My Banner is Christ: An Appeal for the Church to Restore the Priority of Solus Christus and to Mortify the Idols of Celebritism and the Fear of Man
Book Details
Author(s)Michael John Beasley
PublisherThe Armoury Ministries
ISBN / ASINB01660ZO8U
ISBN-13978B01660ZO81
Sales Rank506,588
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
The church is called to be the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), not the pillar and support of Evangelical celebrities. Unfortunately, this plain and obvious truth has fallen on hard times within modern Evangelicalism.
When the church becomes more enamored with popular individuals, or things that are deemed as "trendy," she enters into a dangerous flirtation with man-centered priorities. The church is not called to imitate the world which demands that it have its various celebrities and idols (professional athletes, pop icons, movie-stars, internet-idols etc.). Instead, she is called to a much different standard - the higher standard of exalting Christ and His authority alone (Solus Christus, Sola Scriptura).
Modern Evangelicalism has a great need to be restored to the priorities of Solus Christus and Sola Scriptura. The Reformers heralded these priorities for a very important reason - if Christ is not the church's first love and sole authority, then all is lost. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of celebrating God's grace in the lives of godly individuals and their ministries, there is everything wrong with the idolatry of celebritism: the act of exalting men in a way that diminishes the glory and sole authority of Jesus Christ. It is important to recognize that the sin of worshipping the creature rather than the Creator is as natural to human nature as is breathing (Romans1:25). In light of such human frailty, the church must mortify the temptation of heralding mere men above their station, whether by fear or fawning devotion. In order to accomplish this goal, God's people must remember that they are called to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ, alone (Ephesians 5:21). We can be sure that, wherever such reverence and adoration for Christ waxes hot, man-centered idolatry will wane and die. In the end, the church is called to exalt and magnify the risen and returning Savior, while raising the very banner of truth which He has entrusted to those who adore and fear Him (Psalm 60:4).
Table of Contents:
Introduction - He Has Given Us a Banner
Chapter I - Lessons from History with Pillars of Warning
Chapter II - Being Subject in the Fear of Christ
Chapter III - Celebritism and the Worship of the Nehushtan
Chapter IV - Solus Christus Versus Man-Centered Partisanship
Chapter V - You Cannot Serve Two Masters
Chapter VI - Solus Christus in the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah
Chapter VII - Solus Christus in the Home and Church
Chapter VIII - Solus Christus in the Land of Beulah
Chapter IX - Not all are Teachers
Conclusion - The Palace that is Called Beautiful
Appendix - Part I: John Bunyan, John Flavel, and the Fear of God
Appendix - Part II: The Fear of Christ in Marriage and Family
Appendix - Part III: Thomas Manton's Epistle to the Reader
When the church becomes more enamored with popular individuals, or things that are deemed as "trendy," she enters into a dangerous flirtation with man-centered priorities. The church is not called to imitate the world which demands that it have its various celebrities and idols (professional athletes, pop icons, movie-stars, internet-idols etc.). Instead, she is called to a much different standard - the higher standard of exalting Christ and His authority alone (Solus Christus, Sola Scriptura).
Modern Evangelicalism has a great need to be restored to the priorities of Solus Christus and Sola Scriptura. The Reformers heralded these priorities for a very important reason - if Christ is not the church's first love and sole authority, then all is lost. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of celebrating God's grace in the lives of godly individuals and their ministries, there is everything wrong with the idolatry of celebritism: the act of exalting men in a way that diminishes the glory and sole authority of Jesus Christ. It is important to recognize that the sin of worshipping the creature rather than the Creator is as natural to human nature as is breathing (Romans1:25). In light of such human frailty, the church must mortify the temptation of heralding mere men above their station, whether by fear or fawning devotion. In order to accomplish this goal, God's people must remember that they are called to be subject to one another in the fear of Christ, alone (Ephesians 5:21). We can be sure that, wherever such reverence and adoration for Christ waxes hot, man-centered idolatry will wane and die. In the end, the church is called to exalt and magnify the risen and returning Savior, while raising the very banner of truth which He has entrusted to those who adore and fear Him (Psalm 60:4).
Table of Contents:
Introduction - He Has Given Us a Banner
Chapter I - Lessons from History with Pillars of Warning
Chapter II - Being Subject in the Fear of Christ
Chapter III - Celebritism and the Worship of the Nehushtan
Chapter IV - Solus Christus Versus Man-Centered Partisanship
Chapter V - You Cannot Serve Two Masters
Chapter VI - Solus Christus in the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah
Chapter VII - Solus Christus in the Home and Church
Chapter VIII - Solus Christus in the Land of Beulah
Chapter IX - Not all are Teachers
Conclusion - The Palace that is Called Beautiful
Appendix - Part I: John Bunyan, John Flavel, and the Fear of God
Appendix - Part II: The Fear of Christ in Marriage and Family
Appendix - Part III: Thomas Manton's Epistle to the Reader
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