8/12/2019 1993 Issue 4 - Book Review: He Shall Have Dominion by
Ken Gentry - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/2
faith fastens on God's promises directly
and
immediately, then faith will be
certain and unshakable. Then faith no
longer rest on a subjective, changeable
foundation but on an objective, abiding
foundation.
The
unshakableness of the
foundation is conveyed directly to the
person
who, rescued
from
life's
shipwreck,
plants
both
feet firmly
on
it
in faith. When the
plant
of faith is
allowed
to
take root in the
ground
of
God's promises (the gospel), it will
naturallybear
the
fruit o f certainty. The
deeper and firmer the roots anchor
themselves in this
ground,
the stronger
and
taller
it
will grow,
and
the richer will
be its fruit." Herman Bavinck, The
Certainty oj Faith,
Paideia Press, St.
Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 1980.
2.
The
gospel never stops making
an
impression
on
the hearts of rue believers.
3.
The
difference between faith and
unbelief is
not
one of insight
or
intelligence, nor is it because of the
obSCUrity of the biblical revelation.
It
is
a
matter
of ethical choice. Those who
chose to believe the gospel ofjesus do so
because of the grace of God enabling
them to do
so freely and gladly,
with
the
whole
heart. Those who choose not to
believe the gospel do so, because
they
will
to
do
so,
and
not
because they have
intellectual problems. The unbeliever
will
not
give
up
himself, his belief
in
his
own ultimacyand autonomy, and his sin
in
order to embrace
the
gospel by faith.
"The whole man is therefore involved
in believing---with his reason,
with
his
will, with his heart, in the core of his
being, in the deepest partofhisexistence.
Knowing himself to
be
guilty
and
lost,
man, in faith, surrenders himself wholly
to
God's grace
in
Christ. He ceases
fighting
the
war
he has longbeen waging
in
his conscience....
He
leads all his
thoughts captive to the obedience of
Christ." Herman Bavinck
4. Let Luke take you by the hand
and
lead
you
to Christ.
As
he leads you, pray
to
the Father ojesus
to
give you the faith
to believe in Jesus.
IjScripturewerenothingmore than
a narrative oj past events it could be
accepted only on historical grounds by
an historical jaith. But although it is
also ltistory,
in
that I.istory it
is
more
than a narrative, it is a Word ]rom God
that omes to man calling him to faith
and repentance. As such, it can be
known through genuine faith. Whoever
accepts its testimony confirms that God
is truth ul. Promise and faith are
correlates; they address themselves to
one another. The more the Christian
develops, the more he roots himselfin
that Word, learning to know
it
better
and to value it more.
In
the same act
of
faith he also embraces Christ, whose
likeness comes to him unadulterated
in
theScripture'switness
of
Him. "
Herman
BavinckQ
yron Snapp
ook Review
He Shall Have Dominion
by
Kenneth
L
Gentry ]r. Institute for
Christian Economics P.O. Box 8000 Tyler,
Tx. 75711 19.95hb. 584 ppwith index.
Many times
during
presbytery exams,
when
the examiner begins to ask questions
on
eschatology the one being examined
replies that he is pan-mil. This often
brings a wave oflaughter from presbyters.
While eschatology is a very difficult
subject, we must realize that the Bible
does speak directly to the subject. No
Christian should take comfort in hiding
behind a pan-mil description of his
eschatology.
All
three (o r four, including
dispensationalism) cannot be correct. It
is
important that
we study
Scripture
prayerfully to seek to understand
what
God has revealed
on
this
important
subject.
Mr. Gentry has authored a
well-written, book from a postmillennial
perspective. He treats those of
other
persuasions
with
respect while showing
that
their eschatological arguments are
not built
on
the
sound
foundations of
consistent Biblical exegesis.
The
authorbegins by pointingout the
importance of a biblical philosophy of
history.
The Christian understands
that
history is the working
out
of God's eternal
plan for his covenant people . This
involves creation
and
the fan of man.
After man's fan God reveals
through
Scripture that the Messiah is coming to
redeem a people to himself.
With
Christ's
coming, God's kingdom is established
and Satan is defeated as a result of Christ's
death
on the cross.
s
history
moves
towards Christ's return on the final day
of
judgment,
we can expect growth
and
advance
of
the
Gospel
by
means
of
regeneration
and
sanctification. This
results in the spiritual growth of
the
individual. This growth
will
lead to
cultural transformation as Christians seek
to live
out
every area of life in obedience
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The
author rightly contends
that
covenant theo ogy, so evident throughout
Scripture, is important in
postmillen
nialism. The Covenant theologian sees
the unity of the old and new testaments.
