Justification by Faith Alone [Hardcover]

Jonathan Edwards (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 154 pages
• Publisher: Soli Deo Gloria Pubns; 1 edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573581070
• ISBN-13: 978-1573581073
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,556,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard Thinking about a Hard Topic, November 28, 2000

By 

Brian G Hedges (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Justification by Faith Alone (Hardcover)

This was originally published, along with four other sermons, under the title "Five Discourses on Important Subjects Nearly Concerning the Great Affair of the Soul's Eternal Salvation." All five sermons are now published in Volume 1 of the Banner of Truth edition of Edwards' Works (see my review), as well as in this Soli Deo Gloria reprint.

Having now read several theologians' writings on the difficult doctrine of justification (Berkhof, Gill, Murray, Grudem, and now Edwards), it would be fairly safe to say that Edwards is at once the most difficult of them all, and the most astute (with John Murray perhaps excepted as being more helpful).

The great Northhampton preacher refused to be evasive in answering difficult questions about the role of faith in justification. While strongly defending justification by faith alone apart from works, he avoids both legalism and antinomianism. The sermon is structured well,though laden with some very complex reasoning and it is thoroughly Scriptural and evangelical. But be prepared to think!

For a synopsis, Edwards' "doctrine" is that "we are justified only by faith in Christ, and not by any manner of virtue or goodness of our own." This truth he unfolds by I. Explaining the meaning of it; II. Considering the evidence of the truth of it; III. Showing how evangelical obedience is concerned in it (a most helpful section); IV. Answering objections; and V. Considering the importance of it. I would encourage readers to read ALL of this book before forming ANY opinions about it. You need to follow Edwards reasoning all the way through to the end and let him deal with the most likely objections you will have(and which he anticipates!).

One of the most valuable quotations of all is this: "God, in the act of justification, which is passed on a sinner's first believing, has respect to perseverance, as being virtually contained in the first act of faith; and it is looked upon, and taken by him that justifies, as being as it were a property in that faith." Or, to paraphrase John Piper "God sees the oak tree of perseverance in the acorn of the first act of saving faith." That insight alone is worth the price of the whole book - but of course, there is much, much more gold to mine in Edwards, and in this sermon in especially.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Work From America's Greatest Theologian, March 16, 2002

By 

Roy Ingle "The Seeking Disciple" (Lexington, SC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Justification by Faith Alone (Hardcover)

Jonathan Edwards is best remembered for his role in the first Great Awakening in the United States and being Yale University's first president but he is also probably the greatest theologian America has ever produced. His heart and his passion were in preaching the word of God and secondly in teaching it. This book does a bit of both.

I greatly appreciated Edward's desire to exegete major passages of Scripture dealing with justification. While Edwards does a good job in presenting strong biblical arguments for justification by faith alone he also provides a great deal of warning to those who desire to live a life of sin and indifference. He offers sinners the grace of God and he offers Christians the holiness of God.

This book is worth the purchase. If you have not read or studied the works of Jonathan Edwards, I would encourage you to begin here. His knowledge of the Bible was incrediable but his heart is best shown in this book that deals with a doctrine he faithfully preached and loved.

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh my goodness, July 11, 2011

By 

Christ4Me - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Justification by Faith Alone (Hardcover)

If books were food, you would want to eat this book like a piece of cheescake. Wonderful and rich with each and every page. He breaks down justification by faith alone in such away that he makes the reader stand face to face with the Word of God. Explaining the futility of depending on one's works, either before or after salvation, is thoroughly accomplished by this preacher. Jonathan Edwards has written some very meaty books, and I would recommend anything he has written.