faith fastens on God's promises directly

and immediately, then faith will be

certain and unshakable. Then faith no
longer rest on a subjective, changeable
foundation but on an objective, abiding
foundation. The unshakableness of the
foundation is conveyed directly to the
person who, rescued from life's
shipwreck, plants both feet firmly on it
in faith. When the plant of faith is
allowed to take root in the ground of
God's promises (the gospel), it will
naturally bear the fruit of certainty. The
deeper and firmer the roots anchor
themselves in this ground, the stronger
and taller it will grow, and the richer will
be its fruit." Herman Bavinck, The
Certainty oj Faith, Paideia Press, St.
Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 1980.
2. The gospel never stops making an
impression on the hearts of true believers.
3. The difference between faith and
unbelief is not one of insight or
intelligence, nor is it because of the
obSCUrity of the biblical revelation. It is
a matter of ethical choice. Those who
chose to believe the gospel ofjesus do so
because of the grace of God enabling
them to do so freely and gladly, with the
whole heart. Those who choose not to
believe the gospel do so, because they
will to do so, and not because they have
intellectual problems. The unbeliever
will not give up himself, his belief in his
own ultimacy and autonomy, and his sin
in order to embrace the gospel by faith.
"The whole man is therefore involved
in believing---with his reason, with his
will, with his heart, in the core of his
being, in the deepest partofhis existence.
Knowing himself to be guilty and lost,
man, in faith, surrenders himself wholly
to God's grace in Christ. He ceases
fighting the war he has long been waging
in his conscience.... He leads all his
thoughts captive to the obedience of
Christ." Herman Bavinck
4. Let Luke take you by the hand and
lead you to Christ. As he leads you, pray
to the Father ojesus to give you the faith
to believe in Jesus.
"IjScripturewerenothingmore than
a narrative oj past events it could be
accepted only on historical grounds by
an historical jaith. But although it is
also ltistory, in that I.istory it is more
than a narrative, it is a Word ]rom God
that comes to man calling him to faith
and repentance. As such, it can be
known through genuine faith. Whoever
accepts its testimony confirms that God
is truth jul. Promise and faith are
correlates; they address themselves to
one another. The more the Christian
develops, the more he roots himself in
that Word, learning to know it better
and to value it more. In the same act of
faith he also embraces Christ, whose
likeness comes to him unadulterated in
theScripture'switness of Him. " Herman
BavinckQ
Byron Snapp
Book Review
He Shall Have Dominion by
Kenneth L. Gentry ]r. Institute for
Christian Economics P.O. Box 8000 Tyler,
Tx. 75711 $19.95hb. 584 ppwith index.
Many times during presbytery exams,
when the examiner begins to ask questions
on eschatology the one being examined
replies that he is pan-mil. This often
brings a wave oflaughter from presbyters.
While eschatology is a very difficult
subject, we must realize that the Bible
does speak directly to the subject. No
Christian should take comfort in hiding
behind a pan-mil description of his
eschatology. All three (or four, including
dispensationalism) cannot be correct. It
is important that we study Scripture
prayerfully to seek to understand what
God has revealed on this important
subject.
Mr. Gentry has authored a
well-written, book from a postmillennial
perspective. He treats those of other
persuasions with respect while showing
that their eschatological arguments are
not built on the sound foundations of
consistent Biblical exegesis.
The author begins by pointing out the
importance of a biblical philosophy of
history. The Christian understands that
history is the working out of God's eternal
plan for his covenant people . This
involves creation and the fan of man.
After man's fan God reveals through
Scripture that the Messiah is coming to
redeem a people to himself. With Christ's
coming, God's kingdom is established
and Satan is defeated as a result of Christ's
death on the cross. As history moves
towards Christ's return on the final day
of judgment, we can expect growth and
advance of the Gospel by means of
regeneration and sanctification. This
results in the spiritual growth of the
individual. This growth will lead to
cultural transformation as Christians seek
to live out every area of life in obedience
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The author rightly contends that
covenant theo!ogy, so evident throughout
Scripture, is important in postmillen-
nialism. The Covenant theologian sees
the unity of the old and new testaments.
"The Covenant concept runs throughout
Scripture. It frames God's creational
process, structures His dealings with man,
and most important for this book's thesis,
insures the success of His divine program
in history.... The decline of covenant
theology since the late nineteenth century
has led to the decline of Christian
influence in society. Postmillennialism is
fundamentally covenantal, presenting a
full-orbed Christianity in it pristine
authority and power." (p. 121)
Christ, God's eternal Son, fulfilled the
covenantal duties of elect sinners. Thus,
Gentry points out the importance of
evangelism in postmillennial thought.
