Knowing Sin
Description
The first rule of combat is: know your enemy.
We don't talk a lot about sin these days. But maybe we should. The Puritans sure did—because they understood sin's deceptive power and wanted to root it out of their lives. Shouldn't we want the same?
Though many books have been written on the "doctrine of sin," few are as practical and applicable as this one. In Knowing Sin, Mark Jones puts his expertise in the Puritans to work by distilling the vast wisdom of our Christian forebears into a single volume that summarizes their thought on this vital subject. The result isn't a theological tome to sit on your shelf and gather dust, but a surprisingly relevant book to keep by your bedside and refer to again and again. You'll come to understand topics like:
None of us is free from the struggle with sin. The question isn't whether we're sinful, it's what we're doing about it. Thanks be to God, there is a path to overcoming sin. And the first step on that path to victory is knowing what we're up against. Start Knowing Sin today!
Author
Endorsements
"In this book, the author of Knowing Sin, steeped in the tradition of the Puritans, teaches us not only the what and whence of sin, but also how the faith, hope, and love given to us by the Father in Jesus Christ and sealed upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit guide us in the daily mortification of sin. I know of no other contemporary volume on sin that sets forth orthodox doctrine with such precision while searching the heart of the reader at such depth."
—SHAO KAI "ALEX" TSENG, Department of Philosophy, Zhejiang University, China
"Sin: the reality of its universality is evident to all, yet modern men and women so frequently refuse to own up to this hard-core fact of human existence. But what is even more devastating is that far too many professing Christians today downplay the seriousness of what the Puritans rightly regarded as the plague of sin. In this incisive examination of what these very same Puritans can teach us about sin, Mark Jones has produced a much-needed, solidly biblical study for our modern dilemma of ostrich-like denial. A necessary read!"
—MICHAEL A. G. HAYKIN, chair and professor of church history, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"In a world where depressing news abounds, why pick up a book that tells us how bad we really are? After reading Mark Jones's Knowing Sin, the answer will be obvious: because we need to. Knowing Sin made me uncomfortable. It's methodically specific. It's agonizingly comprehensive. It's personal. It's unrelenting. And it's biblical. Aided by some long-departed Puritan friends, Mark identifies the origins of our sin problem, clears up a multitude of misunderstandings about sin, gives us fresh reasons to hate sin's sinfulness, and opens our eyes to sins we should be fighting but are probably ignoring. Most importantly, he leads us to embrace the joyful truth that forgiveness and righteousness are found in Christ's perfect life, substitutionary death, and triumphant resurrection alone. I've pondered and quoted Mark's book to others for weeks, and expect I'll do so for years to come. It's that good."
—BOB KAUFLIN, director of Sovereign Grace Music
"You need this book as much as I do. We both need this book because we are both sinners, both natural haters of God and haters of our fellow man. If we are to obey God's call on our lives to put sin to death and come alive to righteousness, we must wage war against that mortal enemy, sin. But to successfully battle our enemy we need to know our enemy. In the pages of this book, you will come to know sin, learn to hate it even more, and learn why (and how) you must become free from its captivity."
—TIM CHALLIES, blogger, author, and book reviewer
"I genuinely think that Knowing Sin will be the most critical book that faithful Christians will be reading for many years to come."
—ROSARIA BUTTERFIELD (from the foreword), homeschooling mother and writer, author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, Openness Unhindered, and The Gospel Comes with a House Key
"What doctor would receive our respect if he offered a cure without a careful diagnosis? Yet we shy away from a thorough diagnosis of the deadly illness of our souls—the inward evil of sin. Mark Jones takes God's holy Word, which penetrates and reveals with far more accuracy than any medical scan, and shows us the heinousness of sin so that we may find healing from the Great Physician. This book draws from the biblical wisdom of the Puritans and other classic Reformed writers to offer radical insight into the nature of sin and a great help to those who want to mortify the enemy within."
