Bøger udgivet af Hutson Smelley

Why does God allow Christians to face trials and even persecution? Is there a purpose in the suffering? What is spiritual maturity and how does it relate to knowledge of the Word of God? What does an exemplary life of faith look like? Do all believers have the same experience of God now and in the world to come? The book of Hebrews answers these questions and much more. It is the greatest Christological treatise ever written, explaining Jesus' position as Son, better than angels, than Abraham, than Moses, than Aaron, than all Levitical priests. Jesus provided a better sacrifice in a better tabernacle and as the Son, heir and sovereign of everything, will exercise in the world to come the dominion the first Adam lost in Genesis 3. The primary exhortation of the book, as needed today as it was in the first century, is to steadfastly endure in the face of trials, obedient to God's Word and with eyes focused on the heavenly country. But within its pages are ominous warnings to those who would fail to endure, understood by many expositors as warnings about losing one's salvation or that continued disobedience proves someone was never saved to begin with. This text will show the book of Hebrews has an eschatological orientation, our lives are a training ground for the world to come, and the warnings in Hebrews are that how we live now will affect our Christian experience both now and in the world to come. The MISSION 119 SERIES is committed to in-depth exposition tethered to the context and argument of the book under consideration so that the primary focus is the author's intended message.

Does God love everyone? When Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, did he die for the sins of the elect only or for the sins of the whole world? Can anyone respond in faith to the gospel message? Or is the act of believing a gift of God only given to a subset of humanity called the elect so that the rest of humanity is unable to believe and destined to spend eternity apart from God? What does the term elect mean in the New Testament? These are fundamental questions about the God of the Bible and the salvation He provides in Jesus Christ. This book invites you to sit as an unbiased juror and consider the traditional principles of TULIP Calvinism as explained by the leading Calvinists in their own words, then to weigh their proffered Scriptural evidence to make your own determination. This book will address exegetically all of the most commonly cited proof texts for Calvinism, with a thorough consideration of the "pillar" passages like John 6:44, Romans 3 and 9, and Ephesians 1:4. This book will defend a middle ground position (called NULIF - "new life") between TULIP Calvinism and Arminianism and demonstrate that you can tell people with confidence that God loves them, Jesus died for their sins, and they can be saved by trusting Christ for the forgiveness of their sins based on his finished work at Calvary.

First Peter is like a gift that once opened is far out of proportion to the size of its package. The epistle boldly declares that children of God have a living hope secured by a heavenly inheritance to be revealed when the Lord returns. Peter's words are at the same time eschatologically focused and imminently practical as he presents what we may consider a plan of salvation for our soul-lives. In every sphere of life, we have an opportunity by our words and conduct to give testimony to God's right to rule over the affairs of humanity, and at the same time, by our faith responses we may appropriate our portion of the inheritance we will share with Jesus Christ in the world to come. First Peter does no less than call all believers to a life of holiness as we serve as Jesus' ambassadors on temporary resident status in this world, but with one foot in heaven's door. All under the umbrella of a life so lived that it will translate into an inheritance in the world to come, Peter gives specific instructions on how to live in relation to human government, employers, husbands and wives, and our church leaders and church family in general. Peter presents a new paradigm for living so that even in suffering, we can rejoice. And in all things, Peter tells us, we stand in the grace of God.This volume of the Mission 119 series addresses the debated issues about the audience, authorship, and date of the book, then provides commentary emphasizing the intended message to the original audience, and application for the modern audience.

The story of Jonah is among the best known Bible stories, even outside of Christianity, but also one of the most misunderstood. Who has not heard of Jonah and the great fish that swallowed him up? But did it really happen? And if it did, what does it mean? The book of Jonah is much more than a story about a man who survived three days in a fish's belly. The hero is God, longsuffering and rich in mercy, who chases sinners, beckoning them to repent and turn back to Him. But Jonah is unique among the Bible's prophetic writings in that there is no sermon to Israel inviting their repentance like the writings of Jonah's contemporaries, Amos and Hosea. Instead, the book is dominated with narrative content displaying for its audience a prodigal prophet, a tempestuous sea, surprising sailors, a great fish, the people of Nineveh, a miraculous gourd, a worm, and an east wind. Their actions and reactions were recorded in didactic prophetic narrative, providing an extended object lesson for Israel in the 8th century BC. This volume of the Mission 119 series provides historical context for the book and addresses the debated issues about historicity, genre and interpretation, then provides commentary emphasizing the intended message to the original audience, the Lord Jesus' use and interpretation of the book, and application for the modern audience.

Does God want us to enjoy romance and intimacy? Is the Bible just full of prohibitions? What does the Bible say the purpose of sex is? Or does the Bible even address the issue of physical intimacy? What is God's intent for the sex life of Christians while they are dating? And after they are married? Does it even matter? The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) answers these questions and much more. It is the most thorough treatment in the Bible of the issue of sexual pleasure within marriage. The Bible teaches that God created marriage and sex, and that physical intimacy within marriage is to be enjoyed. Unfortunately, the world reduces physical intimacy to nothing more significant than satisfying lusts. Modern entertainment is a race to the bottom, but the Song of Songs treats intimacy through Hebrew poetry. The Song is erotic without being crass, honest without being salacious, and instead addresses the subject matter from a qualitative perspective, conveying the emotions and experiences with imagery drawn largely from nature and primarily designed to show us the beauty of the lovers' relationship and intimacy. At the same time, the book is wisdom literature, arguing that sexual pleasures should be reserved for marriage. More than that, the Song cuts through modern caricatures of the ancient world, presenting the material from a female perspective and painting a picture of her that is beautiful, independent, romantic, spontaneous and strong.

Probably the biggest lie Christians believe is that "I know the truth, therefore I experience it." The book of James refutes that misconception and provides a primer on Christian living with a focus on adversity and trials. James implores his readers to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. He relates a lived-out faith both to our current sanctification and the eschatological judgment. In a short epistle entirely given to the issue of sanctification, James exhorts his audience to moral purity and to humbly embracing God's implanted Word because that kind of Christian living will bring them to maturity and save their souls-their temporal experience of life as a Christian-at the coming judgment.Christian living is carefully examined through the lens of the perfect law of liberty or royal law that we love God and others. When we stand before Christ to give an account, it will not be enough that we have understood and believed the royal law (faith alone). It is living out that professed belief as evidenced in how we relate to God and speak to and treat other people that will result in Christ's commendation and rewards for a life well-lived. But how do we live out God's Word in difficult circumstances? James meets his audience, and us, in the storm with practical answers about endurance, wisdom, speech, humility, grace, and love, so that we might become mature believers who experience God's Word and reflect His righteousness to others.