The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance [Paperback]

Thomas R. Schreiner (Author), Ardel B. Caneday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2001

Discipline. Endurance. Perseverance. The New Testament often describes the Christian life as a marathon, a race set before us. But what exactly is the prize? Do all those completing the race share in it? And can the prize be lost? Tackling these and other vexing questions, Thomas Schreiner and Ardel Caneday offer in this book a serious, exegetical wrestling with the biblical understanding of the nature of saving faith and its implications for the people of God. Here is a foundational study that considers all of the relevant New Testament texts and that weighs the meaning of those texts for both Christian living and pastoral ministry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Schreiner and Caneday have provided us what we have needed for a long, long time--a serious, exegetical wrestling with the biblical understanding of the nature of saving faith and its implications for the people of God. Finally, a place to see clearly the good news that perseverance is both the call and promise of God. At last, a treatment of the biblical warnings and admonitions within their eschatological framework as the very means God uses to deliver his people. The decisionism and easy believism of our day have met their match, as have all attempts to relegate obedience to the subsidiary roles of reward or evidence. This is a great book. I will recommend it to all my students and friends, not to mention every pastor I know." (Scott J. Hafemann, Wheaton College )

"Seeing the biblical warnings as prospective, and thus designed to bring about a faith that perseveres to the end, Caneday and Schreiner have given the church a long-needed solution to the polarization of categories that has arisen out of our systematic theologies. This well-crafted and irenic book is one I highly recommend. All serious debates over these texts must now reckon with this carefully reasoned work." (John H. Armstrong, Reformation & Revival Ministries )

"This timely book on a perennial theological problem balances exegetical rigor with an irenic tone. The result is an attractive argument for reading all of the debated passages sympathetically, and for understanding their relationship in light of the eschatological tension that pervades the New Testament." (Frank S. Thielman, Beeson Divinity School )

"Caneday and Schreiner tackle a vital topic and succeed in mounting a convincing case. They engage the four major views on assurance and set forth a fifth. They exegete the full range of relevant biblical passages. They encourage readers with their conclusions, which offer both challenge and--by God's grace--assurance. By refusing to give simplistic answers to complex questions, they have contributed richly to practical Christian living as well as to biblical-theological discussion. This should give new life to a discussion that had become polarized along predictable lines." (Robert Yarbrough, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School )

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (April 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830815554
• ISBN-13: 978-0830815555
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best theological works you will ever read, July 20, 2001

By 

John Botkin (Bay City, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance (Paperback)

This work attempts to address, as the sub-title indicates, the Scripture's teaching on perseverance and assurance. In doing this, it responds to four current positions: 1) the loss-of-salvation view, 2) loss-of-rewards view, 3) tests-of genuineness view, and 4) hypothetical-loss-of-salvation view. A major focus of the book is the examination of key, so-called "warning passages" found in the New Testament. Although, in the end, the book traces through many elements of biblical theology and presents a full-orbed view of our salvation.

In the midst of these various interpretations, Schreiner and Caneday set out to demonstrate the true function of the warning passages found in Scripture. They seek to accomplish this through an exegesis of the text that is not conducted through the lens of a theological system. In the end, the authors believe that warnings found in Scripture serve as God's means of preserving those whom He has chosen for salvation and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (cf. Rom 8:29-39). Schreiner and Caneday successfully argue that it is God who gives us the faith to believe and that it is God who sustains us through the Christian life. And yet we are exhorted to live in a godly manner, imitating Christ. God challenges us to this through the warning passages.

Against some of their critics, Schreiner and Caneday DO NOT advocate a works salvation. They do in fact hold to a salvation, through grace, by faith alone. This is obvious from their Reformed (and I believe correct) reading of the Scriptures. Being faithful to the biblical text, the authors also believe that Christians are called to live holy lives (While Paul calls the sinning Corinthians "saints" he also spends two letters - possibly four - exhorting them to godliness). While some dismiss justification as not having any future aspect, they fail to properly understand justification altogether. Justification is part of Paul's (and the rest of the New Testament writer's) understanding of the already/not yet tension - the kingdom of God has come, but is not yet consummated (see below). This tension runs through the whole of the New Testament and is crucial for understanding it. In regards to justification per se, the justification that we now enjoy is in fact God's future declaration brought into the present. At the end, believers will be declared "justified" (a legal term) before the throne of God and enjoy entrance into the kingdom of God.

Schreiner and Caneday have produced an excellent, scholarly and pastorally-encouraging book on the subject of biblical perseverance and assurance. It is a book that deals honestly with the text and does it justice with its interpretation. It is a book that allows the believer to be both exhorted to holy living by the words of Scripture and take comfort that God has His children in His protective grip throughout the race set before them.

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Already/Not yet - The "already/not yet" tension is best described as the tension that exists between the overlap of two ages of salvation; the future has "already" invaded this age (Matt 12:25), but is still "not yet" fully realized (Matt 6:10). In the Old Testament, the coming of Messiah was seen as the beginning of the Age to Come (Isa 29; 35). In the New Testament, we see the Age to Come is preempted by a period of the already/not yet (Rom 8). There is a sense in which the future is here, and yet it is not yet fully realized - there is an overlap of the ages. Understanding the already/ not yet tension also affects the way we understand the doctrine of justification. Justification is a primarily the legal aspect of an individual's salvation. It is the declaration of God that the person is righteous. This is the verdict of the future judgment of the individual that has come into the present. Yet there is tension here. While the individual is declared righteous, the NT anticipates that believers will sin and they do. Believers are declared righteous but still live in this present age of already/ not yet tension where sin has not been finally dealt with. Thus, believers have not had the stain of the Fall completely wiped away from their lives. Although we are already a new creature (2 Cor 3), we have note yet arrived at what we will ultimately be (Heb 10). God is presently making us holy (John 17). In the already/not yet tension, we are living between the ages. We have already died to sin, but have not yet had the sin destroyed from our bodies. We still have to fight the world, sin, and temptation (1 John 2). When Christ comes to retrieve His bride, the process will be completed and we will be perfectly sanctified (1 Thess 5).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A more fair and objective review, July 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance (Paperback)

