Faith vs Faithfulness: A Primer on Rest

by Jon Moffitt, Justin Purdue, Jimmy Buehler

Many Christians evaluate their lives and ask the same questions: Am I doing enough? Have I shown enough discipline, enough dedication, or enough effort? Would praying and reading my Bible more help me
overcome . . . remove . . . have? You may feel that you put so much effort into improving your Christian life with no apparent fruit. Sins you thought would have been easier to overcome are still plaguing your daily life.

You are not alone, and you are not crazy! Many Christians today live on this sort of performance-based treadmill, running fast and getting nowhere. Trying harder and doing more haven’t produced assurance or victory over sin. You’re exhausted. You feel empty and fake inside. You feel guilty for merely wanting to just coast, to give in, to stop trying. The foundation of Christianity is faith. And the foundation of the Christian faith, we will argue in this primer, is rest.

In this book, Jon Moffitt, Jimmy Buehler, and Justin Perdue explain how weary pilgrims can find rest in Jesus Christ.

42 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...this emphasis on our own faithfulness is a movement identified as pietism."

"...piety is godliness. Piety is good...piety incorporates transformation."

"With hyper-orthodoxy, there is an emphasis on clarity of doctrine to the neglect of how we are to live."

"[With confessionalism]...the emphasis is on objective (outside of us) and declarative (done/finished) realities that are to be confessed, believed, and trusted."

"...identity precedes duty in a confessional world."

"...the realization of piety [in our lives] is never outside of the Holy Spirit's work in us."

"...the gospel is primarily applied to the redeemed."

"...the ordinary means of grace...include the Word of God, sacrament (baptism and the Lord's Supper), church (people of God), prayer, and song."

"In a confessional context, theology is largely a corporate exercise. Believers tend to identify with a historic confession, a historic tradition, the regulae fide (rule of faith), and the history of interpretation....This has produced a common confession and heritage of orthodoxy."

"How I'm doing or feeling doesn't change what Christ has done."

"Knowing that His children remain in their broken, sinful bodies, the Father places us into local families. These families (churches) are for the care and protection of His precious children....[the church's] mission is twofold: build up the faith of the other family members among them and spread the gospel message to the world."

"To love the family comes to us as a command but we obey it out of joy."

"Luther observed, 'A godly man feels sin more than grace, wrath more than favor, judgement more than redemption.'"

"Sin is the reminder that nothing in this world can satisfy, sustain, or bring lasting joy outside of Christ."

"In our legalistic hearts and minds, we can look at God's commandments as a ladder to climb rather than a mirror to confront."

"....we, sinners by birth and sinners by choice..."

"...what God demanded of you in His law, He has provided for you in His gospel."

[Kevin Godinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short read on the lens through which reformed theology interprets Scripture. Faith vs faithfulness. We don't work for our salvation; we work from it. There is no rest for the man who must uphold his end of the bargain, lest he lose his inheritence. But for the man who trusts in Christ to hold onto him, there is rest indeed.

[Isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good! Especially considering the length.

[thechristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this Christ-centered read prompts me to refocus on The Faithful One.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very refreshing short read. Definitely would recommend, especially because it is free as an ebook here:

https://theocast.org/primer/