WHAT IS FAITH?: A 21st Century Update of J. Gresham Machen
About this ebook
In an age when faith is often reduced to positive thinking, religious feeling, or belief without evidence, What Is Faith? returns to Scripture for a clear and compelling answer. This 21st-century update of J. Gresham Machen’s classic discussion examines biblical faith as informed conviction grounded in truth, centered on Jehovah, and directed toward Jesus Christ.
Beginning with faith in God and Christ, the book explores why recognition of our sinful condition is essential to understanding the gospel, how genuine faith responds to Jehovah’s saving provision, and why salvation can never be reduced to human merit. It also addresses the often-misunderstood relationship between faith and works, showing that obedience does not purchase salvation but gives visible expression to living faith.
Readers will also discover why biblical faith is neither irrational nor passive. It rests upon trustworthy revelation, produces repentance and faithful Christian conduct, and looks confidently toward the resurrection and eternal life Jehovah promises through Christ.
Clear, Scripture-centered, and practical, What Is Faith? challenges every reader to move beyond merely professing belief and to understand the informed, active, enduring faith described in the Word of God.
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About the author
J. Gresham Machen (1881–1937) was an American New Testament scholar, Presbyterian theologian, author, and influential defender of historic Christianity during the rise of theological liberalism in the early 20th century. Educated at Johns Hopkins University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Machen later taught New Testament at Princeton, where he became known for rigorous scholarship and his unwavering commitment to the authority and truthfulness of Scripture.
Following the reorganization of Princeton Seminary, Machen helped establish Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929, where he continued teaching and defending conservative Christian doctrine. He also played a leading role in the formation of what became the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Among his best-known works are Christianity and Liberalism, The Virgin Birth of Christ, and What Is Faith? Machen’s writings continue to challenge Christians to distinguish biblical faith from religious sentiment and to ground their convictions firmly in the revealed Word of God.