"Cultural influence and change are to be
promoted byGod's people-who are saved
by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-10)-at large in
their callings not by the institutional
Church as such.
CONTlNVED PAGE 24
May, 1993 THE COUNSEL of Chalce<i.on t- 15
HE SHALL HAVE DOMlNION, CaNT.
Thus, postmillennialism seeks the
Chrtstianization of theworld by thespr"'\d
of the gospel of] esus Christ. Evangelism
has priority in Christianization. (pp
259-260)
The keeping of God's lawis not for the
purpose of salvation but for the purpose
of the saved sinner lovingly obeying Christ
His Redeemer and for the just and orderly
operation of society. After all] esus Christ
has all authority over every area of life.
Societies as well as individuals can pro-
gress as they seek to live under God's law.
Covenantal disobedience to God's law
by means of i ts absence in preaching and
in practice leads to the shrinking of the
impact of Christianity in culture as is
evidenced in our own day. However, Mr.
Gentry argues that we cannot exegete
Scripture by using today's newspapers.
Instead he takes the reader through the
Old and New Testaments examining,
clearly and concisely, a multitude of
Scriptures to show that overall the Gospel
will have great advance in conversions
and cultural change prior to Christ's
return. The reader only has to pause and
think about the growth of Christianity
from Chrtst'sday to ours and its cultural
influence in society during the past two
thousand years to see that history indeed
supports the Biblical teaching of the
progress of Chrtstianity.
Mr. Gentry is well-read in
dispensational, premillennial and
amillennial thinking. As he confronts and
answers their arguments in light of
Scripture he treats those who hold
differing eschatological views with
respect. The author looks seriously at
many objections to postmillennialism.
He divides these objection into three
categories (1. pragmatic, (2 theological
and (3 biblicalc He does not avoid
discussing such seemingly non
postmillennial passages as Zech. 14:4,
Mt. 7:13-14, Luke 18:8 and 2 Tim.
3:1-4,13. In each case he shows how
these and other difficult passages are in
no way opposed to postmillennial
thinking. The book concludes with a
helpful discussion of the place of suffering
within the postmillennial framework.
A drawback to this book is a series of
printing errors at the bottom of
approximately ten pages (pp 299-300
pp. 375-76, 386-87, 396-397, 405-06,
407-08, 410-411, 412-413). This is
distracting as one thinks he has turned an
extra page only to realize that the error is
typographical. Although distracting this
does not detract from the book'sstyleand
argumentation as a whole. Q\.n erratasheet
is now included in the book and is available
also through the pUblisherandJor author for
previous purchasers.--editor.)
I believe that itis in God's providence
this book now appears in print. We are
living in a day when we are reaping the
harvest that has been sown by those who
teach thai Christianity will have little
impact on culture until Christ's return.
Christians, having little vision for the
Gospel's advance or the impact
Chrtstianity needs to have on culture,
have been content to silently wait for
Christ's return. Meanwhile the humanists
have been hard at work replacing
Biblically-based laws with laws that are
opposed to Christian morality and family
structure. They have successfully
educated many in our society.
24 TIlE COUNSEL of Chaloedon May, 1993
Non-Profit Org.
u.s. Postage
PAID
BULK RATE
Permit No. 1553
Greenville, SC
29602
VVe cannot expect change in
legislatures until there is first a change
in hearts at the grassroots. After all it
was grassroots voters that placed our
elected officials in office. Hearts must
experience regeneration and thus begin
to be sanctified. Christians, while
indeed setting their hearts on heaven,
must also under Christ's lordship seek
to exercise godly dominion in every
area of life. Church officers must see
the Biblical teaching on the progress of
the Gospel that will take place prior to
Christ's return and faithfully expound
this teaching as part of their preaching
of the whole counsel of God.
If this book were a play it would
deserve a standing ovation. It offers
readers Biblically rounded encourage-
ment and certain \lope in history at a time
when Christianity in our culture seems to
be collapSing against a humanisticattack.
Let us hope that readers will be
encouraged to stand up for Jesus in every
realm of life and prayerfully work for
individuals and societies to increasingly
bow before Christ's dominion.a
(see page 20 to oTd.., this book)