I will agree that I was pretty harsh and hasty with my previous review and I apologize to the authors for writing that review without careful consideration of their arguments (hence, my revised review). After reading this book over and over again I have come to the conclusion that the authors do an admirable job staying true to the text without letting dogmatic presuppositions guide their exegesis. Even though the approach of the authors may make many Reformed people uncomfortable Schreiner and Caneday do a remarkable job staying true to the text. Their discussion of the other four views of warning passages (loss-of-salvation, loss-of-rewards, tests-of-genuineness, and hypothetical view) in chapter 1 is decent and fair. In chapter 2, their description of salvation using five metaphors (deliverance, renewal, family, cultic, and legal) is thought-provoking and fully captures the various dimensions of eternal life (e.g., salvation is both a present and future reality). Chapter 3 deals with the nature of saving faith. The authors do a good job explaining the Christological nature of true faith and how this faith produces obedience and perseverance. In fact, I found their discussion of true faith encouraging since they do a good job showing how God-given faith overcomes the most difficult situations in life (something that we need to hear often). Chapter 4 is a major part of their book and is highly exegetical and biblical in nature. I found their explanations of the common warning passages (e.g., Matt 10:22 [24:13]; Mark 13:13; some Pauline passages; Heb 3:1-4:13, 6:4-8, 10:19-39) quite convincing and they do not resort to dogmatic reductionism (like saying that the warning passages address false Christians rather than true Christians). However, their explanations of Rom 2:6-16 and 1 Cor 9:27 may find no supporters among those who hold to "faith alone"--which is understandable. In general, though, I found their exegesis and explanations of the warning passages in this chapter to be quite faithful to the text. Chapter 5 deals with fallen runners. They discuss Israel's apostasy as an example for modern Christians to heed (a discussion which I found very good), biblical examples of apostasy (like Alexander, Hymenaeus, Philetus, and Demas), and the different responses of Judas and Peter. Like good Calvinists, they argue that apostates apostasize because they were never spiritually drawn by God in the first place (and those who do persevere do so because of God's grace). Chapter 6 deals with how believers persevere in the midst of obstacles and tribulations. Going through various passages (in Peter's, John's, Jude's, and Paul's writings) they argue that those who fail to persevere will not be saved, but those who do persevere do so by God's grace. Chapter 7 deals with assurance. The authors do a good job showing how God's promises is the primary factor in giving believers assurance (while the fruit of the Spirit and the witness of the Spirit also strengthen our assurance--without all the unhealthy introspection attached to it). However, many strict Reformed evangelicals will have problems with some of the conclusions reached by the authors (e.g., "...righteous living is necessary to obtain entrance into the kingdom of Jesus Christ," p. 290; and their explanations of 2 Peter 1:5-11 and James 2:24). The last chapter (8), deals with God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in the Christian race. I found their section of perseverance and election (pp. 318-330) to be one of the best defenses of Calvinism I've read (also pp. 135-139). The authors argue that perseverance and election do not contradict each other, but that our election is the cause of our perseverance.

Having said all that about the book, there are some shortcomings. The authors give very little attention to how justification by faith alone (and Christ's righteousness) play a role in their system of salvation. When it comes to the discussion of faith they try to equate "faith alone" with "faithfulness" or obedience (pp. 95-98). Also, in regards to how one becomes forensically righteous before God they remain vague and ambigious (they discuss this theme only in pages 75-79). In addition, major parts of their discussion on this topic deal with the transformational, relational, and renewal aspects of our salvation with scant attention given to the forensic aspect (pp. 48-71). In fact, all they state is that "rightousness is fundamentally forensic" (p. 78). Is this Christ's perfect righteousness or our "faith" rightousness? How does this initial forensic righteousness in Christ fit in with their view of the necessity of personal obedience for future justification (in fact, the authors say things that seem to contradict the typical Protestant view of justification on pages 164-167)? This lack of an indepth discussion of how their view of "present" and "future" justification ties in with Christ's obedience and imputation is a major weakness of the book. However, I would highly recommend this book because it is a very stimulating and thought-provoking discussion on the subject of perseverance.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will invigorate your Christian walk, March 17, 2002

By 

Gontroppo "Music and Theology Lover" (Bathurst, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance (Paperback)

Most of us have our own explanation of why the New Testament promises us that God holds us secure in his hands, but also threatens us with his punishment if we turn away.

We also have our views on why the New Testament teaches salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, yet also tells us that God will judge everyone's works, and that without holiness no one will see him.

In this helpful book, Caneday and Schreiner examine 4 popular theories, while also proposing a fifth. Schreiner is a disciple of John Piper: if you have read his books, especially Future Grace, you will already know the explanation the book presents.

What I like about this book is that it makes sense of the whole NT and does not try to view its message through a narrow lens. The writers have done a great job of making sense of the promises *and* warnings we find in the NT.

... they are faithful to Reformed theology, while still making sense of NT teaching on doing good works.

This is an encouraging book which will stimulate all God's children to persevere and keep running the race to the very end, knowing that they do so because it is God who is energising them.