Several conversations of late have reminded me of how much the Lord’s blessing has been on my life. He’s treated me far, far better than my sins deserve. And for reasons beyond my comprehension, the Father has called me to preach the gospel of His blessed Son, to pastor an outstanding family of saints, and from time to time to write and speak. All of those things–not to mention the beautiful family the Savior has given me–far exceed anything I’d ever imagined having in life. How great is the Lord’s favor!
One reminder of God’s kindness to me is the new book from Christian Focus Publications, The Life of God in the Soul of the Church: The Root and Fruit of Spiritual Fellowship. The book is slated to be available in September. It was a great privilege working with the folks at Christian Focus and with the team at 9Marks (the book is also a part of the 9Marks imprint). It’s a kindness of the Lord that this series of sermons preached at FBC now has a second life in print form. There was the sense that the Lord used the sermons in an unusual way in the life of our congregation and I pray He does exceedingly, abundantly more than I’ve asked with this volume.
I love writing and thinking about the indescribably realities of the Christian life. This book meditates on the truth that God lives in His people–individually and collectively. As Bishop D.A. Payne put it, our hearts are “the abodes of the Ever-Blessed Trinity!” This book contends that spiritual fellowship is rooted in our union with Christ and expressed as the shared life of God in His church. Should you grab a copy, I pray it blesses you greatly.
Endorsements
A number of kind brothers read the manuscript and offered endorsements, including:
“Picking up where Henry Scougal left off, Thabiti reminds us that the life of God, which is in the soul of man, is consequently and necessarily also in the soul of the church. In other words, union with Christ is not just an individual truth, it is also a corporate, covenantal possession as well. Thabiti leads us through several texts that confronts and comforts us with this truth. This is a much appreciated addition to our understanding of Christ-centered church life.”
Anthony Carter ~ Lead Pastor, East Point Church, East Point, Georgia
“It is both rooted in the exposition of God’s Word and full of practical wisdom. I pray that God will use it to encourage many Christians to pursue the fullness of ‘the life of God in soul of the church.”
Tim Chester ~ The Porterbrook Network and The Crowded House, Sheffield, UK.
“In this new book, this gifted pastor takes us right into the heart of the New Testament the heart of New testament Christanity and the very nature of the Church, demonstrating the fellowship that is one of the signs of the gospel – both to the church itself and to the watching world.
R. Albert Mohler ~ President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
“Building on what Christ has accomplished for us, this apostolic view of sanctification fleshes out what it means also for Christ to be formed in us, as we are conformed to his image. For anyone who doubts the practical relevance of good theology, this book will be a turning point.”
Michael Horton ~ J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology & Apologetics, Westminster Seminary in California, Escondido, California
“There can be no healthy church apart from true biblical fellowship; there can be no true biblical fellowship apart from the gospel. In this powerful book Thabiti Anyabwile draws these two together, anchoring the life of the church in the message of the church”.
Tim Challies ~ Blogger at www.challies.com
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