"The Covenant concept runs throughout
Scripture. t frames God's creational
process, structures His dealings with man,
and most
important
for this
book's
thesis,
insures the success of His divine program
in history.... The decline of covenant
theology since the late
nineteenth
century
has
led to
the
decline
of Christian
influence in society. Postmillennialism is
fundamentally covenantal,
presenting
a
full-orbed Christianity in it pristine
authority and power." (p. 121)
Christ, God's eternal Son, fulfilled
the
covenantal duties of elect sinners. Thus,
Gentry points out the importance of
evangelism in postmillennial
thought.
"Cultural influence and change are to be
promoted
byGod's
people-who are saved
by
grace alone (Eph.
2:8-10)-at
large in
their callings
not
by the institutional
Church as such.
CONTlNVED P GE
4
May, 1993 THE COUNSEL
of
Chalce
8/12/2019 1993 Issue 4 - Book Review: He Shall Have Dominion by
Ken Gentry - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/2
HE SHALL HAVE
DOMlNION CaNT.
Thus, postmillennialism seeks the
Chrtstianization of heworld by thespr '\d
of the gospel of]esus Christ. Evangelism
has priority in Christianization. (pp
259-260)
Thekeeping ofGod's lawisnot for the
purpose of salvation
but
for the purpose
of
he savedsinner lovinglyobeyingChrist
His Redeemer and for thejust and orderly
operation
of
society. After all] esus Christ
has all authority over every area of life.
Societies as well
as
individuals can pro
gress as theyseek to live under God's law.
Covenantaldisobedience to God's law
by means of s absence in preaching and
in
practice leads to the shrinking of the
impact
of
Christianity in culture
as is
evidenced in our own day. However, Mr.
Gentry argues that we cannot exegete
Scripture by using today's newspapers.
Instead he takes the reader through the
Old
and
New Testaments examining,
clearly
and
concisely, a multitude of
Scriptures to showthat overall the Gospel
will have great advance in conversions
and cultural change prior to Christ's
return. The readeronly has to pause and
think about the growth of Christianity
from Chrtst'sday
to
ours and its cultural
influence in society during the past two
thousand years to see that history indeed
supports
the Biblical teaching of the
progress
of
Chrtstianity.
Mr. Gentry is
well-read
in
dispensational,
premillennial
and
amillennial thinking. As he confronts and
answers
their
arguments
in
light of
Scripture
he treats those
who hold
differing
eschatological views with
respect. The author looks seriously at
many objections to postmillennialism.
He divides these objection into three
categories (1. pragmatic, (2 theological
and
(3
biblicalc He does
not
avoid
discussing
such
seemingly non
postmillennial passages as Zech.
14:4,
Mt. 7:13-14, Luke 18:8 and 2 Tim.
3:1-4,13.
In each case he shows how
these and other difficult passages are in
no way
opposed
to postmillennial
thinking. The book concludes with a
helpful discussion of the placeofsuffering
within the postmillennial framework.
A
drawback to this book is a series of
printing errors
at
the
bottom
of
approximately ten pages (pp
299-300
pp.
375-76, 386-87, 396-397, 405-06,
407-08, 410-411, 412-413).
This is
distracting as one thinks he has turned an
extra page only
to
realize that the error
is
typographical. Although distracting this
does not detract from the book'sstyleand
argumentation as awhole. Q\.n erratasheet
is
now
included in the book and
is
available
also through the
pUblisherandJor
author
for
previous
purchasers.--editor.
I believe that itis in God's providence
this book now appears in print. We are
living in a day when
we
are reaping the
harvest that has beensown by those who
teach thai Christianity will have little
impact on culture until Christ's return.
Christians, having little vision for the
Gospel s advance
or
the
impact
Chrtstianity needs to have on culture,
have been content to silently wait for
Christ's return. Meanwhile the humanists
have been hard
at work replacing
Biblically-based laws with laws that are
opposed to Christian moralityand family
structure. They have successfully
educated many in our society.
4 TIlE COUNSEL of Chaloedon May 1993
Non-Profit
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VVe
cannot
expect change in
legislatures until there is first a change
in hearts at
the
grassroots. After
all
it
was grassroots voters that placed
our
elected officials in office. Hearts
must
experience regeneration and thus begin
to be sanctified. Christians, while
indeed setting their hearts on heaven,
mustalso
under
Chris t's lordship
seek
to exercise godly dominion in every
area of life.
Church
officers
must see
the Biblical teaching on the progress of
the Gospel that will take place prior to
Christ's return and faithfully expound
this teaching
as
part
of
their preaching
of the whole counsel of God.
If this book were a play it would
deserve a standing ovation. It offers
readers Biblically rounded encourage
ment and certain \lope in history at a time
when Christianity
in
our culture seems to
be collapSingagainst ahumanisticattack.
Let us
hope
that readers will be
encouraged
to
stand
up
for Jesus in every
realm of life and prayerfully work for
individuals and societies to increasingly
bow before Christ's dominion.a
(see page 2
to
oTd.., this book
