doctrines ensures
that readers receive a solid and well-founded perspective on
the subject. The book not only make clear the meaning and
significance of saving faith but also addresses common
misconceptions and challenges or as he calls them
(counterfeits) related to it. As a result, ‘Studies on Saving
Faith’ will equip you with a strong foundation for your faith
journey and empower you to live out your beliefs with
confidence and conviction. Whether you are seeking to
deepen your faith, explore the Christian doctrine of salvation,
or simply gain a clearer understanding of what it means to
believe, this book is a valuable guide that offers profound
insights and spiritual nourishment.
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Ultimately, this book offers readers an opportunity for spiritual

enrichment and personal growth. It encourages self-
reflection, challenges preconceived notions, and inspires a
more profound commitment to faith. By reading ‘Studies on
Saving Faith’, individuals can embark on a journey of
discovery, leading to a more profound and meaningful
connection with their faith and with God.

If you are a Christian seeking to deepen your

understanding of the biblical concept of faith and its role in
salvation, then A. W. Pink's book ‘Studies on Saving Faith’ is
definitely a book worth considering. In this book, Pink
provides a thorough and nuanced exploration of the nature
and significance of saving faith, drawing on biblical passages
and theological insights to help readers gain a deeper
understanding of this important topic.

One reason why someone might consider reading

this book is that it provides a clear and accessible
introduction to the concept of saving faith. Pink begins by
defining what ‘saving faith’, is not and then goes on to explore
the various components of faith, such as its subject, nature,
and effects. By breaking down the concept of faith into its
constituent parts, Pink helps readers to gain a more
comprehensive understanding of what faith is and how it
works.

Another reason to read this book is that it provides a

detailed exploration of the relationship between faith and
salvation. Pink argues that faith is a necessary component of
salvation, and that it is a gift from God that enables us to trust
in Christ for our redemption. By exploring the biblical
passages that describe the relationship between faith and

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salvation, Pink helps readers to gain a deeper appreciation

for the significance of this relationship and how it affects our
lives as Christians.

In addition to providing a detailed exploration of the

concept of saving faith, Pink's book also offers practical
insights into how we can cultivate and strengthen our faith.
For example, he emphasizes the importance of prayer, study,
and obedience in nurturing our faith, and he provides
practical advice on how we can incorporate these practices
into our daily lives. By providing concrete examples and
actionable advice, Pink helps readers to move beyond mere
theory and into practical application.
Overall, there are many reasons why someone might
consider reading A. W. Pink's book ‘Studies on Saving Faith’.
Whether you are a new Christian seeking to deepen your
understanding of faith and salvation or a seasoned believer
looking for fresh insights into these important topics, Pink's
book offers valuable insights and practical advice that can
help you grow in your faith and deepen your relationship with
God. So if you are looking for a thoughtful and engaging
exploration of the nature and significance of saving faith, then
‘Studies on Saving Faith’ is definitely a book
worth considering. It is a must-read for those who desire a
more profound and authentic Christian faith experience. Its’
enduring relevance is evidenced by the way it transcends
denominational boundaries and speaks to Christians of
various backgrounds. Readers will find themselves
challenged to examine the sincerity of their own faith and
inspired to cultivate a deeper, more intimate relationship with
God.

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Albert Chisanga is a student in the school of Bible at CABU.

He has deep interest in theological discourses.

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