—JOEL R. BEEKE, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI
"Reading Knowing Sin by Mark Jones was difficult, though not at the fault of the author. Indeed, Dr. Jones is a clear writer whose pithy and memorable turns of phrase make this a book that is easy to digest. He is also an excellent interpreter of the Puritan tradition and uses those sources with great effect. The problem with the book has more to do with me, the reader. Reading about my own sin and the impact it has both on myself and those I love brought with it conviction. This is the greatest benefit of Dr. Jones's insights, that the gospel is a true balm to sin-weary souls. I'm very thankful that this book is being published, and I pray that it will have its desired result in the church as Christians live lives of constant repentance before a very merciful God."
—IAN CLARY, Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Colorado Christian University, Lakewood, CO
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The Pilgrim's Regress
Description
Mark Jones addresses the uncomfortable topic of backsliding believers—and, to a lesser extent, apostasy—in a serious, hopeful, and pastoral work informed by wise theologians of the past and present.
Author
Mark Jones (PhD, Leiden University) is Senior Minister at Faith Vancouver Presbyterian Church (PCA) and Research Associate at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He has written and edited several books and most recently coauthored A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life.
Endorsements
“Each chapter is a wake‑up call providing clear spiritual medicine for Christians to progress and not regress in their faith. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It’s a must-read.” —Rosaria Butterfield, author, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age
“Warning! Don’t read this book if you don’t want to be confronted with the danger of backsliding to which every Christian is constantly exposed. Warning! Don’t read this book if you don’t want to be encouraged by learning of the resources readily available to every Christian for countering the ever-present tendency to backsliding. Reading this book has been a searching experience for me personally, as Mark Jones carefully delineates the various regressive tendencies that plague the Christian life, explores the difference between them and irremediable apostasy, and unfolds in a deeply probing way the thoroughly sufficient and efficacious remedies that Scripture provides. Don’t heed my warnings. Read this book!”
—Richard B. Gaffin Jr., Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary
“Few address the subject of this book, yet backsliding and apostasy are genuine realities in the story of the church. This fresh study of the subject not only examines the nature of backsliding but also, in John Owen–like fashion, probes deeply into its sources. . . . Sadly, this is a much-needed tract for our crooked age. Thankfully, though, it provides a robust gospel remedy for this ill that ails so many of our churches.” —Michael A. G. Azad Haykin, Professor of Church History, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Dr. Mark Jones’s The Pilgrim’s Regress: Guarding against Backsliding and Apostasy in the Christian Life is a masterly exploration of the complex spiritual journey that every believer undertakes. With eloquent prose and an unwavering commitment to biblical truth, Jones weaves a tapestry of profound theological insight, pastoral wisdom, and genuine compassion that speaks to the heart of every Christian pilgrim on his or her path to consummated glory. Delving into the intricate dynamics of the Christian walk, he unravels the mysteries of grace, perseverance, and the relentless battle against indwelling sin. His profound insights and practical solutions offer guidance to believers of all backgrounds. This literary masterpiece is a beacon of understanding, providing solace, wisdom, and hope for every follower of Christ. This is a must-read for all believers.” —Christopher Yuan, Speaker; Author, Holy Sexuality and the Gospel; Producer, The Holy Sexuality Project Video Series for Parents and their Teens
“In a culture now beginning to be wearied by the hypocrisy of so-called positive energies, a culture that in turn proposes to embrace the ‘true self’ by giving in to the downward stream of turning from God, this refreshing book reminds us of a genuinely Christian way of being authentic as sinners saved by grace.” —Shao Kai Tseng, Research Professor in the School of Philosophy, Zhejiang University
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Antinomianism: Reformed Theology's Unwelcome Guest?
Description
an·ti·no·mi·an noun [an-ti-ˈnō-mē-ən] One who holds that under the gospel dispensation of grace the moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation. —Merriam-Webster’s dictionary
Hotly debated since the sixteenth century in the Reformed theological tradition, and still a burning issue today, antinomianism has a long and complicated story.
