PROOF: Finding Freedom through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace

by Daniel Montgomery, Timothy Paul Jones

Overview

It’s time to open your eyes to the freeing power of authentic grace—grace that releases us from trying to earn God's favor, grace that enables us to rest in the finished work of Christ, grace that liberates from the tyranny of trying to please others.

That's what the theology of Martin Luther and John Calvin did in their own day for the people around them. Time magazine recently dubbed Calvinism as one of the top ten ideas changing the world right now. And yet most of these discussions center on the issue of predestination or on whether particular people agree with the five points of Calvinism. Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones think it's time to rescue the theology of the Reformers from such stale scholasticizing and to declare anew the dangerous and intoxicating joy of the gospel that theyproclaimed.

PROOF stands for planned grace, resurrecting grace, outrageous grace, overcoming grace, and forever grace. The authors offer proof of God’s grace upon which people can stand against the attacks of legalism that have led many of God's people to lose sight of the freedom and joy of the gospel. And this proof is intoxicating—it’s like a 200-proof drink that will leave you spiritually staggering at its effect on your life. God’s grace not only declares us “not guilty!” in his presence, it changes our relationship with God—forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310513896
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	05/27/2014
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Daniel Montgomery is the founder and CEO of Leadership Reality, a learning and development agency. Daniel founded and led Sojourn Community Church for over seventeen years and is the founder of Sojourn Network, a church planting network in North America. He coaches, writes, and consults on the topic of leadership, theology, and mission for businesses and churches around the world.

Timothy Paul Jones serves as professor of leadership at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and works in the Sojourn Kids children's ministry at Sojourn Community Church. Before coming to Louisville, Timothy led churches in Missouri and Oklahoma as a pastor and an associate pastor. He has been widely recognized as a leading writer and researcher in the fields of apologetics, church history, and family ministry. He has authored or contributed to more than a dozen books, including Misquoting Truth (Inter Varsity, 2007), Christian History Made Easy (Rose, 2010), and the CBA bestseller The Da Vinci Codebreaker (Bethany House, 2005).

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Dangerous Delight of Divine Grace

Human hopes falter and fail. Asked to tell a story in only six words, one novelist responded with these words: 'For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.' Human hopes can fall to pieces. But here is a beautiful bit of good news when we consider how often our plans can fall apart: This never happens to God. God knows all things, past, present, and future—so nothing happens that he cannot predict. God is powerful above and beyond all things—so no challenge ever arises that he can't stop. That's good news for believers in Jesus Christ.

If you've trusted Jesus, it's not because you planned out your life in your fleeting and faulty wis-dom. It's because God set his heart on you from eternity past; God made this choice knowing eve-rything about you—past, present, and future! As a result, nothing can change his choice to pour out his grace on you. Not your sin. Not your fears. Not the darkness that gnaws at your heart that no one else knows about. Nothing in your future. Nothing in your past. Nothing in all creation can sep-arate you from God's love. Nothing. God proved his love for you once and for all through the cross of Jesus and the empty tomb—and nothing can change that determination to save you by his grace. His grace was...

PLANNED from all eternity, knowing that he would
RESURRECT your lifeless soul to lavish grace into your life that is
OUTRAGEOUS because it doesn't depend on what you've done and
OVERCOMING because it transforms your desires so that you long for Jesus. Because this grace depends on what God has already determined and done, it lasts
FOREVER.

Together, that spells 'PROOF,' which is precisely what God has provided in Jesus and poured out into our lives through the gospel: Proof of grace that will never let us go because it never depended on us in the first place; it depends instead on a God who is greater than anything we could ask or imagine.

Chapter One: Planned Grace

Chapter Two: Resurrecting Grace

Chapter Three: Outrageous Grace

Chapter Four: Overcoming Grace

Chapter Five: Forever Grace

Chapter Six: PROOF in Action

Conclusion: The Beautiful Paradox

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Don’t let the title PROOF fool you; this is not a traditional book about apologetics. It is a book that works out how Christians themselves are the “proof” of God’s grace. Instead of viewing robust biblical teaching as a deadening weight on vital Christian living, these two authors are busy finding freedom through the intoxicating joy of irresistible grace (as the subtitle puts it). The detailed endnotes will satisfy more intellectual readers, but the rest of the book will prove a great help to the rest of us who want to learn in experience how some of the central truths of the gospel transform not only our thinking but our lives. — D. A. Carson, Research Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, President of The Gospel Coalition

PROOF is one of the most well-reasoned and heart-engaging presentations of the Reformed Faith I have read since becoming a Christian in 1968. Rooted in the history of theology, faithful to the text of Scripture, and accessible to a contemporary audience, these brothers throw the curtains wide open on the contours and grandeur of the gospel. — Scotty Smith, Teacher-in-Residence, West End Community Church

PROOF is biblical, forceful, winsome, and clear about who God is, how God works, and what God wants. Daniel and Timothy have given us a treasure! — Darrin Patrick, Pastor, The Journey

A book on the doctrines of grace that delights as much as it challenges? That exhilarates as much as it informs? That entertains as it enlightens? Be still my beating heart. . . . PROOF is a rare breed indeed. Get it, savor it, let it bowl you over with the spectacular grace of God. — Jared Wilson, author of The Storytelling God

This book demonstrates a wealth of reflection on both modern and ancient sources, helping us rediscover the scandal of the gospel,… the central fountain of the Christian life. — J. D. Greear, Ph.D., author of Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart

Daniel and Timothy will take you on a journey of grace in a way that you’ve never lived it before! — Gregg R. Allison, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

PROOF is a fresh, new approach to the historical doctrines of grace. It will refresh and encourage the veteran learner and provide substance without the complicated jargon for the novice. — Trillia Newbell, author of United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity

Sadly, the doctrines of grace have often been used to score theological points. But PROOF shows how grace changes lives and brings joy. — Tim Chester, Associate Director, Porterbrook Seminary

At the end of PROOF you will walk away with a comprehensive knowledge of grace, and even more importantly, with a heart of worship for the Grace-Giver. — Flame, Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist, Clear Sight Music.com

Modern believers, who often unknowingly swing from license to legalism in their attempts to please God, need this joyous proclamation of the plan of salvation. This is a wonderful way of introducing the Canons of Dort to the heirs of the Me Generation. — Eric Redmond, Professor-in-Residence, New Canaan Baptist Church

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