This book is the first to examine antinomianism from a historical, exegetical, and systematic perspective. More than that, in it Mark Jones offers a key—a robust Reformed Christology with a strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit—and chapter by chapter uses it to unlock nine questions raised by the debates.
Table of Contents:
Author
Mark Jones (PhD, Leiden University) is Senior Minister at Faith Vancouver Presbyterian Church (PCA) and Research Associate at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He has written and edited several books and most recently coauthored A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life.
Endorsements
"Mark Jones's monograph is the work of a Puritan-minded scholar and theologian who understands these things well, has researched historic antinomianism with thoroughness, and has many illuminating things to say about it. His book is a pioneering overview that I commend most warmly, particularly to pastors. Why to them? Start reading it, and you will soon see." - J. I. Packer
"The problem of antinomianism is a hardy perennial for the church. There is a mischievous movement afoot at the moment whose soaring rhetoric about grace is matched by an equally casual presumption on the same. Mark Jones's book is thus to be welcomed: it is biblically grounded, historically sensitive, and above all timely. In addition, through his careful attention to the role of Christ in scripture and in historical Reformed confessional treatments of sanctification, Jones provides a significant supplement to other recent books pleading for a biblical emphasis on personal piety." — Carl R. Trueman, Paul Woolley Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary, PA; Pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (OPC) Ambler, PA "We are living in a deeply encouraging day when the sovereignty of God's grace is being rediscovered far and wide. But, as has happened in the past, when such times of biblical ressourcement have occurred, the error of antinomianism has made its appearance. This new work by Mark Jones is thus a timely tract for the times. It is rich in scriptural argument, illustrations from church history, and vigorous application. May it have a wide reading and even wider heeding!" — Michael A.G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY
"Though in the popular imagination antinomianism is often simply identified with a denial of the positive role of God's moral law in the Christian life, Jones demonstrates that it includes a number of additional elements—a belittling of Christ's example of holiness as a pattern for the Christian life (imitatio Christi); a diminishment of the law of God as a true means of sanctification; an unbalanced conception of the relationship between law and gospel; a reluctance to acknowledge the biblical emphasis upon rewards as a legitimate motive for Christian obedience; and a failure to recognize the role of good works as a secondary ground for the believer's assurance of salvation. However, the principal strength of Jones's argument against antinomianism resides in his emphasis upon the fullness of Christ’s person and saving work. Jones shows how a proper understanding of the work of Christ includes both the gospel benefits of free justification and progressive sanctification. In doing so, Jones nicely exposes one of the ironies of antinomianism—in the name of preserving the gospel, antinomianism typically truncates it." — Cornelis P. Venema, President, Professor of Doctrinal Studies, Mid-America Reformed Seminary
"What does a seventeenth century theological controversy have to do with Christian living in the twenty-first century? Everything. With the acumen of an historian and the heart of a pastor, Mark Jones deftly guides readers through one of the most tangled and most important set of issues facing the Reformed church. If you want to preach the gospel with greater biblical clarity, or learn how better to apply the gospel to your daily life, pick up this book and begin reading." — Guy Prentiss Waters, Ph.D, Professor of New Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary
"Church history records that the doctrinal pendulum often swings from one dangerous extreme to the other. This present day is no exception. The legalistic abuses of recent decades are now being replaced with a hyper-grace license to sin. Sad to say, portions of the Reformed community have given shelter to this new Antinomianism, claiming that personal obedience to the Law of Christ is merely optional. Often trendy with 'the young, restless, and Reformed,' this toxic message is poisonous to the soul. In this excellent work, Mark Jones exercises considerable skill in exposing the fatal flaws of this anti-law, cheap-grace easy-believism. Throughout these pages you will find the theological clarity needed to reject the twisted errors of legalism and license and to embrace a true, grace-inspired, Spirit-empowered obedience to the Scripture." — Dr. Steven J. Lawson, Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church, Mobile, AL
Jones, Mark
